ROBERT GILMOUR

Resin cast bowl - clear blue.

Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.

I prototyped this small bowl originally as a sauce/dipping bowl and have just begun to produce some resin impressions.

In it's own right, the bowl is a fine display piece, so I've had several on sale in my market stall as art objects. Although, of course, they can also be functional.

Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.

Like all developmental processes, it's best to start small and work up to bigger things. This piece was a good opportunity to explore the challenges of producing a true bowl shape in resin without the added complexities and cost of increased size.

There were some significant challenges during the molding process and the final mold is less than perfect. As a result, the products have required a lot more hand finishing than I originally anticipated. This led me to re-evaluate my expectation from this resin production process.

Initially, my main objective was to perfect a method of easily adding another range of products to my existing line-up. I've now evolved a little and realise that the new products need to have the same high standard of finish and fine form as my existing works. They also need to push the boundaries of what other people perceive of the resin medium ... and need to push my boundaries as well.

Therefore, I've accepted that much of my resin work will require at least some amount of post-finishing ... sanding and polishing ... rather than simply pulling an item from a mold and sending it off to market.

Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.

Small bowl in cast epoxy resin by Bob Gilmour - Forest Treasures, Australia.

The process of transforming liquid resin into tangible objects is complicated and mysterious. The creative possibilities are without bounds even though challenging at all stages.

Comments (0) January 09, 2012

Elongated Bowl Form in Acacia Cedar

HERE is a long elegant two tone bowl form in highly figured Acacia Cedar I finished recently.

The form continues on the theme of the last piece completed ... the beach almond bowl. These long drawn out forms allow me to create a dramatic form which sort of defies gravity by being way too long for it's small footprint.

I created this piece from some slab stock of acacia cedar I had bought several years ago. The wood is extremely figured, so I've tended to use it sparingly. To enhance the elongated form, I knew I could get a nice two color effect with the acacia so it seemed like a good time to use some of this precious wood stock.

This is another highly elongated form. The base is disproportionately small ... enhancing the impact of the long overhangs. I wouldn't say that this is a functional item ... but, it's a great display piece, especially in an elevated location.

Go HERE to view more images and information for this item.

Comments (0) November 07, 2009

Long Bowl in Beach Almond

I recently created this elongated bowl form in beach almond, a coastal tree growing in north eastern Australia. The wood in this case is a reclaimed resource. It's far better to re-create it into an object of beauty or function ... or both ... than see it dumped or burned.

I'm really liking long drawn-out organic shapes these days. A lot of glass and ceramic artists make 'boat' shapes ... well, I guess, this is my version. I'm not much into complexity or depth with these things, so they are characteristically 'flattish'.

I obtained the wood for this piece from a number of slabs I purchased from a colleague in port Douglas. He had gotten access to the tree after it fell down in a storm and paid a miller to cut slabs. I took about 10 in total. The wood is very highly figured and has interesting grain structure.

I've already made a number of small serving dishes from this wood, so decided to make this elongated form ...

This is a very elegant piece. Although the wood is highly figured, the long flowing shape overrides the visual effect of the medium from pretty much all viewing angles. With viewing most effective at or near eye-level, this piece would also be wonderful as a table centerpiece.

Go HERE to view more images and information for this item.

Comments (0) November 04, 2009

Flat serving dish in Australian red cedar by Bob Gilmour

Australian red cedar is highly regarded amongst furniture makers, artisans and collectors. It's desirable qualities include deep rich colours and frequent figuring. Once plentiful in the rainforests and ranges of eastern and northern Australia, red cedars are now scarce due to over-logging and most are protected within national park, world heritage or on private land. Stocks of Australian red cedar wood today derive from stockpile, recycle/salvage or the occasional fortuitous windfall.

I frequently acquire small pieces of red cedar as offcuts and remnants ... in addition to the larger stock that I buy. The wood for this small dish came from my mate Gary in Julatten. It was an offcut from a board which was probably quite old. The wood itself is very dark ... indicating old age.

Go HERE to view more images and information for this item.

Comments (0) October 06, 2009

Homewares on Artforms

I recently added a new "Homewares" category to my ARTFORMS website (www.robertgilmourartforms.com).

Although I never really planned to display functional items on this site, they are functional art forms of a sort ... so, it seems reasonable to include a sampling. The homeware items I create include utensils, chopstick sets, some boards and boxes and a few other odds and ends. I sell the functional wares locally through my market stall in Port Douglas and also on FOREST TREASURES and on ETSY.

The thumbnails page for the Homewares category can be viewed HERE.

Comments (0) October 02, 2009