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What is Steampunk & Stone all about?

Hi, my name is Tim Lloyd. I’m in my fifties, married, and a proud grandfather. I drive trains on Melbourne’s Metropolitan network to pay the bills and keep a roof overhead.

I love to read, cook, eat, travel with my wife, and play in my shed. Garage sales and op shops are some of my favourite places. I can often be heard to say “Ooh, I could use that broken thing!” and “He who dies with the most tools, wins!”

As a way of dealing with the stresses of life, I take discarded, broken and found objects and rework them into pieces of art. At this point most of my pieces are wearable as jewelry.

What is Steampunk & Stone all about?

Hi, my name is Tim Lloyd. I’m in my fifties, married, and a proud grandfather. I drive trains on Melbourne’s Metropolitan network to pay the bills and keep a roof overhead.

I love to read, cook, eat, travel with my wife, and play in my shed. Garage sales and op shops are some of my favourite places. I can often be heard to say “Ooh, I could use that broken thing!” and “He who dies with the most tools, wins!”

As a way of dealing with the stresses of life, I take discarded, broken and found objects and rework them into pieces of art. At this point most of my pieces are wearable as jewelry.

STEAMPUNK

According to Wikipedia, Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.

I love the fantasy antique technology of this art form and incorporate this as the basis of the pieces I have made from things such as vintage pocket watches, wristwatches, broken machinery and recycled metals.

hand snail_a

STONE

On a 2016 trip with my wife to Lightning Ridge in New South Wales of Australia, I fell in love with the magic of Opal. Opal is an amazing gem which formed over twenty million years in the rocks of what was once a vast inland sea.

We fossicked and found some small pieces in the mullock heaps of discarded mining waste, and I bought some “chip jars” and some pieces of potch (the same material as Opal, but with little or no colour). When we arrived home I eagerly went through my stash and to my delight, I found some rough colour (and a lot of rubbish!)

STONE

On a 2016 trip with my wife to Lightning Ridge in New South Wales of Australia, I fell in love with the magic of Opal. Opal is an amazing gem which formed over twenty million years in the rocks of what was once a vast inland sea.

We fossicked and found some small pieces in the mullock heaps of discarded mining waste, and I bought some “chip jars” and some pieces of potch (the same material as Opal, but with little or no colour). When we arrived home I eagerly went through my stash and to my delight, I found some rough colour (and a lot of rubbish!)

Whilst we were there, my wife, who is a music teacher, commissioned a lady who was a gem carver to make her a pendant in the shape of a quaver. Sadly she was somewhat disappointed in the result. I decided, with no previous experience to try and do better! The result, after some difficulty was a double quaver.

note_b

I am often asked if I received any formal training in metalwork, stonework, or jewelry making? No, none!

My hobby has progressed and I’m on a constant learning curve. I’m teaching myself new skills and stretching my imagination. I try to make each piece unique and different to anything else on the market.

To my great joy, I’ve sold most of my work, either through friends, word of mouth, or through galleries. Currently I have some pieces in 101 Ryrie Arts Gallery in Geelong.

I’ve had a number of commissions, from people who wanted something special, either for themselves or a loved one. I am also a proud member of the Hobson Bay Arts Society.