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When Richard Flowers retired as an analytic chemist with Shell Oil he discovered that retirement wasnt all its cracked up to be. The first thing you find out is that you need to do something, says the Fairfield resident.
Richard started making tables. "Indoor tables, side tables and garden tables," he says. The outdoor pieces inspired him to look at what else he could make for the garden. He was fascinated by architectural shapes, especially what he saw in books on the gardens of grand estates. Beautiful metal objects were incorporated into the landscapes. They peeked through plants during the summer and were focal points in flower beds during the winter. He was particularly drawn to armillaries, also known as astrolabes, metal spheres which are models of objects in the sky. Each one is made up of a framework of rings, centered on the Earth.
Combing flea and antique markets, Richard unearths old wrought iron fences and other objects that have the potential to be turned into art. He welds his finds into armillaries, towers and birdhouses. Richards garden spirit sticks, tall wrought iron pieces reminiscent of Native American spirit sticks, are among his favorite items. Richards metal sculptures are maintenance free because they already have a nice rusty finish. They dont start like that, he says. I give the pieces an acid wash so they develop a uniform color.
Spirit sticks range in price from $20 to $125. A three-ring armillary is around $350 while the larger one-of-a-kind armillary, made entirely of antique objects, will run around $900.
You can see Richard Flowers architectural garden art at the Bruce Museums craft show on May 21 and 22, or you can reach him at Richard.flowers@sbcglobal.net.
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