This is a picture of my workbench. As much as I try...I can't keep it clean while I'm designing. Neatness and creativity don't exist at the same time in my world.
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Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Let the chaos begin....
This is a picture of my workbench. As much as I try...I can't keep it clean while I'm designing. Neatness and creativity don't exist at the same time in my world.
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Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Holly Gage Classes in Cleveland...Seats Available
In this 2-day class, learn the secrets of transforming original photos or drawings into highly detailed, low relief images, which look similar in style to traditional Repoussé. Discover how to wet-work a reverse polymer mold of your image; manipulate silver metal clay and use tools to create different hand-wrought textural effects; and to carve details for the finishing touch.
Dates: October 27-28 & October 29-30, 2011
Cost: $195
For more information: http://www.metalclayclassesincleveland.blogspot.com/ or contact Katie Hanrahan at katieskreations@yahoo.com
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Big, Big, Big...Bad Ass Beads
These are spindle whorl beads. Here is the description of them.
These come from ancient Mopti-Djenne (Niger and Bani River area). Reports coming from the 1300s say that one could not speak in a normal tone due to the noise of the weavers' looms at Djenne during the time of the great King Sundjata. There are written comments dating to the early 1400s about Djenne and the great number of weavers there. Although often collected and strung as beads, these were originally spindle whorls used to help spin thread. Made of clay and stone and incised with geometrical patterns, they are recognizable by their enlarged central hole. Recent excavation in the old city of Jenne-Jeno, near the modern town of Jenne, show these whorls to have been used at least since AD 1000.
I got these in an auction. I’ve been looking at similar beads and finally decided to go for it. I didn’t realize how big they were. Of course I should have paid attention to the description that stated they were "HUGE". They came in a large box and I thought…”Oh how nice, the company really took a lot of care in packing them".
I pulled out all the packing paper and finally got down to the package of beads...the size of a dictionary....like the ones they have in libraries.....the ones that weight like 20 lbs. Well, I knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore. These ARE huge. These are "one bead to a necklace" type of beads. Otherwise you'll end up with a dowager hump.
I told you they were HUGE!!! HA!! But they are awesome. I made some bronze end caps with a mud cloth decoration on them to go with them.
I ran across a link to a pictorial on The Making of Modern Spindle Worls in Mali. It's really interesting and reminds me in many ways of working with metal clay...but on a much larger scale. Check it out. make sure you click on the arrows at the bottom of the pages so you see all the pictures from start to finish.
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These come from ancient Mopti-Djenne (Niger and Bani River area). Reports coming from the 1300s say that one could not speak in a normal tone due to the noise of the weavers' looms at Djenne during the time of the great King Sundjata. There are written comments dating to the early 1400s about Djenne and the great number of weavers there. Although often collected and strung as beads, these were originally spindle whorls used to help spin thread. Made of clay and stone and incised with geometrical patterns, they are recognizable by their enlarged central hole. Recent excavation in the old city of Jenne-Jeno, near the modern town of Jenne, show these whorls to have been used at least since AD 1000.
I got these in an auction. I’ve been looking at similar beads and finally decided to go for it. I didn’t realize how big they were. Of course I should have paid attention to the description that stated they were "HUGE". They came in a large box and I thought…”Oh how nice, the company really took a lot of care in packing them".
I pulled out all the packing paper and finally got down to the package of beads...the size of a dictionary....like the ones they have in libraries.....the ones that weight like 20 lbs. Well, I knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore. These ARE huge. These are "one bead to a necklace" type of beads. Otherwise you'll end up with a dowager hump.
I told you they were HUGE!!! HA!! But they are awesome. I made some bronze end caps with a mud cloth decoration on them to go with them.
I ran across a link to a pictorial on The Making of Modern Spindle Worls in Mali. It's really interesting and reminds me in many ways of working with metal clay...but on a much larger scale. Check it out. make sure you click on the arrows at the bottom of the pages so you see all the pictures from start to finish.
