Light and Lines - opening night

On Friday I shared some photos of the pieces that I am exhibiting in Fiona's and my Light and Lines exhibition in Hand Held Gallery in Melbourne. Fiona has shared a few photos of the opening night; but I thought I might just add a few of my own.

As you can see from the photo below Hand Held Gallery is quite small but with good lighting and people can see the works on display even when the gallery is closed.  We did not have a big crowd but it was a quality group of friends, acquaintances and fellow artists who made the opening a success.

Barry Smith © Friends make the opening special. 

Fiona and I had limited ourselves to 10-12 pieces to fit the shelves and wall space available. I think it looked good without being crowded - as Fiona said "it looks like us".

Barry Smith © A shelf of Light Catchers - shadows and reflections.

Barry Smith © A trio of Light Catchers

Barry Smith © Fiona checks out the combined exhibition.

I sold one of the Light Catchers (Wheelie light); and Fiona sold several pieces so that is always good - generous supportive friends.

Barry Smith © Wheelie light is off to a new home.

Apologies for the fact that the photos are a bit blurry - taken with the iPhone

 The Light and Lines exhibition runs until 29 October. Handheld Gallery is located in Suite 18, upstairs Paramount Arcade, 108 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Gallery hours are: Tuesday-Saturday 12-5pm. Works can be purchased by contacting Megan the gallery owner through the Handheld Gallery website.

Handheld Gallery exhibition

Fiona's and my Handheld Gallery exhibition, Light and Lines,  opened last night on the 6 October.  Though I had created 13 small light assemblages (9 light catchers and 2 pieces that reference light) I decided to show the following 11 pieces.

Each piece is named to reflect the light theme and a predominant found object, material or design feature of the piece.

Barry Smith © Wheelie Light 

Barry Smith © Light between the lines

Barry Smith © Light on tap

Barry Smith © Lightly wrung

Barry Smith © Light headed

Barry Smith © Jewel light

Barry Smith © Hot light 2

Barry Smith © Light shuttle

Barry Smith © Lightly screwed

Barry Smith © Starlight - star-gate

Barry Smith © Moonlight - moon-gate

Given the small size of the gallery and the fact that it is a joint exhibition - Light and Lines - I think the number and variety of the assembles works. I shall follow up with a few photos of the opening night, the people and gallery etc.

In case you have the opportunity to drop in, the exhibition runs until 29 October. Handheld Gallery is located in Suite 18, upstairs Paramount Arcade, 108 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Gallery hours are: Tuesday-Saturday 12-5pm.

Leaf-blade

A discussion about functional but artistic gifts to take overseas and give to men got me thinking. It is always useful to take something light, unbreakable and able to get through customs (therefore not wood or animal).

I thought a metal letter opener with a leaf handle could be the go. I had not made one before so the one below is a prototype.  First couple of photos are the prototype Leaf-blade in the rough. The overall length is 170mm (about 7 inches). It was made out of a piece of brass from an old solid fuel single burner stove.

Barry Smith © Leaf-blade on the anvil - in the rough

Barry Smith © Leaf-blade on the anvil - in the rough

The Leaf-blade polished up well.

Barry Smith © Leaf-blade on the anvil - polished

Barry Smith © Leaf-blade on the anvil - polished

And Fiona did a test run; and it works.

So maybe I'm onto something with this adaption of the foldformed leaves - form and function? Though the prototype is fine I will use slightly thicker brass next time just to give the blade a little more rigidity.

Just a little shout-out about Fiona's and my current exhibition Light and Lines in Handheld Gallery. The exhibition opens on Thursday 6 October at 6pm. In case you have the opportunity to drop in, the exhibition runs until 29 October. The gallery is located in Suite 18, upstairs Paramount Arcade, 108 Bourke Street, Melbourne. Gallery hours are: Tuesday-Saturday 12-5pm.

From lids to leaf litter

Over the weekend I started a longer term project which entails making at least 250 leaves out of anodised aluminium. The leaves will be made from found, salvaged or gifted anodised aluminium lids from saucepans that were very popular in the 50s-60s.  I will also use the anodised aluminium from storage canisters, baking dishes and serving trays as lids are not always easy to find.

Most of the lids in the photo below were bought from a rubbish tip recycling shop for a couple of dollars for the lot. There are a couple gifted to me by Kim and Jeff. Fiona said the photo reminded her of buttons. Not sure if there will be any blue leaves.

Barry Smith © Leaf material - anodised aluminium lids etc

I cut up four lids and also used some of the green metal left over from a canister to make the 25 leaves below - 10% of the way.

