Rustnstuff

Friday, May 12, 2017

Mixed bag

Sometimes I jump from one thing to another in my art. This can be because I want a change; but over the last couple of days it has been because folk want things done all about the same time. I had a requests: to make a couple of new Artisan Lamps; draw a post sculpture proposal for a small courtyard; and restring some glass beads and make earrings from the same beads.

But first the lamps. Always starts with gorgeous found objects.

And then cutting pieces up; and doing test assembling.

The post sculptures, an installation of 5 posts (17cm square hardwood), will have snake and water motifs.

The glass beads were very colourful. They had been bought by the owner when she was 15 and on a trip to Italy - so they were full of memories. I made earrings out of two of the bigger and two of the smaller beads. I restrung the necklace on 7 ply gold coloured cats-tail wire.

Such variation - but all about bringing joy. I hope too get the lamps completed over the weekend.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Wet, workshop and webs on Wednesday

This morning we woke to a combination of a total cloud whiteout and drizzling rain - so as the title says this post, in the main, is about wet, webs and a few fragments from the workshop bench.

More of that whiteout - soft grey light and misty images.

But that means we also get to see the micro spiders' webs and lichen holding droplets of rain.

The images from the workshop simply capture some of the small fragments that littler the bench top - residue of lamp making.

So whilst there was not a walk in the wilds this morning there was the beauty of soft outdoors images and a look at the workbench through different eyes.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Heavy metal of the brass variety

When I chose the base of a very old and large jardiniere for the metal for bowl of the Avian Font I thought I'd be hammering a circle of metal about 1mm thick. As it turned out it was closer to 2mm thick; and 37cm in diameter. This is the thickest piece of brass I have hammered into a bowl shape. It took a few hours of heavy hammering from beginning to end. Heavy metal work indeed.

©2017 Barry Smith - Looking good - I could have spent a couple more hours hammer to get a smoother finish; but In fact I wanted the textured and hammered look - the bowl is about 37cm across and 7.5cm deep. Flattened section ready for cutting the hole for the stand.

After cutting the hole in the centre to attach the stand I cleaned the bowl and added a patina solution. This resulted in quite a blue colour so I coated the patina with a UV resistant art varnish and sanded it back to allow some of the original brown and black patina and polished brass to show through.

To get a firm and leakproof attachment I needed to make some rubber and steel washers. This took about an hour as the holes were bigger than my metal punches. The steel washer took quite a bit of filing.

The stand and base, including rubber washers, were then assembled and ready for the bowl and spray nozzle.

©2017 Barry Smith - Stand and base - the stand has a copper pipe inner tube and a rusty garage spring out sleeve. The top of the stand includes a brass plumbing fittings, a brass tap body and a rusty cog with an inner brass tube which was then riveted to the stand;s inner copper tube.

And this is the finished product - looking gorgeous enough to attract a few birds.

This Avian Font will be delivered to the new owner mid next week.

Friday, May 5, 2017

A new avian font

Much of my art time today was given over to community - installing a small art post at our local neighbourhood centre; and working through a few details of one aspect of our up-coming Obi Art Prize.

But yesterday and today I did grab a little time to start a new avian font (aka bird bath) commissioned at the time of our open studio over the easter weekend. Making a font is a combination of assemblage from found objects; and metal work using recycled metal.

The starting process involves wandering around looking at the various stashes of found objects and metal to see what will go with what. Then one beings to make small collections of stuff that most likely will make up the crew components of the final piece - see below.

Then there is the process of putting the pieces roughly together to ensure the pipes, pieces and threads will work as in the case of the piece below that will make up the section that will hold the hammered bowl for the font. Of course if the bits fit together then they have to be taken apart and polished etc.

And the section that will be the base of the font. This piece is so heavy I have decided to make the base and upper sections separate so that the owner can simply put the two pieces together on site.

The hammering of the bowl starts with detaching the circular piece of metal from the outer rim of metal - it was cut from a very large brass jardiniere. Lots of solder to sweat off.

And then anneal the metal.

Hopefully over the weekend I will get the time to complete the font - we will see.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Clouds on fire and other gorgeous colours

As I walked Treehaven Way this morning the sunrise was just spectacular - made all possible by the layers, textures (types) and colours of clouds. The whole colour show lasted about 20 minutes but what a show. Fragments of clouds just lit up with cascading gold.