Thursday, April 27, 2017

Weights & Measures A to Z Challenge



In the studio I use weights to help me all the time. To hold the end of a long ruler, to keep a piece of paper or fabric where I want it when cutting, to hold a pile of like items off to the side when working on a series. The image above is a tin full of old lead type I used to make the weights below.


Creating your own boxes for any purpose is a time consuming exacting endeavor, just the kind I like.
Old maps with a waxy finish make a perfect cover. All these weights could be used as a weapon as they are quite heavy, that's the point.






 I've featured these before. They were my Dad's. A friend of his melted lead into muffin tins, then used enamel paint to cover them. A screw was embedded into the lead so a knob could be attached.
 I have put new felt on the bottoms and added newer knobs. 
These are always the envy of fellow artists at workshops. 


 I totally stole this idea from Shanna Leino. Hers are sold out
 so I pulled out the scrap leather bag & went to town.


 These BBs have come in handy for the leather weight as well as fabric sculptures that need 
some heft to keep elements where I want them.


The measures were just a way to make my title work. 
More interest than just weights don't you think?
These tools are just as important. Could have used them for "M". 


5 comments:

  1. This is an original choice for W. I like that old types. I have two, from a Chinese printer: I can use them to stamp my name in Chinese (Not that I need to do that often, but it was a nice gift!).
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    Eva - Mail Adventures

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  3. I'm with Eva, what a cool post for W. Even though I have no real use for them, I want those lead weights! I like your map boxes, too, they are very nicely done.

    Phillip | W is for White Shapes | What do you see?

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  4. I love that you use old type in some of your weights. It's like it makes them alive, somehow (or I'm just weird for thinking that). For some reason, my brain has a hard time envisioning the true size of the muffin tin weights. I mean, I know roughly how big a muffin is, but to me those weights look huge, like you could sit on them... :P

    A to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs

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  5. Cool weights. I would not have thought of using BBs in leather for a weight. Time to think outside my box again. Thank you for sparking ideas.

    My Fragmented Journey

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