Lost Wax Casting Extravaganza!

Hello folks!

I know, I know it's been a while. I've been very busy with all sorts of great things! I got a piece into a juried show, am working towards my graduation, and am also working very hard on RADICAL JEWELRY MAKEOVER! If you are unfamiliar with this awesome project please check out our WEBSITE! AND, for constant updates and awesome pictures check out our FACEBOOK PAGE! The show opens THIS FRIDAY but we are always accepting jewelry donations!

I was going to post some of the graphic design work I've been working on for this project here but then I thought... WHY DON'T I JUST LINK YOU? So there you have it. I've been in charge of website maintenance, updating the Facebook page and the promotional design work. And, I've loved every minute spent working on this project. Where else do both of my degrees co-exist so harmoniously?

But where's your jewelry, Jane?! 

I can hear you asking. Well, it's right here! In progress shots and all. I've been doing a little lost wax casting.

This was my display for the works I was submitting to be juried into the VCU student show. 

This is the piece on the far right that was accepted. 

The tools of my trade. I'm going to try to get into Wolf tools. 

I think I need to purchase my own set though. 

Here's the finished wax. 

Cast in sterling silver. 

I sent this picture to my Mum after I cast it. This is the first piece I have cast myself since my casting accident last semester. 

The last thing I cast before the accident and the first thing I have cast since. 

My old studio mate (Taylor Hale) asked for an in-progress pic. I sent her an "in-progress pic...kle." 

Finished result! Sterling silver and acrocarp moss. 

Meanwhile, I had previously assisted a casting with Susie Ganch. Susie approached me with the idea of making a piece of jewelry for Radical Jewelry Makeover by casting with some of the donated gold. This was such a great opportunity for me as I currently don't have the financial resources to work with gold (and ethically sourced gold at that!) I also knew I needed to get back in the saddle after being hurt while assisting a fellow student last semester. 

By using a slightly dulled scribe, I chased dappled detail into the finished ring. 

Blury studio shot, rear view. 

Front view. 14k Gold.

Happy family. 

There's always the risk of something you love hurting you. If/when it does give yourself as much time necessary to recover emotionally and physically. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you, support you and push you when you need it. Do not ever give up. 

Graduation Looming

Can you feel it? It's buzzing in the air. The lingering idea that soon senior students across the nation  will be walking across that stage to receive proof that they are now qualified. Many are counting down the days. Or, if you're like me, you're trying to avoid calendars as much as possible.

You would think after being in college for 9 years I would be checking off each day in my planner as it passes. The truth is, as a Material Studies major at VCU, I have been kept busy and will be kept busy right until the very end. I'm sure it is like this at other colleges too.

This week was spring break at VCU and the weather was gorgeous! It truly felt like spring. Unfortunately, the splendid weather was not what kept me out of the studio but rather I was stuck in the house suffering from a bad case of food poisoning. Yuck!

This did allow me to have a bit of reading time and I chose to finish a fantastic book I had been enjoying by Bill Bryson titled, "I'm a Stranger Here Myself." Bryson, an American, moved to England around 1977 where he settled down with his English wife and kids. After 20 years the family decided to relocate to New Hampshire, USA. This book is essentially Bryson's attempt at understanding and dealing with his reverse culture shock, something I feel I suffer from no matter what continent I'm on.

I have to admit I was delighted when I came across a chapter in which he had included the speech he'd given to the graduating class of Kimball Union Academy.

Some of my favorite parts of this speech I found particularly practical for metalsmiths/ jewelers. For example, at one point Bryson states, "I've learned that if you touch a surface to see if it is hot, it will be." Other gems include, "I've learned it is seldom a good idea to take clothing off over your head while riding a bicycle. And I have learned that nearly all small animals want to bite me and always will."

I was going to summarize the speech but it's so fantastic and short and bulleted that I thought you'd rather read it for yourselves so...

You can read this address in full right HERE.

I know, I know, you're graduating and don't have a lot of time. We can't all have the luxury of being food poisoned but do give it a glance. It's worth it.

