Fascinated by light

 

Over the last week or so we have had such light early morning light shows. Some reach wide and deep such as the opening photo and a couple following. In the second photo below you can see the Orkney Islands!!!!

Some colour the bay and beach.

Some create amazing sky-sea vistas.

And the morning moon has its own charm.

I  am grateful for such beauty.

Metal and stone

 

There hasn't been much time for making over the last couple of weeks. I have grabbed an hour here and there. Today I grabbed a couple of hours to finish off some small stones with inlaid metal; and sawed a pair of earrings.

Four completed stones can be seen in the first and last photos in this blog post. I say they are small stones because the longest is about 4cm. They are comfort or memory stones to be carried in one's pocket or bag. They fit comfortably in one's hand and quickly take on the warmth of the person holding them. A couple of the stones were requested by a friend in Australia; and I hope to make enough for sale at our Pop Up Art Show in the Little Red Cottage in Maleny at the end of November.

Some process photos follow. The grooves in the stones are freehand cut with a diamond blade in my side grinder - a task done carefully and quickly - one quick and light pass of the rotating blade.

A few photos of the pierced jewellery process and rough cut pieces follow. I intend to take the rough cut pieces back to Maleny and finish them before the Pop Up Art Show. The earrings and pendants are being made from salvaged metal - a mix of brass and silver.

As I said at the beginning a final photo of the four stones - arranged by Fiona on a drink coaster!!!

Fire, rust and flowers

 

Fiona and I did a trip to the east to check out the art and studios of a few Scottish artists including Helen Moore an artists whose work we really like. 

We came across Mick O'Donnell - a blacksmith-sculpture along the trail. Whilst he is a very fine wood turner- more recently he has been dabbling in making art and metal pieces primarily out of salvaged materials.  We enjoyed a yarn, enjoyed a demo of his furnace and bought a small piece. An image of the fire in his furnace is above and below as well some of the rusty bits follow. Mick makes many of the tools and moulds he uses in his workshop.

We continue to enjoy the blossoms - though they are reducing in number - some images of blossom brought into the cottage and played with photographically follow.

Much joy to be found in the work of fellow artists and nature.

Three finished and one to go - watercolours that is.

 

I have finished the commission I was given after the Pop Up Art Show - see image  of white cottage in the opening photo.

I have about one more session on the other commission I was given before leaving Maleny - a cottage and barn belonging to the father of an art friend - see image below.

I found working on the widow alcove provided good natural light and good for the posture - see images below. And a good view as well!!!

Some progress-process photos follow.

I have also finished doing the touch up work on the other two cottages I had painted when last over here but was not happy with the detail - happier now with the paintings - see images below.

With the community art commitments complete I feel the next few weeks will involve a bit more gentle creating-making.

Saw piercing and inlaying metal in stones

It was grand to get time in the Wee Workshop (aka garden shed) today so I could experiment with jewellery saw piercing on a few pendants. Piercing is a fiddly technique where you cut the design into the metal using a very fine saw blade and a starter hole in the piece of metal. In my case I intend to use recycled silver that I have melted, formed in moulds and flattened by putting it through a hand operated roller mill. 

The opening photo is a close up of one of the pieces from today - a dandelion seed head on a stem that grew out of a piece of stoney soil. I was using the hole and organic formed edges of the metal created in the rolling process. I have yet to drill a hole for a jump ring and give the pendant a good clean and polish. The pendant is about 50mm long and 20mm wide - 1mm thick metal

Some process photos follow. The sawing is time consuming as one has to be careful of breaking fine blades.

I had time to use a diamond blade in the angle grinder to cut grooves in two small pebble from the cove. I have glued solid brass rod into the grooves. Both pebbles will require sand and then oiling to bring out the colour. Final photo is oft two pebbles and two pendants in the rough.

An enjoyable day in the Wee Workshop out of the cold and breeze.