Texture, Texture, Texture.

I really enjoyed working with PNP paper. Therefore, I wanted to use it again. For the final project, I am creating a series of vessels that represent some of the deadliest skin diseases. Vessels are typically an object we collect such as a vase, or a teapot. These objects are often considered "beautiful". I wanted to create pretty forms for each of the vessels, however each surface will be mutilated according to different diseases. Not only am I using more PNP paper and etching, but I am again going to fill vessels with pitch and chase them. I am looking forward to completing them and to practice my forming skills.

Semi Finished...

This is one of my semi finished nose plugs. I still have a third one to make. I used the dapping block to make the ball part that goes under your nose. I flared out the edges of the nose plug part so it would stretch out your nose a little more. I wanted it to make you look not as "pretty" as you would hope.

Nose series

I have two assembled with the exception of the ear plugs which are to be set in the nose plug area. I have one more to make within the next 48 hours. Also, I need to do my clean up and surface finishes. Wish me luck!

Nose goes....

I am making a series of three noseplugs. They will vary in size, shape, and surface texture. It is a play on how we interact with others knowing they have an illness or a disease, yet it IS faashionable. Well, it will be once it is cleaned up and looking fancy.

ETCHING!

Alright, so I started etching tonight. I used the PNP paper. which turned out brilliantly. It is by far my favorite way to apply a resist. This pattern is going to be the basis for my noseplug design.

Smell ya later!

After sketching nose plugs, I actually had to start shoving things in my nose to see how this would really work. Truth is, it was highly uncomfortable. This piece is going to be uncomfortable and hopefully will look rather uncomfortable. It will show just how far people will go to stay "Safe". Sometimes, people make real asses out of themselves by being so narrow minded. I am trying to make a fashionable noseplug to keep the everyday "normal" person safe from diseases and deformities that invade the world!

Texture or Production?

Production vs. Texture project of choice

They both win! However, I am mainly focusing on the texture project. My topic is body oddities and ailments. Last project I worked with the idea of the plague, so I tried to stray from that this time and focus on wild body deformities. I got carried away with the man from Asia who has a 15kg tumor in his face. It weighs down his whole face, which then makes it look as though it is melting. So I was trying to find a way for him to protect his tumor. Most people see it as weird and gross, but that makes him, him. I was trying to get that point across. My sketches were mediocre, and I was not finding myself all too excited to start making. In turn, more sketching commenced. I started to think about this tumor and how people react to it. People stare. People laugh and point. People think they can catch it by touching said person or breathing the same as as said person or sharing drinks with said person. That caught my attention. I started sketching plugs for the nose. If you don't breathe near said person, you will not catch the disease they have. I am dealing with the nose because it is a part of the body I have no focused on yet.

The effects of chase and repousse

I had finished the chase and repousse portion of my piece. I burnt off all of the pitch and pickled the pieces. I then cut them out from the copper sheet. Turns out, they looked like little metal horns. So, we had some fun before I soldered them together.

My piece is finished. So, I will post some professional looking photos of it later.

SILVER SAVINGS!

want to buy silver? Otto Frei just emailed me saying silver has dropped as is 30% off! If you want silver for the future, now is the time to buy. Also, enter "JACK" in the promotion code box and get an extra 5% off! This could be helpful if people want silver for production pieces!!!!! BUY IT EARLY SO YOU GET YOUR PROJECT DONE ON TIME!

Dye forming

To attempt to ease the process of chase and repousse, I have created a dye. This is the basic form I am making. I made two copper pieces from this dye. The two copper peices will be soldered together to create a hollow form.

Chain making again.

My piece is going to be a necklace, so while I was waiting for my copper to pickle, I started working on my chain. It is a single loop in loop chain. It is my third time making a chain like this, so the process is not taking as long as it used to.

Chase and Repousse

For our project, we had to make five tools for chase and repousse. I finally finished mine! I also started my sample piece.

Lining Tool

We learned how to make a lining tool for chase and repousse. We had to anneal it and then forge it out on an anvil. It was fun! Now all five of my tools are made. I just need to polish them!

It's that time of the semester...

where we choose our theme. I was really interested in my theme last semester, which was sideshow freaks. I read so many fascinating articles about the people that were in different circus freak acts. The images were phenomenal also. This semester, I would like to stay on that path. I am thinking of working with ailments.


ail·ment   [eyl-muhnt] Show IPA
noun
a physical disorder or illness, especially of a minor or chronic nature.


I figured this was a broad characterization for what I want to work with. This first project is chase and repousse. I am still waiting on supplies to come in the mail, and I am finishing my tools, but I would like to work with ideas in regards to different plagues. I enjoy reading about the different plagues that have hit different areas of the world, but I am also interested in the techniques they used to "heal" or "treat" people with the plague. The attire that plague doctors wore was so creepy looking. They wore this huge black cloak like jackets that were black and had a wax coating on them. They wore these masks that looked like bird beaks and had glass coverings over the eyes. I was interested most in the mask. The mask looked like a beak. It was shaped that way because the doctors held different scents in there such as myrrh, rose petals, incense, and other fragrances. The doctors believed in you breathed in pleasant scents such as those, it would help you to stay safe and healthy and not be overcome by the plague. I would like to create a piece that portrays this idea. I want to make some sort of armor piece, maybe for the shoulders or arm. This would not help with the breathing aspect, but it is another way to arm yourself.

