Cold but clear skies

Recently Fiona and I were in Canberra for work-work and though we both lived there for many years I think we had forgotten how cold it could get. Whilst we were there it was -7 degrees overnight; and as you can see from the photos below it was not wise to leave the hire car without cover.

Barry Smith © Frost on windscreen

Barry Smith © Fiona warm inside

It took quite a while to scrape the frost off with a plastic card. But the advantage of such intense coldness is bright blue sky days. We took the opportunity to visit the National Gallery and of course were drawn to James Turrell's lighting installation called Within without 2010; and were not disappointed with the colour and light .

Barry Smith © Sky-dome

Barry Smith © Reflected light

Barry Smith © Sky and light

Barry Smith © James Turrell's light installation

Of course as I have indicated before I want to build one of these on the block.

Mini promotion

Fiona and I were asked by an artist friend if we would hang some of our wall type art in the local library as a mini promotion for the Creative Spaces - Open Studios. If you know our art you would know that we are not big wall art types - Fiona has a bit more than me; but we both tend more towards the 3D forms.

Barry Smith © Fiona and Barry do wall art

Anyway as you can see from the photos above we put together a balanced few pieces that reflect our mutual love of rust and found objects; and also Fiona's love of 'white on white'. Fiona's white piece gave a strong focal point; and given it was just after Hiroshima Day it was a nice touch that it had the peace theme.

Barry Smith © Fiona turns curator

Barry Smith © When in need there is an app

Fiona set the display up whilst Noela and I set up Bazola. Fiona needed a spirit level and being resourceful she went online and down loaded a free spirit level app for her iPhone - and it worked well.

Barry Smith © Blossoms blown bent

Barry Smith © Starry starry night

Fiona Dempster  © Peace

Fiona Dempster © Fragment of marks

Fiona Dempster © Fragment of Peace - 'white on white'

The photos above given a little more detail; of some of our pieces.

And we were able to use the Creative Spaces poster and map to promote the open studio event.

Library plus Bazola

About 3-4 weeks ago I posted on the fact that Noela and I were creating more Bazola jewellery as it was selling steadily and that Noela was particularly interested in foldformed corrugated bits. We were offered the opportunity to show some of our collaborative work in the public glass display cabinets at the entrance to our local library. Noela was into using the corrugated bits so I made a stash more for her to play with.

Barry Smith © Stash of ripple bits for Bazola

If you check out Noela's recent post she turned heaps of bits into beautiful Bazola; and we have set up the display in the library. We filled both cabinets; and by way of education-explanation also displayed our tools etc. Noela's tool collection is very tidy and dainty - lots of small pliers etc; mine tends to a bit messy with metal offcuts and mainly hammers - different tools of trade applied to the collaborative effort.

Barry Smith © Bazola plus Barry's tools 

Barry Smith © Bazola plus Noela's tools

Barry Smith © Detail of a Bazola pendant 1

Barry Smith © Detail of a Bazola pendant 1

Barry Smith © Business cards in old silverware

The display will be in place for a couple of weeks. This is an amazing giving service by the staff of our local Maleny Library. They offer artists both the display cases and one of the walls inside for hanging works - free of charge; and they maintain the booking register - great people.

Unexpected visitors

Over the last couple of days Fiona and I have been doing cleaning and gardening work in and around the shed as preparation for the Creative Spaces - Open Studios event on 20-21 and 27-28 August. Window cleaning, pressure cleaning and weeding is not heaps of fun - but every now and then nature rewards the drudgery.  We had a very lively Echidna visit and we had fun following it around for about an hour observing its antics and making sure it did not head onto the road.

Fiona Dempster © Echidna with mountain background

As you see from the additional photos below it was a special thing to do.

Fiona Dempster © Echidna visits standing stone

Fiona Dempster © Echidna foraging

Fiona Dempster © Crossing our driveway

A couple of weeks ago we had a Goshawk visit and sit on our gutter for quite some time - not great shots as they we taken through the window and fly-screen.

Barry Smith © Goshawk checks out the surroundings 1

Barry Smith © Goshawk checks out the surroundings 2

One of the advantages of living on a block with trees etc is that you get cute visitors from time to time.

Seeking peace

Tomorrow (Saturday 6 August) is Hiroshima Day - so a good day to remember and seek peace. Donna Watson's post is a beautiful reminder of this event and the shared desire for peace in our modern world.

Our Friday on the mountain started with an amazing rainbow that became a double; but what I liked about it was the way it split the sky into dark and light. For me it in a way represented what we try to achieve through peace - move out of darkness and terror into a brighter quieter way of being. The photos have not been tampered with - photoshopped etc.

Barry Smith © Peace - from darkness to light

Barry Smith © Peace - from darkness to light 2

I thought I might just share a few images from the block, some temporary (crystal formation) and some more permanent,  that we use to remind us that peace is something that we need to strive for each day.

Barry Smith © Peace script on our bell - hei-wa

Barry Smith © Peace script on our bell - hei-wa

Barry Smith © Crystals of peace 1

Barry Smith © Crystals of peace 2 

Barry Smith © Peace symbol - hand carved 

Barry Smith © Peace symbol - router carved 

Barry Smith © Imagine peace

And of course a favourite quote:

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will have peace. 

Jimi Hendrix

Playing with images again

We recently returned to Umbakumba on Groote Eylandt and Pirlangimpi on Melville Island to present the findings of our research to community representatives. I couldn't resist taking some parting memory photos of the wrecked rusted oyster encrusted dozer in Little Lagoon; and some of the valves on the fuel lines at the barge landing on Pirlangimpi.

But as you can see from the photos below I just had to play with them

Barry Smith © Rusted dozer in Little Lagoon

Barry Smith © Dozer solarized X 1

Barry Smith © Dozer solarized X 2

Barry Smith © Doder solarized X 3

Barry Smith © Dozer solarized X 4

I started with the original and used the FX iPhone app on solarize and gamma adjustment to take the image to more and more abstract until it has almost faded away - interesting experiment - what one can do whilst waiting in airports.

Barry Smith © Fuel line

Barry Smith © In the blue

And the one above - I love the blue!!

Gift that keeps creating and giving

I had told fellow artist and friend Christine Elcoate that I was on the lookout for old-vintage chandelier crystals. She responded by saying that she had a chandelier that used to be her mother's - and she had been keeping it to do something with it but never had. She offered it to me - I accepted on the basis that I world use some pieces to create a small memento piece for her. She got our mutual friend Noela Mills to deliver it. Below is a photo of the small table-top piece. I wanted to do this before I totally dismantled the crystals and before I used any in my assemblage work. I wanted a little bit of the gift of Christine's mum to be resurrected in a small new piece made solely from elements of the chandelier.

Barry Smith © A mother's gift

Barry Smith © A trilogy of crystals

As you can see from the photos below - though the chandelier is not very big but it does have heaps of great crystals - bit dusty etc at the moment but will shine after a soak in vinegar.

Barry Smith © C's mum's gift

Barry Smith © C's mum's gift

Barry Smith © Crystal cascade 

Barry Smith © Crystals with patina links

Barry Smith © Crystal cluster

As I dismantle the crystals wants me to collect all the connecting patinated silver coated copper wires for something creative. I will post further down the track what the final stash looks like.