Inspirational Flowers

Inspirational Flowers

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For a long while now, I've been trying to find time to do some lino prints of some of the flowers that I grow here at Swallows Nest.  Time gets away from me all too often.  But since the kids have all returned to school, there have been spare moments and I'm finally getting some printing done.  I'm starting with some cards, but hope to get some larger artworks done.    

I started with the most common and most numerous of the flowers we grow - the bread-and-butter blooms!  Nothing beats and red Leuco and a Pink Ice Protea.  I use oil-based printing ink and then handcolour with watercolours.  Its a challenge to get the colouring the way I like it, and then to keep it consistent as I start mass producing.  

These designs are available in my online store now at www.trees4thewood.etsy.com.  I think some different varieties of protea might be next ... 

Take a Closer Look

Take a Closer Look

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As you may have noticed I'm a bit of a fan of iphone photography, most likely because of convenience.   I always have my phone in my pocket, and the quality of the images you can make with it constantly surprises me.  I recently splurged on a bit of a toy - a special lense called an Olloclip that slips over the phones lense and gives you a fisheye, a wide angle and a macro lense capability.  The macro lense has been the one that has been the most fun so far.  I've been busy checking out the flowers from a completely different perspective.  The structure of the plants is quite amazing.

The first picture is a close up of the styles emerging from the base of a Banksia Baxterii.  

This picture is a closeup of the "pins" of a Pincushion flower - Leucospermum Cordifolium.  So shiny!

Banksia Occidentalis looks like a rib cage, and some tiny droplets of water have been caught.

The hairy tip of a Protea Pink Ice, just as it's ready to pick.  The white "ice" effect is created by tiny white hairs.

 

The base of the Banksia Occidentalis flower.

A closeup of the Brunia Albiflora - they look fierce!

Its been a fun exploration of the flowers as I haven't seen them before.  

What's in the Basket

What's in the Basket

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I picked the first Banksia Baxterii for the summer last week.  In the basket was a selection for some birthday bunches.  There are some late Leucaspermum Cordifolium, bright orange and cheery.  There are also some fresh Protea Pink Ice.  Over Christmas is the only time of year that its hard to get these pink beauties - there are about 3 weeks where they are few and far between.  But they are now returning to bloom.  There is some lovely Tasmanian Myrtle foliage there too - Nothofagus Cuninghamii.  You can also see some Brunia Albiflora in the basket - at its peak of production at the moment, and one of my personal favourites.  

Its 2013

Its 2013

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What a busy start to the new year.  I have hardly had time to catch my breath let alone blog.  Summer in Tasmania is always full of surprises.  Whether it's snow falling on the peaks, or thunder storms, or baking sun, you have to be prepared for anything.  This year, 4th January was the hottest recorded day in Tasmania for 130 years.  It also saw a major bush fire disaster begin that was to last for more than a week.  Swallows Nest Farm is situated on the Tasman Peninsula - almost an island in itself except for a narrow strip of land that joins it to the mainland of Tasmania.  The fires cut off access to the peninsula and we were unexpectedly separated from our home and two of our kids.  We spent almost a week away from home, staying with our friends at South Arm, before we were able to return home in a police escorted convoy.  What an experience!  We were so pleased to get home and find all our animals and all the proteas safe and sound, if a little ashy and dry!
Bushfires are a part of life in the Australian bush.  There is a cycle of life in which fire plays an essential role.  Many native plant species only reproduce naturally after a fire.  Proteaceae are among those plants that are adapted fire as a way of reproducing or regenerating.  Seeing the devastation so close at hand it is hard to imagine it ever being green again, but with the first spots of rain, some of the green shoots are already beginning to peep through the blackened soil. Banksias growing by the beach will open their cones and eject seed ready to germinate.  Some plants will shoot from root systems below the ground.  I'm looking forward to seeing this regeneration.

Life cycles are integral to life as a flower grower.  Summer will soon turn to autumn and then winter.  I will stop writing 2012 instead of 2013 and we will be well into the busyness of the year.  I'm looking forward to the cycle, as the plants produce their blooms and I'm looking forward to watching the renewal of the the bushfire affected landscape.  I hope that 2013 brings renewal and growth and plenty of blooms for you too!

Bringing Portraits to Life With 3D Engraving

Bringing Portraits to Life With 3D Engraving

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A new and innovative style of modelling, 3D engraving is increasing in popularity and becoming more specialised. The beauty of the models is developed by the skill of experienced engravers who are also gifted artists and sculptures. These specialised companies are founders of this modern art and therefore have great experience in dealing with the issues involved in crystal engraving. They are also very well placed to give advice and recommendations depending on a client's needs and preferences. They pride themselves on their artistic merits and their technological expertise guarantees quality.

Many fine examples of this kind of work can be found in exhibitions throughout Europe and America. The uniqueness of 3D engraving can also make a personal gift very special whether it is for a wedding, anniversary or birthday.

The Process

The basic process involved in 3D engraving requires that the client provides a 2D image, which is then transformed into a 3D model ready to be engraved by the client. The image must be of high resolution so that the model can be as accurate as possible. As you would expect when turning a 2D image into a 3D model, the more visual information the better. Craftsmen can work from a single image but if they are provided with further images taken at different angles and showing various profiles they are able to get a clearer idea of what they are creating. While more than one image is preferred bear in mind that many experienced craftsmen can create a 3D model from a simple painting or sketch.

Images are best suited to being engraved on the medium of crystal or glass, which is perfect because of its resilience to cracking and its aesthetic appeal. It is a classic material that will stand the test of time and make the 3D engraving something to treasure.

The possibilities of 3D engraving are endless and the market is growing. Artists working in the industry therefore have to make it a priority to increase their knowledge of engraving techniques and potential issues and quirks involved in the skill. This is an holistic process, and by understanding the engraving side they can produce models of the highest quality for the next part of the process.

Many models can be bought online. These range from animals, portraits and flowers to signs of the zodiac and artistic depictions of religious scenes. If you want to create a personal model you will get plenty of ideas from scrolling through companies portfolios, which also gives an idea of what you can expect.

Christmas Cones

Christmas Cones

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Some Leucadendrons are grown not for their flowers but for the cones that appear after the flower.  This hybrid Leucadendron Jubilee Crown is one of them.  It is often called Christmas Cones because it produces these lovely blushing red cones in December, just in time for Christmas.  

The flowers of the Christmas Cone bush are pretty but not really memorable.  After the flowers are spent, the centre starts to swell and a cone forms.  It swells and as it does, its colour becomes more vibrant until it is round and rosie red and ready for picking.  The bush produces lovely straight stems which get longer with good rainfall.  

Christmas Cones are fabulous in a Christmas bunch - their colour and texture lend themselves well to seasonal arrangements.  They are long lasting too, like most Leucadendrons, and will usually be the freshest looking flower in the bunch, after all the others are spent.  

After the cones are spent, they open and dry out, and resemble tiny pinecones.  Last years cones remain on the bush.  They are generally not sold at this stage, but I think they still look lovely and can be used in floral arrangements even as a "dead" or spent flower.  

Leucadendron Jubilee Crown, "Christmas Cones", is not the main event in an arrangement but it is certainly a valuable addition to a Christmas arrangement adding a charming texture and colour.