Floral fence panels

Will Jones - Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - 12:23pm

This is the first of 9 panels I'm doing for a client (hopefully!- Although quote's accepted the goal posts keep moving on me, so this one's awaiting approval)

They sit between brick piers on a low wall along the frontage of the property, each one different, all about 3' tall by 7' long.

I'm working off the fourth or fifth redraw of the design...there were going to be flowers originally but unfortunately I've now been restricted to buds, forged from 1" and 1 1/2" tube.

The "russet" and millscale finish is a temporary phase..finish is to be galvanised and etched...on the one hand it's kind of a shame 'cause they'd look really nice with a good paint job. On the other hand I'm relieved not to have to paint them, or to deliver and install them while preserving a painted finish!

On the "Is artmetal dying?" front - I know I haven't been posting much, because, although I've been lucky enough to stay busy, this is the first "arty" commission I've picked up for ages. I check regularly and put my two pence worth if I feel I can contribute to a discussion, or if I'm particularly struck by a posting and have something to say that doesn't simply echo everyone else; there's definitely a bit of a vicious circle in effect....If whenever you check there's very little new, you start to check in less often, and get out of the habit of contributing.

Why the slump began I couldn't guess - as most of us seem to have work coming in, and new folks keep joining the community bringing their own special something to the party - but it can't be pure coincidence that the drop in activity here seems to have mirrored the economic climate.

Onwards and upwards!fence panels

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very natural...

enchanted iron - Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - 10:44pm

hey will, very nice work, love the rivetts along the bottom. hope the next 8 go well!!

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Slump or new dream time?

visitor - Thursday, November 12, 2009 - 8:30am

I wanted to jump in here Will to comment on your post about the economic slump slowing down apparent creativity and agree it seems true but also need to challenge that result to exist.
I have been doing sculpture now since 1957 so that makes it so far a 50 plus year quest. Most of the time it has included media starts that used found materials, not necessarily found objects but just materials since melting metals if non ferrous has primarily been a major part of them. Actual costs for the works then were based on the fuels, tools and investments more than the finished media and an economic slump for me has seldom caused a total halt to working.
During this entire time I never really had a gallery or agent that did squat for me so can say about 98% of all work has come from either random sales and occurrences and that about only 3 to 5% of it has been pre-setup commissions. That pretty much allowed and determined just working on items that originated from within and about whatever and for who-knows-what but with hopes or plans each would have some later purpose.
In retrospect I also have enjoyed those pieces the most since they came from personal quests to discover media changes or variations, freedom to push media envelopes, and unplanned discoveries resulting from the very free act of it all. What I am getting at is the belief the artist has the freedom to pursue life more like a farmer than a factory worker. To sow dreams and intentions and to reap the results more personally than those of required production workers. It demands the security of chance more than the guarantee of pre-programed results fitting pre-set criteria and that is exactly the part I love the most. So when no commissions are in the works, that is the time to next follow more personal dream workings.
For those that view the arts more as a way to make an economic living comparable to other trades, that's rough but to those that view the arts as a way to make a fulfilled life first and can fill in the economic gaps second it can be pretty fabulous. Oddly also, when one is happily living to the best of the heart that economic need seems to follow in a comfortable sequence. Happy trails and good fun on your fencing. bpfink

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Find it hard to disagree

visitor - Friday, November 13, 2009 - 11:14am

Find it hard to disagree with any of that....

I guess most of us are somewhere between the extremes of fiscal and creative fulfillment!

For myself ... I think the fact I'm in a very privileged position in that my partner's salary could keep a roof over our heads without my contribution (and pretty much did for a year or two) perversely makes me all the more determined to run a viable business....

Temperamentally it suits me just fine that at the moment I get a fair mix of not too demanding and reasonably profitable fabricating type work, broken up by commissions that stretch my skills and my imagination, but are often less profitable, either because I wanted the job, or because I had nooo idea what I was getting myself into when quoting!

Will

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Hi Will, I really like your

eligius1427 - Saturday, November 14, 2009 - 11:55am

Hi Will, I really like your fence design. Will there be a cross bar at the top or is the bottom bar the only horizontal member? If so, how much give does the top of the panel have when you push on it? I really like the idea of not having a top cross bar, but I've always felt that I lose to much strength and durability without it. Have you ever had any issues with this sort of structure?

Well done, i can't wait to see it finished

Jake

Jake Balcom
Mettle Design
Lincoln, NE

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Hi Jake, No top rail.. one

visitor - Monday, November 16, 2009 - 5:39am

Hi Jake,
No top rail.. one of the many things I've tried to do with the design is make sure each component intersects with at least one other, as high up as possible, and discreetly welded them together on the back ( There's thick shrubbery on the inside of the property so shouldn't matter aesthetically)
The bottom of several components get resined into the top of the wall and then there's a fixing higher up at each end where it touches the wall.
Seems pretty robust, and I thought it'd ruin it to have a top rail, but I must admit if it wasn't in the quiet location it's in, I'd be more concerned!

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