Rustnstuff

Sunday, March 3, 2013

A little shine on Sunday

We have had another day of rain, mist and cloud - quite depressing dim light and not a scrap of sunshine to be had. The choices were to sit and read or to continue a little art - the later won out - after all reading can be done at night I hear you say.

On friday 22 Feb I started raising a couple of silver-plate EPNS bowls. So I decided to finish them today. Amazing that I could use the outdoor work bench as it was sheltered enough not to be in the rain - just the occasional drift of mist. When I started annealing the two silver-plate formed bowls I noticed on the bench there were a couple of narrow bowl forms from a couple of copper goblets that I had disassembled - so I thought I'd add them into the metal beating mix. I find it is often just as easy to be working on several pieces when I'm doing constant annealing and beating as one needs to do for raising curved in (podish) bowls.

Anyway - after many annealings and much beating I had the four raised bowls below in the formed but unpolished stage.

Though it was was still raining I managed to bring a small polishing bench under the shelter of the shed-studio and give the four a polish. The high polished finish made it a little difficult to photograph. Then again the contrast of the highly silver-plate and copper, reflections and low light do make for a little mystery.

I rather like the two wee copper pods - you can see how small they are in comparison to my hand.

Not a bad outcome for a rainy afternoon. Now it is time to a glass of wine and a book.

Friday, March 1, 2013

A hint of Steampunk on Friday

I was really fortunate to get into the garage-studio before lunch today; and was able to do a few hours after lunch - still got time to get out and do weed cutting late in the day before the rain set in again.

As you can see from the photo above and those below I got to play with the collection of bits I talked about in Wednesday's post. And I have decided to create a small Steampunkish series. The series will include: pendants; earrings; and Light Catchers. I will create what I can from the collection. Each piece will be unique as I use up the bits. As indicated in the earlier post the series will be called Time and Light as each will include clock-watch parts and at least one crystal from a vintage chandelier.

Today I pushed myself to create a pendant; a set of earrings; and a light catcher. The Light Catcher has an additional feature - it includes three tuned rods that when struck give a beautiful sound. The Light and Time earrings have movement - two of the pieces are on chains.

The pieces still need a bit of final polishing and tweaking - but in all it was a good outcome. The pieces will migrate into my shop in the next little while

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

When collections coalesce

Its one of those funny things - you have all these little collections of objects in draws and on the floor; and then suddenly they shout out to be together and for you to do something with them.

I have a number of delicious collections of found objects including: pocket watch bodies; clock bodies; switches; brass circles; clock chimes etc. And these, as you can see from the photo below, are now all gathered on my sorting table in the garage-studio.

There are some great shapes.

And now I will ponder these and decide which will coalesce to form a small assemblage. I think they will become a small series in there own right - I'm thinking Time and Light as the working title. This series will reflect a little more Steampunk in the various pieces. This will be work for further rainy days.

On another note the Precious Pieces blurb book has already arrived.

I'm pleased how it has worked out - looks just as good 'in-the-flesh' as it did on the screen.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Shards - a post installation

Some time ago I posted on the work I was doing on an installation of three posts that will be heading off to an art show. I have titled the piece Shards.

Apart from the wood post form; the other main element is long slender jagged slices of rusted metal. The shards are cut from offcuts of rusted 3mm thick sheet mild steel I had in my rust bank using an off-cut blade in a handheld side grinder. Each shard is unique in shape. The shards of rust gradually spiral up each post to give a sense of movement if one walks around the post.

We had fine weather for most of the day yesterday so it gave me the opportunity to cut the slots into the posts; and insert the rusted metal shards into their slots. Each post could be a sculpture in its own right as you can see from the shot below.

However the posts were conceived as an installation of three. The variation in the heights and the size of the shards and the shape of each shard presents shadows and negative spaces that are quite interesting.

The posts still require bases of 10mm thick rusted metal plate. This will enable the base of the posts ti be defined and can be used to peg the posts into the ground or stand stably if shown on concrete or a verandah. Below are a couple of close up shots of the rust and wood.

I'm hoping to finish these posts during the week - weather permitting.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Few things on Friday

Today has been a bit of a mixed bag but there were a couple of art things going on: the 22 sheets Corten steel (3mx1m) for the placemaking path were delivered to the recycling centre where workers and volunteers will cut the 23 foliage motifs into the steel; and I continued some work on a couple of raised bowls.

I delivered the cutting template and talked the recycling folk through the cutting process - so many right and so many left cuts etc etc. It is now in their hands - I'm holding my breath - it will take about a week to cut all the sheets with a hand held plasma cutter.

But while I was there I spied 7 fencing foils and just could not resist buying them - I'm really sure they will make a great installation on the block - I'm sure Fiona agrees - hmmm!!!

The bowl raising has come along quite well; but there will still be a session or two to complete the raising and polishing etc.

I just love the texture of the inside surface of the raised bowl - so many hammer marks. But I think it is time for me to head off and make a risotto; and of course break out a Friday glass of wine.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Clean air and new life

As you can see from an earlier post we have been shrouded in cloud and rain for over a week. And whist there have been a couple of times the sun tried to break through in the afternoon and created ethereal skies (including the pink-out as compared to our usual misty white-outs) shown in the photos below - we were hanging out for clear skies and sun.

And this morning we woke to exactly that. At first Fiona thought we had left a light on but then realised that the light at 4.30am was just early morning pre-sunrise light seeping into the room.

Fiona headed off to her circuit training at 6am and I walked - with my iPhone so I share but a few of the images that caught my eye. All photos are naked shots including the Autostitched panoramas above. Mind you you can see my walk was more of a stroll given the number of photo stops - there goes the fitness program!!!

This afternoon has turned cloudy and rainy again but spirits have been lifted by the sun.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

New publication on a rainy day

As you can see from the photo below today has been a rainy, gloomy and overcast day - so best to do indoor tasks.

Fiona was working on the Flags for Peace 2012 blurb publication yesterday and today, so I thought I'd use her companionable expertise to create a new blurb book on my metal work.

I have titled the 20 page book Precious Pieces as a reference to the pieces I create and the fact that they are made from recycled materials - saving precious metal from going into land fill or sold for scrap. A few screen shots show what I was up to.

I did manage to finish the book and it has has now been published and will be delivered in the next few weeks.

If you want to check it out click here.