As a reward for getting to the bottom of this page here is a picture of me in my dress robes, I mean graduation gown. You can see I was a little confused by the proper way to wear the dress hood. For a second, I thought I was graduating from Hogwarts. My brother made the wand. 

Waiting for Inspiration? Don't.

If you're waiting around for your muse it can be a long time before she finally shows up. When it comes to inspiration you definitely need to meet it half way.

Chuck Close once said, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work." And, I believe this is a pretty accurate statement. If, as an artist, you sit around waiting for inspiration to strike you'll certainly never make a living.

This doesn't mean that professional artists or art students never get inspired though. I believe that by cultivating a variety of interests you, as an artist, are able to tap into an endless stream of inspirational possibilities.

What's great about living in the digital age is that there are now countless ways to do this! My friends who work in graphic design, photography and illustration LOVE Tumblr. Many of them sell prints through Society6. Browsing Etsy is a great way for those of us interested in production lines to check out what else is being sold out there and check our price points.

My addiction is Pinterest (Clink link to see my page). I find the most incredible contemporary craft images on that site. I love revisiting my boards for motivation. And not just my jewelry boards because I believe all of my interests feed my design choices.

Sample of my Jewelry board right now. 

Sample of my Gardening board. 

Sample of my Hooping board. As a jeweler I find myself sitting still for long periods of time. Hooping gets my energy up and gets my body moving! The wonderful ladies in these photos inspire me to stay motivated. 

If you're not sure where to start on Pinterest feel free to follow me or my Mother. She has 877 more followers than I do (1,049 in total) and has some truly exceptional boards.

The point of using tools like these to feed into your visual inspiration is that you end up internalizing the design elements you respond to and processing them through your own lens. I'm always looking at other artists work but I also allow the work I've already made to inform my next piece. Once you find a path you're interested in you can follow it to see where it takes you. But, don't be afraid of detours. Stay curious and remember to explore!

Speaking of detours, do you Instagram? I started my account today so feel free to check me out here. Add me, I follow back.

This is all I have right now. I was told the internet likes cats.

Simple Snowdrop Earrings

We're been having some very bizarre weather here in Virginia this winter. It was a gorgeous 70 degrees on Sunday and I was outside in the garden hooping away. But today! Today it was snowing.

However, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to photograph the earrings I made this weekend. They remind me a little of snowdrops. What do you all think?

They started off as practice for tube-setting rhinestones. I am planning on using reclaimed rhinestones for the piece I'm making for Radical Jewelry Makeover RVA. 

If you don't know about Radical Jewelry Makeover check it out HERE! And if you're in Richmond, VA come see the show in April! Follow us on Facebook HERE!

Something a Little Different

At the beginning of the semester, I found myself having trouble motivating myself to get into the studio to work. I was beginning to feel the weight of my actions against the environment and questioning whether my work was really worth the damage. Also, as you can probably tell from last weeks post, I was still feeling a little jumpy in the studio. 

Metal is one of those materials where practically anything is possible and for me, it's easy to get lost in that sea of possibilities. So, I decided that my artistic liberation comes from rules and restrictions. I needed guidelines to help me focus. For this piece I only allowed myself to work with tools which will be easily accessible to me after my access to the VCU studio is gone. I wanted to see what I could make using only cold working techniques.

I'm not overly fond of the way this piece turned out. In my opinion, it lacks movement but, it was a lot of fun to make and I learned a lot along the way. I am positive that the techniques used here will find their way into my newer work.

Everything starts with a sketch for me. This one just had to be drawn at 3am on Tuesday morning and was a right bee in my bonnet until it was done. Sometimes you just have to get something out of your system. Just to see. 

I always make a paper model first. Sometimes I might make a copper model instead/ too. This saves me from making any mistakes when using the "good" metal, silver. 

I make sure I'm using my silver economically by carefully choosing where to cut. 

I save my scrap silver to melt down into ingots to make sheet metal and wire. 

