By Ellen Hill for Talisman Gallery
Take a pilgrimage to Talisman Gallery at Hartley historic village and discover metal artist Ron Fitzpatrick’s artistic journey from fitter and turner to zen iron master.
His latest exhibition, Colour & Light, will launch as an activity of the Back to Hartley community event this weekend and continue next weekend [November 5-6].
Visitors to the site can browse the installation of colourful glass and rusted steel sculptures placed along the path to the granite Tor behind the clutch of colonial-era sandstone buildings.
Colour & Light follows Fitzpatrick’s rusted forged steel garden art exhibition at Everglades Historic House & Gardens in the Blue Mountains recently (September 28 to October 8) and “feels like a culmination of a lot of ideas and skills picked up along my journey’’.
A fitter and turner by trade, Fitzpatrick’s artistic journey began in the early 1980s, creating handmade knives and Tai Chi dancing swords in a small shop in Melbourne.
Since moving to Sydney in the late 1980s, his art and business has evolved from a need to provide for his family by making his own furniture from scrap metal to trendy inner west wrought iron work to finally settling in the Blue Mountains and Hartley.
For the past five years since moving from a highway location, Fitzpatrick has created his art pieces at the Talisman Gallery under the watchful gaze of the huge outcrop of granite boulders.
Kew-Y-Ahn has inspired artists for more than 150 years. Photo: David Hill, Deep Hill Media
It’s such an inspiring backdrop,’’ he said.So I thought: what better place for an art installation than along the path leading up to the rocks? It’s the ultimate outdoor gallery.’’
Colour & Light is his latest collection of colourful stained glass and rusted steel garden art pieces, each one mounted on Blue Mountains sandstone.
“I really like the uplifting happy feeling you get from the sun streaming through the glass and they are a great way to add colour to your garden or outdoor spaces.’’
Referred to by one customer as the zen iron master’’, most of Fitzpatrick’s designs are inspired by his daily meditations practice, when he oftensees’’ the shapes he creates. The Colour & Light exhibition was no different.
“One morning I saw four or five designs, one after the other. Each day I would come in and make a different piece. They just fell out of me – it was like they needed to be given a life.’’
Colour & Light will be displayed at Talisman Gallery, Hartley historic village, Great Western Hwy (400m before turn off to Jenolan Caves heading west) this weekend and next from 10am to 5pm. See a catalogue of works available for sale on the Talisman Gallery – Hartley Facebook page. Tuesday to Sunday. Details: Ron 0407 723 722, talismangallery@bigpond.com or the Facebook page Talisman Gallery -Hartley.
*Talisman Gallery is a commercial client of Deep Hill Media
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