When we moved here nearly 14 years ago I envisioned a working homestead that also hosted unexpected art. Sun glinting off the colored glass of a bottle tree in the back yard. Blueberry bushes growing around fairy houses made of tree trunks and stone. A winding trail in the woods with the occasional sculpture rising along the path. Well, you get the idea.
I draw designs, collect found objects, wheedle the people here who know how to weld and who have the strength to wield heavy equipment, and ramble around the net looking for photos to envy.
"Tree of Tears" by Ventana Amico and Kathryn Grothe
So far, all we’ve collectively accomplished is a large mosaic moon. The base is metal we repurposed and the glass includes broken plates, doll’s arms, keys, and other items I gathered while cleaning out my parent’s house for the last time.
Sometimes I grumble that I’m still waiting to work on sculptures. We talk about creating a wonderfully huge monster with an air tank body, its head and feet made from pieces of broken farm implements, it’s wings from an old antenna tower. So far the monster is in pieces all over our little farm waiting to take form.
But I realized, while taking a stroll in the sunshine, that all sorts of unintentional metal sculpture already coexists with the weeds, ruts, and flourishing life around here.
For now, I’ll appreciate farm art wherever I find it.
Bit of Earth Farm 
We have part of an old oil burner leaning against a tree, looking as if someone intended a sunburst to be there; we have a rototiller that is now the support of climbing berries planted by the birds. And every so often, pieces of someone’s life and dreams emerge from the fields, and we see yet another unintentional sculpture.
Love your descriptions. I can almost see “dreams emerge from the fields.”
We have plenty of “farm art” we could share–free for the hauling. 🙂
If it’s haul-able, it’s probably worth quite a bit as scrap too.
So true! And so pretty!
Oh Laura, this is beautiful. I have more than a few photos I need to dig out along these lines. My favorite was one I took about 10 years ago, tho’ the scene was temporal. Our farmer neighbor had spread hay on the snow for his Angus cattle, and they were gathered in the perfect cow-y circle on the side of the foothill to the mountain beyond, with a trailing line extending beyond the circle where the hay line ended. All black steers circled on the white snow. I have often thought about this since I heard that neighbor actually died taking hay to another farm after a blizzard.
I took one this week at the strawberry farm of a couple of wagon wheels, on from a logging cot wheet, taller than I, leaned against trees with view of the tobacco barn just through At the same farm, huge logging chain hanging from tree for motor overhauls, looking ready for an engine lynching.
Thanks for the inspiration. Love that moon mosaic.
You’re inspiring me to actually haul my camera along more often. Thanks Jeanne.