Wine Still LIfe

When I started to learn photography one area I was exploring was still life. I had these colorful wine bottles and some apples. I thought they make for good picture. I made a large print and hung it on my kitchen wall. I thought it came out very nice.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Bass Guitar Shot Gun Shell Knobs

The creative process or Art can happen any where you are, and applied to almost anything. I play the Bass Guitar. I purchased a guitar on line but the knobs were not the original. The seller put on what looked like wooden knobs from his grandmothers dresser. I wanted something different So I though of using shot gun shell as the knobs. I purchased some shotgun shells, emptied them of the gun powder and primer. then fill them in with resin. I zinc plated them (to make more shinny and prevent dulling from oxidation ) and then put some black in to make the lettering stand out (the version shown here is without the black). Here is the end result.

A one of a kind guitar with 12 Gage shotgun knobs



see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Ali Gator Bottle Opener

Creating something from a bar of steel is rewarding. from a simple bar shape, a recognizable item emerges. the item also has a function now. Bottle Opener.

after forging the shape of the head, then the bottle opener end is forged

the green color is not paint but a green wax which looks good and prevents the steel from rusting.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Railroad Spike Bottle Opener

Re-purposing objects makes them more fun then the original. for example other then holding rails into railroad ties, railroad spikes can only be use for paperweights. but with a little bending, twisting and drifting they can be come a beautiful bottle opener.

A line is made in the spike on all 4 sides, then it is twisted then the bottle opener end is created.

 The red patina is from a metal stain, not paint. then using a metallic blue stain I accented the line made in the spike.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

architecture as Art

sometimes a scene even in the city can make for a good picture, this picture of a hotel tower against a clear blue sky in San Diego makes for a great picture

the blue sky contrasted against the beige and green of the building enhances the composition

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Recycled Wine Bottle

Part of the fun of creating art, is to not only make things from scratch but to re-purpose items. When I started glass fusing one goal was to be able to make art from wine bottles. Just melting them is the easy part. I wanted to do more. I then got some glass paint, this is not just paint which you paint on to glass. it is actually fine grains of glass suspended in a medium. you apply it to the glass then put it back in the Kiln to melt it with the other glass. Here is a bottle with a fish scene.

The fish, plant and bubbles are now part of the bottle. Glass of different colors creating art in the glass of the bottle.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Bow Wow Bottle opener

This is a bulldog bottle opener I made for a friend. He and his wife are fanatics when it come to dogs. Rescue dogs, send the ones they own on trips and treat them better then most people treat their kids.

Made from a single piece of steel bar, through the forging processes of bending, upsetting and punching the dog face and bottle opener end was created.



see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Anza Borrego Scenic Rocks

Living in Southern California, there are many natural wonders. Just a few hours south from where I live is the Anza Borrego State Park, it is an excellent destination for camping, hiking and just hanging out. I have done a few trips there to take some photos. One photo which turned out exceptionally well was the side of this hill, which has many interesting features and colors.

the textures, the movement in the rocks all make for a great photo.


see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Glass Birds

Here is some more glass work I have done. I started this hobby to make some back yard ornaments  I started by cutting shapes and then just melting the glass together. This was done during the experimental phase when I was just learning to work with glass. but these birds turned out nice and I gave them to many people at work as x mas gifts.

I also made some in blue for blue birds of Happiness

A little hard to see in the upper right hand corner is a lady bug, I will do a different post later showing it in better detail.


see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Here Fishy, Fishy

With the ability to shape metal it opens the possibility of making any form. I have made bottle openers in many different shapes. Here is a fish I made. After the forging the fish and bottle opening end in the tail, the metal was treated with Japanese brown, a chemical which turns the surface of the metal a brown to protect it from rusting.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

An Orchid by Any Other Name

Part of Art is having an eye to figure out what to represent in the art. In the case of photography, it is identification of the subject, then representing it's best attributes  This can be done with lighting, focus, scale, and composition. Here is a picture of an Orchid I saw at the botanical garden in Balboa Park in San Diego

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Skinny Fish

While doing my glass work I have experimented with different forms and shapes, one popular shape is that of a fish skeleton. especially done in glass of contrasting colors, the fish turn out very nice. then mounted on a background they make great display pieces.

