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Fresh fish: a novel approach to garden ornamentation By Lynette Walther Columnist (Aug 16, 09): Holy mackerel! Forget about a chicken in every pot. If Tyson Weiss has his way, there will be a fish — or more — in every garden. To help achieve his goal, the energetic ceramic artist from Falmouth is handcrafting whole schools of “garden” fish, one at a time.   But make no mistake, these fish of Weiss’ aren’t your ordinary garden-variety fish. No sir, these colorful, realistic and elegant stainless steel and stoneware fish can create whole new kinetic worlds within the sphere of any landscape, anywhere. The swirling, swimming fish “float” above foliage on simple rods, and the fish add special elements of flow and direction while smoothly and effortlessly tying together unrelated elements within the garden.   “To begin with, fish are visually appealing to everyone,” said Weiss. “Think of all the aquariums out there, and fish are colorful like flowers, fish are the flowers of the underwater landscape.”   Indeed garden ornamentation is part and parcel of what makes a well-rounded landscape. That unique touch of color and texture is what can set off a combination of foliage and flower to perfection. “When you look at what there is out there for garden ornamentation you basically have fairly limited options,” said Weiss, who had a landscape/design business for 12 years. “There are the reflective spheres, the birdbaths and the colorful pots which just about everybody has, and most of those are made over seas, and they are cheap. And then there are the custom sculptural pieces, which are expensive and have little to do with the surrounding landscape and are conceptually unavailable to most people. What I am trying to do is to fill that gap between the custom sculptures and the junk.” Because the fish are usually used in multiples of three or more, they actually become one much “larger” sculptural piece — a school of fish within the garden. And unlike a static sculpture, the school of fish actually appears to be moving through the landscape. They appear to have momentum which can direct the garden visitor along garden paths. “Their ‘flow’ implies water and brings that water quality, that aesthetic to any landscape or interior.” Weiss said. Weiss admits he has been captivated by the concept of fish being part of a garden setting for a long time. Combining his talent for working with clay and his landscaping expertise was only natural.  “Ceramics has a lot of conceptual parallels with stone masonry,” Weiss said of how his two passions have merged. “Actually I came up with the concept of the fish when I was 19. I had a [ceramics] teacher who had us keep a pottery journal of ideas. It was just a simple pencil sketch on the corner of a page. But the fish in the garden idea really clicked when I was on my first snorkeling trip in Belize. There was an underwater reef landscape with schools of colorful fish collectively making sinuous curves navigating among the tree and shrub - like coral structures, and I said to myself, ‘This is it!’ And now I am just trying to bring that incredible beauty, this visual sensation of 'flow' into gardens and interiors.“ In fact, when first viewed in a garden setting, the grouping of fish creates a flash of color that when seen out of the corner of the eye makes you do a double-take. Then as you realize there are fish swimming through that garden, you too get one of those ah-ha! moments, not unlike the one Weiss had on that coral reef. Those fish can transport your landscape into an underwater world of a rocky stream with salmon or trout streaking past, or a tranquil pond lit with the lazy swirling of koi.   The garden fish come in three species, “celebrity” species, said Weiss. Trout/salmon, striped bass and koi complete his aquatic lineup. The trout and salmon, which Weiss explained are basically very similar in shape, come in a variety of natural and unnatural (a rich cobalt blue) glazes, including a sockeye salmon with brilliant red/orange colorations. Weiss’ substantial stoneware koi (koi are illegal as live species in Maine) are perfectly legal and display brilliant white glazes with orange and black splotches, all making it very easy to simulate a garden water feature as the aquatic creatures swim their way along rock swales, around stonewalls or through garden foliage. The only thing missing, besides the water, is the care a water feature demands.   And new this season Weiss has added to his piscatorial pool, sinuous brushed stainless fish that are highly durable and reflective, catching the sun as it moves about the garden.   Over nearly a decade, Weiss has experimented with form and glaze combinations for his ceramic fish, and during those years he often gave his sample fish to special clients. “Everyone loved the fish, and I loved seeing how happy the fish made people,” Weiss said, explaining part of the incentive for him to take the concept to its current level. “I had always planned that by the time I was 30 that I would have my landscape/design business well established, be married, have a house and a child, and have my fish in people’s gardens.”  So far, he has the first four down pat. The landscaping business has been a going concern since his college days, a couple of years ago he married Noon, and then came the house and next their son Hunter arrived to complete another part of the equation.  “Now, how we are going to bring those fish to the market is a regular dinner-table discussion,” Weiss said. Weiss has been showing the results of his winter’s work at various events. His first big order came from Maine Medical Center where a wall of swirling fish is part of the new birth center. So far Weiss figures his fish are the only item of their kind available anywhere. He said he has done a considerable amount of research and has found single tropical fish in garish colors that can be placed in gardens, but he believes his concept and execution of schools of garden fish are indeed unique.   Weiss noted that the basic physiology of a fish is one that sheds water, and the stoneware fish are impervious to rain and temperature. They are mounted on simple stainless steel rods that can be easily moved throughout the garden. Indeed, moving the fish is something Weiss recommended be done regularly as portions of the garden evolve throughout the seasons. He also suggested the fish can be placed to actually “direct” visitors along pathways or toward a door for special occasions.  Although Weiss said he believes the fish could be left outside during the winter, he suggested that they be brought inside instead where they can be enjoyed. In fact, Weiss also creates a line of stoneware fish that are mounted on granite blocks for indoor display.   The garden fish are about 15 inches long, are hollow and weigh about three pounds each when glazed, fired and finished.   “I create each fish one at a time,” said Weiss who is able to fire 22 fish in his kiln. “Making a fish is a process that is a minimum of 14 days. Every fish is handled at least 10 times before it comes out of the kiln in its finished state. We rarely carry an inventory. We hand craft each fish, one of a kind.”  For more information, or to order Weiss’ garden fish, visit fishinthegarden.net.   A piece of art, made right here in Maine by a sixth-generation Mainer no less, Weiss’ garden fish are floating on the cutting edge of what every garden needs and wants. Now you can have fish swimming in your garden, no water necessary.   And, not only can you do that, but you can also help Weiss reach his goal, and how often do we get such a stylish opportunity to do that for anybody?

