The Finishing Bench
The finishing bench ... the light at the end of the tunnel in the creative process.
Making things for a living is a bit of a journey for me that has several aspects. Of course, there's planning and contemplation, drinking coffee and actually making work ... but, one of the really satisfying aspects is witnessing the transformation from "work in progress" to "finished".
My finishing bench may look a little short of austere but it has witnessed the evolution of many functional and fine art forms over the years. It is here that my creative works change from dusty wannabes to shining debutants waiting to head out into the world.
The finishing bench. Platter forms, salad servers and cooking stirrers by Bob Gilmour.
The finishing bench is home to an assortment of chemicals and mysterious liquids. Some have been procured off-the-shelf while others are a self-made alchemy of ingredients that sometimes don't fit together ... And, in many cases, the identities have long been forgotten.
These days my finishing toolkit numbers only about three basic techniques. Over the years, I have experimented with dozens of products and methods of application. Sometimes I've followed the directions ... more often than not, I've made up my own rules.
The finishes I use now have been arrived at with the view to producing the exact look, feel and degree of protection that I desire or require. Some of my finishing methods are a bit labour-intensive, but my principal goal is to create a finish ... look and feel ... which will make people go 'wow'.
Comments (0) March 17, 2012
Two Shallow Bowl Forms in Radiata Pine.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
A while back, a visitor to my market stall in Port Douglas commented something like "what will you do when you're not allowed to use rainforest hardwoods any more". Considering that about 80% of the wood I use is already 'eco' (sustainable sources or recycled/salvaged), I replied with a bit of a snigger "it doesn't worry me ... I can make nice work out of radiata pine if I have too". So, here's some proof.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
I have been buying this wonderful fully dressed 290 x 35 mm plantation pine from a supplier (Quality Timbers) in Mareeba (Australia). Originally, I began using it for some personal furniture projects which ultimately got painted. My house is mostly built of unpainted wood ... about 100 years ago ... so, I tend to opt for painted items whenever I decide to add furniture pieces.
Since the wood is really dry and pretty straight, I've been looking at other ways of using this interesting resource.
One of the processes I've earmarked is to laminate the boards up and use the resultant form as the raw material for sculpture ... just like I did with plywood in my Dance me sculpture.
Recently, it also occurred to me that I could make really nice shallow bowl forms. The accompanying pictures show the first two I've created.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
Pine is fairly soft ... relatively ... and although a lot of commercially available serving ware is made from pine, I wouldn't like to say straight out that these are functional forms ... although they can be with care.
The light honey colour and grain pattern in this wood is exquisite. There are lots of opportunities to let the final shape of the form follow or be influenced by the pattern inherent in the wood ... which makes for a very 'organic' resultant form.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
Shallow bowl forms in plantation-grown Pinus radiata - by Bob Gilmour.
More images of these works can be see on my Bob Gilmour info site.
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Bob Gilmour is a sculptor and homewares designer / maker based near Port Douglas in Far North Queensland, Australia. His studio is located in Julatten on top of the Great Dividing Range.
Comments (0) March 09, 2012
They're ... NOT ... too nice to use!
Forest Treasures - a selection of cooking utensils - by Bob Gilmour.
One of the comments I hear frequently when I'm selling my utensils face-to-face is "oh, they're too nice to use". I usually reply with some tongue-in-cheek comment involving plastic spoons or such ... and get disapproving looks as the commenter leaves the stall.
This sort of comment gets me thinking a bit about how we, as the most advanced race on the planet, have evolved and some of the strange habits we've come to accept as normal. One of these habits is our obsession with old or used objects and items with flaws or defects ... endearing features as we call them. Often, these objects are poorly designed, well past their prime or are simply inappropriate for the task at hand ... but, we hang onto them because they're 'worn-in' and 'not too nice to use'.
The simple ... and rather interesting ... question is ... for what reason did we lose the appreciation of having nice tools to use in our daily endeavour? In times prior to the industrial revolution, utensil and bowl makers were revered and were highly respected members of the community ... as were coffin-makers, but that's another story. Domestic utensils and vessel-ware were made with pride, were often highly decorated and were, in many cases, prized by the owners. Archaeological recoveries also show that many highly decorated pots and utensils showed visible signs of extensive wear ... so, they 'weren't' too good to be used. So, what changed?
Most likely, the advent of our 'throwaway' society provided the biggest stimulus to accepting less than ideal tools and gadgets. Reduced costs and mass production gave us items which deteriorated more quickly than hand-made ones and didn't do as good a job due to the design restraints imposed by the very processes that enabled large scale production. It became very evident to me that the $5 utensils that our kitchen was full of just weren't capable of providing a nice user experience ... and, were pretty much throwaways each year ... due to either breakage or mould growth.
