Category: The Forge

News from the forge

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Our First Public Artwork is Now on Permanent Display

Hi all, This is Adrian updating the site today. For some time now, I have been working on a big project and until now it has been a bit of a secret to the public. I feel the time is right to tell all, and for me it is a sense of accomplishment. I have recently installed my first major piece of public art and from all accounts it has been well received by all. The artwork takes pride of place in front of the Top of the Torrens Gallery and is there to greet you as you enter. This piece is a goanna (perentie) sculpture made from recycled horseshoes, 135 to be precise. He is perched atop the log that was always a part of the garden and measures 2.1m in length.

This installation marks a significant point in my journey as a metal sculptor. I have only been doing this form of artwork for 4 years, and in that time have progressed from basic home garden art to having my artwork recognised at a statewide event , the Brighton Jetty Sculptures. Now having my first public art on permanent display makes me feel that I have matured as a sculptor. You may have noticed the title “Our First Public Artwork Is Now On Permanent Display”. Well even though I created this piece, I wouldn’t have done so without the support of my wife Ann. At one point I was all but ready to give up, but she encouraged me to push through and the end result speaks volumes.

SALA 2023

On top of that, I have been invited by the Lyndoch Lavender Farm to exhibit my work for the SALA festival 2023. I am extremely honoured, and humbled to have been asked to do this, and hope that my art will be well received by all. We are all very excited about this upcoming event. I hope that we will see you call in and spend some time at the store and cafe as well as wander through the lavender and look at my artwork.

As well as displaying here and at the Top of the Torrens Gallery, we are also displaying at the Springton Town Hall for SALA. Needless to say, the last few months have been pretty hectic for both of us.

Hope to see you at one of our exhibitions! AJ

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Getting ready for Winter

It’s hard to believe that the Jetty Sculptures were 3 months ago, and here we are preparing for winter. Where did that time go? We took a well earned break and hit the road on our motorbikes, in Nepal! That was an exciting (and at times trying) experience, but one that will remain in our memories for some time. We also took part in the Holi festival in Kathmandu, and what an experience that was. There are many reasons for this Hindu festival, and one is the welcoming of Spring and all the colours. I wont go into it here but if you are interested, I have done a blog on our trip. I will also add links in our main menu to the blogs.

Winter in South Australia signifies the South Australian Living Artists (SALA) festival. It is held in August and we have participated in 3 SALA festivals to date. This year is a big one for us. For the first time we will be exhibiting at the Springton Hall as well as the Top of the Torrens Gallery. This means we have both been working flat out to produce artworks for both galleries. On top of that I (Adrian), have been invited to exhibit my work at the Lyndoch Lavender Farm for my first Solo Exhibition. I am both honoured and excited to be asked to display here and hope my art is well received and proves to be a valuable addition to the magnificent Lavender Garden.

We finally have the shop working properly on Facebook now. If you are looking for a special hand made unique gift, check out what we have on offer. Maybe even consider a bespoke piece as a gift.

Winter in the Glass Studio

Leadlight for Beginners Class Final Piece

In other news, Ann has run a few very successful leadlight for beginners classes and a 1 day foiling class. If you are interested in one of her classes drop her a line through the classes page. She is now working on her exhibits for SALA and also looking at designs for next years Brighton Jetty Sculptures. I wont give away too much but will say the work she has done so far on these items is amazing. She is constantly pushing the envelope with her work, and always exceeds her expectations.

In the Forge

I have had a curved ball thrown at me. I was commissioned to create some street art for the front of the TOTT Gallery at Birdwood. Despite having finished pieces ready for installation in January, I have now found out that the items wont be accepted without major changes to reduce the risk of injury. I thought I had mitigated the risks, but obviously I didn’t take into consideration small fingers in places they shouldn’t be. It is a bit disappointing but understandable considering it is public art and we have to look at all possibilities. I have a contingency plan in place and hopefully this will be accepted as suitable.

Feeding the Roo

What this does mean is that I now have 2 more pieces for my SALA exhibition, and given the location, I think they will fit in well with the environment.

Well that is about all I have for now from Tong and Chic, so stay tuned and follow us on Facebook.

Ciao for now

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Getting Ready for the Brighton Jetty Sculptures

We have been talking about doing this for some time and now we are actually doing it. October had us working on some exhibits for the Brighton Jetty Sculptures. This is SA’s biggest sculpture exhibition and will be on display from 18 January to 29 January 2023. This will give us some statewide exposure for our work The bonus is that there is some serious prize money up for grabs. We both caught Covid at the beginning of the month so isolation meant we had the time to immerse ourselves in our art.

Little Red Roo exhibit for the Brighton Jetty Sculptures
Little Red Roo

Metal Exhibits

On the metal side I have revamped a couple of previously displayed items for this exhibition. My Little Red Roo from the SALA exhibition was missing something. Once I worked out what it was, it was a simple case of adding some more structure and sealing up the rust. The other item that was very popular in SALA was my horse shoe Goanna. This was displayed with a cyprus pine log. After a bit of procrastination, I reworked some steel and created a steel stringy bark tree trunk. The Goanna will remain on the sealed clean steel and the stringy bark has been rusted and sealed.

Goanna exhibit for the Brighton Jetty Sculptures
Joanna the Perentie

The third item is a new one that I have been wanting to make specifically for this exhibition. Those that know me well have an idea on what I have planned, and work has started in earnest on this sculpture.

Glass Exhibits

Ann hasn’t been a slouch either and is currently working on 2 items for the Brighton Jetty Sculptures. Needless to say there is glass involved and these are totally different to what she has done in the past. I wont spoil the surprise just yet so you are just going to have to keep following us on Facebook and here for the latest news.

Class Update

The first beginners leadlight class is almost finished now and more will be run in the new year. Ann is looking at doing a 1 day Christmas decoration class where students can make some glass decorations for the Christmas tree. She is well into the planning now and more details will be available soon………. Watch this space!

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What happened to September 22?

Well time really does fly when you are having fun. Before we knew it September 22 had come and gone and what have got to show for it?

Studio Ribbon Cutting in September 22
The Studio is officially open now

Well firstly, we officially opened the glass studio and launched our first group of lessons in leadlight creation. Ann has been busy creating her leadlight manuals for students to use. They must be good because our first students are loving what they are learning and doing. So much so that they stay on for overtime after the class has finished!

Metal Emu Left Side

In the forge, things have been slow but steady. After moving Ann into the studio, September 22 was a good time to re-organise the working areas. There is now a dedicated sheet metalwork area as well as forging, woodworking and welding areas. Because I have been using the plasma cutter more I also built a cutting table to keep the cutting slag to an isolated area.

A long overdue emu commission was getting the final touches and work has begun on a street art commission for the local gallery.

We were advised in the beginning of September that the local gallery (Top of the Torrens Gallery), was successful in securing a grant for some street sculptures. Exciting times ahead for sure in the forge area.

So we are well into October now and there is more news on the horizon. You will have to come back and see what October brings before the end of the month.