Garden Art & Decor – Q & A Archives

Your Questions About Metal Garden Art

Donald asks…

How do I put color in a wrought iron “garden art” piece?

I want to add metal garden art, but I want color in/on the metal piece , I want to design. Or will any exterior paint stay on through different seasons.Without peeling and chipping ?

admin answers:

Pretty much every paint will come off eventually, mainlybecause:
1. Metal expands and contracts
2. The metal remains very hot and very cold long after the apmospheric temperature changes, stressing the paint.

One of the easiest ways to add colour if you are making this art yourself is by encorperating things such as mosaic tiles, and large ceramic beads.

Remember to be creative- and never dismiss an idea untill you see it properly…. No artist is happy with thier work in progress!

Carol asks…

I would love to make scrap metal garden art. How do I get started? Any Ideas?

 

admin answers:

Scrap metal garden art can be grand, simple, artsy, and fun. Making it yourself will simply make it more of whatever it is you want it to be. Scrap metal is just that. Any metal object or piece that you have that no longer has a specific function. These can be soup cans, unwanted silverware, scrap tin from siding, even tire rims. Add a bit of elbow grease, some sandpaper, possibly some spot welding, and an occasional topping of rustproof outdoor enamel spray paint, and you will be well on your way to creating some fabulous art for your own or a friend’s garden. Toss in some heavy-duty wire, wire cutters, and a tin punch, and you will be ready to make just about anything you can think of. The actual making of the artwork will be the easy part. Knowing what you are going to create will be the fun, but sometimes-uninformed part. Start out by studying what metal you have. Arrange pieces until you come up with an idea. If things are not coming together, maybe you will have to add to your scrap pile before continuing. Sometimes, assembling some common metal objects will spark an idea for a more original creation. One often seen piece of scrap garden art is a ‘tin man’ made from soup and coffee cans, along with a funnel hat. Lay out soup cans to form the head, arms, and legs, using the coffee can for the body. Punch a hole in the center of each can end to run wire through, keeping in mind that there is really no wrong way to assemble metal garden art. As long as it ‘works’ it’s right. Funnel hat can either be spot welded on or wired. An old wire hanger combined with antique silverware can be transformed into a beautiful garden wind chime. Tire rims, buffed with sandpaper to remove rust, and spray painted become the body of a garden creature, complete with arms made from old bed springs, and a head made from an abandoned kitchen pot. Thin sheet metal, along with a pair of tin snips, can be cut into a strip, and then twisted to create a wind catcher. Smaller strips can be cut then strung back together to form a wind ‘sounder’. A wind ‘sounder’ is similar to a wind chime except the sound created is much softer. Strips should be approximately three inches long, by one inch wide. String three or four long and as many wide. These can be hung from antique silverware or a small wire whisk for a circular effect. If you are familiar with the tools needed to cut metal such as stainless steel, you can cut out any shape imaginable, creating wind chimes, garden art stakes, and even three-dimensional garden critters by welding the stainless. One advantage of working with the stainless is it will never rust or corrode! Stainless can also be ‘burned’ with a torch to create a beautiful colored finish. Scrap garden art can be anything you want it to be, but mostly, it should be from your heart and soul. If you really want to make something and just don’t know where to start, doodle in a notebook whatever comes to mind. Think about what scrap items you already have, and browse second hand shops for more. But especially, have fun!

Nfd♥

 

Lizzie asks…

I have obtained a dresser, minus its 5 drawers. I want to turn it into a piece of “garden art.” Suggestions?

I have thought of adding mismatched drawers I have and planting them; or sliding plastic bins in the drawer spaces and planting them. Does anyone have any other creative ideas that would work? I think using cascading types of plants would be effective. I already have such items as bathtubs, a sink, wringer washing machine, laundry tubs, old metal tool box, cream separator, etc. planted and they are very fun and showy. My neighbor thinks I have completely lost it with the dresser idea and I would like to prove her wrong!! Thank you for any ideas.

admin answers:

Varnish the heck out of it so it won’t be lost to the weather. Next, take old slacks, jeans, and cut the legs off at various lengths. Then sew them up so they’re good and sturdy. Also do the same for long-johns.~~~~~~~~~~Next take small pieces of wood and hammer the front of the pants to the wood. ~~~~~Next hammer those to the inside of where the drawers would have gone.~~~~~~~~~~~~Next, fill the the slacks with potting soil and plant clever things so your neighbors can view your *New Dresser Drawers*!!!!!!!! HA! HA! HA! (You may want to use weights to hold the back of the dresser down)

I *wish* you were MY neighbor! You sound like alot of fun! I once used a potty seat as a birdbath!

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Sculpture garden in Paris??

When I went to Paris a few years ago, I visited a big garden/park place which had sculptures scattered all around it, including two pop-art style sculptures by Roy Lichtenstein. I’m going back to paris next month and really want to visit it again, does anyone know where it is?

How are Zen/Karesansui gardens a reflection on the arts/philosophy of the East and in Asian culture?

What is this painting by Claude Monet called?

There is a girl with an umbrella standing in the left corner. She is in a garden. There is a fence up behind her. It is in the Art Talk book. I turned the book back in and I can’t remember what the painting is called. Please Help!

What is an edible garden?

I am looking for a real meaning of an edible garden as part of my project assignment in arts. I have no clue of what it is at all.

What kind of soil is best for gardening?

The ground I want to plant in has very clay-like soil. When I packed it together in my hand, it was just like the clay that you would buy in an art supply store. Also, that same ground is covered with moss.
Is that okay soil to plant in or should I add some topsoil after I remove the moss? (This is a garden in NYC.)

Analyzing Reissance Art?

I need to analyze Donatello’s Agony in the Garden, or The Crucifixion, also by Donatello. I need to include symbols, and be as descriptive as I can .Please help!
I chose Agony in the Garden, but i was wondering if anyone knew why Jesus does not have a halo, while his disciples do not.

Thanks!
Sorry, I meant why does Jesus not have a halo while his disciples do?

Growing grass for an art project…gardening advice?

I plan on growing Bermuda grass in the shape of spheres and half spheres for an upcoming project. However i am not sure of how i should go about planting the seeds. I wanted to make the general form out of chicken wire and soil but like I stated earlier i am clueless about how i should go about this. I also planned on starting the "balls of grass" at home (maybe in the garage)and transferring them to the sight once they began to grow. what kind of conditions would to have set up ..(lighting etc) to get the seeds to grow? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

There was a study called the Lowell experiment that linked higher crime rate to disorderly environment. Aside from helping to clean up the community, what about guerrilla gardening? Urban arts? Do you think they’ll help? What other things can we do?

I love tropical decor very much. Now I get obsessed with thatch. I am thinking of adding a tropical hut by the swimming pool. Maybe it is a great way to give my garden a tropical look. Anyone who can give me tips on adding thatch to my home and garden? Thanks a lot. :)