it got better

 it's been a lousy 4 weeks.  stagnant...everything on hold...personal life stuff blah blah blah.  finally things have shifted and i gotta say, it has been wonderful having my new flower shop to focus on (see post below).  i've sold a handful of flowers already and i cannot tell you how good this feels as a launching pad for a barely filled etsy shop. 

i've uploaded a few more.  short of actually gathering the objects and making the flowers, naming them is one of my favorite things yet!  i dont really  know much about plants but that doesn't stop me from googling things and adding twists to names that resemble (to a point) my flowers.  i invite you to peruse both sold and for sale descriptions if you are looking for mild entertainment.  the other unexpected outcome to this flower thing is that i realized i can make sculpture like flowers for gardens and porches, they dont have to sit in a vase!  it was when i needed to take pictures to upload them to etsy that i was inspired to shove them in the ground and realized DUH i could start making flowers specifically for outdoors.  currently my flowers have NOT been treated with a rust converter and while some flowers could be placed outdoors, most shouldn't be exposed to the elements.  that is gonna change with the newer ones. (not all but most).  i use a cold weld for most of the main structural parts but the other adhesive i use isn't really meant for outdoors.  i'm gonna start using a waterproof adhesive and paint some of the flowers in advance with rust converter. i dont like that it darkens the rebar but its what needs to be done unless you dont mind orange/rust. (i dont but you know me). 

here are some new candle holders! (online holders available here.)  they are not going on etsy, as i've placed these next door at the 'hair salon'.  the girls who work the counter always fawn over my pipe stuff, so i can only hope someone buys one or two.  next goal is to check out the local flower shop up near the university.  i hear they do rentals for university affairs...if i can get enough flowers made/candle holders...vases...who knows maybe i can get some rental stuff going.  nice to have a goal...right now its wet and cold and i'm not able to get out there and work on anything other than little bits of stuff already in progress indoors.  got my new saw but haven't opened the box.  got my new grinder but its not usable in rain.  winter just kind of sucks when you have an 'outdoor' parking lot studio.  i tell ya what, all of these restrictions just make me want to work even harder to one day have my own studio to work out of!

flower shop blooms!

Industrial Bloom etsy shop

okay.  i finally have my new etsy shop up!  this time around i actually paid another artist to create the banner and avatar.  i wanted something surreal...i wanted my flowers to be popping up like some salvador dali painting and  tom aka promopocket (an artist who lives/works in lithuania) did just that.   i didn't have many images for him to work with and amazingly he did just what i had in mind without me going nuts sending a billion different photos. thank you tom!  great job especially since i only had a handful of flowers made/sent to you to work with!

so.  the shop is up.  i've spent the morning getting it up and loading just a handful of works.  more in the coming days.  takes a fair amount of time to figure out descriptions/shipping details. it feels good to have a separate shop up that will carry just one type of work.  i look forward to watching it grow. (pun intended).

Red Gerber Yellow Bud, 2011

ps.  i've got some new candle holders made too.  you can see them here.

art & life like oil and water

these three new pieces sold before i could get them onto etsy..thank you vase collecting woman!  these are my slice containers.  they are composed of two different pipes and give the vessel an even stronger ceramic feel.  i want to be making many variations and see whats possible.  it's hard to find pipe that fits as you'd be surprised how many different sizes there are.  these are to be used as pencil holders or whatever else but are not my typical waterproof vase works.  i'm veering away from my flower vases right now and letting my found object flowers catch up (etsy shop opening soon). but in the meantime i will keep experimenting with pipes and what is possible because i know there are endless possibilities and it lies within me to find them.

the piece above is unique and i wish i could take credit for the cool cut on the top rim but that is how i find em.  for whatever reason the scrap yard cuts up pipe with a torch and it makes the most amazing effects.  i remember last year when i got pipe from them i always considered that the bad part! believe it or not i would cut that part off and toss it! what an idiot huh?  that is almost the BEST part of my vases and candle holders.  all i have to do is clean that jagged stuff up so you dont cut yourself as they are pretty sharp and messy.  i went looking for more pipe monday and there is nothin.  i take that as a sign i'm just supposed to keep working on flowers.

which i keep promising to have a site up soon.  life gets in the way. you know how it is.  my flow is messed up due to some personal life goings on.  and i still let that part time cleaning gig get to me and lose all momentum.  i find when i worry about stuff everything just STOPS.  for whatever reason tod and i are going through more life changes and both of us are wondering where we are going.  does tod want to go somewhere else alone and find his thing?  if he does what am i gonna do?  do i stay here and try to make it on my own?  i have no idea.  needless to say this stuff is a huge elephant in the room and i can't just poke it with a stick and remove it.  my art dont flow when my brain is consumed.  but its life.  i'm starting to get used to it.

posted jan 6, 2011

one down one to go

okay one down one to go.  just bought a wilton 6" bench grinder on ebay. whoo hooo. i've got some fresh pipe slices cut and waiting for the new grinder to arrive.  next, the dry cut saw, which i am happy to say is going to cost less than i originally thought because i found one that is cheaper and will do more than i had expected (meaning i can cut plastic too).  just needing to get more info on blade types and then i will order that bitch!

i've made/sold two of my new candle holder designs on etsy recently and will have three pencil holders available soon with the same concept in mind.  i think once i get my new tools and learn how to use them i will be more productive and creative with new container/vase ideas.  looking forward to going to the scrap yard and looking for new pipes as well as get my new etsy flower shop going.  I went back to doing some apartment cleaning last week and all my momentum got dislocated.  doing the best i can :)