These beautiful orange poppy flowers are bursting forth throughout Fossil Gardens. They make a cool contrast to the steel sculptures. The flowers are very delicate. Heavy rain or wind helps to speed the loss of their petals... so this display doesn't stay very long. Enjoy!
Had a neat challenge to create a branding iron as a gift to a local elementary school. The initials of the school would be the brand symbol. The piece is essentially constructed with 3/8 inch round bar. This first shot shows the ring being formed hot from the forge.
The finished ring is welded together and cleaned up with a file.
Next the ring has steel extenders welded to it. This adds additional length from the handle.
This last shot shows the hand-forged handle attached to the ring assembly. I will post a finished photo soon.
Had a quick project to create a couple of Window Words. One of my favorite parts of these projects is designing the type and connecting the letters. Purple glass accents these hanging sculptures.
The little car here at the forge has been called on to carry a lot of steel, stone, glass and scrap. Unfortunately, the bigger items just can't be squeezed inside of it. So, the newest member of the shop is this 1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne pickup. It is perfect. Nice enough to drive anywhere, but not so nice that I will worry about tossing steel into the bed.
In a couple of weeks, I will be setting up a display at a local art gallery here in the Kansas City-area (more details to come). So, instead of just a simple display, I wanted to create a sculptural piece to hold all the art stuff. This angular creation is made up of two pieces, top and bottom. The top will offer a place to hang windchimes, metal birdhouses, Window Words and other sculpture. The bottom half will show off garden stakes, Firesticks and larger sculptures.
The very top is adorned with a farm tiller-thingy (technical term alert). This spins and has a glass marble to catch the light.
Here is a pile of 10 Window Words that have a date with the grinder. I'll add hangers and glass at the end.
I find it hard to get rid of any kind of metal. As a result, the leftover scraps, bits and pieces from previous projects pile up. This shot shows the accumulation of sheet metal under the welding table. I guess I just think that someday I will use these cast-offs somehow...or maybe I should just head to the scrap metal dealer.
Created a new Window Word for a customer this week. I have a couple neat projects I'm working on, so check back soon for photos and details. Thanks for visiting.
Spent this week putting the finishing touches on a cool project I have been working on for a Lawrence, Kan. sailboat shop. The idea was to create a unique counter and backstop display for the store. An architect friend of mine provided some clear drawings and a nifty little model to work from. Looks easy enough. But this was complicated job, one that had exacting specifications. Here's a tour of the project:
The model
Under construction
I used 1-inch diameter tube for the piece. It certainly began to fill up my studio as it grew.
Here's a shot of the counter skeleton in front of the backstop.
The counter frame is complete. I added tabs to attach to counter piece. And there are two places for shelves.
Delivery day
I borrowed a trailer and off we went. We used a few straw bales to help hold everything in place for the drive to Lawrence. This picture shows a friend positioning the wooden counter piece on the trailer. Not exactly the prettiest-looking load, but it made it safely.
Installation at the shop
Setup went smoothly. The sailboat shop has great access and enormous ceilings. We rolled in the backstop and bolted the sections together. The wood for the counter is reclaimed Sycamore. It looks great. The top consists of 3 planks, each 10 inches wide, 2 inches thick and 7 feet long.
Both pieces have steel casters to make rearranging in the shop a breeze.
The counter is treated with a simple varnish.
KC Magazine was kind enough to write a small feature on some of the work of Fossil Forge. This is from the current March 2008 issue.
Made a matching pair of 'Believe' Window Words on Tuesday evening. Its been a bit of a crazy week, so I had to settle for a quick photo of these in the back of my car (I was delivering them to their new home).
A soft snow covered Fossil Gardens last night. A foggy early start today has given way to blue skies. This winter has been long and cold, but a morning like today, its easy to see the beauty in fresh snow, air and sky. The native gardens that surround the sculptures will soon be coming to life. I look forward to the first shoots of bluestem piercing through the surface. The ponds are iced over, but the waterfall continues to seep. Spring is on the horizon. The Bottle Monster's brown surface is a cool contrast to the sky, bottles and snow.
Last season's grasses tickle the feet of the Monster.
This steely dragonfly sculpture is read to fly. Designed to hang from a tree, deck or porch, this metal insect will drift and spin in the wind. This piece is made from cut steel and many found objects, including a drill bit on its nose. This piece will be part of a silent auction to support local schools. I hope it finds a good home.
This closeup shows off its green eyes.
Finally, even on a cold and icy day, the bug will hold still for a photograph.
It was cold this morning in the shop. My toes are still numb. But not so bad that I couldn't get a little work done. Spent a couple hours making these brackets for a shelf. Nothing real fancy here, a couple of pieces from the steel shop mixed with some inch and a half stock. These brackets are 13 inches deep by 16 inches tall. Perfect for a French-style table top.
This time of year can be busy. I have spent time creating a range of sculptures. Most of these pieces are made from recycled objects and steel. Here are a few shots of some recent work. I want to say a special thank you to everyone who commissioned a unique piece of art from Fossil Forge this season. Thank you for supporting local art!
Here's a closeup of a Grumpy Bug garden stake. It is fastened to an old iron picket.
A fancy Sunburst sculpture leaves the shop to a new home.
A Sun and Moon windchime sounds off at the slightest breeze.
Every garden needs a Tiki face.
Two more bottle tree flowers have bloomed here at Fossil Gardens. These newest sculptures will bookend a railing that overlooks a large part of the art garden. No matter the light, blue glass bottles are beautiful.
Been making progress on the deck platform and railing. Eventually, there will be a matching railing on both sides. I'm thinking of adding a cool crazy awning over the stairs, maybe in the form of a spider or something. We'll see.
Had a couple slow weeks around the forge. With the season's turning, there was plenty to take care of in the garden and house. However, starting this weekend I'll be back at it. I have an upcoming show to prepare for and possibly another First Friday event. Yesterday, I made a small memorial Window Word. Here it is.
Added the treads to the stair and railing project. Each metal tread is 11 inches deep by 38 inches wide. I also bolted the entire platform to the deck and house, so it's solid and ready to go. This weekend I plan on creating the railing and maybe some other features. Check back for more.
Last night I finished another Bottle Tree Flower. The sculpture is traveling to Kentucky this weekend to its new garden home. This Flower stands a bit over seven feet tall and has spots for 20 colorful bottles. The Flower head is made from an old metal wheel (maybe from a wheelbarrow?) and adorned with cut metal petals and a glass center. I used a big thick washer to connect it to the stem. Here are a couple shots of the piece in progress and finished. Oh, and if you see a Hummer rolling down the interstate toward Kentucky, look for this Bottle Flower sprouting from the roof!
I took a full-length shot of this sculpture called 'Radiator'. It is made from two pieces of angle steel from an old machine. The finish on the angle steel is sweet, I just left it as is. Nothing like age to look good. The base is made from large piece of steel square tube...its almost a girder. The smaller steel that creates the wire look is from old yard signs and political signage. The piece is filled with slag glass. It is capped with a MotoMeter, a vintage radiator cap with a thermometer inside. I am toying with the idea of having a light shine up through the glass, or create a fountain effect, with water trickling down the glass. Or wouldn't a series of these look cool as posts for a contemporary railing?
