Ashbee Design: Contemporary Crafts

Showing posts with label Contemporary Crafts. Show all posts

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Owls!

Using the owl as a subject matter in my shadow boxes has been on the to-do list for a while now. Once I finished my Valentine's crafting it moved to the top of the lists. Here is a matching set of four owl shadow boxes.

Featured are four owls that are native to my home state of Connecticut. From top to bottom are the Great Horned Owl, Screech Owl, Barn Owl and Barred Owl. Each is perched in it's own varied tree and silhouetted against a full moon.

These are simple to assemble - just a three-layered shadow box. And I have created individual assembly video tutorials for each. When complete each shadow box is about 6.5" square. Here are the links to the files and the tutorials.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Tea Light Village

I recently received an email from a crafter in Belgium. She had made the tea Light Village I designed back in 2013. She shared a photo of her village all set-up for this holiday season.

Tea Light Village designed by Marji Roy and created by Edith Baerten

I thought it beautifully displayed. I love that she used string LED lights instead of the single tea lights. That is so much easier to turn on and off! She has all the buildings up through 2014 but I don't see my two new ones there. This year I added two more houses, a Salt box and a gambrel colonial.

I call them my New England Classics. I also added a Rose Arbor and another style pine tree for accessories. The are all available at the 3dcuts.com website here along with a step-by-step tutorial here.

Here is my photo of the complete village.

Monday, March 31, 2014

More Pottery * Chris Parris

The second piece of pottery that we purchased at the Paradise City Craft Expo was handcrafted by Chris Parris of ParrisWorks in Fall River, MA. I have other bowls by Chris in my collection and hadn't seen his work in awhile. I was taken by several of his designs. We did purchase a Ikebana type vase. His work often includes folded clay forms combined with stunning glaze applications.

Update: Today I put tulips in this vase. Check it out!

I already own a set of his nested bowls each with a fold notch but here are other designs of his that I also love. I especially like how he combined the folded clay with the function of a pouring spout for both the gravy boat and small pitcher below.

And check out these espresso cups.......

Maybe at the next craft show!

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Collecting Fine American Crafts

I love crafts and have always been a creator. But I also am a collector. I love going to an excellent craft show and seeing the wonderful things being crafted by others using techniques I know little about. And occasionally David and I buy for our craft collection. Last weekend was one of those times. We visited the Paradise City Craft Expo in Marlborough, MA. This is an annual show that is always worth a visit, and we often expand our collection. Here is a piece of pottery that now graces my dining room table.

I have posted before about my love of ferns and the ferns of the Connecticut countryside figure prominently in this design. This piece has a beautiful mixture of form and natural design that we found stunning.

The artist is Tim Scull and he has a pottery school in Canton, CT. He explained the firing technique as a sawdust technique in which the pot is fired while being packed in sawdust. The ferns were applied to the vase before firing, a layer of slip clay was applied over it and the entire pot is buried in saw dust and fired. The smoky pattern is caused by the cracks that form in the slip during the firing. The ferns leave oxidized markings on the pot. The end result is very organic.

Here are some links for more information about Tim Scull and his work.

Tim Scull - Fine Art Pottery

Canton Clay Works

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Thursday, September 5, 2013

Wanderings - Burlington, VT

We spent the day visiting a niece in Burlington, Vermont. I am always drawn to a good craft gallery and there is a branch of Frog Hollow Vermont State Crafts Center here in town. I saw the work of John Brickles, a ceramic sculptor. He creates work in several categories but I fell in love with his ceramic buildings. Here are some samples of work he shares on his website. There were a variety of his barns on display at the gallery and they were full of personality.

John Brickles Website

Frog Hollow Vermont State Crafts Website

Friday, August 16, 2013

Wanderings • MAD in NYC

David and I made another visit to NYC recently to install one of his sculptures in a corporate office in the city. While waiting for the paint to dry we made a dash up to the Museum of Art and Design at Columbus Circle. This museum is a favorite stop of ours because it focuses on Craft in America. One of their current shows is "Against the Grain", an exhibition featuring works in wood in contemporary art, craft and design. As with any NYC show, there were items that absolutely wowed us and other things we questioned. Here are a few photos of some of the spectacular work. I apologize for the iPhone photos. I was surprised we were allowed to photograph at all!

