Sometimes the metal speaks

 

The metal I cut from the humble vintage laundry copper (see earlier blog here) spoke of creating simple bowls that, whilst rustic in form, were to serve sacred roles.  

As you can see from the image above and immediately below I have made a simple Meditation or Incense Bowl and a Memory Keeper Bowl. The bowls are about 14cm in diameter and 3 cm deep.

As seen in the photo the Meditation-Insence Bowl is a set - a bowl, a copper stand and a brass incense holder. The Memory Keeper Bowl is a single simple bowl. Both bowls have been given a coat of varnish so that the copper patina does not stain timber or fabric when in use. I think the images show why each piece is given its name.

As you can see from the image below both bowls started as circles of patinated copper cut from the salvaged patinated laundry copper metal.

The copper stand was cut from a salvaged 5cm round copper pipe; and the incense burner was cut from a salvaged hexagonal length of brass. 

Following are some additional images of both bowls.

These bowls are part of my mindful metal works and join other the mindfulness works of mine such as the Daily Word Leaf Sets.

Salvaging patinated copper metal

 

I rarely turn down a gift of copper sheet or plate; and certainly do not turn down a gift of an old patinated copper laundry boiler. At least 12 months ago I had put aside the patinated base of a copper hot water tank. I had used the metal from the side of the tank to make the 100 boats for my sculpture Loss for the Betrayal and Loss exhibition 2023 in Scotland.

As you can see from the opening photos the laundry copper delivered quite a stash of metal once it was cut up with a blade in my side grinder and my bench top guillotine. The photo below shows how I marked the boiler up for cutting.

I will be reforming (hammering) the flattened bottom of the copper to make a large bird bath; the top edges will become leaves and the sides will become a variety of things including smaller bowls and peace doves. The photo below shows a circle of metal cut ready for a rustic bowl - gorgeous natural blue patina.

The base of the hot water system has delivered pieces for leaves and the circular base will become a large bowl which I have started as you can see from the last photo. Very grungy but natural patina on these hot water base pieces.

It gives me a lot a joy to know that I have continued to use salvaged metal in my work and have not purchase any new sheet copper for well over 10 years. Some folk think it wrong that I chop up old wares; but I think it is better to repurpose the metal for art rather than it simply going to the tip or sold as scrap. The folk who gifted the laundry copper will be offered the bird bath when it is made.

An abundance of beauty

 

Spring has really arrived - just so much beauty piping up all over the neighbourhood. Sometimes it is a single blossom such as the one above (includes a black ant enjoying wander - can you see it); and on other occasions there are trees and bushes full of blossoms such as those below.

And a few more of those gorgeous single blossoms.

I am glad that nature pulls me up to admire its offerings - so much joy and hope. 

Below another spray of orchids in our magnolia tree - check out the wandering ant.

At times it seems there is so little we can do for peace - but let us not give up

 

The need for peace and peace action seems to surface so often in our lives - and yet it seems that there is so little we can do for peace. But we will not give up; we must and we will continue to act for and vibe for peace. 

Today is International Day of Peace (IDP - 21 September each year) - the fact that there is such an international day is a poignant reminder that peace is important and we must never let it go no matter how terrible the opposition to peaceful paths seems at time.

Each year in our home we pause to mark International Day of Peace. We do this in a number of small ways including using our letterpress to print weather grams and cards that can go out across the globe to attempt to create a few peace ripples.

The weather grams at our place again this year are hung in the  magnolia tree out the front of our home. As you can see from the photos below this year's weather grams accompany some of those hanging in from 12 months ago. They also hang with copper peace doves that are a permanent fixture in the tree.

Around the house there are other reminders of peace including a copper peace dove and a stash of older   weather grams that have fluttered to the ground but are gathered to continuing their work of reminding us to remember to vibe for peace.

This year I also made some giveaway peace tokens from melted salvaged metal.

Today, and every day, may we strive to encourage each other to find the ways to peace; and reject the ways of war.

Pieces for peace

 

International Day of Peace (IDP) is to be held on Sunday 21 September. 

To recognise this day of peace and to encourage folk to send positive peace vibes on the day I made a stash of metal (pewter) peace tokens to give away. The opening photo and the one below show some of the cleaned and polished peace tokens.

The melted salvaged pewter metal peace tokens was poured into forms that had been pressed into metal moulding sand - the pinkish sand in my case.  The finished pieces are a bit rough as my moulding sand has been reused quite a number of times and is becoming too dry. I melted the pewter to 750 degrees so that there would be plenty of times for me to pour metal into each depression in the sand.

During the week Fiona and I gave the pieces away in preparation for Sunday. There are so many wars going on in the world at the moment. May we all pause for a moment on Sunday and just send strong positive vibes to encourage the perpetrators of war to cease and to choose a peaceful path. 

 

Blossom beauty

 

The opening photo and the one below show some lavender I gathered from the garden to welcome Fiona home from her NZ conference. 

The rest of the blossom beauties are from my neighbourhood walk. Though the weather has been dry and the there is a lot of untidy dry leaf litter around the bushes and plants are responding to spring and the warmer weather.

I give heaps of thanks for the fact I live in a location where nature is still able to offer such beauty. As I say most weeks on this iPhoneography Wednesday blog - beauty reminds me to continue to celebrate the small things and have hope.