forged and crafted
We’d been to Bill Clarke’s Forged and Crafted workshop in Roxburgh in January thinking maybe he could make us something cool for us to mark our 10th wedding anniversary (back the previous February). We’d loved his work since we first spotted some decorating a café nearby a couple years ago.
Not to mention the amazing landscape sculpture he made for the Hall at Millers Flat, working in the landscape, natural and man-made, into a sort of a wrought iron portrait of the district. It’s unpretentious and a little rough-hewn, just as the locals would see themselves, and I like it a lot. It’s not something that would go in many people’s houses, but as a piece of public art it’s brilliant.
And so at the workshop it turned out that yes, he very well could make us something cool. Something a little bit different; something big enough to celebrate 10 years of marriage; something for our lounge that has been devoid of very much in the way of art while simultaneously being painted in a revolting shade of yellow.
Last week it arrived.
It’s a hard thing to photo well. (The revolting shade of yellow does not help.) It was an even harder thing to hang, even for Becky, whose skill in this sort of area far surpasses mine. (In fact, the errr… girls, have got Becky a stud detector [!] and laser level for Mother’s Day so that this sort of job will be easier next time.) Here’s the left hand bunch of grapes:
We love it.
And now Becky has some non-yellow colours for me to supply an opinion on.
Heck
14 May 2007, 00:56 #
The revolting shade of yellow really stands out in your current web design.
So, yeah, teh yellow we do not like, but teh mirror is really something.
And congrats. (:
Alan
14 May 2007, 19:56 #
Ta Heck.
Unfortunately we’ve become so accustomed to the repulsive shade that it no longer troubles us. But between the yellow, and the orange painted fireplace, we require visitors to draw its evil to our attention.
I should also add that it was not our choices of colour – we just bought the house like that and haven’t got around to fixing it…
Heck
14 May 2007, 21:51 #
What you say makes sense. I’d know about getting used to ugly stuff, I’ve been planning to replace some things in my place for… two years? I’ll move before I do it, I’ve come to accept it.
Painting walls is an endless source of fun and/or horror stories, actually. If you ever do it please document it for the rest of us.
Alan
15 May 2007, 19:35 #
That’s sounds good, actually. Becky can do the painting, and I’ll document the horror. Nice.
susan
17 May 2007, 22:52 #
I love your colourful house, the vibrantly warm lounge in its lovely yellow and orange and all the rest, I was so enthusiastic on my first visit that Rebecca was quite apologetic. I mistook it for a choice and embarked upon a monologue of the form “My goodness aren’t the feeble masses afraid of colour in their lives, my own lounge is painted Chilean Fire” you see.
Though a pink exterior wouldn’t be my choice, my girls are dead envious of Bella and Rosa for living in a Pink!! house.
Oh well; peaceful beige or grown-up grey, whatever the walls may be, the floor will still be full of brightly coloured kids’ things when I visit.
Alan
18 May 2007, 08:04 #
Hmmm, I guess I won’t be asking your advice on which of the two shades of beige Rebecca has in mind then. :)
Dawn
18 May 2007, 18:37 #
A stud detector, huh. Sounds useful.
Alan
18 May 2007, 21:12 #
Becky certainly thinks so. I just can’t make it work though.