For the lost ones

Hanami, parrot, spring

Diego the parrot thaws out and spring preens, 23 August 2012, Brunswick West

Rain, light: Strange island times, 2

Around Horseshoe bay, Magnetic Island, July 2012

16/08/12

Spot the boat, man, ukulele: Strange island times 1

Towards the island:
Taking off from the ferry terminal in Townsville, Queensland
July 9, 2012

night watch at the harbour

Fremantle port, Western Australia, 28 June 2012

And you give me all

CERN, Switzerlard, July 4 2012:
Scientists working at the Hadron Collider think they have finally found the key
to understanding all matter, 'The God Particle'

Walkin' on a dusty road in the countryside of ease
I heard a song driftin' on the gently blowin' breeze
Sunshine through the Autumn, sweet snow to the Spring
Corn by the water of an old mill stream, and you give me home, you give me home

A barrow pushed by a little man came rollin' from the west
He sang a song as he stepped along until we drew abreast
Well hello there my friend, I see you're on the road here just like me
Why don't we stop and rest a while and I'll boil a pot of tea

He said his name was Simple Ben but not what I'd believe
Christened by the way he thought and not the way he lived
I've seen the best and worst that we have here on our earth
And finally decided on the things that I get worth

I asked if he had seen the great jets fly across the sky
He said he'd seen the smallest bird learnin' how to fly
Have you seen the bridges stretched across the bays
I've seen the smallest fish alive dyin' in the haze

Have you seen the massive buildin's reached towards the sun
I've seen the fields of barronness from the work that man has done
What about the dams and weirs that feed the countryside
I've seen the brownness of the grass when the dams and weirs run dry

What about the fertile lands where nothin' once would grow
I've seen the lands to the north and south under tons of ice and snow
Have you seen the jungles so thick that a man can't go
I've seen a farmer plough a field with nothin' but a hoe
You must admit that the motor was a boom to all mankind
The air is sweeter here than a hundred miles behind

What about the time we saved to go from place to place
I've seen my life go by so fast I scarce recall a face
You must have learned a lot by now about your fellow man
I've seen the waves that break upon the beaches made of sand
What about the beauty of great art that men have done
I've seen the shapes of mountains up against the mornin' sun

Ben do you believe in God and the words that preachers pray
I've seen myself in a still, calm pool and I've heard a donkey bray
Don't you need the tender warmth of a lady in your bed
I used to know a pretty woman who liked the stars above her head

Friend, thank you for your company, but I must be on my way
The road is growin' shorter as the sun sets on my day
We'll have to meet again some time to rest and share some tea
If you hear this song when you're walkin' along, you gonna know who it's gonna be

You give me sunshine through the Autumn, sweet snow to the Spring
Corn by the water of an old mill stream, and you give me home,
you give me home.


John J. Frances' Simple Ben from Albert Falzon's 1972 surf classic Morning of the Earth


 

G. Wayne Thomas

Helsinki

Happy 160th to Minna, Katja, Tiina and Inkku!!!

Celebrating with love and thanks to everyone in our lives – especially our mums and dads who brought us into this world.

Helsinki 7-10 June 2012

Expressing emotion in words ...

… is sometimes difficult.

The darkest, the brightest

With winter come the secrets of light

The weight of a thought

Sometimes
too much analysis
creates paralysis

follow it blindly

… and the signs will be shown.

Enamel animals for Heat Exchange in Arizona

What's been happening?

Now that Heat Exchange-exhibition at the Shemer Arts Center & Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, is over (and has moved across the Atlantic to Erfurt, Germany), I can publish my whole post for the HE-blog here, too (see below).
However, please click on the link below as the collective body of work created for the exhibition by international artists is nothing short of amazing – fascinating in its range of techniques and concepts, and for those interested in contemporary enamelling, a must see! 


* * *

Enamel animals

Originally posted to the Heat Exchange-blog on April 27, 2012


Edited 20 February 2017 to remove corrupted image links.

