Namesake

You've heard of Goldenrod?

Here's the namesake: A Golden Rod.

Mise en scene

Lying/ flying around; L-R:

Hirundo brooch: painted steel c.2010
Ulno bangle, (in open position) iron and gold: c.Last Week
Swan Face: painted felt. c.2000

Contemplative Reading

Joe said I have to put the Time Machine in the pictures.

He was very insistant

"Coz yow books is borwing"

Unexpected Visitor

My new apprentice?
I had to lure her out with a trail of bread...

Embiggen

This is the biggest Aster Ive made so far, painted steel, about 3 feet across.

That might not seem so big, but usually they are earrings...

Sir L'asto-Plast of Astubbedtoe

Likeness

Dad gets his portrait painted

Noo / Auld Ulno

Slightly different Ulno Bangle.

Made from gold and an 80-year-old bicycle spoke.

This older iron is blacker

and gooder.

Combs and Company at Creatures of Comfort

Su Wu of I'm Revolting curates an amazing swag of stuff!

WHERE: Creatures of Comfort LA, 7971 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

WHEN: October 20 to November 10, 2012.

OPENING RECEPTION: 5-8 p.m., Oct. 20

WHO:

• Jack Craig // Broken board tables
• Jonathan Cross // Geodesic salt- and soda-fired pottery
• Ilana Kohn // Marbled silk shawls and scarves
• Kirsten Perry // Oddball lockets
• Julie Hung // Stackable ceramic bangles
• David Neale // Handmade combs and bracelets
• Haruhi Okubo // Freeform tapestry pieces
• Doug Johnston // Coiled rope hanging lights and sculptural baskets
• Mimi Jung // Pom pom eyeballs and weavings
• Morie Nishimura // Brass folding mirrors
• Joanna Williams // Loopy, textured rugs
• Brent Paul Pearson // Kaleidoscope glasses
• Elyse Graham // Dipped resin geodes

Barn

Many years ago, my Dad and my Grandpa built this barn.
I like the log posts and ferro-cement walls. Looks like wattle and daub.
(that too-short barge-roll is bugging me though)
There are bats roosting inside.

The Shape of Procrastination

Black Coffee: check
Water: check
Hey this hexagonal tumbler fits beside my bench anvil...
Hmm, lets get some more symmetry; reorganise pliers from big to small...
("always be Knolling" as Tom Sachs would say)
Take a photo... post on blog...
OK, enough procrastination already!!

Sunrise Wedding Rings

Your Gold; in this case, pure gold being alloyed to 75% (18k) and melted.

It comes out like a little loaf, the black stuff on my hands is charcoal from the block. Then the sides need to be forged flat with a hammer;

Still with charcoal hands.

Folks say things are going "pear-shaped" (meaning wrong, -but I love pear shapes...) but I say things are going "kite-shaped"- sometimes when you forge, the sides get skewed, or kite shaped, this is undesirable, but not to worry, you just need to keep an eye on this and correct in the early stages.

Then it gets rolled out long and flat and re-textured on an old anvil block. So this is the starting point from which I'll cut the Sunrise shapes; Im making a set of wedding rings. Let's skip forward a few stages; and they came out like this;

Beautiful! His and Hers: Ive made a wider-banded version to better suit the groom. ( ≈7mm)

Interview

 Interviewed over at Visual Diary.

Words by Melanie Flynn of Lowrise Projects and photos by Laura di Florio, from Pieces of Eight

(|||||||||||||||||||||||||||More Combs|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||)

 Another comb, another permutation of the ingredients, this time; forged surface and chiselled dip.

Combing

Nearly there...
This comb has a forged dip on both sides- I did this after the tines were cut, so it was tricky to control the displacement of the metal without contorting the straight tines.
A different methodology would be wiser. ( forge first, then cut?)
But I'm feeling my way.
Possibly this form and texture could have been achieved more easily by casting techniques, but this thing is all made with saws and hammers folks.
Perhaps I'll make a silver version if anyone wants one.
I like this one, it feels really good in the hand.
It's asking you to take it on a long journey.