In 1999, I decided to make some utensils for myself. I was doing all the main meal cooking in the household at the time and had spent a fair few years cooking for paying guests on my charter boats previously. Having just given up that business, I was now spending more time at home ... and, had more time to spend.
I was tired of using the poorly made mostly imported utensils available from kitchen shops and supermarkets and, I hadn't really run across any utensil makers who actually spent time in the kitchen themselves.
The goal of making my own utensils was to improve the pleasure of cooking ... by having nice tools to work with. The process was an immediate success for me and several friends asked for some as well. After a while I decided to sell my utensils at the local market and now, 11 years later I make a living from the process. During these years, demand for my hand-made utensils has been strong ... and I have a well established loyal customer base.
I don't believe that 'anything' is ever 'too' nice to use for its intended purpose. Additionally, tools that are well designed and tested offer better and more efficient function ... resulting in ultimately better cooking and greater enjoyment.
As demands on our time increase exponentially, it's becoming too easy to side-step the old-school activities which made 'living' sort of real ... like spending time in the kitchen to cook the Sunday roast, or even just the nightly meal. Any form of drudgery in the kitchen is a good catalyst these days to eat out ... or open a tin of beans - not a very healthy or socially wholesome experience.
To me, the idea of having nice tools to work with just enhances the experience of being in the kitchen ... nice utensils, knives, flatware etc, all help to make everyday activities seem less mundane. This helps make time spent in the kitchen enjoyable which, in turn promotes the inspiration to create great food ... instead of dialling out for pizza.
The full range of Forest Treasures cooking utensils is currently available in my Etsy store -> Forest Treasures @ Etsy.
Comments (0) January 20, 2012
Another glorious day in this creative life
Forest Treasures - the morning view from the workshop - by Bob Gilmour.
Considering we are currently in the middle of summer here in Far North Queensland (Australia), every morning I open the workshop doors at the moment I'm confronted with a view which I'd normally have in winter. Sure, the temperature is much higher, but the air is clear, sky's blue ... and it all just 'feels' clean ... like winter's days here in the north.
My workshop is located in a rural environment and has green views on all sides ... 360 degrees. I often take the time to recognize how blessed I am to have ended up in this location. Everything about it is calm and inspiring ... a perfect place to live a creative lifestyle.
My 'trip' to work takes me about 30 seconds from my office to the workshop ... oh, and the 'office' is part of the house I live in, so I can ditto all of the above for lifestyle as well.
Forest Treasures - the morning view from the workshop - by Bob Gilmour.
In the past, I've contemplated moving south to one of the major cities to gain more exposure and further my work prospects, but the notion of losing freedom of lifestyle and the beauty of our environment here is difficult to swallow. I would certainly sell a lot more work in a city, but the detriment to my lifestyle would be too much to bear.
A long time ago I realized that happiness in life requires a fine balance between having 'stuff' and enjoying lifestyle. I chose to go without a few things I had to pay for with money in favour of the riches nature provides me ...
Forest Treasures - nature's jewels - by Bob Gilmour.
Comments (0) January 12, 2012
Resin cast bowl - clear blue.
Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.
I prototyped this small bowl originally as a sauce/dipping bowl and have just begun to produce some resin impressions.
In it's own right, the bowl is a fine display piece, so I've had several on sale in my market stall as art objects. Although, of course, they can also be functional.
Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.
Like all developmental processes, it's best to start small and work up to bigger things. This piece was a good opportunity to explore the challenges of producing a true bowl shape in resin without the added complexities and cost of increased size.
There were some significant challenges during the molding process and the final mold is less than perfect. As a result, the products have required a lot more hand finishing than I originally anticipated. This led me to re-evaluate my expectation from this resin production process.
Initially, my main objective was to perfect a method of easily adding another range of products to my existing line-up. I've now evolved a little and realise that the new products need to have the same high standard of finish and fine form as my existing works. They also need to push the boundaries of what other people perceive of the resin medium ... and need to push my boundaries as well.
Therefore, I've accepted that much of my resin work will require at least some amount of post-finishing ... sanding and polishing ... rather than simply pulling an item from a mold and sending it off to market.
Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.
Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.
The process of transforming liquid resin into tangible objects is complicated and mysterious. The creative possibilities are without bounds even though challenging at all stages.
Comments (0) January 09, 2012