Showing posts with label #metalwork. Show all posts

These Tiny Sculptures Might Be Mechanical, But They're All About Nature


When artist Sue Beatrice of All Natural Arts sees old, discarded watches, she doesn’t see trash — she sees opportunity. Using the tiny gears, springs, and screws that once made these watches tick, she creates tiny, intricate pieces of sculpture, drawing on nature for her inspiration.




By using the old parts, she puts these delicate items in the spotlight.






By doing so, she gives us a new perspective on what we may see as trash.






Many of these sculptures are tiny.






But they can be pretty sizable, too.






Each piece is totally unique, so no two sculptures are alike.





Beatrice explains that her particular brand of artistry comes not only from her love of making art, but also from her love of the environment. “All Natural” might seem like a strange name for these mechanical creatures, but the idea comes from her process of recycling to create eco-friendly art that requires no new materials. Beatrice also incorporates sea glass and natural stones into her pieces.
















She creates these diorama-like pieces using the bodies of discarded watches.






She even adds wire to create more dynamic images.






A closer look reveals every amazing detail.






She can even create portraits!









(via My Modern Met)



You can see much more of Beatrice’s work on Facebook. Each of her pieces is one-of-a-kind, and some can even be worn as jewelry. Beatrice hopes that by revealing the beauty of old, unwanted items, she’ll inspire people to turn those items into something new.





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This 'Tree' Bears Some Unexpected, But Certainly Awesome Fruit


You could store your beers in the fridge, or in a bucket full of ice. Or in…a tree?


Well, you might do that if you’re Reddit user TorchForge, who created an artsy beer holder that’s putting all others to shame. This unique piece was created using steel, wood, copper wire, and even old bullet casings. If that makes no sense to you, read on:




Meet the beer tree. This pretty, but durable, little accessory is offering you a perfectly ripened harvest of…beer.







It’s also got some surprising components, like the spent casings that were used to create the floral details.







They were split open and hammered into “petals.”











Copper wire was used to assemble the petals.







After some trial and error (mostly error) involving Super Glue, TorchForge’s wife stepped in and took over flower fabrication.







TorchForge still doesn’t know exactly what she did, but it worked!







This steel stock would become the trunk and branches.







It was welded together to make the main support of the tree.







These pieces would become the branches, and were designed to have a tapered look, just like real tree branches.







After being welded together, the bundles were heated in a 2,000-degree (Fahrenheit) forge. While still glowing hot, they were twisted into flowing, organic shapes.







More curves were added using a hammer and anvil.







The branches were formed into beer-holding spirals.







Now for the base…







First, the stump was chiseled to look “less like a piece of firewood.”







The metal trunk was inserted into a hole and attached using JB Weld.




It took about a day to cure.





Here we see the beer tree taking shape, and the casing flowers being added.







It wouldn’t be complete without a way to open the bottles, so an opener was created.




TorchForge made this one from scratch by modeling it on a key chain bottle opener.





It was attached to the tree.







“Roots” were wrapped over the base. They don’t actually offer any support, so they were put on last.







After the whole thing was complete and secure, extra copper wire was run through the trunk and branches for contrast and texture.







And the beer tree was in full bloom!







It’s the perfect item for a sunny day in the garden.






(source Reddit)


While a beer tree might seem like a lot of work for simple beer storage, TorchForge is glad to have it, and says that it only took about two weeks to build, spending several hours per day on the project. And while he (obviously) likes a cold brew, you should of course never mix alcohol and power tools (or cars, or bikes, or texts to exes), if you want to live to enjoy the next crazy craft we cover.