Rustnstuff

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.

Obviously the scroll needs to be printed; and the whole piece needs to be finessed - but I'm happy with the concept.

Friday, April 12, 2019

More than meets the eye

I have put the title - more than meets the eye - to this blog post simply because the process of making buffalo horn earrings from a rough bit of buffalo horn involves quite a few steps. And of course there is the added complication of me deciding to make ten pair.

I actually started the work yesterday as it was raining and I couldn't work in the yard. Whereas this morning was relatively fine so I was able to install a set of stairs down towards one of the terraces; and finish the earrings this afternoon.

A couple of photos of the horning cutting and grinding follow.

Drilling, polishing and assembling

And then some photos of the finished earrings.

Time to put a risotto on and have a relaxing evening.

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Autumn still offers some colour

It was not raining this morning so that provided the opportunity to take a walk along Treehaven Way.

A few of the images from this morning - above and below.

The autumn coolness is starting to suggest that winter is approaching; but some of the flowers a saying look at me. Some white blossoms have a more subtle call.

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Referencing the mountains

I started this small sculptural assemblage just over a week ago. I got time today to finish it. The design lines are deliberately simple. I wanted the materials to speak for themselves: the shape of the plowshare point; the rust; the contrasting shiny stainless steel wire and recycled thick aluminium plate; and oak timber from a dismantled piano. The plowshare point has sat in the rust bank for over five years just waiting for the right moment.

The following photos are of the finished piece photographed with the Glasshouse Mountains in the background.

I think the piece is simple but beautiful - but you need to love rust and found objects.

Friday, April 5, 2019

Stapled - fragments of work from fragments of time

There was very little time to create this Friday; but I was determined to squeeze in a couple of fragments. I have been working on a larger piece of work that involves stainless steel wire and a rusted object; but I knew I would not finish the piece.

So decided to make a couple of small pieces from rusted parts of a gas cooker. The following photos show the rusted objects marked up, drilled and grooved.

And the pieces once they were stapled-stitched and mounted on timber.

Some Fridays are given over to community and friends - but it is still nice to end the day having made something in the studio-garage.

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Images from the road trip

Fiona and I headed off the mountain for a few days to celebrate her birthday; and to be inspired by art and places. A few photos here of fragments of the trip.

©2019 Barry Smith - Nest - mainly wire - found in the front yard of my brother and cistern law's house
Mt. Tamborine - fell out of a huge eucalyptus tree

We returned to the mountain where it has rained and rained. It is all looking very green; but not inviting for walking or doing outdoor tasks.