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Monday, September 5, 2011
Laundry Room Carbon....
I've long had this theory that my carbon gives colors because I keep it in the laudry room, just sitting in a bowl absorbing all the smells in the laundry room. I also occassionally keep it next to the cat litter...absorbing whatever...LOL. I've had two people e-mail so far to say they are getting colors since they moved their carbon to the laundry room or next to their cat litter. Carbon absorbs and when it gets fired it puts all that it absorbs into the firing.....at least that's my theory.
Here are some of the pieces I fired this weekend.
Here are some of the pieces I fired this weekend.
All polished up.....
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Monday, August 22, 2011
The gods have been appeased.....
....or maybe it's the fact that I left my carbon sitting next to the litter box for a few days. Honestly all the talk about storing carbon air-tight, priming, sifting....I just let mine lay around and it just keeps on giving. Candice left a comment on yesterday's post....she read my blog and left her carbon in the laundry room.... and got great colors.
All these pieces below were in the same run...single layer. Below is a piece that I molded from a Gary Wilson fossil. I haven't polished this piece yet. I think I might just try to seal it as is.
I have been trying to master bracelets with mixed results. This time I rolled out and textured a strip of clay and placed it around a wooden bracelet mandrel. Take a look at the mandrel below. Close to the bottom you can see two faint parallel lines. This is where I placed the clay to dry. When it started to dry and pull away from the mandrel, I pushed it up and off so it could finish drying with the constraint of the mandrel. Look how it shrunk...it tightened up...a lot.
Check out the texture in the unfired clay. This is from one of the etched copper plates that I made. The text is from a picture that I took at the Louvre. It has a much sharper texture than the polymer tear away sheets.
Another dilemma piece....I carved a hole in this piece after it was dry. This is always risky because the pressure of cutting into the middle of a piece could crack it...but I liked the ragged edges on the inside of the hole. Well...it wasn't the carving but the fact that I dropped it that made it crack. So I tried to patch it together with a pseudo staple on the front and the back.
But it split anyway and you can tell that my cutting wasn't all that precise because it started to split in a few other areas. I am gong to try to rivet this together with metal straps and then lace it together with leather.
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All these pieces below were in the same run...single layer. Below is a piece that I molded from a Gary Wilson fossil. I haven't polished this piece yet. I think I might just try to seal it as is.
I have been trying to master bracelets with mixed results. This time I rolled out and textured a strip of clay and placed it around a wooden bracelet mandrel. Take a look at the mandrel below. Close to the bottom you can see two faint parallel lines. This is where I placed the clay to dry. When it started to dry and pull away from the mandrel, I pushed it up and off so it could finish drying with the constraint of the mandrel. Look how it shrunk...it tightened up...a lot.
Check out the texture in the unfired clay. This is from one of the etched copper plates that I made. The text is from a picture that I took at the Louvre. It has a much sharper texture than the polymer tear away sheets.
The fired piece...again...in the same batch as that bright red piece above. The texture really held up well in the firing.
Another dilemma piece....I carved a hole in this piece after it was dry. This is always risky because the pressure of cutting into the middle of a piece could crack it...but I liked the ragged edges on the inside of the hole. Well...it wasn't the carving but the fact that I dropped it that made it crack. So I tried to patch it together with a pseudo staple on the front and the back.
But it split anyway and you can tell that my cutting wasn't all that precise because it started to split in a few other areas. I am gong to try to rivet this together with metal straps and then lace it together with leather.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Kiln Gods Must Have Been Feeling Blah.
I put a few things into the kiln last week and the result was all tans and pale greens. I figured the kiln gods were feeling blah that day. Or there is a possibility that the carbon was exhausted. I remember being told that the carbon will eventually lose it's abiity to produce color. So far I've not seen it. I've had tans before and then have it produce amazing colors in the next batch.
I picked up a fosillized sea urchin from Gary Wilson at Bead and Button and made two molds...the front and back.
A couple of amulets that I molded.