Barry Smith © New leaf litter - anodised aluminium

Barry Smith © Leaf litter - old and new - anodised aluminium

Barry Smith © Leaf litter - detail - anodised aluminium

I had some leaves left over from an early stash I started on so in all I have about 50-60 leaves made. Will keep you posted as the stash grows. I will need to collect quite a number more lids etc for this project.

Finding a new home on Friday

The title is not about Fiona or myself but rather some of my larger sculptural pieces. As part of the Open Studios event in August 6 of my outdoor pieces were on display at Clovelly Estate as a bit of promotion for the OS and bit of profile for me. Kim and I organised a swap of one each of our pieces (plus other bits and pieces thrown into the negotiations - horse trading). I was invited to show the other 5 at a local gallery when I moved them from Clovelly - including the leaf below.

Barry Smith © Leaf - detail

Well today they were moved to their new home at Maleny Arts Retreat gallery.

I was really pleased Gary Myers was interested in showing my outdoor sculptures as the entrance into the gallery is a great garden setting for the pieces as you can see from the following photos.

Barry Smith © Slice of the landscape

Barry Smith © Leaf - rusted wire and metal plate

Barry Smith © Flow - sentinel at the entrance to the gallery

It is great to have these pieces of my work in a place that has a great reputation as an art centre; where they will be seen; and people know they are for sale. Photos are courtesy of Fiona and her trusty iPhone.

Bazola earrings bits; and photos of the moth

I asked Noela if she could create a stash of Bazola earrings and a couple of brooches for me to take to Melbourne when we go down next week to set up the Light and Lines exhibition in Handheld Gallery. I thought some of our friends down there could be interested in purchasing a piece or two of Bazola bling.

Noela suggested that I make a few more of my beaten, foldformed and stamped bits for her to choose from to create a selection. Last night we had a dinner party of fellow artists including our friend Noela so I handed the stash below over to her for the next part of the creative Bazola collaboration. In all, there are 14 pairs of bits - silverplated brass, brass and copper.

Barry Smith © Bazola silver-plated earring bits

Barry Smith © Bazola earring bits

Barry Smith © Bazola earring bits

Barry Smith © Bazola brass and copper earring bits

During the night I discovered a coloured moth on one of our privacy doors and couldn't resist taking a couple of photos with my iPhone - with and without flash.

Barry Smith © Moth through a glass darkly - no flash

Barry Smith © Moth through a glass darkly - with flash

And then of course I needed to play with the originals.

Barry Smith © Moth through a glass darkly -  flash - altered

Barry Smith © Moth through a glass darkly - no flash - altered

Barry Smith © Moth through a glass darkly - with flash - altered

Bit of fun and interesting outcomes.

And the dinner party was a bit of a hoot - good food, good friends, good wine, great art discussions and great laughs.

Polishing and packaging

On Friday I was able to do quite a bit of work on a couple of orders for leaves, bowls and Inspiration in your pocket bits.

Today the final polishing and packaging was done. As you can see from the photos below the pieces all are all shiny and blingy.

Barry Smith © A litter of shiny leaves

Barry Smith © Brass leaves - polished 

Barry Smith © Silver-plated bowl - brass shining through

Barry Smith © A little inspiration for the pocket

On Monday the orders will go in three directions: locally, down south and overseas. I find a real sense of satisfaction knowing the stuff I make from metal that is discarded or seen to have no further value is reborn and goes in all direction to be valued once again and to bring a bit of joy.

Inspired by a leaf

Earlier in the week on one of our morning walk Fiona found this tiny (about 35mm in circumference) amazingly spiraled little leaf below.

Barry Smith © Fiona's find

I couldn't resist photographing it in a 'rainbow' on my desk curtesy of the sun through the edge of our louvres.

Barry Smith © Leaf with rainbow colours

The finding of this leaf came on top of a couple of weeks of wind and leaf litter at Rainbow Beach and around the block - so I got into taking photos of leaf litter.

Barry Smith © Leaf litter - Rainbow Beach

Barry Smith © Leaf litter on our pathway 

Barry Smith © Leaf litter from Treehaven Way

A couple of enquiries about leaves for sale motivated me to use this afternoon to create a couple of metal leaf litters - one of brass and one of silver-plated brass.

Barry Smith © Art imitates nature - brass leaf

Barry Smith © Litter of brass leaves - in the rough

Barry Smith © Twin tiny leaves

Barry Smith © Silver-plated brass litter of leaves at sunset

The photos above are of the leaves in the rough at sunset.