Cierra_ ALL

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TO PULL

Update?

These are the updates to my bell. It has been cast, chased, and patinaed. I am now thinking about the pull part and the hanging bracket. I was wondering if I should paint the bracket so it doesn't feel so alien to the rest of the piece. The pull mechanism to ring the bell is made out of leather cord and wraps around the clapper, I was considering having a crystal as the part you grab. A crystal would also add extra weight and depending on the crystal continue the concept of being grounded. 

September 21,2022

September 17, 2022

Updates on the wax forms 

September 13, 2022 

I had an idea after our class discussion today and I made some sketches. I was thinking of doing the full figure as the bell rather than doing relief. 

In process photos

September 8, 2022

I have decided to go with the bell where the  figure is carved in relief. This form and concept resonates with me more than the other ideas especially considering the work I have made in the past. I started casting the mold for the bell form, Ill then be carving the figure onto the wax cast. 

September 3, 2022

For "to pull" I was considering doing a bell. My family has always had bells and windchimes around our houses. I never really questioned why but this item has always been something that made the house feel more like home. I do not currently live in a house but rather in a community apartment, so having the bell on my door allows me to know when someone is entering my room and my roommates like to jingle it rather than knock. The bell I currently have is small and doesn't really have an option to pull. This is something I would like to improve and make differently. 

After searching for decorative bells I found many ideas on Pinterest (unfortunately without an artist). The idea of the bell is a specific shape and the holder correlating with that shape is appealing to me. 

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I really enjoy the simplicity of design with this specific bell as well as the little knocker. 

These are the bells in my grandma's house, they were in the house when they bought it in 1960. These are the bells I assume started the tradition. 

Ideas: 

This one was my sketch to understand exactly how the bell works and plays with different forms. 

These are some of the figurative ideas that I wanted to throw out into the blog universe. I think that I'm more attracted to these ideas and the flower idea. The one with the figure in the bell, the same figure would wrap all the way around in relief form. This would be a similar idea for the face, it would also be in relief on the bell body. For the hand, it would be one hand holding the bell going up and slowly changing into roots. 

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TO HANG

November 30, 2022

These are some of the pictures of the painted house. It will be hung through the holes on the side of the roof. I decided against the plexiglass roof as I feel it will not allow the plant to grow. The next step is to either hand carve or laser etch the door from sketches of the original house door. Then planting is the step after, I was considering planting a Wandering dude or succulents. 

Still using the form of the house I have decided to take a different turn. I have been thinking about the way plants will take over after humans are gone in the future. This has brought me to question what will happen to my childhood home and all of the trauma experienced there. The memories and pain will be gone, replaced by plants. This brought me to the idea of a plant hanger in the shape of my childhood home. The house walls will be made of steel. The bottom will be a grated metal while the roof will be Plexi glass. The roof will also be hinged to take care of the plants. This is the same form as the original idea but rather than a windchime it will be a planter. 

Image of planter?

For my "to hang" piece I have had a few ideas brewing. The main part I would like to touch upon for this is the concept of lost memories. I want to convey the weight of these painful experiences through this piece. I came upon three ideas, two that really speak to this concept, and one that is more of a functional object. 

Alberto Giacometti's surface treatment of the metal is really inspiring. This work has opened my eyes up to the possibilities of texture and weight in my work. 

Naum Gabo's work is extraordinary, specifically in the abstraction of figures. I have been looking for ways to incorporate abstraction with my figures and really enjoy the way they fabricate their pieces. 

This piece is about a specific memory, and I think it would be very cathartic for me to make. This work is talking directly about lost memories and painful experiences that stay imprinted on a person forever. The face would be mine cast in wax with lace fabric covering it, then poured in cast iron. There would be areas where the cast iron comes out making it a sculpture to hang our items on. 

One Idea I came up with was windchimes. Like bells, my family has always had at least one windchime inside of our home. Still, in the vein of trauma and catharsis, I wanted to make replicas of all the different houses we lived in when I was growing up. I want to convey this instability and chaos in my work. The icon of the house is something we can all relate to. I think this would also sound really beautiful in cast iron. 

This last idea was more of a functional object I could use in my home, as plants are currently taking over my room. This piece would be fabricated in steel with paper colle over the leaf exteriors. This would be a very useful and beautiful addition to the elements in my home. 

