GutterCherry:

The Railroad Plates are the very first collaboration between me and Tommy.  Born out of our love of different demensions (he’s a painter, and I’m a sculpter) and the sheer need to create.   Trapped in my apartment under two feet of snow with nothing but found objects and photographs, we started this as a way stave off cabin feaver.  Also we were broke, one of us lost their job and shortly after the other one did too.  The plates themselves are the hardware that holds the rails to the ties.  They are set in with spikes and the tracks sit on top of them within the grooves.  We had a few of these plates around from a different project that Tommy designed. My Dad had given me a camera for Christmas and as a result we had tons of photos too.  The industrial nature of the plates lends well to Portland landmarks and all the phtographs are original.  Ships, bridges, trains, and ships passing under brides with trains going by, make up the artwork.  The plates are heavy but we have hung them for shows.  However, they work best with the original spikes used as the backstay.  I like keeping the hardware together and it lends itself to people recognizing their original purpose.  These are found objects so do not be alarmed, all local trains are rolling over the proper amount of track hardware!

This is the first time I’ve posted the work I call “Ruffian”.  I name work as sub-catagories of Gutter Cherry, because Gutter Cherry encompasses everything I do.  So as to not get confused, I name the projects that fall into different mediums and techniques. In this case Ruffian is composed of photographs “decaled” (I just made up that word) on to reclaimed materials.  These pictures are on reclaimed old growth Doug Fir that was salvaged from buildings that were coming down in the Portland area.  The tight clear vertical grain is visible through the photos and adds an interesting dimension.  The photographs are all of local Portland sites too and were taken by myself or Tommy.  If you are familiar with the area you can see the Broadway Bridge, Skyline Cemetery (are most of the tree shots), the Gobal Tavern Viking Ship and some others.   I enjoy this process so stay tuned for more works like these (on metal).

The erra of stovetop (not the original).

“What are the three parts of a stove? Lifter, leg, and poker…” One of two dirty jokes Mommom told me.  (The other one was favorite vegtibles in the garden, “lettuce, turnip, and pea”)  Just a wee bit outdated, but still scandoulous by any standard (ahem).  Me? I like metal, and cast iron is a trip to work with. Solid and beautiful, it is a pleasure to create a peice with a sense of history behind the material. The duce you say? I should refurbish it and donate it to a museum? Well, more often than not single unattached parts – no matter how old, end up as scrap to be melted down. Which is exactly how I found this old stove top.  I almost made it into a picture frame but I had many concrete form holders laying around (that’s what those metal hooks are).  Besides, I like function and my own face so I made it into a coatrack with mirrors.  I added wine corks to the hooks because I have a lot of them too.  Good to tack notes on to remind myself stuff not to forget before I leave the house.

…My what a wordy post!!

I made this mirror from what I think was a homemade chimney cover.  It was covered in soot when I got it.  My intention was to clean it up and then powder coat it a nice lime green or red. However, after I cleaned it the natural metal and remaining paint was too cool to cover. So, I rubbed it with furniture wax and buffed it up to bring out the patina.  I then added the mirror to the back and hung a glass rod from an old chandelier.  I originally wanted to cut the mirror round to fit the protruding hole.  It was then I realized someone fabricated it because it isn’t perfectly round and I noticed the welds were not manufactured (these days I can tell my fellow welders techniques from machines). All together I think it looks rather Asian inspired.

PS. It was hard to get a good picture of the scale, and since I curled my hair this morning I thought my head would put it into perspective better (big as it is).

Gosh, I’ve been obsessed with mushroom hunting since I stumbled across a drunk man on a rainy hike.  He was picking morels even though his glasses were foggey and he was soked to the bone, I have never seen a more blissfull soul!  I thought to myself  ”I can do that”, and ever since I’ve been on a rampage!  So, for almost a year now I’ve been reading, gathering, spore printing, and checking the daily mushroom reports (yes, they have those).  To round out my education I decided the next step was to go out with a professional mycoligist.  So here I am, the proud picker of some lovely chanterelles (yet to be cleaned) and one lonely boletus!

I made this duvet and pillowcase from three sheets that have been kicking around the family home for years.  Mom said these were the first sheets her mom gave her when she got married.  Circa 1960’s then.  By the prints I’d say that’s right on.  I couldn’t stand to get rid of them, I am sentimental that way.  Also, my extra down comforter needed a home. Just in time for winter!

Last month my family gathered to South Jersey to dismantle the house my grandmother lived in.  The house has been in my family for many generations, many people lived there. My cousin is currenly living there as my grandmother is living in a care facility.  It is going on the market and was badly in need of purging the contents. Treasures abound and I saved this one (shot gun barrel and an antique pipe vise) for myself.  For anyone who has sorted through and cleaned out an entire home, the process is daunting and emotional. Booby-traps of sentiment and land mines are rampant.  This little lady sat on the back of my grandmothers toilet for as long as I remember. Researching her origins online I found her to hail from Japan.  My grandmother called me a “mud gutter” blonde, which I see a resemblance in my new (old) keepsake too.

These are lamps I made from giant Hobart mixing attachments.  One of my coworkers left one on my desk as a gift (they know me so well). I rushed back into the warehouse and bought all four, two dough hooks and two flat beeters. I parted with one of the dough hooks (rats!) and made the rest into lamps.  All three are at my house presently lighting the way.

The top dish of the fire pit is made from a steel plow disk and was salvaged from a farm on Sauvie Island near Portland, Oregon.  The plow disk is part of the impliment that carves rows in the soil.  The round cast iron colum piece (top) and the bottom molding are both items reported to be remnants beloning to the Smith and Watson Building circa 1880’s.  This building is featured in the “Grand Era of Cast-Iron Architecture in Portland” by William J. Hawkins, III.

I made three like this.  One lives with the farmer that sold me the plow disks.  Two live with co-workers. 

The original Atomic Fire Pit (the first I ever made) is not pictured.  As the name suggests, it’s not quite as demure as the others.  I have plans to make more in the style of the Atomic Fire Pit. Stay tuned.