Each year I make donations of sculpture to non-profits.
Balcones Forge and Child Advocates were the two most recent recipients of a pair of my elephant ear bookends to include in silent auctions at their annual fundraisers. Funds raised from my donated sculpture will go towards the mission of each of these non-profits. I wish them the best in their endeavors!
One of my pieces is featured in the Winter 2015 issue of The Anvil's Ring, the quarterly artist-blacksmithing magazine of ABANA.org. Read the story about this boudoir floor commission which took a year and half -- and plenty of patience -- to complete. Many thanks to Austin-based photographer Wendy Ogle for the top-notch pictures accompanying the article. I’m a fan of Galveston, TX, and have been for many years. When living in Houston, day trips on the weekend to Galveston were commonplace for me.
The proprietors of Gateway Guesthouse Bed & Breakfast called me in to design a king size forged headboard as part of a new look for one of the upstairs guest rooms.
The B&B does a brisk business year-round, but a lull in August provided a strategic opportunity for the bedroom makeover. A fairly tight turnaround was needed to have the room redecorated by Labor Day (September), when occupancy kicks into high gear. This series is both functional and decorative. The inspiration for this series is the plant that looks like an elephant's ear.
I think the bookend sculptures in this series are particularly delightful! Inserting books between the two asymmetrical, yet complementary, bookends is purely optional, as the two pieces look lovely nestled side-by-side, sans literature. I think these bookends might be a new signature item for me!... The stems of these sculptures are made of steel which I bought from the metal recycling yard (previously someone's porch railing if my guess is correct). The stems are 1/2" square stock, tapered and brought to life on the power hammer using texturing/art dyes. The leaves are 16 gauge sheet which I hammered to shape on the swage block and anvil. I gave the leaves depth by welding 1/8" rod around the edges. Overall dimensions of the bookends are about 16" tall x 8" wide x 7" deep. The sculptures are of various tabletop sizes. My botanical sculptures are now on exhibit at Copper Shade Tree in Round Top, TX.
This fine crafts gallery in the heart of Round Top features Texas-based artists -- including this Austin-based gal! Copper Shade Tree features a wide variety of mediums, and I'm pleased to have my steel sculptures displayed amongst such stunning, original works! ‘New Growth’ depicts wispy, tapered grasses and fresh pods that have recently emerged from the soil.
To create this nascent scene, steel bar was heated in the forge and shaped using my 25 lb. Little Giant power hammer which I rebuilt last summer after taking Sid Suedmeier's rebuilding class in Nebraska City. 'New Growth' measures 18” tall x 15” wide x 9” deep. |
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