Ashwinstudio art blog » enviromental art

A flail skid and bit of combine harvester

Ashley — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:32:25 +0000

Otherwise known as the Bomford Bench although it could just easily been titled the New Holland Bench…

The Bomford bench is created from scrap farm parts including a Bomford flail skid (the seat), New Holland Combine dividers (the back rest) and shock absorder springs. We have kept the finish as bare metal coated in a clear lacquer.

A new metal sculpture – Les Liens Familiaux

Ashley — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:02:43 +0000

I have finally completed a new metal sculpture from all the scrap metal and car parts I have been collecting and recycling. It is titled ‘Les Liens Familiaux’, it stands about 6ft high and is fabricated from metal tubing that I bent and welded and scrap engine and car parts. Many of the parts move and the family members can be positioned in many different directions. Moreover, depending on whether the figures are facing inwards or outwards the sculpture takes on a very different meaning…

Les Liens Familiaux

Metal sculptures on show at Sculpture Garden

Ashley — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:45:33 +0000

I am delighted to announce that I have just put two of my metal sculptures on display at Haddenham Gallery Sculpture Garden. It is fantastic and interesting venue to display art and is well worth a visit. The sculpture garden has a whole range of work on display, by a diverce range of artists. In addition, there is a tea room, gift shop and two other galleries showing work from all round the world.

Trinity - metal sculpture, now on display at Haddenham Galleries

Scales of Balance - Balance of Scale

Recycled Art

Ashley — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:05:26 +0000

7 days - Recycled Art

I have started producing a new series of work titled ‘recycled art’. This involves buying discarded art (often for a few quid) from charity shops and then reworking them. I keep some of the original, either by following the original composition or keeping some of the original visible.

Progress Green

Ashley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:45:52 +0000

Just finished this experimental painting, it is painted in oils on canvas board, and in style sits somewhere between my abstract and fenland landscape work. It is my way of expressing how I see some of my local landscape disappearing and being polluted. On the other hand, with engineering and sculpural background, I find the structures fascinating! And don’t get me wrong, I’m all for progress and I know many areas need regenerating and people need jobs but sometimes the development is not well thought through and with no regard to nature and the enviroment. Often, a petrol station pops up in the middle of the green belt, soon followed by other buildings: The station closes and then another pops up a few miles down the road and so the process continues. All the time eroding the landscape!

Progress Green, oil on canvas board, framed

Sculpture from found objects

Ashley — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:21:00 +0000

For many years I worked as a prototype engineer where designed and constructed a variety of products made from metal. So I am comfortable working with metal and have no problem welding and fabrication: And when creating sculptures, this background allowed me to work with spontaneity as I did not have to think or worry too much about the technical side. For example, when welding dissimilar metals (especially cast iron that is brittle) I employ various techniques (’buttering’ the surface for cast iron and specialist brazing rods) to ensure the joints would be secure.

For many of my fabricated sculptures are created from found objects and what I like to do is collect many objects and items and have them around me. I spend a lot of time living with the objects and gradually ideas form – then when get an impulse, I work fast and create a new work. The Metal Bird is one such work!

Metal welded sculpture created from found objects

Positive Negative

Ashley — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:48:28 +0000

I created this work from recyled parts and found objects. First, I pressed the objects into clay and glazed areas then fired it. After firing I ‘cemented’ some the objects in place. The frame was purchased from a charity shop.

Created from found objects and glazed ceramic