The clasp for this necklace is hidden. 

I use a traditional blackwork pattern as the decorative feature instead of setting stones or gems. 

This whole piece is kept together with rivets and stitching. 

Tape covers the embroidery to prevent it from getting dirty during clean-up.

The best part about this necklace is it can be easily taken apart and recycled. There's no pesky solder here to worry about getting into my ingots!

It's a little bit different, isn't it? But I had fun making it and it certainly kept me coming into the studio regularly. I'm now in a good routine and making daily. Which means, more blog posts!

Fear in the Studio

In the studio it is so important to be aware of your surroundings. Naturally, protective gear should be worn when operating all machinery. As a beginner student, it is perfectly normal to feel a certain amount of fear when working in the studio. Caution is strongly encouraged. But, fear can sometimes prevent us from progressing. I have found that the best way to get over that fear is to use whatever piece of equipment you are feeling nervous with. And, use it a lot.

After my casting accident, I was finding it difficult to come into the studio and work. Initially, I was jumping at every loud sound that came by. But, by spending time sitting in the studio and chatting to friends as they worked or by creating purely cold-worked (no flames/ solder/ etc...) pieces I was beginning to get back into the groove of the work. 

So, beneath I'm going to show the top 9 scariest pieces of equipment found in VCU's metals studio.

1) The Kiln

Kilns can give you pretty nasty burns but, as you can see, VCU provides gloves and we use tongs as well. 

2) The Drill Press

Somewhat scary. As long as you have safety glasses on, a dust mast and your hair pulled back from your face you should be fine using this. Just watch where you put those fingers!

3) The Rolling Mill

Just like the drill press, as long as you keep hair pulled back and your fingers out of the way you should be dandy. Watch out for loose articles of clothing as they may get sucked in. Always wear eye protection in the studio. 

4) The Pickle

Sodium bisulfate. Don't put your fingers in it. Wash your hands! 

5) The Torch

Handle with care. Make sure your gauges are working properly. Check for leaks with soapy water. Don't store it on it's side. Chain it to something (like a table). Don't drop it. 

6) The Belt Sander

I really don't use this too much. It's good for shaping wooden ring displays and steel rod for chasing tools. Keep your hair and loose clothing pulled back. Wear eye protection and a dust mask. Watch your fingers!

7) The Buffing Wheels

There are horror stories about these. Pull your hair back, wear eye protection and a dust mask. NO LOOSE ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. Do not try to polish chain. You will get pulled in and will experience a scene similar to those described when discussing the factory conditions of the industrial revolution. Ouch. 

8) The Centrifuge

Ok, this is actually not the worst piece of equipment we have at VCU metals. Look at that lid! It is so heavy and there's a latch that keeps the lid down. Obviously, I'm still a bit gun shy about this machine because the last time I used it it spat molten metal at me. What we could defer after the accident was that the flask I was assisting a fellow student in casting had not been burned out properly and there was still moisture in the investment. 

Casting is all about time management, numbers and preparation. As long as you maintain good notes and re-read them whilst following directions you will be fine. Yes, the lid makes a big boom. Eventually you will get over that and learn to love the rush. I currently feel like a beginner student again, which isn't a bad thing because I'm paying attention to all the little details now and it's made me a stronger caster for it. 

Wear protection. Glasses, respirator, gloves, even leather aprons are appropriate ways to protect yourself.

9) The Empty Sketchbook!

Blank. Full of promise and procrastination. Sometimes we have mental and creative blocks when working in the studio. The best way to push past this is to get busy. Draw down some wire. Place new limitations on yourself (like participating in a Radical Jewelry Makeover type project)!

If you've tried to get busy and still can't come up with anything, take your sketchbook for a walk. Go out with friends. Go to a museum. Remember, there is life outside of the studio and it helps to inform what we make inside it so try to make a little time to go experience it. 

On Monday, I'll be posting in-progress shots of the most recent piece I have made which was my "get out of this non-productive rut and make something" process. Have a great weekend!