Rustnstuff: Leaf letter openers

Showing posts with label Leaf letter openers. Show all posts

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Eye of the beholder - looking beyond the dust and tarnish

This post is about two things: collecting stuff to be used in creating; and some production from such stuff.

On Friday morning my brother Neil visited and dropped off a box of stuff; and then on saturday Fiona and I attended Recyclearama at our local show grounds.

Between these two events I have ended up with a heap of stuff: silver-plate and lots of brass and copper objects, fittings and pipe to be used in my work. A few photos of the stuff follows.

I love the attention to detail in some of the gas-light fittings - I think it is so appropriate that the gas light fittings will find their way into Artisan lamps and other light related assemblages.

The silver-plate will be used for vessels and other functional pieces such as those that are in the photos below: brass in a commission of 20 Leaf Letter-openers; and Leaf form pate knives and Leaf-spoons for Maleny Additions.

I must admit I look at objects in a different way to others - looking at what they can become.

Friday, October 31, 2014

Gifts and giving

It must be the time of the year - my Leafspoons, Leaf Letter Openers and Ladles in Maleny Additions are selling like hot metal - so much so that I have had to go into production mode. I think it is the lead up to Christmas - metal is good to send overseas as gifts - it doesn't crush or break; and not being wood customs deal with it a lot better.

So a bunch of Leafspoons and Leaf Letter Openers have been made; tagged and delivered to Maleny additions. Great swing tags by Fiona.

And a stash of Ladles have been started - but more on that on Sunday. But I also wanted to share the photos below.

That is the art journal I won in Jennifer C Q's giveaway - such a perfect little journal - it will sit on my shelf of inspirational stuff and not be marred by my scrawl. Big thanks to Jennifer for her generosity.

Must away - it is Friday - I'm sure there are things to be done in the kitchen and a single malt to be enjoyed.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Letter openers for Maleny Additions

My Leaf Letter Openers (LLOs) have proved popular in Maleny Additions - the last batch I gave them have sold out so I had to get back into production. Whilst blog readers have seen the process before the photos below show the conversion of a round recycled silver-plated copper into 6 LLOs.

Marking up half of the double leaf form and folding.

Hammering the two leaf forms in different directions.

Unfolding the rough leaf forms.

And the finished product after grinding and polishing.

All the above takes a while with a couple of annealings thrown in - but the result is good and they rate now off to market in Maleny nAdditions.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Metal reborn

When Fiona and I were in Melbourne for for we dropped into a store that made stuff from recycled objects. One of the terms they used on their packaging was reborn - I have seen the term before but felt that it is very apt for work where the recycled material is given new life.

On Friday I had started but not finished a number of things. Over the weekend I got time to do all the polishing and grinding. So a few photos of the pieces from Friday that are now finished - reborn

The Peace Leaves…

The Leaf Letter Openers….

The brass and copper leaves…..

The hammered flat metal…..

And the broken LLOs that has now become a small leaf and a long pendant.

Though the cutting and hammering gives the metal new life; it is the grinding and polishing that lets that new life shine.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Unfinished on Friday

As is often the case 'on the block' the day has been quite full. After our coffee in town earlier today I had a load (3 cubic m) of river stones delivered for spreading in the drain beside our driveway; which I'm widening and edging. It rained. I worked with a guy with a mini skid steer machine to spread the stone. About 1.5 hours later it was completely done. And the rain was useful as it washed the mud off the stones.

Today's tasks in the garage-studio was to: make a stash of leaf letter openers and peace leaves as I was totally out of stock after selling 7 LLOs and 3 silver plated leaves during the week; finish opening some brass and copper leaves that have been on the bench for ages; and do a test run on some metal linked to a possible commission.

So the metal (stainless steel, aluminium, silver-plated copper and silver) were all hammered but not ground or polished.

The leaf letter openers and peace leaves were folded, cut, hammered and unfolded but not ground or polished.

And the 30 copper and brass leaves were open-end but not ground or polished.

So you can see why I titled this blog post - "Unfinished on Friday". But still quite a bit of progress; and satisfaction about being in the studio after being away in Melbourne all week for work-work.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Artist and/or shopkeeper?

Fiona and I periodically talk about the various roles that an artist plays. We all like the creator role - hammering away and making stuff. But if you don't want your house-studio to be totally overcome with your creations it is necessary to gift them on or sell them. Fulfilling commissions and keeping up the supply to sale outlets means production, packaging and posting - a bit like a shopkeeper - but it is just part of being an artist.

Over the week I turned the dining room table into a collection point.

And then selected the best 10 Leaf Letter Openers to be sent as the next batch to my commissioning client.

Of course they needed to be boxed and posted.

Fiona really helps me out with the swing tags for my Ladles and Leaf Spoons that I supply to Maleny Additions. I believe without the swing tags these items would not attract the attention they do.

So whilst one of my roles as an artist is that of shopkeeper the sales do allow me to spend time in my studio recycling metal band forming metal in my own way to the sound of ACDC, Wolfmother, The Angels etc - so what is not to like about that.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

This and that on the weekend

This past weekend has had so many art fragments in it - so I will share a few.

Well Saturday started with taking delivery of an electronic organ that was to be thrown in the rubbish tip.

The body of the organ - including keyboard will be installed down by the Mango trees on our block as an ageing installation - not a new idea but new for our block. I will remove all the electronics and give good speakers etc away; and use other electronic bits in Steampunk influenced pieces.

And then Saturday afternoon saw the completion of 10 Leaf-spoons - quite a shoal of them - 7 shown.

Saturday night - the opening of the Garry Myers Maleny Art Gallery with my, Noela and Kim's work in the cases. I have 10 pieces of work in the case - very restrained!!!!