Shop https://www.giedebarnes.com Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:41:03 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://www.giedebarnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-PFB90849-scaled-1-32x32.jpg Shop https://www.giedebarnes.com 32 32 Wise Old Bird https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/wise-old-bird/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:24:20 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5049 Driftwood, steel rod, feathers and oak "Wise Old Bird" (Raven) started out as an idea as soon as I found the driftwood shape of the body and I immediately started to collect black feathers.  "All" that needed to be done was adding eyes, shaping the beak and adding two wings.  I was determined to find and use the best matching pieces for the wings and ended up only using three pieces of wood for the bird.  They had to be just the right size and just the right angle to give the bird life.  Once the wings were fixed I had to find a way to support the body in the right angle to get the bird to engage with the viewer.  Again the angle was most important and took a long time to find.  My husband helped me bend the metal supports to mimic the legs. I used toothpicks and bluetack to guide me to the right angle when drilling the base.  The claws were made from the rusty corners of lobster cages found on the beach.  The feathers were then added to the size of the tail and the wings.  Two old oak book ends which I found in a skip in Oxford thirty years ago when working in the Modern Languages Faculty Library became the base.  Leather dye gives the Wise Old Bird its black colour in order to not obscure the surface texture of the drift wood.

April 2024

Approximate dimensions (cm) H50 W57 D29

… Continue readingWise Old Bird]]> Driftwood, steel rod, feathers and oak "Wise Old Bird" (Raven) started out as an idea as soon as I found the driftwood shape of the body and I immediately started to collect black feathers.  "All" that needed to be done was adding eyes, shaping the beak and adding two wings.  I was determined to find and use the best matching pieces for the wings and ended up only using three pieces of wood for the bird.  They had to be just the right size and just the right angle to give the bird life.  Once the wings were fixed I had to find a way to support the body in the right angle to get the bird to engage with the viewer.  Again the angle was most important and took a long time to find.  My husband helped me bend the metal supports to mimic the legs. I used toothpicks and bluetack to guide me to the right angle when drilling the base.  The claws were made from the rusty corners of lobster cages found on the beach.  The feathers were then added to the size of the tail and the wings.  Two old oak book ends which I found in a skip in Oxford thirty years ago when working in the Modern Languages Faculty Library became the base.  Leather dye gives the Wise Old Bird its black colour in order to not obscure the surface texture of the drift wood.

