After Mark and I moved into a house in Oakland, my exterior creative work was jettisoned into the surrounding area. It was little trellises and such at first. And garden design, planting, placing rock… But after Mark died I hit the ground running with bigger projects…
Stone entry and walkway design, rear steps in a faerie mode - and metalwork. Hand-forged railings and a gate. I was either sole or co-designer. But I didn’t mortar or weld any of it…
Then more garden, rock and metal art design in McNab and Hidden Acres.
In Oakland: Planning a stone entry and walkway...the old concrete must go...
...same along the walkway...
Then lay a new base for the stone...
Arrange the stone in a pattern...
The pieces are labeled to help with mortared placement...
Getting there...
A rear garden overhaul...
A small space, but so full!...
Tim Cisneros, owner of ForgeWorks on the former Alameda Naval Air Station site...
A curve being shaped on the banister rail...
A banister for the rear (newly built stone steps!) in Oakland...
Wood steps replaced with stone (I think I referred to "like the seven dwarfs would have" when planning with the mason), adding the fluid line of the iron banister...
The result...
A gate to be installed at the front of the side walkway along the house...shaping a vertical element...
The gate, in the post-surgical unit...
Massive power hammer used to shape thicker material...the sound!...
The duller red glow, not less impressive, as Tim and assistant check their work...
Lining things up...
Detail of the upper portion of the gate...
The gate, a shinier iron in previous photos, has been oxidized? - closer to completion...
Detail...
The hinge...a very smooth ride!...
The gate...in place...
Tim and I developed the design...
In Santa Rosa, Hidden Acres: new garden design on the side of the entry driveway. It had been leaves and grass and weeds...
A landscaper delivered a large first batch of stone. I shuttled at least twice as much as that on several trips in the back of the CX5...
I placed each one myself...How many times did I place, move, adjust each stone? No, maybe here...how about this way?...
Then many trips to nurseries, and UC Botanical Garden plant sales for items that would (hopefully) thrive in the relatively shaded section...
Though much of it did move over time, the stone placement did allow me to walk/climb along to access higher plantings...
Found: golden extruded aluminum rods, two diameters, purchased with unknown origin or destination...became two gates...
As I shared in the Reliquary pages, I've long collected bits and pieces I knew to be worthy of some special setting. With outdoor art, that rummaging was in scrap metal yards...
I saw these flanged semi-circles of galvanized steel, 2-3" wide and of varying diameters (32 - 46"). I bought them (by weight) for no then-known purpose..
Same for a 20 ft long piece of stainless conveyor belt. Sections of it used here for a deer barrier...
The differing bands of metal, joined at the base, tiered here and there. Placed at the edge of the asphalt, they began to lean inward over time. I added lengths of steel plate to unify them and drove longer lag screws into the ground...I misused the hammer drill, which is how I broke my hand...
Once more - what else will become of the many more left to be assembled?...
The keep-the-dog-on-the-deck gate...
A find from a friend's burned home remains. It was a simple cast iron (like the fish in its mouth) painted up. The attempts to repair the legs and beak (various industrial strength epoxies) gave way to a welding job...
From Terry and Dean - various metal supports for clothing racks, painted and scattered in the open space...
Freshly...with Montana Gold spray paint...
Brightly...
After a sun-drenched garage wall had to be replaced I decided - just paint? no! a mural...
Some house paint, some great acrylics from Nova Color Artists Acrylic Paint (click to see the Wiki page about their history)...
A bit of taped off blocking...
done...
More from the metal scrap yard...I didn't have quite enough to fill the wall, so a few are purchased/new. Another job for Montana Gold spray paints...Eventually for fire safety +, the tall Arbutus had to go...
Arbutus gone, but a panel of deck chair webbing on a screen! comes in...
A narrow, raw, weedy stretch seemed an easy place to brighten the front of the house...cleared and prepped for...
Of course! More metal art. I had to visualize the result while laying the pieces out on the ground (before painting, which would have scratched things up pretty good), marking for alignment and - the photo!...
And so, the weed barrier, covered with mulch, now part of the sculpture installed...
Smaller pieces (black) installed as "kickstands" to keep it vertical...
Next? The plants! Many visits to local nurseries, UC Botanical Garden and I have a collection to be placed in the ground...
Another rescue...after cleaning up this dull tortoise - I found it was a rare blue-necked variety!...
Bolted connection points, the lowest flanges have long lag bolts into the soil...
Progressing...
To keep (most of) the mulch in place, flagstone inserted...
A plain resin lion, originally concrete grey, now a proud aged bronze (shh - he doesn't know!)...
A perfect found stainless surface for a potting bench!...hinged and wood-supported by weight...
Salvaged disc plow pieces, disposed of fan guards, spray paint...
A recent shot of the roadside project...
