Rustnstuff: Found objects

Showing posts with label Found objects. Show all posts

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Not to everyone's taste

It amuses me that many of us tend to collect odd bits and pieces and say to ourselves that they will be good for something. As part of my approach to the new year I decided to look at small bits that I have been holding on to thinking they might be elements of something. In the end I decided to use them in making earrings with a difference.

As you will see from the photos I've used: cleaned vertebrae of a carpet python I found down the back of 601; small brass bits - I think from a chandelier; some primitive looking stylised tiny skulls made from bone - I don't know where they came from; and some silver beads - again not sure where they came from. Some crystals and bone beads added.

I think the pairs of earrings are unusual, unique; but not to everyone's taste. All the earrings have solid silver wires.

I have used up those pieces that have just been around. I think the contrasts between the bone, crystals and silver work reasonably well.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Last three on the workbench

I have decided that I will not make any more Artisan Lamps. I want to put more focus on letterpress, my hammered metal work, some sculptural pieces and maybe some letter carving in stone.

As part of the start of the year decluttering process I will be getting rid of a lot of the stuff I have collected over time for lamp making. There will be a garage sale in a couple of weeks.

Still as I was sorting the shelves I came across a few pieces that I have thought I would turn into the last three lamps.

This blog shows some of the early stages of the three lamps to be. Some of the starter pieces are below.

The opening photo shows the base of a lamp using a wooden shoe making form - I quite like the quirky 'heel' - balance-weights from a clock. The other two lamps will be made from vintage oiling cans.

Whist there is still a way to go; but the three lamps are taking form.

Friday, June 21, 2019

The metal dictated the final design

I really was meant to be working on product today; but got sidetracked by rust. I have quite a stash of rusted circular saw blades which I had planned to turn into a large sculptural piece about the sun. I knew I would only get about 4 hours in the studio-garage today so I decided to indulge myself and make a piece using a rusty saw blade. The metal in the blade was so hard, which makes sense, that I burnt out and broke several bits before giving up. I also tested drilling the rim of steel I was going to use as the outside of the piece - 'hard as' - so more broken bits.

I decided to use an old copper perforated circle from a vintage shower head; and to suspend it in the circle using stainless steel wire.

Process photos follow.

And the finished piece.

As one does I decided to use the last cap from an old gas hob and turn it into one of my stapled pieces. It turned out that this metal was as hard as and resulted in broken bits lodged in the metal.

But I persisted and managed to make another small stitched piece on hairy oak.

Frustration as the start of the day; but satisfaction at the end.

Friday, May 31, 2019

A gathering of compassion books

I have completed my 6 artists' book for the Compassion Artists' Book Exhibition. One of my six books, "Kindness, care and hope", is a collaborative piece with Fiona.

Though I have blogged on them in dribs and drabs I was taking some final photos before doing my exhibition paperwork so I thought I'd do a post on them together. So what follows is simply two or three photos of each.

I also managed to sort my product for the exhibition. So once the paperwork is done I'm ready to deliver.

Friday, May 17, 2019

Sacred scrolls of compassion

Finally I got to assemble my scroll artists' books. The letterpress ink took quite a while to dry because the paper was non-porous; and we have had so much moisture from the extended period of rain.

First step with the vertical scroll was to get the vertical case solidly screwed to the base. The scroll was attached to the brass rod-shaft with double sided tape. The scroll was inserted through the top opening; and once the scroll itself was pulled through the slit-opening I was able to add the top plug which I had drilled a hole through; and then assemble the winder over and on to the brass rod-shaft.

The tension on the paper at top near the upright post is less than that at the bottom hence the slight crinkle in the unrolled scroll.

The piece looks quite sculptural when the scroll is wound back into the case.

The second sacred scroll is horizontal. Attaching this scroll to the shaft was easier given it could work through the hinged cover.

The scroll is wound back into the scroll case using the side handle - this needs to be unlocked and pulled out to enable one to turn the shaft.

Whist there is a bit more tweaking and cleaning to be done these two Sacred Scrolls of Compassion are all but ready for the Compassion Artists' Book Exhibition.

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Scroll artists' book

I have made reasonable inroads into another artists' book for the Compassion Artists' Book Exhibition. The structure of this book is a vertical pull-out scroll as you can see from the photo above.

The core element of this book was a small brass pump about 17cm long and 5cm in diameter. In have made a couple of horizontally held scroll books in the past - so I wanted to add a new design element; and after talking to Fiona I decided on a vertically held scroll.

Of course one needs to fossic around in the stash and see what will complement that core element and enable one to hold the brass cylinder in a stable vertical position - see pieces below.

I cut the vertical aperture in the brass pump-cylinder using a side grinder - gentle work.

A brass rod fits through a hole in the screws plug at the top and is housed in a drilled out hole in the base. A butterfly screw and a silver-plated object act as the winder for the rod. The scrolls is to be fitted to the rod and drawn out and held horizontally by another rod. I got the scroll into the brass cylinder by tightly rolling it around the brass rod and inserting it into the base through the hole at the top with the screw plug off.

The photos below show the scroll before rolling and inserting through the plug hole at the top; and the roughly completed book.