As a metalsmith, I’m currently interested in different types of steel which can be welded into structures that safely withstand the heat of the kiln, and the application of liquid enamels which allow me to paint metal surface like canvas. The solid structure of steel and the fluid patterns of liquid enamels create a challenging, fascinating combination for ongoing investigation.

My starting point was a steel model from last November, based on studying forms at airports. I wanted to see how I could use similar angular shapes in slightly larger object-based work. Initially, my plan was to continue developing pieces on the airport theme, but as I begun sketching, the idea of movement and a more playful concept about “flight” emerged. I decided to make two winged containers, “enamel animals”, balanced with weights in hidden compartments. I thought they could softly move, if touched, upon their curved bases.

Above are some initial sketches and cardboard models of different wings, and the following images show the evolution of the two objects after welding, going through a couple of different variations of wings and noses. Here you can also see some of my first enamelling samples with liquid enamels on steel and copper, created in 2010 during the life-changing workshop by Elizabeth Turrell in Perth. These early experiments still strongly inspire my use of layers, line and colour in enamelling.

The wings slot into the objects so that they could be inserted separately, without oxidising in the high temperatures of the kiln.

The main materials used for the work were mild and galvanised steel, welded and cold-joined, then enamelled with clear liquid #969 and P3 pigment for surface texturing,
And finally, the finished pieces:


“Enamel Animals, two figures having a conversation, are carefully balanced containers with secret compartments for weights (or any other small, heavy things you might need to hide). If touched, the animals will gently rock, perhaps nodding in agreement, with quiet knowing… “


Cheers and warm regards to everyone – can’t wait to see all the final works!
Inari

semi-transparent

nameless days

Very busy but very happy, lots happening, back soon with stories.

She's making jewellery now.

This made me laugh.
Awkwardly.
; )

Thanks Cath for alerting me to this gem!

airport, flughafen, aeropuerto, lentokentta ...

Last year, I saw many airports inside and out, under many different lights and weather conditions, and tried to document these experiences with my small phone camera. I find the muted, controlled colours of vast flat surfaces dotted with bright detail very beautiful. I love the angles and forms of machines and structures framing the large fields of space and sky. Really love.

I made this quick piece on the last morning of the fantastic Swiss jeweller David Bielander's workshop, following some intense study of those collected phone photos. I welded galvanised steel and mild steel together, then treated the piece in a kiln, and added some areas of enamel paint.

For a long time, I couldn't quite see (or rather, feel) what this object was about, even though there was a direct connection to my images and experiences. The intuitive and rapid fabrication probably contributed to the initial "numbness", too, plus at the time I was recovering from a worst cold ever -- caught in a plane back to Australia just days before! : )

However as I'm studying it again now, through camera, in preparation for further work on the theme, I feel that perhaps there is some type of life in it after all. It makes me interested to try and see how better communicate dense, strong structures and open spaces in one piece.

Just wanted to post it for myself to archive, and to ponder it a bit more on-screen. Next, I'll be making a small series, continuing from this object, under the idea of air/ports for the upcoming exhibition Heat Exchange in Arizona. The show will focus on contemporary enamelling, and bring together artists from several continents. Exciting!! You can check out and learn more about the participants and their processes and thoughts here. I'll be continuing the exploration of airports and objects over there, too.

I'm also hoping to develop some larger scale object work around similar materials and forms as shown here. We'll see ... Next, unpacking the samples from Doris Betz's intensive master class last month. The working year has really begun. Yay!

suddenly

More than 2 million beads glued on a Volkswagen!

2 families of four, 9000 hours, over 2 million beads: A 'Vochol', Volkswagen beaded by the Huichol people of west-central Mexico.

© The Smithsonian Institute 2012
(Produced by: Megan Gambino and Ryan R. Reed)

night flight

Lately, I've been collating photos of my work in preparation of a website (knock on wood!!), and found some older pieces which I haven't yet posted here.

The dark piece above was originally a part of a larger work, and a sister to the 'white flight' pendant.

Night flight, 2010, enamel on mild steel, 18ct gold
White flight, 2010, enamel on mild steel, 18ct gold