Patina gone wild on bronze welding rod. Copper wire removed from handmixer remains the same.
A Forgotten Collected Pod
Archive for the ‘Art’ Category
Fun Finds in Studio
Sunday, September 1st, 2019Who is Left/Loss Piece in Progress
Monday, August 26th, 2019There are three wool blocks used in the piece–lightest is for spacers, tan is for dashes, and brown is for dots.
The quote is based on a Henning Mankell quote, “Who is left to connect me to my earlier life?”
The removal of the safety pins is based on tap code or a 5×5 code. The code is the single word, “Loss”. An A is 1,1; L is 3,1; O is 3,4; and S is 4,3.
The image shows the removal of safety pins for the letter “S”. A single safety pin is left as a spacer between the four and three removed in the middle row.
Work in Progress–Who Is Left…
Monday, June 17th, 2019Who is Left… is a piece that has felted wool blocks stitched together with copper wire. The copper wire was removed from a mixer that caught fire.
The wire replaced safety pins that I had hoped would patina green.
That didn’t happen, because they weren’t bronze. They became a lovely textural brown.
Not the result I wanted, but the safety pins will find their way into a future piece.
Solution to patina pennies green
2.0 parts white vinegar
.5 parts salt (non iodized)
1.5 parts clear detergent (free of ammonia)
Solution Instructions
Spray on solution and allow to set for 1 hour. Reapply.
Allow patina to dry to green powdery finish
Patina will set permanently
Allow to set overnight.
I used Sea Salt and All Clear Free. The solution became thick and white, not a sprayable solution. I dipped the piece in the thick solution and squeezed it through the blocks.
The piece was hung to drain over a plastic bin. Sprayed it multiple times with water. The detergent made a bit of foam. Suspect I will soak the piece in the morning to remove excess detergent.
I wrapped the piece in plastic for the night.
Also wrapped the bin with excess solution in plastic to keep it clean for possible application tomorrow.
Now I wait.
Thoughts, Words… In Progress
Thursday, May 16th, 2019Today I cut 330 plus pieces of hardware cloth for my Thoughts/Words… piece. The extra pieces are to replace blocks that are not quite right. Sometimes when trimming a block it is possible to break the joint. A broken joint can result in shredded fiber and make it difficult to bind the block. Also, the wire is sharp and can cause wounds.
My gloves don’t appear too damaged.
This is how I had my hand taped. I kept adding tape when areas felt a bit stingy. The clear plastic tape on my palm is a horrible product. It gets sticky and leaves a sticky residue after it is removed.
The tools that I use to cut the hardware cloth and the removed tape.
And a few blisters.
My palm tonight after a day working, making dinner, and washing dishes.
Not as annoying as a month after hand surgery. Apparently, when you are told to work as much as you feel up to, they really mean an hour a day, not 6-8 hours per day.
The result was the inability to work for nearly two months. And certain activities are still challenging. Last week I had a steroid injection to break up the scar tissue. After the bruise and sting went away, my hand is behaving more like a healthy hand.
I really should have spread out the repetitive cutting of hardware. Funny how when you get in the zone, you just keep working.
So, tomorrow I will spend part of the day cutting and perforating 330 pieces of roofing felt. Maybe begin assembling the blocks.
2019 Anniversary Piece
Thursday, May 16th, 2019Each year I make an anniversary piece, somewhat of a 3-D greeting card.
2″ x 5.25″ x .75″
1/4″ Hardware Cloth, Wool, Metal Washers, Pennies
Hardware Cloth .25″ X 1.5″ x .25″
Undyed Wool–Brown Dots, Tan Dashes, Cream Spacers.
The background pieces make the code 0527.
0 is 5 Dashes; 5 is 5 Dots; 2 is 2 Dots and 3 Dashes; and 7 is 2 Dashes and 3 Dots.
3 Spacers are placed between each component of the date. Two vertical lengths of cream yarn were inserted through the blocks and bound into the frame.
This is the first time that I stacked code pieces. I really like the result. What if instead of a piece that can be held in your hand, the scale is 5 or 6 feet? Could use my stash of rope in place of yarn. Something to think about.
Work in Progress–Thoughts, Words, Habits, Character
Tuesday, May 14th, 2019Thoughts become words. Words become actions. Actions become habits. Habits become character.
330 blocks–129 Dots, 97 Dashes, 104 Spacers
Debated whether to use blocks of 10 squares or 9 squares.
Dot, Dash, Spacer
Quarter inch hardware cloth, 9×9 squares, 2.25″ square blocks, with 1.75″ square of roofing felt, cream wool stitches.
Fifteen blocks per row 15 x 2.25 = 33.75″
Twenty-two rows 22 x 2.25 = 49.5″
The finished piece will be larger because the hardware cloth borders for each block will be bound with cream wool. Then the pieces will be bound together. A previous piece had 18 blocks that were 1.75″ squares. 18×1.75=31.5″ When stitched together and the addition of a couched border, the finished piece was 33.25″.
Blocks Made in Flash
A symbol for each block was made, then a symbol for each row.
Row 1 of 22
Layout Pattern
The Use Count in the Flash Library is another way to verify correct layout.
Watch Yourself and Salt Residue
Tuesday, April 30th, 2019I was rearranging my studio and ran across a beautiful salt residue from a patina used on metal bits.
I used the salt solution on metal bits from a broken veg steamer that I planned to use in the piece Watch Yourself.
Why Watch Yourself? Steamers in use are too hot to touch, so be careful. Also the addition of mirror gives the viewer a peek at what they are doing.
The code on used in the piece is based on a combination of Morse and Celtic Tree Code that I used in a previous piece.
