As usual - running late

It was September when I last posted letters to ALWA 2011. I have been creating my post with the words BE, PAX, JOY and MINDFUL on four faces.

 I now need to present the rest of the letters on the post. I have used the balance of letters to create a base border on the post as you can see from the photos below. Of course I did not have enough letters so I have used a boxed X as a filler.

And below are a few photos of the post as a whole - it now sits in gravel garden area on our block.

Barry Smith © My favourite - Be Peace

The post is about 1.2m high and 150mm square. It is a post for Peace. It will age gracefully in the elements.

Next lot of letters as words

As indicated in my earlier ALAW2011 blog post I am using this 2011 second alphabet to create a Pause and Reflection Post with the words: mindful, pax, be and joy on one of each of the four faces of a recycled fence post.

The first blog post presented the letters that form mindful. This blog post presents:

BE - in the moment

PAX - seek peace.

JOY - be filled with joy

OK, OK so I have been tardy

I have been feeling as though I have let the ALAW 2011 team down over the last little while as I had not got started with the first alphabet for 2011. Strangely enough I know what the end product is - a Pause and Reflection Post based on a single alphabet.

The letters I want to share in this post are those for the first reflective word - Mindful.

Barry Smith © Letters in wood - M

Barry Smith © Letters in wood - I

Barry Smith © Letters in wood - N

Barry Smith © Letters in wood -D

Barry Smith © Letters in wood - F

Barry Smith © Letters in wood - U

Barry Smith © Letters in wood - L

The letters above are routed into a 150mm square wooden post that is about 1.2m high. When finished the post is meant to be a destination point in a garden - somewhere to wander to and circle the post and reflect on the words on the four faces of the post. The post has to sit in the weather so the letters can 'cure' and grey.

I'm using capitals of a popular script known as "Barry scrawl" - there is a basic form but it is not calligraphy and the router is not a great pen or brush. The photos were taken in the late afternoon so some great shadows going on. I have not sanded the rough edges off because I would lose all that aged look of the wood.

Finished black and white alphabet

It has been quite some time since I posted on this blog - back in January actually. I have been creating my black and white alphabet with a little added colour from rusted metal strapping; tin sheeting - painted white; anodised aluminium from old canisters; and pop-rivets. Whilst I had done a couple more monthly sets since January I had not posted.

Fiona's email made me get a hurry on to finish the whole alphabet. Today I did manage to finish it; and also put together the 3D piece I designed to display the alphabet.

So below are images of the finished B&W alphabet.

Barry Smith © B&W alphabet

Barry Smith © Detail - B&W alphabet

The 3D piece has been created to sit on a flat surface.

Barry Smith © B&W alphabet in 3D

Barry Smith © B&W alphabet in 3D

Barry Smith © B&W alphabet in 3D

It still needs to be stabilised a little more and tape put on the ends of the wire rods so people don't cut fingers.

Metal letters for January

ALaW 2011 is a bit a a challenge for a metal worker. How to do the black and white thing with a bit of something was the challenge - what metal is white - none really. I thought aluminium might be the go but was informed that it is actually silver or dull grey.

So I have spray painted my galvanised tin matt white. I have used metal from rusted black metal strapping (used for binding timber together for delivery); pop rivets hold the letters in place; and small pieces of green and copper anodised aluminium add the 'little something'.