Wearable Art and Fine Crafts

Robert Rickard, best known at Gallery Five for his popular line of metal art clocks, also launched his Rickard Studio last year to reflect his broader scope of work – from his clocks to sculptures, furniture, wall pieces, and more.  His new collection of sculpture, forged in stainless steel, and designed for indoor or outdoor use, is being embraced by master planners, architects, and developers as well as collectors.

Artist’s Statement
Robert Rickard’s contemporary home in the mountains above Taos, New Mexico can be characterized by infinite peace and silence. Except, of course, when he is in his spacious studio next door; then the sounds of tools working steel and aluminum reverberate across the valley.

Rickard’s work is incredibly vivid and yet very natural. The colors are reminiscent of the sunsets over the Rio Grande Gorge, which he sees from his studio. It is in that bright, airy studio that Rickard creates memorable pieces which harness the myriad properties of metals: their rigidity, their pliability, and their essential chemical make-up.

His is a scientific approach. After using a hand-held plasma cutter to carve his designs into the base metal, each sculpture is then coated with other metals; typically copper, bronze, and iron. Each of these metals reacts differently to the chemical patinas and dye oxides with which the pieces are finished, creating a rich palette of hues.

Rickard is an honored Niche Awards Finalist and is a juried participant in several exclusive shows. “I have been deeply humbled and grateful for the way that I have been welcomed into galleries and collectors homes,” says Rickard.

copper face double circle wall clock

Girardini Design metal art collection at Gallery Five includes clocks, lamps, vases, fruit baskets, and more.

Julie and Ken Girardini are a husband and wife design team who have been working with metal for the past eighteen years. They have participated in some of the finest juried craft shows over those years.

They are self taught in all aspects of metal work, and explore daily with different finishing techniques, e.g., grinding, polishing, and patination of metals to achieve a light reflective and alluring surface. Ken welds using a TIG welder in addition to a plasma cutter to cut the steel. They have fabricated a number of cutting jigs to efficiently use this machine, and also utilize a variety of saws, sanders and grinders.

flying dragon wall clock

The Girardinis strongly feel that objects which people interact with daily need to be well designed and functional in addition to being beautiful.

A Gallery Five online collection of handmade fine crafts showcases ceramics, wood, glass, metal, fiber, sculptures, wall art, and functional art by prominent and promising craftsmen throughout the United States.

February 14th is Valentines Day – a worldwide celebration of love and romance, marked by giving red roses and hearts or giving unique gifts and by sending valentines.

Gallery Five has a collection of unique gifts and art-to-wear jewelry handcrafted by prominent and promising artisans.

glass hearts by Lisa Aronzon

metal clocks by Hays-Cash

heart rattles by Caroline Koons

Caroline Koons fanciful hearts contain small grains of porcelain that make whimsical sounds when handled. Hang your bisque finished rattle on the wall, or display it on a table. Each is decorated with motifs that include fern leaves, delightful animals, and butterflies

Heart rattles are embellished with Caroline’s signature colors on the front and the back. Her ceramic art is very contemporary hand built porcelain with vibrant geometric patterns freely painted. It is functional and whimsical art.

Caroline personally executes every part of every piece she creates. She says she thrives on the physical involvement with clay; its movement and immediacy is like a dance for her soul. She uses many methods and techniques that she has learned and developed over 30 years of working with clay. Using porcelain clay, with its capacity for fine detail and lush color, she fabricates from thrown, sculpted, cast, and slab built forms.

Each piece is carefully planned, constructed, manipulated, and further treated with sprayed, and extruded textures until she is satisfied with its balance and intricacies. After careful drying, each piece is bisque fired. Then begins the glazing process of building up layers of stains and glazes by spraying and brushing. The glaze firing to 2200 degrees may reveal her finished piece but she adds several more firings with additional layers of colors and frequently uses gold leaf or 22k gold accents to complete the visual richness she desires.

Gallery Five is your online source for finding unique handcrafted gift ideas for friends and family.  We’ve got great gift ideas and unique gifts for every occasion. Here are some recommendations and customer favorites for the upcoming holiday season.

On the whimsical side, pictured right is a unique wall art mirror by Doug Hays and Penny Cash.

LAST MINUTE UNCOMMON GIFT IDEAS: metal wine holders, ceramic wall art, unique wall clocks, graphite sculpture, silk ties, metal sculptured candle holders, handcrafted wooden letter openers, etc.

small piece 10" wall tile

About 20 years ago, Suzanne Donazetti began working with metal. Her artistic journey has taken her through painting, fiber, quilting, basketry and jewelry. Suzanne never considered herself a weaver, but one day was compelled to weave silver and that’s when the adventure began. She first colored the silver or copper with chemical patinas and then experimented with different materials until she mastered the process of painting on copper. As far as we know, she is the only artist who uses this technique. The journey has taken her full circle, back to painting. Visit Gallery Five’s exquisite one-of-a-kind wall art by Donazetti.

NEW WORK: "Before the Storm" 16"x 20"

ARTIST’S TECHNIQUE

I began weaving and painting on metal. After learning to use chemical patinas, I experimented with different materials until I mastered the process of painting on copper. I gild and paint two layers, the warp and the weft, so that the design will remain through the weaving. I use 36 gauge sheet copper as the canvas and metallic leaf, transparent inks, acrylics and powdered pigments for the paints because of the unique qualities each material brings to the others. To make the colors richer, I first gild the metal with copper leaf, or composition silver and gold leaf. After sanding, I spray the paints and inks on the warps and wefts. After the paints dry, I wax the copper to prevent oxidation and facilitate weaving. I then cut and weave the pieces in gentle curves. I am drawn to the play of light across the landscape … to create pieces which will bring a sense of healing and meditation to the viewer.
Suzanne Donazetti, Freefall Designs