More for the Pop Up Art Show

 

A mixed bag this week. I managed to start two new watercolours; finished one watercolour; and made two sets of fungi forms.

First the new watercolours - you can see in the photo below I first did the outlines and the opening photo shows I got to setting down glazes.

The following photo shows the finished watercolour of the rusty shed at Kirtomy cove.

And the following images are of the second set of fungi forms I completed yesterday. 

The fungi form bowls are based on fungi that grow on fallen logs in the forest areas around our town

Back on the hammer and stake

 

It was good to get time in the workshed today to make a set of fungi form bowls - you can see the outcome in the opening and following photos

As is often the case there are many steps in creating these small forms - turning the disks of metal into small bowls; putting an indent into the indoor centre ; and systematically hammering the bowl on my 'finger' shaped stake.

A couple of process photos follow.

A photo of my handmade stake (made by a blacksmith in Portland Oregon: and my hand made Japanese metal working hammer  follow.

Photos by Fiona of me hammering.

A good session in the workshop!!!!

This and that

 

In the lead up to our upcoming trip to the cottage in Scotland I'm busily making product for the Pop Up Art Show in the Armadale village hall (29 and 30 August). 

I want to take a set or two of my fungi form bowls with me. These would be similar to the trio in the opening image. However, I sold the last set this week - so back to the workshop to start making another couple of sets.

As you can see from the photos below I have selected, marked up and cut circles - a good start made. I'm using salvaged silver-plated brass metal from round placemats.

Scotland inspired postcard sized watercolours will also feature in the Pop Up Art Show. On Thursday I managed to finish a couple as you can see from the photos below. 

The barn in the first watercolour is located in Strathy and at the time I took the photo for the watercolour the barn was surrounded by gorse in full bloom hence the rich yellow!!!

I know that jumping from one task to another will be a feature of my art making over the next few weeks - but it is good to be creating and also have a purpose in mind.

Trio of fungi bowls with a flip

 

Usually I create fungi bowls with a smooth silver-plate on the front side. As you can see from the opening photo I flipped the metal to see what the bowls would look like with the pattern of the savaged placemat on the front. What do you think?

The form of the fungi bowls are based on one of my favourite forest fungi - see photo below.

A few process photos follow including one of the bowls balanced on the tip of a metal stake. The stake was handmade 10 years ago by a blacksmith in Portland Oregon - weighs several kilos. The stake is held in a vise. Can you believe Fiona and I posted it home!!!

A couple of photos of the finished bowls on the workbench follow. The bowls are about 7-7.5cm in diameter. A serious amount of hammering goes into making each of these bowls.

Finished bowls on the table at home.

Hammered trio

©2020 Barry Smith - Super shine - silver-plated copper on rust - late afternoon sun

There is still much decluttering and maintenance going on at our place; but one has to find a little time on Friday to make art. Knowing my time limitations and the need to restock the display cabinet I decided to make a set of fungi form bowls because I love the form which is based on the fungi in the photo below.

©2020 Barry Smith - Fungi on timber in wetter times

I chose to use recycled but high quality silver-plate over copper metal as I knew it would work well and result in the glorious shine in the photo above. But as you can see from the photos below the metal does not always look so lustrous.

©2020 Barry Smith - Roughly form bowls - bit of an organic edge

©2020 Barry Smith - Back marked up for systematic hammering

©2020 Barry Smith - Japanese style metal working hammer and shock absorbing glove

But after the hammering and then grinding and polishing the beauty shows through - beautiful copper edges.

©2020 Barry Smith - Ground and polished on the work bench

©2020 Barry Smith - Nest;ed amidst the rusty bits on the rust table

The trio of fungi form bowls are now ensconced in one of the glass cabinets.

Picking up the pieces

©2019 Barry Smith - Four small (1cmX,5cm) solid silver plates for riveting

Though it is Friday there has not been much time in the garage-studio. There has been creative work on the block that in the main entailed building stepping-stone paths. But there has also been time spent with family and on community stuff.

I decided to polish and rivet the large vessel I hammered from a serving tray; and also finish a set of Fungi Bowls. You might remember the metal in the biggish vessel could not handle the stress of hammering even though I was annealing it regularly - too much nickel in the metal I think.

©2019 Barry Smith - Split hammered silver-plated metal vessel.

As you can see from the photo below the Fungi Bowls look gorgeous sitting on a cube of hardwood.

©2019 Barry Smith - Trio of Fungi Bowls own hardwood block

The vessel requiring riveting came up well with grinding and polishing and is now ready for the rivets.

©2019 Barry Smith - Fractured vessel looking beautiful after grinding and polishing

©2019 Barry Smith - Hammered silver-plate and rust

I aim to finish the vessel-bowl over the weekend.

Giving

©2018 Barry Smith - Fungi Bowls and hammers - earlier in the day I had given 6 of my hammers a polish to ensure the hammering surfaces were in good condition.

 One of the things I enjoy about being a creative is being able to make stuff and give it away. Making and giving to bring a little more light and joy into what at times can seem to be a sad and dark world.

Over the weekend I managed to use some of those metal pieces cut during the week and on Friday and use them to make: a pair of Name Leaves; and a trio of Fungi Bowls.

Because I was making leaves I made 10 Peace Leaves whilst making the two Name Leaves.

©2018 Barry Smith - Peace Leaves and Name Leaves on the workbench - the workbench has seen a lot of metal in a lot of forms - I love it's patina (aka marks, scratches and stains)

©2018 Barry Smith - The two Name Leaves - same name - informal and formal versions - leaf forms are about 14-15cm long

The Fungi Bowls seem so small and delicate when compared to the hammers responsible for their creation. But the outcome looks good.

©2018 Barry Smith - Metal stake for raising the bowls on

©2018 Barry Smith - Japanese style metal working hammer - bowls are about 6cm across

©2018 Barry Smith - Two bowls have been put through the third phase of hammering - the third bowl is marked up for the systematic cycle of hammering

©2018 Barry Smith - Fungi bowls after the fourth phase of hammering and grinding and polishing

The Name Leaves, the Fungi Bowls and 4 of the Peace Leaves went to new homes today.

Love the lustre of the metal in this trio

©2018 Barry Smith - A trio of Fungi Bowls - from a recycled silver-plated copper tray

I suspected that the metal I was using for a series of Fungi Bowls was going to be delightful to work with; and would result in a beautiful hammered surface and a glorious copper edge - I was a not disappointed.

I usually start making fungi bowls by cutting the 'circles' a bit on the wobbly side given fungi is not always perfect in its shapes. The cut shapes are made into rudimentary bowls by pressing them in a metal form with a hydraulic press.

©2018 Barry Smith - Ten pressed bowl forms

To give purchase in the subsequent hammering process I create a small indentation in the bowl form.

©2018 Barry Smith - Rudimentary bowl with indentation hammered into the centre

©2018 Barry Smith - Form for creating the indentation  - love the silver that has been building up over time

Then it is over to the left hand stake where I do a first round of hammering to raise the bowl into a tighter shaped vessel.

©2018 Barry Smith - Raising stakes and raising hammer

©2018 Barry Smith - Top bowl is tighter after a solid raising session

Then I use a finger shaped stake to systematically hammer the bowl into the conical shape.

©2018 Barry Smith - Noticeable difference after hammering on two different stakes using two different hammering patterns

I must be pretty consistent in my process and technique as the three fungi bowls come out fitting neatly inside each other.

©2018 Barry Smith - A trio of rough fungi bowls

After a grind and polish three beautiful vessels emerge.

©2018 Barry Smith - Beautiful silver and copper lustre

©2018 Barry Smith - Backs of the Fungi Bowls