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TO LIGHT

The whole lamp is made from steel, so I was considering doing something soft for the leaves of the ferns on top. I tried fiber leaves but they ended up looking different than expected. I am going to test some Okuara paper with ink washes to see how that looks against a warm bulb. I chose to use the form of a fern as it has been a recurring theme in my work, representing new life and new beginnings. This concept works well with the to light as light means hope. 

For my to light I have decided to use a cast of my face in iron. My intention is to mount it to a bracket that hangs on a wall. The face would have light coming from the back that would glow onto the wall. Along with this, I intend to create two smaller lights that hang on both sides of the face. These two smaller lights would be made with a steel armature and fiber-cast exterior. 

This idea is a bit more expected. I will be interested to see it with the fiber and what type of shadow it may cast.

 

I do love this design. It should be made.

For my "to light" piece I really want to capture what light can feel like and the memories that it can bring on. I'm still working in the vein of trauma but taking a different approach to some of my ideas. I really enjoy the way that light changes with whatever it is placed in. With this in mind, I think cast fiber or paper is something that would push the narrative. 

Kendal Buster makes work that catches and holds light within the form. This work has such a volume and weight, I truly want to climb inside. However, just imagine if there were a light on the inside, I think it would amplify that space. 

Zadok Ben David's pieces are something I have always been awed by. I love the intricate details and the way they use multiple forms to make a whole. I can only imagine the beauty of the shadows created by this work. 

Antony Gormley is someone who I have been really looking at for this project. I love the variety of different shapes to make one figure. I think this might be something I implement for my project. 

My first idea was to make a house, similar to one of my childhood homes. I was considering making the doors all open, "the lights are on but no one's home" is a good summary of my experience.  The doors would be detailed to cast shadows. 

I really enjoy the form of this idea. It would be variations of the same person in different motions, falling down and getting back up. This would be overlapping in steel with cast paper in the negative spaces. I think the figures would show some pretty amazing shadows. I also think the ball form calls for the viewer to look at every angle of the work and understand what is happening. 

This idea feels more in line with my recent work, however, I intend to abstract the form to allow more light to the whole through. I think the form would probably change if I went with this idea however I feel as if the other ones are a little more realized. I was also considering doing a repetition of forms to make a whole like in Antony Gormley's work. 

Jodie -ALL

TO PULL

I ended up going with the paddles for door pulls for our van. We do not have the doors or the cabinet made yet, so wherever it is easiest to attach the threaded inserts on each paddle are just fine!

Thing that I pull

an oar, a wagon

The ceiling fan currently has the "BB" chain that pulls... 

pull tabs I find on the prairie off old pop/beer cans

these look like mens ties to me

They do!!!! I'll ponder this new view of them for something else if and when the time comes...

My final idea that I came with while camping this weekend, a handle/pull shaped like an oar that we can use to pull us into our van.

I plan to measure an actual oar and scale it down accordingly. It will need to mount on a 2x4. It needs to be big enough for our hands to fit through so I envision it having a way to mount on the 2x4 off the back of the shaft and then a hand would fit between the bottom mount and the blade. I think I will carve a topo map design on the shaft and waves on the blade, all depending on how big the actual oar is. It will mount on the bed frame we just installed, and hope to have finished this week so I'll be able to take more detailed measurements. 

Next version:

I've switched from oar to paddle as the shaft is shorter. 

Question: 

Would the shaft be strong enough to use as a handle to pull us up and into the van if it is about 4.25" long, .75" wide and about .5" thick if it's screwed into the 2x4 at the blade/widest part of the paddle?

If that would work, I'll start modeling and carving Wednesday and bring something to show you in class Thursday.

This is the corner of the van where this will go if it works. There will be plywood and a mattress on top of the 2x4 frame and a cooler under this part of the bed, so the paddle pull can't hang down too far past the 2x4...

TO HANG

Hooks for our van - I am excited to patina these and the door pulls with the same color and create a fun and one of a kind van experience! I am thinking ammonia... for a greenish/blueish water theme... Over break, I used the drill press in the steel shop to fully ream out the hole for the screw, and then used a bigger bit to create an area to counter sink the screws I bought so they will fade a bit more into the background... Sadly, they are silver colored, not bronze colored as they need to be metal screws to screw into the van "walls". I am hoping I can bead blast them and patina them in some way to make them blend in more.