A couple of new shields. The second one broke so I will see what I can do with it by lacing the top and bottom together.
I picked up a fosillized sea urchin from Gary Wilson at Bead and Button and made two molds...the front and back.
A couple of amulets that I molded.
A couple of new shields. The second one broke so I will see what I can do with it by lacing the top and bottom together.
A clean studio
I've been cleaning up the studio....a reoccuring theme. It never stays clean but it gets to a point where it is so disorganized that I have to clean it. I found a new tool bag at Home Depot. This one had all kinds of pockets so I could stand up my hammers and saws. It makes it more convenient when I'm looking for something.
I also bought more hooks so I could hang up the strands of beads. Lou took one look at this and told me I could start a bead store....if only he knew.
The workbench is so clean now that Sophie has a place to sit while I work at the other bench.
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I also bought more hooks so I could hang up the strands of beads. Lou took one look at this and told me I could start a bead store....if only he knew.
The workbench is so clean now that Sophie has a place to sit while I work at the other bench.
Friday, August 19, 2011
International Metal Clay Associate Discussion Minutes
Below are the minutes from the discussion that took place at the Metal Clay World Conference about a single metal clay group
Two volunteer facilitators, Sherry Chaples and Mary Ellen Giffels, drew up an outline for discussion and created ground rules. The notes reflect the discussion that took place.
Proposed Agenda:
- Introductions
- Background/Purpose of Meeting
- Ground Rules
- Discussion Areas
o Purpose/Mission of the Organization
o Services Provided
o Customers/Members
o Geographic Scope
- Next Steps
o Who
o What
Ground Rules
- Cell Phone off
- One person talks at a time using the microphone
- There are no bad ideas
- Each speaker is limited to 2 minutes
- Introduce yourself when speaking
Purpose/Mission should be:
- Brand free
- Single source for certification and educational programs
- Professional organization to educate and be the professional face to the public
- Marketplace for teachers/students to find each other and classes
- Independently gather information and provide education needed to grow
- Neutral education and teacher support
- Conferences – share knowledge, network, bring community together
- Will need resources – video, web, etc.
- Will require time to develop
- Promote Metal Clay
- On-line publications
- Advancement of knowledge and excellence
- International/global in scope
Purpose/Mission shouldn’t be:
- Certification focused. Current certifications are company/brand owned and operated and should have nothing to do with the organization
- Not-For Profit vs. Non-Profit vs. Profit….discussion tabled until a later date.
It was acknowledged that this is the beginning of a very long process and we must go slowly to achieve what we want the organization to be. In addition, we will need a lot of planning, work, volunteers and money. Everyone needs to actively work for this organization to happen. Questions that should be asked:
- What can a brand neutral organization do for the members?
- What can a brand neutral organization do for metal clay?
- Will the organization promote instructors or the clay?
- Will it be education based?
- Is a brand neutral organization a logical venture?
Services Provided
- Conferences – info oriented presentations
- Retreats – demos, hands-on workshops
- Education
- Expand into other demographics like high schools to capture the younger generation
- Advocacy
- Outreach / Charity to give back (as with Shelter Box)
- Advancement of knowledge and excellence
- An Annual where excellence in metal clay is showcased
- Website
Who our Customers are:
- Metal Clay Artists
- Galleries
- Educators
- Museums
- Everyone who is interested in working with or advancing the medium of metal clay
- Levels of membership
o Artists (active, students) – different payment structure, potential scholarships to students
o Corporate members
o Local guilds
Who our customers are not:
- No one
- Corporate members should not influence the organization. There needs to be transparency in membership and sponsorship. No hidden agendas.
- There should be no “masters”
Geographic Scope
- Multi-cultural
- Global in scope
How will the new organization affect the existing organizations and corporations?
- Many people are already members of both Art Clay Society and PMC guild. As artists, many are already brand neutral in that they use all brands of clay.
- PMC Guild and Art Clay Society are very supportive of all metal clay artists regardless of brands of clay used.