April 2024

Approximate dimensions (cm) H50 W57 D29

… Continue readingWise Old Bird]]> Oracle https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/oracle/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:21:34 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5048 I found the top piece of this sculpture two years ago and was fascinated by the different surface textures and the shape of the opening.  I cleaned and stabilised the wood and decided to contrast it in black with a very evenly turned and polished egg shape of olive wood.  Finally gold leaf highlights the opening of the wood and invites us to look into the future.  My husband made the pyramidal plinth for it and this gives it the right hight to explore all the details. March 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H62 W15.5 D10.5 … Continue readingOracle]]> I found the top piece of this sculpture two years ago and was fascinated by the different surface textures and the shape of the opening.  I cleaned and stabilised the wood and decided to contrast it in black with a very evenly turned and polished egg shape of olive wood.  Finally gold leaf highlights the opening of the wood and invites us to look into the future.  My husband made the pyramidal plinth for it and this gives it the right hight to explore all the details. March 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H62 W15.5 D10.5 … Continue readingOracle]]> No Spring Chicken https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/no-spring-chicken/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:19:13 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5047 I found two pieces of gnarled heather and wood in Scotland and they made me think of a "funny old bird".  I didn’t have to cut anything away and added feathers and a semi precious egg shaped stone in the top of the body.  The bird is rotating on its natural plinth and will move around in the wind. March 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H27.5 W25 D12 [video width="720" height="720" mp4="https://www.giedebarnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/114-No-Spring-Chicken-w.mp4"][/video] … Continue readingNo Spring Chicken]]> I found two pieces of gnarled heather and wood in Scotland and they made me think of a "funny old bird".  I didn’t have to cut anything away and added feathers and a semi precious egg shaped stone in the top of the body.  The bird is rotating on its natural plinth and will move around in the wind. March 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H27.5 W25 D12 [video width="720" height="720" mp4="https://www.giedebarnes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/114-No-Spring-Chicken-w.mp4"][/video] … Continue readingNo Spring Chicken]]> Embrace 2 https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/embrace-2/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:16:38 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5046 Several years ago the two fossilised pieces of bone forming the centre of this sculpture were given to me as a present by a visitor of Open Studios. It suggested an embrace to me and I experimented to find the right position for them which would do justice to their importance. This came in the shape of the big scallop shell supporting and cradling them. A special plinth was made to support the structure and further emphasize the importance of it. March 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H24 W13 D11.5 … Continue readingEmbrace 2]]> Several years ago the two fossilised pieces of bone forming the centre of this sculpture were given to me as a present by a visitor of Open Studios. It suggested an embrace to me and I experimented to find the right position for them which would do justice to their importance. This came in the shape of the big scallop shell supporting and cradling them. A special plinth was made to support the structure and further emphasize the importance of it. March 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H24 W13 D11.5 … Continue readingEmbrace 2]]> Treasure https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/treasure/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:14:22 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5045 A good friend gifted me this abalone shell and I very much enjoyed restoring it to its very best appearance. The big bowl shape fitted perfectly into a driftwood piece which supported it without overpowering it. It is held firmly with only one screw! An antique glass stopper was a welcome partner allowing light to shine through the wood and bringing the lovely colour to the rest of the sculpture. Finally the shell hanging with the seaweed from the top of the wood creates the curvy tension with a kinetic quality. November 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H35 W23 D12.5 … Continue readingTreasure]]> A good friend gifted me this abalone shell and I very much enjoyed restoring it to its very best appearance. The big bowl shape fitted perfectly into a driftwood piece which supported it without overpowering it. It is held firmly with only one screw! An antique glass stopper was a welcome partner allowing light to shine through the wood and bringing the lovely colour to the rest of the sculpture. Finally the shell hanging with the seaweed from the top of the wood creates the curvy tension with a kinetic quality. November 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H35 W23 D12.5 … Continue readingTreasure]]> Fires of AndaluciaSOLD https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/fires-of-andalucia/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:11:49 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5044 On a 4x4 holiday in Andalucia I found this piece of wood. It is part of a grapevine which was knarled and partly burned. It took a long time to clean it and to get to know all its ins and outs. The many burned off branches were calling out to be revived and this happened in the form of Mimosa blossom which suggested the movement of fire. It is to date my most fragile sculpture but also one very dear to my heart. April 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H39 W22 D13 £ SOLD … Continue readingFires of Andalucia

SOLD

]]> On a 4x4 holiday in Andalucia I found this piece of wood. It is part of a grapevine which was knarled and partly burned. It took a long time to clean it and to get to know all its ins and outs. The many burned off branches were calling out to be revived and this happened in the form of Mimosa blossom which suggested the movement of fire. It is to date my most fragile sculpture but also one very dear to my heart. April 2024 Approximate dimensions (cm) H39 W22 D13 £ SOLD … Continue readingFires of Andalucia