In keeping with the water theme from our "to pull" project, I've decided to go with the flow... pun intended. Water is my life source. It brings me joy in all its forms. Clean drinking water, gentle rain while I sit in hot springs, snow, and of course rivers to raft. Growing up in the west, water has always been a source of recreation for me. Canoeing and fishing my way through childhood has given way to paddle boarding around the plains lakes. As the climate shifts, so do the waters. Where once a migratory bird sanctuary, is now just mud flats. This changed in my lifetime and concern runs deep for the future of our waterways and all that thrive with them. There has been talk of big dams not having enough water to supply hydroelectric power for years. It boggles my mind that stricter guidelines are not being enforced and more native grasses and plants are not being planted around the new construction at UW and around the west as a whole. Diversity. Isn't that what makes the world more interesting? Plants and species thriving in a native climate... Soooo, on that note, back to water. I love that water finds its own balance, filling and conforming to the space it has... And space, our van is empty of anything FUNctional other than a bed at this point. So, hooks. Hooks that look like waves and water are my "to hang" project. In searching for wave/water/river hooks, nothing came up at all for what I envision, so it's hard to conceptualize what material I would use as currently I only know how to weld pencil rod. I like the steel shop and would like to push my skills and learn new techniques, maybe blacksmithing? I know there are options, I just don't know what they are...

These are my hook ideas. The octopus is the closest thing I could find to a "wave hook" concept.

TO LIGHT

What is happening with this?

As much as I like the plasma cutter, I opted to save that for future work so as to make it my own idea and not something to light. I have opted to go with the old gas cans with solar lights that I can turn on/off so they won't be lighting up the patio at all times to keep in line with the dark sky concept of less light pollution. In the second picture, you can see the "bird feeder pole".  I have 2 of these that have a single hook that I brought into the steel shop and sanded the paint off.  One pole for each gas can will be planted in oak barrels to give them more height. I also cut off short sections of square steel pipe/tube(?) and welded 3 of them onto each pole. These support 3 lengths of steel rod that will act as a trellis for plants to grow up and create a living privacy "fence" between our driveway patio and the neighbors house that is about 4' away...we have a 1/4 lot so we don't have a big yard. I don't have a vehicle that would allow for me to build this as one piece, and since the neighbors property line is about 2' from our driveway, I can't build something more permanent w/o going to the city and getting the property measured. As a result, I hope the 3 cross rods make the piece more stable. I can't bring in the oak barrels as they are filled with dirt. I thought about using the pipe bender to make the cross rods wavy, but that concept just didn't look right with the 2 very straight bird feeder poles. It's a very simple design that will be covered with plants when we actually sit outside and enjoy the patio. I am currently using 50/50 vinegar and water to rust the bird feeder turned gas can holders as well as the 3 cross rods to "match" the rusty gas cans. . I also welded on a bit of pencil rod (which you can see in the lower right corner) as an option to hang shade cloth or fabric with grommets to create more privacy while the plants grow and fill in the trellis. 

Here are pictures of the gas can lights on the trellis installed in the oak barrel planters. Next spring (hopefully sooner if weather allows) the planters will be moved further apart, creating a larger trellis for for plants to grow up and to provide privacy from the neighbors house

I have been considering adding something near the top of the hooks to create more height and privacy, but have yet to come up with a good idea worth exploring, so I went ahead and rusted the poles knowing I could sand off and weld something on if anyone has any fantastic ideas.

See below the next 4 pictures to see another "to light" project I started years ago that I could use ideas to finish it. I just thought of this last night as I rearranged my studio to make space for rusting. I didn't feel like it was an option for this assignment as I have most of it done already. I know it's late in the game, and not part of this assignment other than "to light" so if you choose to ignore this, go for it! 

Below these pictures are images of the woodbine (similar to Virginia creeper) that I will plant and have grow up the trellis part of this patio light.

 

Fall color of this plant is amazing!

Summer color

Berries!

Flower lamp

Description of the lamp. The entire piece is basically as tall as I am, 5'4". The shade is paper mache over chicken wire with decorative paper as the outer layer. It has a copper pipe stem and the flower pot base is filled with plaster and rocks for stability. It was recently re-wired by an electrician when he pointed out the light socket I had installed wasn't up to code. When doing so, he also changed the on/off switch and added the wooden box and the cord in a different color. While it is now up to code, I am not happy with the look of the 2 different color cords and would happily take suggestions on how to hide/blend them into one. I have thought about covering them in decorative fabric, but not sure if that's safe... 