I also made the stand from some left over pieces of steel.


see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Setting Sun

Great photography is a combination of the subject and the photographer. But having access to great scenery is always a plus. Many people from San Diego flock to Wind n Sea Beach every evening for a glimpse of the sunset. Here is just one of them

in this picture in addition to the setting sun with its orange and blue tones, there is the famous Wind n Sea surf hut and some foreground plants.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Retro Plates

Happy Valentine’s Day!

here is a set of retro plates I made with glass, I just use some contrasting colors to get some really cool plates. I am trying to decide on how to display them.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Railroad Spike Cross

Making art out of existing objects is what I find the most enjoyable. Here is a single railroad spike bent and manipulated to form a cross. only hammering was used to make the cross, no welding.

the spike is cut in two different directions allowing the upper part of the cross to come from the bottom (near the head of the spike) and the side legs came from the point of the spike. the wood affect was done with the peen of the hammer.


see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Photography from a Different perspective

some times ordinary objects can make for a great photo. You just have to change the perspective here are some closeups of cactus. if taken from far away just another cactus, but up close more interest is added.

see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

leaf keyrings

The fun of blacksmithing is trying new things. this weekend I spent some time to try to make leafs. I made some which can be used as key rings.

the picture on the white background was my first set of attempts, the darker background is the second. I think they are getting better. the broad leaf in the dark background photo is my attempt at a Ginkgo leaf.



see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Skinny Fish

Turning Glass in to functional art. That is the purpose behind skinny fish. The fish skeletons add the fun / art part the dish is the functional part.  Now a days you seen skulls, bones all over the place. I guess there is no more primal show of power then to have someone else's bones.

But the skeletons I make out of glass are fun and colorful.

here is a plate I made with the skinny fish design. the bright yellow contrasted against the dark blue plate works well

here is another one on a lighter blue one.

see blacksmith art at Bent Iron Forge

See photography at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Horseshoe Hearts

Just in time for Valentine's day horseshoe hearts. What do you do with used horseshoes? What do you get your sweetheart for Valentine's day?  A horseshoe heart!

Starting with a horseshoe and using fire and anvil and hammer the horseshoe is bent into the shape of a horseshoe. The color is a red metal stain, giving the hearts a deep red appearance.

What better way to get lucky on Valentines day then to give your Gal a Horseshoe heart.

see blacksmithing art at Bent Iron Forge

See photography at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Barbaque Art

Always after good food, I took up smoking meat (barbecue, not grilling).

Most smokers are plain black with out any real personality. I wanted something fun, personal, functional and cool, so I designed my own. I also worked more efficiency into the design the the off the shelf or what other pit-masters have built. this is built from an 80 gal air tank and can hold a whole hog, or 12 pork shoulders at once. I did all the work myself, including the steel cutting and welding.  hope you like it.

see blacksmithing work at bent iron forge

see photography at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Along with my other creations, I also have a line of photography. I focus on natural photography landscapes, sunsets, natural objects. I in many cases try to captures unusual perspectives of objects. this different view makes for some interesting results.

I happen to have access to a very scenic beach which is unlike many beaches which just have sand and water. The one at Wind n Sea in La Jolla, has rocks and some ground cover, and birds. This adds to the color in the photographs and are very pleasing to look at. the combination of blue, green and brown make for very nice shots.

I also happen to have a large format printer, I can print the pictures in different media, glossy paper, mat paper, fine art paper and even canvas. the prints make great art for very large wall spaces. A friend was over the other day and was amazed at the quality of the print at that size.


see blacksmithing work at Bent Iron Forge

See Photography work at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Horseshoe Bottle Opener

Today I want to show some blacksmith art

Using the raw elements of air and fire the blacksmith translates the artistic idea from his mind to the steel,  forcing the steel to yield to the shape he desires, using only hammer and anvil

I had seen some blacksmiths making horse head bottle openers from steel bar, I made a few then though it might be more fun to make it from an actual horseshoe. I got some horseshoes and tried it. here is the result.

You can see the horse head motif on both sides, and the holes where the nails held the shoes to the horse. the bottle opening end is opposite the horse head.

Here is a closeup of the head. I particularly like this one because with the angle of the head and the angle of the mane imparts the feeling of movement.

See more blacksmithing items at Bent Iron Forge
See photography at Visual Perceptions by Lombano

Welcome to Lombano Art

Welcome to Lombano Art

This is my first post so I will introduce myself.

I am an artist who works in many different medium. Steel with Blacksmithing and welding, glass work, photography, web graphics, leather work, wood, fiberglass and music. My works are the expression or application of my skill, creativity and imagination. I work to be the master of all medium.

I enjoy working in different media because it gives me the opportunity to be creative and I am not limited by any media, because I can work in all different media. The Creative Process is what drives me. Each day I will put up a different type of work I have done.

Form and Function are my credo, I like to make things which are useful and have a visual aesthetic quality also.


ART of the Day
This sushi dish was done from colored glass, each glass piece was cut positioned and then fused together in a kiln at over 1500 degrees F. Then once fused it was remelted into the sushi dish shape. The center piece was made from different glass pieces melted together with a technique which allows them to melt and flow together to create the pattern you see.

My Blacksmithng work for sale can be seen at  Bent Iron Forge

My Photography can be see at Visual Perceptions by Lombano