Loved up at Lawson Festival

All photos; Shay Tobin

The up-cycled scrap sculptures glow at night during the Love Lawson Festival.

Shadows projected on to the landscape, transforms it in unexpected ways.

Hanging around in Newtown

Light wheels form a colour canopy above the crowd.

a cool place to hang..

 




...in the trees

Looking so fine in daylight...

 ...imagine the effect of moonlight.



Big Solas thanks to Deirdre, Jasmine, Indigo and Michael xxxxx

Vocal Local @ Newtown Festival

Great day to be in Newtown today

Check out Solas light wheels

@Local Vocal stage...

Sunday 13th Nov

DIY Light Wheels - a recipe

Light wheel woven from weeds: Photos by Shay Tobin

Ingredients: 

Select some pre loved bike wheels...err... looms

 add 25 willing locals...

Gather some cut-off material, scrap bits and pieces... then started weaving

 so far, so good

make a few tucks & tweeks

solder together the electroluminscent wire 

Sharp eyes...

...and steady hands loop the EL wire

power up the lights and



solar charge the batteries


 

  

spark it up...

looks magical in the dark





 




wow... 
.... beautiful work 

thanks to all the workshop participants, Michelle, Michael, Deirdre and Shay

Deadly youth @ Sydney eco summit

YES the young people at this year’s summit can only be described as deadly.

RESPECT is due for your massive effort generating tens of thousands of volts by pedal power. 

We all enjoyed inventing & weaving those wicked sculptures with you all. 

Seeing the light sculpture battery banks replenished by the sun was truly amazing..

Big up to the 'CABBAGES' and the Western Sydney massive...

The Solas crew are happy to play again next year….

YES at Olympic Park

Not the 70's prog rock outfit but the Youth Eco Summit (Y.E.S.). 

2000 young people are expected to rock up to Newington Armoury at Sydney Olympic Park on Weds 19th & Thurs 20th October 2011.

Kathy O’Hara, Michelle Snowdon, Michael Petchkovsky and David Ryan will present a Solas workshop to seven groups from year 5 to year 7. The sculptures and video demos can be viewed at any time.

Its going to be a two day ‘mayhem of invention’. A 65w solar kit is rigged, the bike generator in place, we are 'scraptured' up to the eyeballs,  20 wheel hubs are in place (thanks for the kind donation Juan) and the weather forecast is sun…. yay…

Prototype test for tomorrows workshop

Michelle Snowdon and Claudia Echeverria created this prototype light sculpture for this weekends workshop.

Using mostly up cycled materials like a wheel hub, reeds, weeds, seed pods, leaves and rafia.

The reflected shadow through the sculpture is deadly... 

Can't wait until tomorrows workshop (wk2).

Workshop 15 October

Blue Mountains Gazette article

The beloved BMG printed our Solas article last week.

After reading the article & photo, locals picked up the phone to reserve a place.

This really helped make the workshop a success.

BIG thanks to Damien Madigan at the Blue Mountains Gazette.

Sculptures light up with pedal power

Jasmine Ryan pedals the bike generator.  Photo: Shay Tobin 

Creative currents in full flow at the inaugural ‘Solas’ workshop.

On a glorious spring Saturday over thirty participants made eleven sculptures from recycled materials and powered them using renewable energy. Lawson local, Kathy O'Hara from Scrapture led the workshop.

Book now for the next Solas workshop on 15^th October

For Information phone David Ryan 0438 468 174 or e mail
didjryan@hotmail.com

Natty modification using local knowledge

Lawson artists Kathy O’Hara from ‘scrapture’ & blacksmith Phil Sparks neatly modified our bike trainer to carry its own motor.

Instead of merely burning calories, now while you ride, you can pump electrical energy to the light sculptures.  

Two Wheels Good…

Three willing mountains cyclists tested the latest the ‘Solas’ technology, a modified magnetic bike trainer.

Jasmine Ryan, Fleur Young and Catherine Schweinsberg (photo left > right) discovered connection was simple and their combined energy kept the volts pumping.

You are invited to bring your bike along, plug in and pedal. See how your energy adds a certain ‘bling’ to the light sculpture. Its more than just burning calories, as you will light up Lawson with renewable energy.

 
Bike Minded, the Wentworth Falls cycle shop kindly loaned the ‘Jet Black’ cycling hardware. As well as sponsorship, owner & sculptor Tristan had a shop full of ideas… check them out at

Bike Minded

http://www2.bikeminded.com.au

Shop3/295-297
Great Western Highway
Wentworth Falls
Phone: 02 47574607

Jet Black Cycling

http://www.jetblackproducts.com

‘Jenni’ the electro-tryke lives again

For the past month Micheal Petchkovsky and David Ryan have re-built this classic e-tryke. Untill her discovery Jenni had lay gathering dust in a Katoomba storage container and then rusting under a tarp in Blackheath. 

Now Jenni rides again. New life was breathed upon her with components from Jaycar Electronics, Katoomba and timely technical advice from Electric Vehicles Pty Melbourne (and a re-purposed drill switch).

For her next starring role at Lawson Festival Jenni will be converted to solar power. She will act as a mobile battery bank for the light sculptures.

Rumours abound that Jenni is tipped to play a mobile DJ booth at the upcoming Peats Ridge Festival in December… watch this space for details…  

Community Workshop Lights Up Lawson

Help create a community light sculpture made with ‘bling’ & light up Lawson Festival.

Free light sculpture workshops are on in Lawson on Saturday 17^th September and Saturday 15^th October between 2pm and 5pm.

During the September workshop you will discover how to design and build a light sculpture from pre-loved recycled parts. Lawson ‘scrapture’ artist, Kathy O’Hara, will help you create some magic with boundless ideas and energy. David Ryan from Shiney Pictures will help you to add that special neon & LED ‘bling’.

But that’s only half the story… you will power the sculptures using pedal power!

Choose to ride your own bike to our energy playspace ... strap in, turn on and ride flat out... 
Why not ride ‘Genie’, a specially converted electro tryke or fire-up 'Jym' an 'ex' exercise bike.
Watch your own human energy pedal power the lights and battery banks. 
 
All the ‘Solas’ light sculptures will be powered by renewable energy. They will be exhibited at Lawson Festival on 19th November 2011 and at other local events.

People aged 8-88 welcome. 

Booking is essential - only 30 places!

Mid Mountains Neighbourhood Centre, 9 New St, Lawson

Saturday 17^th Sept @ 2pm-5pm 

Saturday 15^th Oct @ 2pm-5pm

Shiney Pictures  collaboration between local people and Michael Petchkovsky, Michelle Snowdon, Kathy O’Hara, Shay Tobin, Deirdre O’Connell & David Ryan .

Booking essential

To join in please contact David Ryan on 0438 468 174 or

e-mail didjryan@hotmail.com

Financially assisted by Blue Mountains City Council Cultural Partnership program

Auspice - Mid Mountains Neighbourhood Centre

Wanted for re-cycling & to re-purpose

Right here, right now.... its council clean up time...

Please recycle your broken or working solar garden & christmas lights. 

They will become a 'community light sculpture' for the Lawson Festivald

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