Blog Archives

November 23rd, 2012

11/23/2012

Upcoming: A Touch of Saltspring at Panarama Recreation Centre Nov.30 -Dec 2
                 Victoria Art Gallery Dec 6, 5-9
Currently: The Gallery at Matticks Farm
                Sea Cider on the Saanich Penninsula
                Knickerbockers in Sidney and Broadmead
                Sooke Harbour House

An antique plant stand is taken apart and made into heritage looking metal garden heart stakes, each complete with it own bird. Recycled heavy equipment shaft rings are welded into small globes, then a garden stake is added, to finish it off a miniature bird sits in the centre. Some very pretty metal garden stakes that were really fun to do.
After weeks of filling orders and producing repeats of popular products it was a great relief to work a lot looser and just look around the shop and put things together spontaniously. A few visitors came by and donated some fantastic metal shapes and scraps and they had the full studio, garden, workshop tour. I also created some fun mini birds cages this week, they look great hanging in the garden or a sunny room.with a little 3D bird inside. Cutting was inspired this past week, with the plasma I cut a new metal quail hook, a number of beautiful recycled rusty and painted items into numerous sized heart shapes, the color combinations are stunning as I wired them and made them into ornaments. Of course, the displays needed to be made for the new products, old whitewashed wood was the solution in a mini gate shape, wood is nowhere near as forgiving as metal, but I do love my cordless drill and the challenge. It is great to be creative, especially in the middle of busy show season, as it gives my clients a surprise of new, unexpected and one of a kind items.

0 Comments

Mermaid Extravaganza

11/4/2012

0 Comments

Upcoming:
'Gifts for Myself and Others' Juried Island Artisans show Nov. 16,17,18 at the Davinchi Centre
'Touch of Saltspring' Panorama Rec centre Sidney Nov 30-Dec 2
Victoria Art Gallery Dec 6
Currently:
Sooke Harbour House,
' The Gallery' At Matticks farm,
Sea Cider on the Saanich Peninsula
Knickerbockers in Sidney

A windy and wet week with very mild temperatures in Victoria, a great time to be in the shop creating and staying dry, certainly not a time to catch up on yard work. A lot of mermaids were made this week, both the mid and full size versions. I did a sale on Sat, 'On the Ridge' craft fair. So work does not stop on Friday during this season, the craft shows are a great way to find unique gifts, support local artists and craftspeople in a non hectic environment, usually with ample parking, doesn't get any better than that! Unless you find fudge and mulled cider!
Clocks were also on the agenda , hand cut shapes of 16 gauge steel, of coffee cups, tea cups, chickens, cats... The welder is used as a drawing tool to delineate shape and details, cutlery is added for whimsy and some clocks have colour and interest added in the form of cut up wheelbarrows, barrels, licence plates etc,shaped into hearts and stars. When they have been cleaned up and sprayed a quality quartz movement and hands are added to complete the clock ready for sale. Photos below of last weeks work.