Velvet da Vinci Gallery

Thanks google for bringing me to this.

http://www.velvetdavinci.com/allimages.php?action=show&mode=1&id=109&page=1

So many vessels, jewelry pieces, objects. I think this will help steer me into a more specific direction with Project #1.
I win.

Beardtastic!

So my beard will be held onto my head with a spiculum piece. Actually I am making three different spiculi(sp?) and soldering them together to make a piece to wear around the back of my head and over my ears. I will solder some 24 gauge copper wire to the inside of them and weave the beard into the wire. I will also add wire to various part of the beard to build up the felt and create different focal points.

Time to get it done!

Kinetic Piece Progress

I am inching closer and closer...





I have to apply a patina and then rivet the middle piece of acrylic to the copper. Then....VIOLA! Finished.

Felt.....how do I feel about you?

It's that time again, the end of the semester. What do I want? To have fun. SO I decided to make a beard...a lady beard. My theme is sideshow oddities so I wanted to work with the bearded lady. She gets herself all dolled up in a fancy dress and shows off her beard to all. I think men look handsome with beards, so why can't ladies be handsome too? Why not doll up the beard too? I wanted to make a fluffy flowing beard. Metal is not the softest looking material, so why not try felting?

I purchased 15 feet of black wool and about six feet of purple wool. Yes, I am trying to keep the beard trendy and "stylish". SO last night I set up a little wet felting area on the floor of the studio. I needed a big enough work space and the floor was as big as I could get. I laid down three garbage bags so the water did not get on the floor. Then I taped the bags to the floor so they wouldn't move as I rolled the felt on top of them. After laying down the garbage bags you lay down the bubble wrap. The felt you gently tear aprat and layer them on top of each other. In areas where you want the felt to be thicker you layer more felt on top by crosshatching. Now you add a little bit of water and some soap. I used a pool noodle as my roller. I started to roll the wool and bubble wrap around the noodle and continued to roll it back and forth. After ten minutes or so, I stopped and unwrapped everything. I had used too much water, which made me very nervous and stressed. Luckily dabbing it with a towel helps to remove it. I let it dry for a little then rolled it all once more. Right now I have a pretty fancy looking beard

RHINO Workshop

Nicole Jacquard was kind enough to introduce us to Zedit (I think that's the name of the program). Anyways, this program allows you to add colored images to your RHINO design. We each made a coaster. Since I was having fun with the workshop I made a fun little coaster. It is ever so gracefully hanging in the case outside the studio.



Yes, that IS PeeWee Herman.

Thank you very much Nicky!

Tiara

These are obviously not professionally taken, however I did put a Liver of Sulphur patina on my tiara.

I still need to set my stone. Hopefully, with money coming from USG we will be able to have our photography workshop and take a million photos of everything. The more the merrier.

RHINO WEEKEND!!!

This weekend we were fortunate enough to have Nicole Jacquard come to Buff State. She lectured on her work, as well as taught us the CAD program. I have currently enrolled in the CAD class so I feel like I had an advantage to this. We made a ring, a pendant and a coaster. My ring was printed too large. I typed in the circumference in the radius line. I am however reprinting it tonight.


For the coasters, we used ZEdit. We were able to place an image onto the coaster with ZEdit. Nicole will mail those to us within a week or so.

The workshop was a nice break from the regular studio schedule. I learned some shortcuts as well as some new information. I hope everyone who attended enjoyed it as much as I did.

Tiara progress

My tiara is based on the elephant man. I have sunken the larger pieces and made the smaller ones on the dapper block. I then soldered the pieces together. I believe there are 22 pieces soldered together. I still have to apply the patina. I want to make the pieces highly crusty and dark. I am going to use liver of sulfur along with another patina to get the desired affect. I am happy with this piece.

conjoined piece progress

I am slowly but surely finishing up my kinetic piece. I have started to clean up the hollow forms. I want to finish that before I solder on the final pieces of wire!

I AM SO CLOSE! ....not really.

Beginning of hollow form....

This is the outer piece to my hollow forms. In essence, they are shackles for your feet!

kinetic adornment brainstorming

I took photos of my feet to see how I want them held together by my piece. Here are the photos. just quick snapshots.

sideshow freaks

Sideshow Freaks is my theme for the semester.

these are some of the main acts from the Barnum Freakshow.

For my first project I am creating a piece for your toes. I want to create something similar to a Chinese Finger Trap, but to wear on your toes. That way, you body will be connected and it will force you to stand awkwardly. I am still in the process of sketching, so I have not figured out the mechanisms yet. That is first on my list of things to do.

New Semester...New Ideas....or so I can only hope...

I took the entire winter break to relax. I slept most of it away knowing as soon as the Spring semester started I would barely get any sleep....

Project One: Kinetic Adornment

I came across a designer, Michael Berger. Yep, I love his work. Here is his site. There is a fantastic video that everyone should watch!

http://rezalutions.com/rings-that-rock-and-roll-kinetic-jewelry-by-michael-berger/

Another artist is Thérèse de Villiers.


Right now I am brainstorming what my topic should be. I wanted to do insects again, however now I have skin growths and gross things on my mind. Maybe my topic should be gross..or phobias.


MUST BRAINSTORM!