As a grown-up who didn’t go to camp in the summers, this summer I found myself surprised to be looking at a list of “what to bring” to sculpture camp. My partner and I went to SNOWFARM, a New England craft program in Western MA. It is where grown-ups can go for a week of intensive craft learning and practicing. We went to learn Welding.
Many of you know about our penchant for rusty stuff and you have seen it perched and studded throughout our garden. Imagine stuffing a Subaru full of rusty junk and then putting your clothes in a separate car just to get out to the place. Two cars for two people. Our hoarding loot was met with oohs and ahhs from our other classmates, I will have you know.
Patti and I learned Stick and Mig welding techniques as well as bending, shaping, grinding and cutting metal. So what does a garden designer make, you wonder. Well, two 7’ tall sculptures using saw blades and gears, and a twirly concoction. I also made a skiing inch worm but that is not for prime time….
What I realized is that I love sculpture in the sense of gardens and objects being 3 dimensional. I want to see shapes and combine shapes in ways that are pleasing to the eye and to viewing from different perspectives. In its more basic form, garden designing is sculpting with different shaped objects.
Enjoy the photos.
