Jeremy Thomley creates 3-D art from discarded metal in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Thomley's version of The Whomping Willow

On a Christmas tree farm outside of Hattiesburg, Miss. there grows an amazing structure. Inspired by the Whomping Willow of Harry Potter fame, artist Jeremy Thomley is constructing a massive sculpture out of a century’s worth of discarded farm implements. His London-based clients bought a farm in Bunker Hill, Miss. and discovered piles of discarded metal on the property. Rather than have the pieces carted away as rubbish, the couple called on Thomley to create a replica of the fictional tree from the detritus.

One version of the Harry Potter tree stood at Scholastic Place in New York during the launch of the last novel calls children to enjoy the space. The sculpture Thomley builds in Hattiesburg provides a steam punk take on the tree.

Thomley explains his work in his studio on the family Christmas tree farm outside Hattiesburg, Miss. His climbable tree project is only one of the many metal sculptures he creates with steel and a blowtorch. 

A metal Mohawk to top the tree

An airy array of metal will top the tree like a Mohawk hairstyle. The girders will fit into grooves on the tree when final assembly is completed. A series of “sails” will dress the crow’s nest atop the structure. Like graceful sails or insect wings, the future branches of the tree rest around Thomley’s studio. When the tree reaches its final destination, the leaves will spread from the trunk in all directions.

Thomley demonstrated the climb-ability of the tree he is building from discarded equipment pieces. With the variety of shapes and sizes incorporated into the tree, the young man destined to own the tree will be able to climb from many directions. 

 

Thomley neared the crow's nest as he climbed the fantasy tree on the family farm. An avid climber, he has traveled the world seeking new climb sites. Now he is building one outside his sculpture studio, Mohawk Steel Company.

 

The lighter-colored channels at the top will hold the tree's Mohawk topping, and the remaining branches will attach around the trunk. A giant chain provides a means of descent from the top of the metal tree. Thomley has utilized parts of tractors and other farm implements to create the giant playground.

 

Originally appeared on 09/04/2013 at http://www.examiner.com/list/jeremy-thomley-creates-3-d-art-from-discarded-metal-hattiesburg-mississippi
 

Bottle bush, bottle tree: Southern yard art with glass

Across the South, a form of yard art exists that can be simple or intricate, puzzling or straightforward. The bottle bush or bottle tree combines empty bottles and metal spikes to create colorful sculptures that can enhance a yard and start many conversations. Don't confuse this delight with a bottle brush plant, an actual botanical entity whose flowers resemble it's namesake.

While the roots of the art form are open to debate, the artists are content to simply enjoy. Author Felder Rushing has tracked down many of the explanations for bottle trees and recounts them in his book “Bottle trees…and other whimsical glass art for the garden.” He discusses the European and African stories behind the sculptures.

Jan Breaux, co-owner of GardenSpot Nursery at 770 Robert Boulevard in Slidell, Louisiana, reminds patrons that the bottles are believed to capture evil spirits and prevent them from entering the home. Her shop features a giant bottle tree as installation art, along with smaller versions that can be put in flower pots or the ground. Her staff can customize bottle trees according to the purchasers design.

A bottle tree can be a way of salvaging the dead trunk and branches of a tree. The addition of metal spikes can help to fill in any gaps. Others consist of rebar welded into intricate graceful shapes and adorned with colorful bottles. Some resemble trees, some look like beautiful bushes, while some appear as part of gateways or other parts of the landscape plan.

The gardener need not empty the bottles himself; Breaux and other vendors sell colorful bottles to meet the designer’ s needs. Other gardeners may use the bottle tree as a way of collecting bottles from memorable events. Some go with a monochromatic theme while others preferred the eclectic look of whatever bottles they have on hand.

Bottle trees save a large number of bottles from landfills and dumps while creating an artistic statement that can provide amazement, laughter and delight from the imaginative use of discarded glass. Whether you have one, want one or simply enjoy the beauty of colored glass, bottle trees are worth considering as a unique art form.

Originally published 6/20/13 at http://www.examiner.com/article/bottle-bush-bottle-tree-southern-yard-art-with-glass