Wood Turning by Bud Latven, 2007

Facecord, a dresser by Mark Moskovitz, 2012

Enignum Shelf by Joseph Walsh, 2011

Two for Tango, Fontainebleau Suite by Pablo Reinoso, 2012

A Skeuomorphic Wing Chair by Martin Puryear, 2012

Wooden Textile Walnut by Elisa Strozyk, 2011

The show is open until September 15, 2013. Well worth a visit if you are in NYC.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Paradise City * Northampton, MA • May 2013

The excellent craft fair is hard to find. Paradise City does it again and again. Yesterday, David and I traveled to Northampton, MA to visit the annual Paradise City Art Festival. Oh the things we saw! Definitely hurt the pocketbook! This show happens every Memorial Day weekend and if you have never visited and you like fine American Crafts, it should be added to your to-do list. They also have a fall version- Columbus Day weekend. ( Marlborough, MA in March and November, also)

David and I have been attending craft shows since the'70's and we have a system. We arrive at the start of a day, go to the back and work our way forward. Especially at a show that can be as crowded as this one - you can avoid the throngs of other collectors. We take a program and circle the booths that have things that catch our eye. We quickly peruse the entire show. Yes, we are experienced and we have seen the work of many of these craftsman for years. We then go get a cup of coffee and discuss what we still remember, what stood out so much that it is still fresh in our minds. From that we build our "To Buy" list - that combined with a look at our budget. Then we go and buy!

Yesterday we bought more than we planned, and are excited by all of it. Today, I photographed some of it to share with you.

Copper Enameled Bowl by Elissa Ehlin of Kiln Design Studio, Brooklyn, NY

Tiny, precious and beautifully crafted. The shape is stunning.

Ice Cream bowls by James Guggina Ceramics of Florence, MA.

Yes, I have a thing for bowls. I have many handcrafted bowls - copper, ceramics, wood. Yet I always fall in love with more. Many are purely decorative but these will be functional. And they come in so many glorious colors. I can see a growing collection of these. The two above came home with us, but check out some of the variety below.

A Wood and Mother of Pearl Necklace by Davin & Kesler of Exeter, RI.

They have a line of wood & something jewelry with a clean design element. I purchased a pendant made from Hawaiian Koa and Mother of Pearl. Last year I bought a necklace for my mother-in-law from this same team out of wood and silver. We also purchased a birthday gift at this booth but I don't want to spoil the surprise for the recipient.

Iron Arts Studio Garden Art: Brattleboro, VT

And then, for the garden...... Two pieces from James Takaki of Iron Arts Studio.

Our home is a showcase for the crafts we have been collecting for years. It has reached the point where adding more means removing something, except outdoors. We have 26 acres of space to fill there! We purchased a dragonfly and hummingbird in iron to grace the garden!

Jon Olsen Photography:

Our last purchase didn't come home with us. Jon will be framing it and sending it on. I have seen the photographic work of Jon Olsen at gallery shows but this is the first time I've seen him at a craft show. He does amazing photographic work with a minimal approach to the New England landscape. We general don't buy much wall art (because of David's sculptures) but occasionally something makes us change our mind.

We just loved this winterscape of a Vermont hillside.

All-in-all a very wonderful day for collecting. Don't miss the next Paradise City Art Festival.

Do you have a noteworthy craft show in your neck of the woods? David and I are planning the "Great American Road Trip" and are looking for terrific shows between Connecticut and California during September and October. Know of one? If so let me know.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Wood Slice Wall Art • Tutorial

As promised in my last post, here are the steps I followed for making the rustic branch wall art in my laundry room.

You need to know that right after I posted my branch wall art yesterday, I got a telephone call from my daughter teasing me. "Mom, you are just about the only person in the world that worries about art in the laundry room!"

Could be!

Supplies Needed:

Assorted branches in a variety of diameters - 3/4" up to 4"
1 piece masonite or other 1/8" thick material for backing big enough for your composition
Epoxy glue
Paint to match the wall
Roll of paper & thin markers to make plan
Paint Brush
Sandpaper
Spray adhesive
Saw - band saw, dremel saw

The process:

Collect a variety of sticks and logs. I selected ones with smooth bark like birch, beech and maple.

Using whatever saw you have access to be it band saw, miter saw or hand saw and miter box, cut the branches into a variety of thicknesses. I cut them from 1/4" to 3" in length. I cut about 75 but ended up using 50.

Sand one end smooth. I used a belt sander but this could have been accomplished by hand. It would take a lot longer though. I do appreciate the access I have to my husband's workshop!

Roll out a piece of paper large enough for your finished wall hanging. I used the back side of some ugly Christmas wrapping paper I had.
Arrange the disks in a random layout. I achieved this by taking the 4 largest and placed one near the top, one near the bottom and two in the middle area.
I then filled in around them with a variety of diameters.
I tried to never have two pieces of the same height touching.

Once you have a layout you are pleased with, trace its outline with a marker.
Put a sticker on each piece and number them sequentially.
Remove each disk, one by one, and sketch its location adding the number for future identification.

Spray adhesive to the back of your drawing and quickly place it on the backing material. I used 1/8" masonite.
Don't let the glue dry, but spray and place quickly. This will allow you to peel the plan off later.
I skteched a line 1/4" inside of the outside rim of my composition. This will be my cut line because I want the wood slices to hang over the edge of the backboard. I don't want the back board visible when this is mounted on the wall.

I drilled holes at each of the pinch points. This step is a convenience so the saw blade doesn't get stuck in a corner. I can maneuver more easily if there are open holes.