Fresh fish: a novel approach to garden ornamentation
By Lynette Walther
Columnist

(Aug 16, 09): Holy mackerel! Forget about a chicken in every pot. If Tyson Weiss has his way, there will be a fish — or more — in every garden. To help achieve his goal, the energetic ceramic artist from Falmouth is handcrafting whole schools of “garden” fish, one at a time.   But make no mistake, these fish of Weiss’ aren’t your ordinary garden-variety fish. No sir, these colorful, realistic and elegant stainless steel and stoneware fish can create whole new kinetic worlds within the sphere of any landscape, anywhere. The swirling, swimming fish “float” above foliage on simple rods, and the fish add special elements of flow and direction while smoothly and effortlessly tying together unrelated elements within the garden.   “To begin with, fish are visually appealing to everyone,” said Weiss. “Think of all the aquariums out there, and fish are colorful like flowers, fish are the flowers of the underwater landscape.”   Indeed garden ornamentation is part and parcel of what makes a well-rounded landscape. That unique touch of color and texture is what can set off a combination of foliage and flower to perfection.

“When you look at what there is out there for garden ornamentation you basically have fairly limited options,” said Weiss, who had a landscape/design business for 12 years. “There are the reflective spheres, the birdbaths and the colorful pots which just about everybody has, and most of those are made over seas, and they are cheap. And then there are the custom sculptural pieces, which are expensive and have little to do with the surrounding landscape and are conceptually unavailable to most people. What I am trying to do is to fill that gap between the custom sculptures and the junk.”

Because the fish are usually used in multiples of three or more, they actually become one much “larger” sculptural piece — a school of fish within the garden. And unlike a static sculpture, the school of fish actually appears to be moving through the landscape. They appear to have momentum which can direct the garden visitor along garden paths.

“Their ‘flow’ implies water and brings that water quality, that aesthetic to any landscape or interior.” Weiss said.

