Tortured Metal

To me, I think that metal that has been fold-formed and textured often looks like fabric.

It is a process that is both torturous and sensuous...

Enamel Prep

Making copper blanks that will be enameled and then made into earrings and pendants.

I sawed a piece of 24gage copper into half inch sections of different heights.  

Once I drilled holes and cleaned each piece using 3M rotary bristles on the flex shaft I tied the match pairs with thread to keep them together.

Here are the larger pieces I plan to enamel during class this afternoon.

The bowl needs to be re-enameled.  I made it last summer but didn't get a chance to do enough enamel layers.  Time to finish it!

Practicing Sawing and Piercing

As soon as I got my first bench pin and saw I started practicing sawing intricate designs.

 I broke a number of saw blades in the process...

 Two of these have since become finished pieces.

Back to class...

When I decided to try making jewelry again I took a short 4-week class at Lillstreet Art Center here in Chicago.  Lillstreet is a great place!  I really enjoy the creative environment and they have a wonderful cafe on the main floor with yummy molasses cookies.  In fact, I took a picture of one of their cookies for the communal art project entitled "The Meal," organized by Art House/The Sketchbook Project in Brooklyn (2012 edition).

Previously, I took a 10-week print on glass class in the spring of 2012 and then an afternoon glass-blowing workshop to make Christmas ornaments.  I didn't really care for the print part of the print on glass, but I really loved the fusing part of making glass cabochons.  Someday I will take a full glass fusing class and make a lot more cabochons and some fire-work beads.

Though I had tried sawing metal years ago, I discovered the zen of it during this short class.  Sawing and texturing metal by hammering it are truly meditative and joyful experiences.  I remember leaving the first class feeling total bliss at being in the space and working on the metal.  Before the session was over, I signed up for a full 10-week intro class to really cover the foundations.  In this short overview class we tried a variety of techniques.  Needless to say, I was hooked!

The main piece I completed was a copper free-form pendant that I hammered, darkened with liver of sulfur, and then riveted a small oval to.  This pendant is about 2.5 inches long. 

Here's the original free-form design glued to the copper before I started sawing out the shape:

I also made several copper and one brass ring.