A salt solution was used to add some rust.
The other materials in the piece are mirror, linen, and jump rings.
To Complete–application of wax, build a cedar box, nail the assembled piece inside the box using existing steamer holes.
Mistake to Neglect Testing Before Using a New Material
Wednesday, April 24th, 2019I ordered some truly beautiful safety pins from Amazon. This is the description–Household Mall 3/4-Inch Safety Pins, Bronze (1440 Pieces).
Read through the product information and not once did it state that the safety pins were not actually bronze.
I was using the second type of safety pins to suspend Who is Left on a bronze welding rod.
These were not bronze because the product description states–Firefly 1000 pcs Bronze Metal Gourd Pin/Calabash Pin/Safety Pins/Bulb Pin/Bead Needle Pins/Clothing Tag Pins DIY Home Accessories.
Material: Made of metal of good quality, hard and durable, not easy to break.
So, bronze colored, not bronze.
How did I find the bronze safety pins were not actually bronze? I used them to assemble the Who is Left. After an application of a patina solution, bronze would have developed a nice blue-green patina.
The bronze welding rod has developed the start of a nice blue-green patina, but not the safety pins.
Instead the result was basic rust. That would have been totally fine if the description of the safety pins had been steel. I would have anticipated the rust result.
In my excitement to use the new safety pins, I did not test the metal. Not all mistakes are a bad thing. The results can be informative and be perfect for a future project.
Since I am determined to add the blue-green patina staining and weeping down the piece, I removed the safety pins, row by row, and replaced them with copper wire.
That would be the copper wire I removed and saved from my hand mixer that caught fire.
I assembled the blocks of each row with a twining technique. Cut a length of wire a longer than double the width of the piece. Folded the wire in half. Slipped the first wool block of the row into the folded wire, with the fold on the left side. One half of the wire was on the back of the wool block, the other half on the front. The wire was inserted through the middle of the block, back through to the front, front through to the back, then given a twist on the right side of the block.
The process was repeated for the remaining 8 blocks in the row, and for the other 15 rows.
Next I will twine together the verticals. I suspect that task will be a tad challenging. Then patina.
So what about the existing rust staining on the wool blocks?
If, as I hope, the blue-green patina stains and weeps, the rust staining will add another layer of age to the piece.
The used safety pins will be used for a future project.
Progress 04/26/19
The back wire comes through the center of the wool block to the front.
The back wire comes through the center of the block to the front; the front wire goes through the front of the wool block to the back.
All safety pins removed and replaced with two thicknesses of coppoer wire.
Next comes patina.
Who is left to connect me… Patina
Thursday, April 11th, 2019I decided to assemble Who Is Left… and then patina the bronze safety pins and welding rod. I am hoping for the addition of a weeping green, but the wool limits what I can use.
The patina is a solution of dissolved kosher salt in white vinegar.
I folded and rolled the piece in the solution. Then hung it to drip dry.
Bronze Dagger, Vinegar and Salt Patina Used on Upper Portion
This is a fun little piece that has been on the wall of my studio for several years. It is part of my Cleanse Your Palate series.
The series is based on negative words and the punishment of washing out your mouth with soap.
I made cups of dried plant materials and fiber. Made silicone molds of the cups.
A clove glycerin soap cup was pulled from each mold.
The wood used for the shelf is from an old garden swing. I carried the wood around for a decade before it found a home in the cup series. The oxidized wire was found in my dad’s shop. Perhaps I learned to save everything, just in case, for some day, from my dad.
A few pieces from the series can be seen on my website, Girl Artist.
Bitterest Tears Work in Progress
Monday, October 15th, 2018Decided to change the orientation of the blocks from horizontal to vertical.
Moved the brown border with the code (Loss and Regret) to the left side and the 2 columns of star stitched brown blocks to the right side.
In the process of stitching 3 columns together to make a strip, which will result in 7 strips. When the task is completed, I will stitch the 7 strips together. Four strips done, 3 to complete.
Working with batches of 3 is easier and more manageable than stitching the entire piece together 1 column to the next.
It took approximately 18″ of beige yarn to stitch the blocks together. Or roughly 1″ of yarn for each square of each block.
Should be able to start stitching the strips together later this week.
Need to decide how best to attach tree wrap to back of the piece. Leaning toward using a tie technique similar to the one my grandmother used when she made quilts.
The piece will have three layers of material: the stitched roofing felt, hardware cloth, and tree wrap, so reference to quilting.
October 17 Progress
Completed stitching together 7 strips of 3 columns.
October 23 Progress
Piece completely stitched together and wrapped the edge with tan yarn.
October 24 Progress, the Border
Originally thought I would loom knit an i-cord for the border, but after several attempts I didn’t like the results. The two that follow are the best of the rejected results.
Cream Border
R1 KKP, R2 KPP, R3 KKP, R4 K
Tan Border
R1 E Wrap Knit, R2 Flat Knit
The loom knitted borders are too bulky and fussy. I suspect the solution will be to use a strand of wire and wrap it with tan yarn.
While I am thinking about the border, thought I would attempt using a sewing machine to stitch together strips of tree wrap. The tree wrap will be tied to the back of the piece, similar to how quilt layers are tied together. Rather than having the knot on the front of the piece, the knots will be on back, the tree wrap side. The result should be a simple and clean cross stitch at each block connection.
Wait, what did I just write? A knot at each block connection. How many knots will I tie? There will be 15 for each column, 20 for each row, or 300 for the body of the piece. There will also be 17 for each side and 20 for top, 20 for the bottom, or 74 to tie the border.
That is all before I get to the really fun part of apply a salt solution with the hope of adding crystals to the pieces.