Weiss admits he has been captivated by the concept of fish being part of a garden setting for a long time. Combining his talent for working with clay and his landscaping expertise was only natural.  “Ceramics has a lot of conceptual parallels with stone masonry,” Weiss said of how his two passions have merged. “Actually I came up with the concept of the fish when I was 19. I had a [ceramics] teacher who had us keep a pottery journal of ideas. It was just a simple pencil sketch on the corner of a page. But the fish in the garden idea really clicked when I was on my first snorkeling trip in Belize. There was an underwater reef landscape with schools of colorful fish collectively making sinuous curves navigating among the tree and shrub - like coral structures, and I said to myself, ‘This is it!’ And now I am just trying to bring that incredible beauty, this visual sensation of 'flow' into gardens and interiors.“

In fact, when first viewed in a garden setting, the grouping of fish creates a flash of color that when seen out of the corner of the eye makes you do a double-take. Then as you realize there are fish swimming through that garden, you too get one of those ah-ha! moments, not unlike the one Weiss had on that coral reef. Those fish can transport your landscape into an underwater world of a rocky stream with salmon or trout streaking past, or a tranquil pond lit with the lazy swirling of koi.   The garden fish come in three species, “celebrity” species, said Weiss. Trout/salmon, striped bass and koi complete his aquatic lineup. The trout and salmon, which Weiss explained are basically very similar in shape, come in a variety of natural and unnatural (a rich cobalt blue) glazes, including a sockeye salmon with brilliant red/orange colorations. Weiss’ substantial stoneware koi (koi are illegal as live species in Maine) are perfectly legal and display brilliant white glazes with orange and black splotches, all making it very easy to simulate a garden water feature as the aquatic creatures swim their way along rock swales, around stonewalls or through garden foliage. The only thing missing, besides the water, is the care a water feature demands.   And new this season Weiss has added to his piscatorial pool, sinuous brushed stainless fish that are highly durable and reflective, catching the sun as it moves about the garden.   Over nearly a decade, Weiss has experimented with form and glaze combinations for his ceramic fish, and during those years he often gave his sample fish to special clients.

“Everyone loved the fish, and I loved seeing how happy the fish made people,” Weiss said, explaining part of the incentive for him to take the concept to its current level. “I had always planned that by the time I was 30 that I would have my landscape/design business well established, be married, have a house and a child, and have my fish in people’s gardens.”  So far, he has the first four down pat. The landscaping business has been a going concern since his college days, a couple of years ago he married Noon, and then came the house and next their son Hunter arrived to complete another part of the equation.  “Now, how we are going to bring those fish to the market is a regular dinner-table discussion,” Weiss said. Weiss has been showing the results of his winter’s work at various events. His first big order came from Maine Medical Center where a wall of swirling fish is part of the new birth center. So far Weiss figures his fish are the only item of their kind available anywhere. He said he has done a considerable amount of research and has found single tropical fish in garish colors that can be placed in gardens, but he believes his concept and execution of schools of garden fish are indeed unique.   Weiss noted that the basic physiology of a fish is one that sheds water, and the stoneware fish are impervious to rain and temperature. They are mounted on simple stainless steel rods that can be easily moved throughout the garden. Indeed, moving the fish is something Weiss recommended be done regularly as portions of the garden evolve throughout the seasons. He also suggested the fish can be placed to actually “direct” visitors along pathways or toward a door for special occasions.  Although Weiss said he believes the fish could be left outside during the winter, he suggested that they be brought inside instead where they can be enjoyed. In fact, Weiss also creates a line of stoneware fish that are mounted on granite blocks for indoor display.   The garden fish are about 15 inches long, are hollow and weigh about three pounds each when glazed, fired and finished.  

“I create each fish one at a time,” said Weiss who is able to fire 22 fish in his kiln. “Making a fish is a process that is a minimum of 14 days. Every fish is handled at least 10 times before it comes out of the kiln in its finished state. We rarely carry an inventory. We hand craft each fish, one of a kind.”  For more information, or to order Weiss’ garden fish, visit fishinthegarden.net.   A piece of art, made right here in Maine by a sixth-generation Mainer no less, Weiss’ garden fish are floating on the cutting edge of what every garden needs and wants. Now you can have fish swimming in your garden, no water necessary.   And, not only can you do that, but you can also help Weiss reach his goal, and how often do we get such a stylish opportunity to do that for anybody?