Overall picture of the lamp:

Detail of the on off switch you use with your foot. I would also like to make this "prettier".

Close up of the lampshade

Close up of the flowerpot base

Plasma cutter - to light

So, in class you mentioned if we were going to change our "to light" idea, to do it now. So, I did... Sort of. It wasn't until you said this and after demo-ing the plasma cutter again that a few proverbial lightbulbs went off. So, at the very end of the day when I had time, I went down the plasma cutter rabbit hole looking for ideas. I have loved the look of Cal Lane's art since I first saw it. It wasn't until yesterday that it fully clicked that I could create something similar, and not just "pretend" it was the same with the bullet holes as with my previous idea (scroll down). So, I am attaching a few ideas I took screen shots of. A shovel will not be my project, I am just attaching them for the ideas on how these artists use space and the cutting of shapes that keeps the piece all together. I am pondering the idea of a round wreath like piece that has a solar light behind it for a subtle mood lighting for our yard. Or, perhaps turning it into a table with a light under it. I will spend more time today rummaging in my yard for things I could cut up and add these later today. I was so excited about this concept that I couldn't sleep! Thank you for the knowledge you are imparting to my brain. It is sooooo excited to learn how to do something that I've admired for years.

I wrote a wee bit about each pic too.

I know I have something rusty and round, I'll bring it in to see if it could be cut up, or if there is a reason it can't be...

This is a the idea the spurred a table with a light. 

I love the shadows that the light casts...

Again, I have the round piece, and ponder if this was sitting on the ground with a solar light behind it...

What might I have that I could cut up....I will look and post accordingly later today!

Another table, the only one I saw, so maybe making the legs out of steel and welding them on?

Ideas about cutting out shapes so the piece stays together

I was thinking water and waves (go figure!) and the fabric part of this would help me figure out how to cut and create this idea.

A stunning "to light" idea

I wonder what would happen if I did this to my fire pit that is more "upside down dome" shaped....

Patio lighting

We do not have any shade trees in our yard anymore. The deck on the southwest side of the house is where we used to hang out in the summer, it's waaaaayyyyy too hot now that it just broils in the sun all day long. As a result, I've been slowly turning the driveway into a patio. We were out there a few weeks ago with a friend who lives in Spain, and as we chatted into the night, it was odd chatting in total darkness. I thought a bit of mood lighting would be nice and came up with this idea. 

I have 2 old gas (?) cans I found on the prairie near town that are shot full of bullet holes. I envision hanging these with solar lights for mood lighting in our side yard. The bullet holes in these rusty things remind me of the artist Cal Lane and how she cuts lace like patterns into rusty oil drums.

Her lace shovels first caught my attention years ago when I was a landscaper/gardener. I love everything about them. The delicate lace and flower pattern crafted from something so sturdy and utilitarian. This shovel also reminds me of the faces my friend Mike Lowham makes out of old shovels. I don't have any pics of these...

My old, bullet hole ridden gas cans. While not as graceful as Cal's work, I knew they would become "chandeliers" the minute I saw them!

Top view

Bottom view

This is a double "bird feeder" pole in my front yard that I tried these on to see about scale and if I like them. I do! I will fabricate something similar that has more wavy curves perhaps. 

The one on the left does not have a hand, so I'll wire one around it so it hang and can sway in the wind. 

Before I went too far down the rabbit hole of designing the pole for hanging this, I wanted to see if the solar lights would give the feeling I was going for. It isn't as bright as I had first thought, and I am ok with the subtle look and think if I loosely stuff the string of lights in these that it will be a bit brighter than the ball of them...

I have yet to learn tons about casting, so if it's possible, I'd like to cast at least one yucca pod for this project. I have used these in my sculptures in the past and I would love to see one cast in iron. I see these daily on my dog walks and have had yucca growing in my yard my whole life. They were such important plants to the Native Americans, and while I've never used them as a paint brush or fiber to make shoes, I respect how versatile and hardy these plants are. And these native plants don't need much water to survive, making me all that much happier for the little moisture we do get, to support plants that need more.

I first thought of hanging them like this, but I don't have a support to hang them from, so my neighbor suggested using a "bird feeder pole".

Another lighting idea...

I have 13 of these turquoise insulators, I've pondered solar lights for years, and then saw this in one of Ash's books