Off the wall ideas!!

I'm becoming increasingly disappointed with the general layout, design features, and lack of imagination within many of our British gardens, but ideas for my own future garden projects are really flowing these days, and I'm trying to see inspiration from whatever I see. I reckon that I have just come up with my biggest "off the wall" project to date, and here it is in its most basic form.



Yep, a flower pot. But can you guess what I am going to do with the basic shape and idea?

Some of the other things that I have seen this week to give me inspiration are as follows.

This one really grabbed me. I love the flow and twist that has been created, and if I can transfer that free flowing shape into a 1.8m high sculpture from wood, I reckon that it should look pretty good.



This laurel caught my eye as well. I would love to have cut it down and used it for a pair crossed legs for a figure, but the shape will be very easy to replicate, so the tree is safe!



Next up doesn't really need any explaining!!






I have also come up with some incredible ideas to do with logs again, but don't want to give that away at present. I haven't seen anything like the project that I have in mind to do, and would rather make sure that no one copies the idea before I get started.

I intend to add weekly ideas to this thread, but one of my favourite older shots, was this piece of wood that had been washed up.





I'll let on as to what the flower pot idea is at some stage over the next day or so, but I don't think that you will ever guess!

 

I can see where you are coming from Eddie

 

While sitting in my workshop today, I spotted a piece of wood that I had played around with a very long time ago.



After looking at it again, I have decided to to make a far bigger version which will be approx 10' high x 8" square, and shall stick it into the ground totem pole style. If I can get the piece of oak for it tomorrow, I'll have something to do this weekend!

I may also have access to some 12' long 3" square very bowed oak, and fancy making them into super size oak flowers for the garden. 10' high flowers should look pretty good!!!!

Ziggy, my flower pot idea may just remain a dream! Financially I can't afford to do it, and just don't have the time.
I really want an outside loo and basin, and thought that I could construct the ultimate outside loo in the shape of a flower pot. One day it be be a reality though!

I do have another superb idea up my sleeve for a series of projects involving logs. It's a totally new idea, which I very much doubt that anyone anywhere has thought about. It is so very simple, but I really don't want anyone else copying the idea, so will only give the details once I have made te first one.

Other ideas for the week to store away for another day are..



Edit.. The wood for the next project!! One 4,000mm long x 200mm x 200mm green oak beam.

 

The next project is underway!







Sadly now that it is started, I have been able to roughly calculate how long this one is going to take me. At a conservative guess, it's going to be approx 75 hours of work!

 

Gosh, your totem pole is really big - it's going to look fantastic stuck into the ground. A lot of work, though.

 

Thank you.








I have also just made this bird bath.





Although I have now changed the colour of the bath.

 

You have some great ideas EddieJ. Love the designs.

 

Sadly they aren't all great.

This was a failure from last week. It really makes my teeth grate and I absolutely really hate it. :(

Rather than just cut it up for firewood which was my first thought, I have stuck it at the back of the garden and planted a honeysuckle at the base of it. I still don't like it, but at least it will soon be covered with something that I do like.





I do have a few more ideas which I do like though, and the next project is going to be based on my first wooden sculpture figure, but this time I shall make the figure sitting on a swing way up in one of the trees.

 

It's not that bad EddieJ, I see it as a couple of writhing snakes if you were to lay it down. May be that's inspired you to have another go at it!

Yes, I can definitely see it as snakes.

 

Someone will buy it Eddie.

I carved a quick "gargoyle" a while back, just to see how a new stone worked.

Looked horrible, bulging eyes and a great big lolloping tongue.

left it on the shed for a few months then took it down the reclaimation yard on a clear out, got £20 for it

Which means they sold it on for £60:DOH:

I wonder how many people have got my "antiques" built into their properties

 

I have made another very simple sculpture from green oak.

This one was a tracing around around my daughters feet. It is going to be sited approx 50mm from the ground, in one of the flower beds.

I've called it 'Invisibility'



Whilst the shape was an exact copy, I have now altered the rear heel of the right foot to match the left, as it wasn't balanced. I guess that is where artistic licence comes into play.

I'm also in the process of making a 3m high spiral, but boy is that turning into some work! I need more hours in the day, and someone to finance me, in order that I may do all my projects!! Please!!!

 

Here is something else that I made recently made for a client, to put in a porch that I constructed for them.

A plant pot/wellie table. I must admit that after making it, I wanted to keep it for myself. I could always make another, but that goes against my principles of never copying or repeating any work that I do.

 

Here is the result of pretty much 4 days work. 32 of 54 circles that I need to complete the next sculpture for the garden. The remaining circles are still in my workshop awaiting further work. The ones shown below have just been oiled and the next stage is to varnish each one prior to assembly. :-(

 

I have finally found time to put 'Invisibility' in the garden.



I have also started to varnish the many circles, but as always happens when you don't want it, I ran out of varnish!





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