This fence doesn’t need to be rebuilt every spring as in Robert Frost’s poem Mending Wall (where the saying in my title originated).  As a matter of fact, it will weather storms quite well and develop its own weathered look along the way. Not too imposing and not completely private, this uniquely simple fence acts more like a decorative screen that divides, not hides, two properties from each other.

Passersby view from sidewalk

The steel fence will be left to rust for a year or so until it develops a deep orange brown. This natural patination process will begin in earnest in the next few weeks as the autumn rains begin to fall here in the Pacific Northwest. Then we’ll treat it with linseed oil (and a touch of turpentine for easier absorption and faster curing time), which will add a satiny richness along with some protection against further rust.

Here are some different views of the fence. I’ll try to post more pictures throughout the year so you can see the aging in process.

Fun side view

View from our yard

Slim side-of-house view

We recently installed this art deco gate for clients in Portland.

Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

This was my first time working with the art deco aesthetic, and I must say I’m eager to design more architectural pieces in this style. I love the juxtaposition of modern, clean geometric shapes with rich artistic elements from ancient Egypt and Native America.

Art Deco (excerpted from http://www.decorativearts.com/glossary.html)
Popular decorative design style of the 1920s and 1930s. The name is taken from the exhibitions of Les Arts Decoratifs, where such work was first exhibited. Cubist painting and African and Native American art influenced the development of Art Deco, but the polished, dynamic forms of modern machinery and aircraft were most inspirational. The style is characterized by stepped forms, rounded corners, triple-striped decorative elements, and the use of chromium and black trim. Important practitioners of the style have included (in America) Donald Deskey and Gilbert Rohde. The style was popular for restaurants, theaters, hotels, ocean liners, and Worlds Fair exhibitions, as it did not have the serious theoretical underpinnings that modernism or Bauhaus styles encompassed. The architecture and interiors of the Chrysler Building and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (both in New York) are good examples of Deco design.

“Art Deco’s ultimate aim was to end the old conflict between art and industry, the old snobbish distinction between artist and artisan, partly by making artists adept at crafts, but still more by adapting design to the requirements of mass-production.”
- Bevis Hillier

To see a related post of this gate in progress go here.

Rise - Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

After a few people commented that they’d love a small version of our sculpture Rise , we got to thinking about creating a mini rendition of the 9-foot winged woman. At first it seemed counter to the norm; artists usually create a smaller model, or maquette, before creating the larger piece. A maquette allows you to present a design concept for a large piece to potential clients, as well as figure out the best construction techniques and determine where fabrication issues might arise. It is a less costly practice piece, and as such it is usually constructed faster and less deliberately than the final sculpture.

We never built a maquette for Rise, but instead used computer design software (Rhino) to create a 3-D version of my conceptual sketch that could be shown, or rendered, from any angle. It’s the next best way to present a concept without the time and expense of building a physical model.

Rise - Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

When redesigning a 9 foot high sculpture into a 2 foot version, some modifications must be made in both design and fabrication technique. The basic concept is the same but it’s not an identical sculpture. The biggest change is the body; instead of a hollow form with curves in all the right places, the body of the small Rise is a solid piece of 1/2″ steel, as shown below. Other fabrication differences include the way the head is attached and the construction of the conical base, still made of of sheet metal but using a different fab technique. We are considering having future bases machined.

Luckily there were no changes in either the wings or the luscious “lollipop red” powder coat, the two dominating traits of the sculpture. Here is the finished Rise – mini-style!

Rise (26″ x 12″ x 4″) Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

Some work-in-progress shots:

Rise - Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

Here are work-in-progress photos of an art deco gate we are creating for clients in Portland. Dave has added the lock box and hinges since these photos were taken. Next stop powder-coat.

Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

This is the design rendering we presented to our clients. It was the chosen design from three options we created.

Copyright 2009 Cobalt Designworks, LLC

To see the finished product go to this post.