SOLD

]]> Love Nature https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/love-nature/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:09:13 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5043 This sculpture has been a long time in the planning and making. I have always wanted to make a sculpture for blind people to explore the beauty of driftwood and the textures of all the natural materials. I set out to write in Braille on a piece which is tactile in many ways. In order to have a visually interesting piece as well as a tactile one, I chose green glass marbles fpr the braille writing LOVE NATURE on a piece of wood I found on the west coast of Scotland. It turned out to be a hardwood and was sturdy enough to withstand the explorations of a blind person. It took a lot of hard work to smooth the wood and to drill the recesses for the marble writing. A tripod stand of beautifully curved driftwood supports the piece in order to display its writing for the viewer. Summer 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H19 W38 D15 … Continue readingLove Nature]]> This sculpture has been a long time in the planning and making. I have always wanted to make a sculpture for blind people to explore the beauty of driftwood and the textures of all the natural materials. I set out to write in Braille on a piece which is tactile in many ways. In order to have a visually interesting piece as well as a tactile one, I chose green glass marbles fpr the braille writing LOVE NATURE on a piece of wood I found on the west coast of Scotland. It turned out to be a hardwood and was sturdy enough to withstand the explorations of a blind person. It took a lot of hard work to smooth the wood and to drill the recesses for the marble writing. A tripod stand of beautifully curved driftwood supports the piece in order to display its writing for the viewer. Summer 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H19 W38 D15 … Continue readingLove Nature]]> Cinnabar https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/cinnabar/ Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:04:54 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=5042 My husband found this curved piece of wood on a dog walk and gave it to me as a present. I was thrilled with the surface quality and the shape. The Bark Beetle grooves looked like complicated Cinnabar carvings to me and I immediately saw red in the shade of Cinnabar - and gold - to emphasize them. The curved shape demanded a centrepiece to balance it and so the cockle shells embracing the red marble found their home. The whole sculpture is influenced by the samurai swords and art of Japan. Finally the plinth which my husband made for me puts the sculpture on its elevated position. Summer 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H35 W75 D9.5 … Continue readingCinnabar]]> My husband found this curved piece of wood on a dog walk and gave it to me as a present. I was thrilled with the surface quality and the shape. The Bark Beetle grooves looked like complicated Cinnabar carvings to me and I immediately saw red in the shade of Cinnabar - and gold - to emphasize them. The curved shape demanded a centrepiece to balance it and so the cockle shells embracing the red marble found their home. The whole sculpture is influenced by the samurai swords and art of Japan. Finally the plinth which my husband made for me puts the sculpture on its elevated position. Summer 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H35 W75 D9.5 … Continue readingCinnabar]]> Both Sides of Life https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/both-sides-of-life/ Sun, 17 Sep 2023 10:25:51 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=4680 During my exploration of shell clusters I realised that the cockle shells are two-directional, left or right orientated. It is like life: everything has got two sides to it. Ying and Yang, here it is in this Touchling sculpture In form of direction and colour of the treasured pebbles in white and black. In order to rest the clusters safely I made two rings from recycled fishing rope and positioned them on a roof slate I had found in the road and shaped to size. Spring 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H11.5 W22 D8.5 … Continue readingBoth Sides of Life]]> During my exploration of shell clusters I realised that the cockle shells are two-directional, left or right orientated. It is like life: everything has got two sides to it. Ying and Yang, here it is in this Touchling sculpture In form of direction and colour of the treasured pebbles in white and black. In order to rest the clusters safely I made two rings from recycled fishing rope and positioned them on a roof slate I had found in the road and shaped to size. Spring 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H11.5 W22 D8.5 … Continue readingBoth Sides of Life]]> Touchling: ConundrumSOLD https://www.giedebarnes.com/product/touchling-conundrum/ Sun, 17 Sep 2023 10:23:10 +0000 https://www.giedebarnes.com/?post_type=product&p=4673 The conundrum remains: what came first? The chicken or the egg? I bought this stone egg on holiday in Paris and have had it for many years. I could not think of a better place for it than to nestle in this Touchling. It rests noisily and safely on the pale driftwood stand. Spring 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H13.5 W10 D9 £ SOLD … Continue readingTouchling: Conundrum

SOLD

]]> The conundrum remains: what came first? The chicken or the egg? I bought this stone egg on holiday in Paris and have had it for many years. I could not think of a better place for it than to nestle in this Touchling. It rests noisily and safely on the pale driftwood stand. Spring 2023 Approximate dimensions (cm) H13.5 W10 D9 £ SOLD … Continue readingTouchling: Conundrum

SOLD

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