Working on a band saw I cut out the design. The red mark you see above is the inside cut mark I am cutting too.
This step could be completed with a little Dremel jig saw as well, and maybe even better because it has a tiny blade.

Once the design is cut out carefully peel off the paper design.
You need to save this to help relocate the wood slices so don't let it rip apart as you peel.
Take a piece of sand paper and do a quick sanding on all edges. They don't need to be super smooth but you do want to remove the roughness.

Paint the back board to match the wall.
There will be many gaps in the arrangement of wood slices and you want the color showing through to match the wall. I had paint left over from the laundry room re-do.
It required three coats to cover and I painted both sides.

Once the paint dried, I placed all the disks on the backboard, rearranging them for the best coverage. I tried to match the plan.
I mixed up a batch of 2-Ton epoxy, applied some to the bottom of each wood slice and pressed it in place.
I saved a couple well placed small wood slices out and didn't glue them down.
Instead, I screwed the wall hanging to the wall in those locations and then used Blue Tack to stick the wood slice covers over the screws.

And the final result is all I had hoped for. It reflects my love of nature and the warmth it adds by using it indoors but still has a contemporary flair to it.

Send photographs if decide to make a wood slice wall hanging for your home!

Previous Posts of Interest:

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Saturday, November 3, 2012

Twig Weaving Tutorial • Off-Loom

Yesterday, I shared with you the wall hanging I created using a cardboard loom and twigs that littered my yard following Hurricane Sandy. Today, I want to share with you additional photographs and a step-by-step tutorial. I have made many different types of off-loom weaving projects over the years but this is my first with twigs.

I worked on this by the light of a window during the days we had no power following the hurricane.

And now it is hanging in the hall outside our bedroom.

Twig Off-Loom Weaving Tutorial

Supplies Needed:

Twigs: I selected those that were from the tips of branches so each had one snapped end and one end with buds.
Large piece of carboard: Size depends on size of final weaving. Mine was about 2.5 x 2.5 feet square. Mine was 3 layers of corrugated cardbaord. Other types work as well.
ruler
marker
Xacto knife or single edge razor blade
yarn or string for warp
5 minute epoxy
Scissors
Saw
Branch clippers- small
toothpicks

The Process:

Gather a supply of twigs and small branches.

On both the top and bottom edge of your cardboard, use a ruler and make marks every 1/4". For my weaving I made the markers to cover a space 8" wide.

Use a sharp tool and slice down into the cardboard about 1/2" at each marking.
Notice the ridges of the cardboard run vertically. This is important.

Take the weaving yarn or string and stretch from top to bottom of the cardboard loom securing it in the slices just cut.
Wrap the warp around the back, down to the bottom, through a slot and up to the top into the next slot.
Again, wrap around the back. to the bottom, through a slot, up to the top......

Continue wrapping until all slots are filled.

Take a twig and starting at the bottom weave it through the strands of yarn using a classic over one - under one - over one weave pattern.

Once it is through all of the warp strings, cut it leaving 1-2" extending from both ends.
Take a second twig and weave it through alternating the under over pattern. If you went under a string on the last pass, go over it with this twig.
When it is through all the warp strings, cut the end and press it down as close as possible to the first twig.

Continue weaving twigs through the warp.
Create interesting designs by alternating the curve of a branch occasionally.
If you have branches with interesting seed pods or twists work those in as well. Because I was using oak branches I had twigs with partially developed acorns on them and I worked carefully in placing those. They were definitely harder to weave through the threads but worth it.

Continue weaving twigs until you have reached the desired size, or until there is no more room on the loom.
Flip the weaving over and cut the warp strings on the backside right at the middle of the loom.
The weaving will be very lose so don't move it around. Let it separate from the loom and lay flat on a work surface. You will have to pry the strings out from the slots on the loom but do so gently so as to not distort the weaving.

Mix up a batch of 5 minute epoxy according to package instruction.
With the back side of the weaving facing up, and using a tooth pick, carefully apply a dab of epoxy between each warp string and the bottom most and top most branches.
I repeated this step with the second branch on each end as well.
I also repeated it on the side ends of several of the larger branches in the middle of the weaving.
Leave it to dry.
This step keeps the weaving from coming apart. Twigs make a relatively loose weave and you don't want your handy work to come undone.

Using branches in 3-4 different diameters, cut little disks of wood. Mine were about 3/4, 1 and 1 1/2" in diameter.
This is for embellishing the bottom fringe. The warp strings hang better if they have some weight attached to them and there are many options - beads, stones, buttons. I chose to make wood disk buttons.

Drill two small holes on each opposite side in each wooden disk. It needs to be large enough to thread two warp strings through.

Using a dental floss threader, thread the bottom strings through the wood slice holes. I put two threads through each hole.
I threaded in one and out the other on each wood slice. The two holes allowed the beads to hang straight.
My holes were tight enough that I didn't need to knot the string. You might need to if your warp yarn isn't textured.