Ashwinstudio art blog » Metal sculpture

Photos from exhibition at Williams Art, Cambridge

Ashley — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:08:34 +0000

Thought I would post a few photos of some of the sculpture and furniture from my Lost & Foundry 2 exhibition at Williams Art in Cambridge.

Yellow Hat – metal head sculpture

Ashley — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:00:49 +0000

This is a real fun piece and I really enjoyed making this. It is another sculpture that almost made it’s self – in that I looked at assortment of parts and see a hat, hair and a head. And it is always a good feeling to recycle found objects to create art.

Combine 1 – sculpture created from combine harvester

Ashley — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:55:23 +0000

Combine 1 is created from many blade holders originally used on a combine harvester. Four blades are welded together to create a diamond then the six diamonds are joined and finally mounted on the beech base. I recently exhibited it at my Lost & Foundry 2 exhibition at Williams Art in Cambridge.

Steel Life

Ashley — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:27:26 +0000

This sculpture is created from a collection of farm tools and parts that date back over a lifetime of work on the farm.

I am a huge fan of the late and great sculptor David Smith and based my dissertation on his and Caro’s work and methods. And I freely admit he has influenced much of my work.

Lean On Me – Sculpture in the Sanctuary

Ashley — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:55:13 +0000

Many people have asked what is the meaning behind Lean On Me. I prefer the viewer to find their own meaning but here is part of my thought process: This sculpture is metaphor for the unsung heroes – for the down trodden – the big, heavy and primary coloured red and yellow girders are supported by the smaller and calmer blue section. However, it is in fact the smallest and insignificant green (secondary colour) angle that holds the whole sculpture together.

Lean On Me is made from reclaimed scrap metal including RSJ beams and box section. This metal sculpture has been a labour of love, needing countless coats of car paint and lacquer. Not to mention the rubbing down between coats and masking off each section and the hastle of moving it. However, I am very happy with the end result and am looking forward to seeing it on show.

Trinity – Sculpture in the Sanctuary

Ashley — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:22:21 +0000

Of all the sculptures I have created, Trinity is one my favorite sculptures as it was a milestone in my development as an artist. I visualised it my head and then created it without drawings. The only real planning was to program the CNC to punch out the shapes. So it is great to Trinity in such beautiful landscape with a lake as a backdrop.

Out of the blue – new metal sculpture

Ashley — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:17:59 +0000

I have just completed a new metal sculpture titled ‘Out of the blue’ and it is another artwork created from steel tubing and metal boules. I chose the title as; the idea did literally come out of the blue, it is painted with a range of blues and I am a big fan of blues and rhythm ‘n’ blues music.

Vidente – Steel Sculpture

Ashley — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:20:08 +0000

Vidente is a sculpture created from recycled steel tubing and pétanque balls. Part of the process is to rebend the tubing to create my desired shapes and lines – as if drawing in space. I am constantly checking the sculpture from different angles making sure it works visually from many viewpoints. Added to this, the time of day or season will change how the sculpture reacts with the surroundings. And to enhance this the steel tubing has been carefully cleaned with fibre pads to a shiny reflective surface that has been protected with a hard wearing baked on clear lacquer. Finally, the chrome finish of the boules create another level of reflection.

The name Vidente that means ’seer’ in Spanish and the adjectives are ’seeing’ and ‘clairvoyant. If type Vidente in Google Images you will see many images of Clairvoyants with their crystal balls that reminded me of the shiny boules. And of course the reflective surface of the sculpture is all about seeing.

Below is a picture of the sculpture just after fabrication and before it was cleaned and sprayed:

Wetherspoons Sculpture Commission

Ashley — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:57:11 +0000

Fen Roots is a sculpture commissioned by Wetherspoons pub chain for a new pub opening in the fen town March. The new pub ‘The Hippodrome’ used to be a cinema and is a lovely building with loads of character.

The sculpture is really a continuation of my Fenland Series. In fact, I lived in the Fenland town March for five years and enjoyed many walks through Gault Wood and Norwood Road nature reserve. And this sculpture is inspired by the overgrown areas, the gnarled trees and old roots. Most of all I enjoyed the new growth of spring.

The sculpture is Created from recycled steel tubing and metal pétanque balls. The bare metal finish is lacquered and waxed.

The Ridger Bird – Metal sculpture

Ashley — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:40:03 +0000

The Ridger is a mythical bird that, as legend would have it, hunted mercilessly for the potato.

The metal sculpture is created from farm implements; the tail is an old potato fork, the wings are skimmer points from a plough and the head is a ridger for earthing up potatoes.