Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Mainly the moon

As the title of the blog says this is mainly about the full moon that signals easter; but there are also fragments of the sunrise, birds, blossoms and the valley.

But first the moon - photographed in the early morning this morning - heading towards the horizon through the trees.

©2017 Barry Smith - Soft colours of a setting morning moon
©2017 Barry Smith - Morning moon before dawn
©2017 Barry Smith - Morning moon before dawn
©2017 Barry Smith - Soft colours of a setting morning moon through the trees
©2017 Barry Smith - Framing the morning moon
The sun was rising and the moon was setting as you can see from the panorama photo.

©2017 Barry Smith - Sunrise and setting moon
©2017 Barry Smith - Colours of sunrise over the mountains in the valley below
By the time I reached Treehaven Way the sun was blazing through the lower branches of the pine trees.
©2017 Barry Smith - Blazing sunrise
Some startling colour and forms in the blossoms.

©2017 Barry Smith - Deep purple
©2017 Barry Smith - Intricate white
And the Magpies who want to keep one company; but also scurry off when you focus on them.

©2017 Barry Smith - Magpie in flight
©2017 Barry Smith - Poser?
A gorgeous morning. Moon photos were taken with the Canon Powershot; other photos with the trusty iPhone.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Off to market

Over the weekend I had to get the the Tea Caddy Leafspoons and the Coffee Measuring spoons completed so they could be sent to Myrtleford Victoria and be there before Easter.

©2017 Barry Smith - A couple of rusty piano wheels and polished silver-plated hammered bowls on the polishing workbench wheels were holding plastic sheeting down
Well after a big effort, and help from Fiona in the riveting process, I managed to get 12 Tea Caddy Leafspoons and 10 Coffee Measuring Spoons completed (plus a couple of casualties that can't go to market).

©2017 Barry Smith - A whole lot of polishing there - including some strays I included along the way
©2017 Barry Smith - A couple of polished hammered bowls plus a couple of resin pieces destined to become a pendant
©2017 Barry Smith
Fiona also assisted in choosing the 6 Tea Caddy Spoons and 6 Coffee Measuring Spoons below that will be express posted to Myrtleford tomorrow. The coffee measuring spoons deliver about 7gms of ground coffee as a rounded heaped spoon.

©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
Riveting the small twisted brass handles to the small bowls of the Coffee Measuring Spoons was a real challenge. Metal on metal on metal resulted in the bits slipping at different stages of the drilling and riveting process. I could not have done it without Fiona's extra set of hands; and even then it was a challenge. There are some commissions one is happy to have completed.

Friday, April 7, 2017

Sculpture in the landscape and glass shadows

For most of the week Fiona and I were in Canberra for work, art and catch-ups. A couple of the things we got to do between appointments was to visit the arboretum and the glass factory.

I just loved the huge rusted metal sculptures scattered on the hills of the arboretum including this breathtaking piece of calligraphy on one of the summits.

©2017 Barry Smith - wide brown land by: Tatton, Viney and Futago - 2010
©2017 Barry Smith - Magpies on land
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith - Fiona approaches the amazing complex curves of rusted calligraphic metal 
And Nest III on another hill.

©2017 Barry Smith - Nest 111 - Moffatt 2007
©2017 Barry Smith - Scale!!!!
And of course the beauty of the setting with its extraordinary

©2017 Barry Smith
There was a glass exhibition by Rowney at the glass factory - beautiful traditional blown glass with exquisite markings. I prefer moulded and ground glass; I loved the shadows and refections from the light through the glass.
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
We got home to the mountain this afternoon - I like the trips away; & love the return to the mountain.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

The love of rust and other matters

One is never too far from the beauty of rust and greying wood on our block. The stashes, piles and small collections or installation all readily offer eye-candy.

©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
©2017 Barry Smith
Sometimes the rust colour can even be found in insect form. This Dragon-fly got accidently caught inside and died - sad - but such beauty in its colours and the membranes of the wings.

©2017 Barry Smith
A hole in a post offers a window on the mountains in the valley below.

©2017 Barry Smith
Most of us do not need to stray from home to find fragments of beauty.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Small steps

Our block has recovered well from the wind and rain that came after the destructive cyclone in the north. We had Donna and John from the US visiting Susan & Steve and ourselves. They got to stay with us as we had power. Much of Friday and Saturday was spent sharing our town and art. Good to catch up with folk who are part of the blog community.

I got a couple of hours to progress the coffee measuring spoons (at least the twisted brass handles); and forming the tea caddy spoons.

Work on the twisted brass handles.

©2017 Barry Smith - Detail of the twisted brass handles
©2017 Barry Smith - I used the belt sander clamped in a vise to form the end that is to be attached to the hammered bowls
©2017 Barry Smith - A couple of stints of grinding on each of the handles - one more round to finish them off
©2017 Barry Smith- Twisted brass handles ready for drilling and polishing
The handles need to be drilled and polished before riveting them to the measuring bowl sections.

Forming the tea caddy spoons.

©2017 Barry Smith - First fold of the leaf section of the tea caddy spoons
©2017 Barry Smith - Leaf sections hammered and unfolded.
©2017 Barry Smith - First forming of the bowl section on a stake with a hard nylon hammer
Still quite a way to go but a couple of small steps in the production process.