Wednesday, June 30, 2010

ALaW 2010 - Part Two

Now it's time to start thinking about ALaW 2010 'Second' Alphabet.

I was considering making the next alphabet in my primary medium which is clay, but the chance to break out of the norm....
A sneak peek at what I have in mind...

Recycled Teabags and my trusty ole' Singer Treadle Sewing Machine, given to me by my mother on my 16th Birthday. (The second alphabet definitely inspired by my Expressions of Love Exhibition in May at Main Street Gallery).

To get a head start last month I explored my options and had a play with some teabags to see if they fell into the 'chance happening' scenario, and to my delight they did!
Two teabags emptied flattened cut in half then placed together and sewn.....yipee 7 x 7 cm square, that was my answer. That was the easy bit, now to decide, what to, how to etc...hmmmmmmmm!

ALaW 2010 - WXYZ

Well we've come to the last four letters in ALaW 2010 'First' alphabet challenge, it's a rather sad moment it's been such an enjoyable process, especially my trips to the local tips and sheetmetal skip bins to fossik....
W - two small triangle cut off steel bits found in the sheetmetal skip bin, one rusted the other still reasonably clean, they do have a slight over hang but as I was extremely happy with the end result I overlooked it.
X - an old tap handle, not rusted but definitely loving the perfect X it makes.

Y - a tiny spanner found in the bottom of my tool box when I was having a clean, drilled a couple of holes to attach,
Z - portion from a chain saw blade.
ALaW First Alphabet......THE END!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Queensland Home Garden Expo 2010

I've had a jam packed year, currently I'm working towards two major projects; the Abbey Medieval Festival 10 + 11th July and the Qld Home Garden Expo 9 + 10+ 11th July... and it just so happens they both fall on the same weekend!

I've lived in the country since I left the city lifestyle some 20yrs ago, in this time working in the Hortuculture industry, prior to my becoming a full-time Artist. My love of being one with the garden and collecting rusted treasures of cream cans, shovels, milking buckets, the ole sycille and sythe to decorate and surround myself and house with, was only obvious that in time the desire to make and mimic them would happen.


For 7 years now I have set my Farm Y'Art up in the Agricultural Hall with a group of folk from Suncoast Clayworkers, founded by Jackie Gasson (fellow potter from Eudlo). My retail background coming to the fore with my product range growing with each year; now exhibiting cream cans, cartwheels, axe, hoe, sythe, kettles, buckets..... watering cans.


... a taste of nostalgia that won't rust away. All made in clay...

Friday, June 18, 2010

Medieval mayhem...

The Abbey Medieval Festival is just around the corner, and my preparations are well underway. My kiln has been firing overtime to get my wares ready.

It all starts getting exciting as the date draws near...I start to pack and check over the last minute details; enough stocks, props of flags, furs etc.... My costume comes out of the wardrobe to air, this year I may add another jewel or two or maybe an extra bit of braid!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Sculpture Exhibition - installation

Yesterday was installation day for 'Sculpture on the Edge' at Lucas Parklands.


Balance with Harmony sat so well on the deck, just a short stroll from the walking track is a deck that overlooks a beautiful running creek.

Balance with Harmony

Once finished the circuit of the walk is a wide open lawn of lush green grass, which sat my other two pieces nicely...

Windows of the Soul

Sounds of the Bell

Saturday, June 5, 2010

ALaW 2010 - RSTUV

My letters for May...
On observation...it's interesting to see when putting the letters together to form the alphabet, how I've been progressively getting larger with majority my letters, to the point of even developing a slight over hang!





R - is best to describe in two parts; the left part of R is a rusted bolt and welded onto the right, is a rusted metal wall bracket / hook, liked those that were used to hold up the old style curtain pole (many moons ago!).


S - cut from a spring that come from underneath an older style chair.

T - was a curious find at the tip, and I still am not sure what they were used for. I found them amongst computer parts, some were alot thicker almost an inch and non-rusted, others were singular and blue on one side and amongst them were different size E's as well. Upon inspection of the thicker T, I saw that they were several T's compacted together and when I picked away at them they separated into more T's....abit of h2o and wolla...rust!

U - is a U-bolt minus the bolt,
and


V - has a slight over hang but as soon as I saw it, I just had to have it. It was part of a handmade tightening bracket of some sort someone had made for something, for what? I don't know. It just had the perfect V shape I was looking for. It was joined/welded at the end onto more metal and it was somewhat challenging to detach without damaging but after several attempts and Glen's help, determination prevailed.