PitchFork Rebellion Monochord Instrument

Another one off the production line.  made from oak, letterpress letters and an old pitchfork that Louise Baker had lying around her studio. This one has one nylon string, held in place by a violin tuning peg, a piezo pic up under the bridge and standard 1/4 inch jack for output to an amplifier

New instruments in the making

So with the Gig coming up on the 9th March at CICCIC in Taunton with Tim Hill and Matt Saunders so I have some new instruments to play and show off with.  

Firstly the Suitcase Instrument which features a handle for ease of carrying and aesthetic reasons of course

It also has more strings, a selection of shorter strings for the higher notes and then the longer strings for variation and distortion.

This was followed by the "Hand of God"  I got over excited at the sight of this articulated hand that has lain around my studio for years and that was that.  I also included some alabaster inserts picked from a beach local to me.  This has three strings and is tuned to GDG for an open blues sound, played with either a bow or using a bottleneck.

Details of the Gig

Wildlife Habitats for Bellway Homes.Cardiff

Butterfly home

I have finished these last year but have been awaiting time to deliver them, photographed here are the House Sparrow homes, the butterfly homes and the bee homes, the large four metre habitat hotel although delivered is impossible to photograph until it is in situ, these others have been photographed at Hurstone, as they will not been installed until later in the year.  But it is so good to have them out of the studio and away, I can now think about making some smaller things and another sound sculpture to play in 'Swine' for the gig on the 9th March at CICCIC in Taunton.
Being out of my studio for so long has done me no good and I am raring to get back in and start making again.

House sparrows homes

Bee Homes

Open Studio and Amulets

We have an open studio on the 15th and 16th of December, Amulets will be for sale, lots of them.

Some of the amulets for sale  

bargain between £15 and £30 

If you are interested in any leave in the comments

Time proceeds and leaves no earthly mark or how I failed to attend to my blog

Ok confession time, I have been lax, very lax.  the spring has gone, summer and autumn too. I have produced a mountain of work both in America and Germany, Started a new band and made new instruments, had three exhibitions.  But nothing on my blog at all, so in some attempt to catch up I will post some images and a little text.

First in Connecticut at I-Park I met a 5' 8" sloughed snakeskin in the woods as I repaired on of my pieces

then I created these two sound funeral bird boxes, where the ashes of a loved one can be placed in an urn within a sculpture that houses birds.

I had an exhibition at Yale about sound

I then went to Darmstadt in Germany as part of an 'Art and Transformation' Symposium for three weeks with a number of other fantastic artists.  I produced 19 sculptures from Stumps with strings whereby the listener puts their ear to the root of the tree

to stumps that one just puts ones ear onto

zen type strings with stone bridges

ear harps

hanging ear harps

I had an exhibition at the Brewhouse for SAW with Louise Baker and Deborah Westmancoat

I carved a rail on a bridge as a memorial

I took the Sound Pavilion down in Taunton and was left with 'Ghost of Sound"

I made some more Amulets from steel, bronze and glass

New instrument made for my new band called SWINE  with Tim Hill, Farmer Glitch, Cliff Stapleton,  and Matt Saunders

I will now try to be more vigilant in posting

Cloud Benches Lyme Regis

 Cloud Benches installed in Lyme Regis for the summer exhibition along with Ripple.

Castle Green Sound Pavilion

Well here it is, the Castle Green Sound Pavilion.   A Douglas Fir structure charred on the outside and arbourteched on the internal walls, then strung with piano wires and tuned to whatever I desired. I created a number of listening pieces to stop the resin getting on peoples clothes although one can just put ones ear to the wood.  I must thank Ann Jones for writing the Arts Council England Grants for the Arts Awards.  Ian Timms at Taunton Deane for help and the provision of men and transport. My children Billie-Daisy and Solomon for charring the whole piece and helping with the construction of it. Leo Hartas for the original drawing and helping construction. To Jerry Dixon for helping with construction and invaluable building advice.  To Philip Chambers at Milverton Sawmill for providing the timber at a competitive price.
Now it is at Castle Green Taunton until the end of October.. Go Play and enjoy.