Aluminium Foil Mixed Media

I started experimenting with aluminium foil when I was asked to do a summer workshop with children recently.  I decided to do owl with them as a theme project.  Here is some of their work.

 

 

They tried out cats too

 

Waxed with shoe polish to finish

 

 

 

New Clay Owls and stamped medallions, drying before painting.

 

However I decided to take it a step further myself so I did the following.

I found a lovely old dressing table drawer and decided it was my challenge.

I sanded it and painted the inside in Annie Sloan Chalk Paints.  It was then waxed with Annie Slone Clear wax.

 

 

 

If you look closely you will see where I added skeleton leaves under the foil to give texture and hide damage that was on the surface.  I used plumbers foil tape as it was sticky and worked brilliantly.  Then I painted it with alcohol inks in various colours to give a beautiful finish.

I am delighted with the outcome of this and have another one to do.  I have thoughts of putting legs under it to make a small table.

 

Entering the world of Fairies

I have decided to explore Fairy Tree Houses. Every time I take a walk in our beautiful park with all the very old trees I start imaginng what a house would look like if it was set into the roots of the trees.  Therefore after photographing the trees I am going to set about creating little houses to fit into the trees as my next project.  I am also going to make fairy houses out of used metal cans and wrap them in timber etc to create handing fairy houses.  Over the next month I will be amaking these and hope to create a blog for you to follow. So today I am going to post some photos taken this week and where I am going to start from.

 

Love the mushrooms growing up so high on the tree near the hole.  I can see a fairy ladder dropped from the hole to climb up on.

REINVENTING THE BICYCLE

I was asked if I would do something to enhance the front of this derelict building.  It used to be a bicycle shop up to 1987.

I set about a design based on bicycle parts.  I collected used parts from various people who were delighted to get involved in the project.  It created a buzz around the place.  These were cleaned up sanded ready for painting.
Then the next stage was to get timber that would suit outdoors and also blend into the condition of the building.  I went to Sheerans of Mountrath  www.timberfencinggates.ie 
They have a great range of timber and were most helpful in suggesting what I could use.

 The Timber is pressure treated and I painted it with Crown Weathercoat emulsion in Grey.  Then I gave it a distressed look with Rustins Blackboard paint.
Next stage was painting the wheels and making the flowers.  I used spray enamel for this stage of the project.  The flowers were made from recycled drink cans and mounted with heavy wire to the bicycle wheels.  Then on to the site where it was all put together and screwed to the existing framework. 
Using the chain the words "Wheels of Time" were added to give information to the meaning of the design.

 Finally it was ready for the general public to view.  It has been greatly admired and is being put forward for an award in September.  I will let you know how it goes.