- Art Clay Society has never been brand specific. It is, however, based at Art Clay World. Once a brand neutral organization is created, Art Clay Society would be willing to merge with it.
- The companies, Mitsubishi and Aida, will always be separate corporations.
Currently there are many sources of support
- Art Clay Society, PMC guild
- Yahoo Metal Clay list,
- Metal Clay Artist Magazine,
- Metal Clay Academy
- Metal Clay Today.
Next Steps
- Get ideas from other similar guilds on by-laws, etc.
- Enfold PMC Guild members
- Figure out what happens to Art Clay Society and how does this impact relationship to Aida
- Members to help guide the organization forward
- Survey regarding what we discussed today (PMC guild, ACS, Yahoo, other venues)
- Consider having someone from the business community on Council/Board
- Legalities, where to incorporate, etc – Sandra Graves
- Put video on You Tube for 3 months – Jackie/Tom Truty
- Written recap of meeting – Katie Hanrahan, Judi Weers, and Gail Lannum. Gail will consolidate the notes and send to Mary Ellin D’Agostino. Those who have blogs are encouraged to post the notes on their blogs to get the word out to as many people as possible. Also place on Yahoo board.
- Google Doc outline – Mary Ellin D’Agostino
- Website Plan – Signe Lalish-Menagh
- Translation into other languages
o German, French – Verna Sowersby
o Spanish – Elizabeth Del Monte
o Dutch – Inge Verbruggen
o Are there others who can translate?
.
Two volunteer facilitators, Sherry Chaples and Mary Ellen Giffels, drew up an outline for discussion and created ground rules. The notes reflect the discussion that took place.
Proposed Agenda:
- Introductions
- Background/Purpose of Meeting
- Ground Rules
- Discussion Areas
o Purpose/Mission of the Organization
o Services Provided
o Customers/Members
o Geographic Scope
- Next Steps
o Who
o What
Ground Rules
- Cell Phone off
- One person talks at a time using the microphone
- There are no bad ideas
- Each speaker is limited to 2 minutes
- Introduce yourself when speaking
Purpose/Mission should be:
- Brand free
- Single source for certification and educational programs
- Professional organization to educate and be the professional face to the public
- Marketplace for teachers/students to find each other and classes
- Independently gather information and provide education needed to grow
- Neutral education and teacher support
- Conferences – share knowledge, network, bring community together
- Will need resources – video, web, etc.
- Will require time to develop
- Promote Metal Clay
- On-line publications
- Advancement of knowledge and excellence
- International/global in scope
Purpose/Mission shouldn’t be:
- Certification focused. Current certifications are company/brand owned and operated and should have nothing to do with the organization
- Not-For Profit vs. Non-Profit vs. Profit….discussion tabled until a later date.
It was acknowledged that this is the beginning of a very long process and we must go slowly to achieve what we want the organization to be. In addition, we will need a lot of planning, work, volunteers and money. Everyone needs to actively work for this organization to happen. Questions that should be asked:
- What can a brand neutral organization do for the members?
- What can a brand neutral organization do for metal clay?
- Will the organization promote instructors or the clay?
- Will it be education based?
- Is a brand neutral organization a logical venture?
Services Provided
- Conferences – info oriented presentations
- Retreats – demos, hands-on workshops
- Education
- Expand into other demographics like high schools to capture the younger generation
- Advocacy
- Outreach / Charity to give back (as with Shelter Box)
- Advancement of knowledge and excellence
- An Annual where excellence in metal clay is showcased
- Website
Who our Customers are:
- Metal Clay Artists
- Galleries
- Educators
- Museums
- Everyone who is interested in working with or advancing the medium of metal clay
- Levels of membership
o Artists (active, students) – different payment structure, potential scholarships to students
o Corporate members
o Local guilds
Who our customers are not:
- No one
- Corporate members should not influence the organization. There needs to be transparency in membership and sponsorship. No hidden agendas.
- There should be no “masters”
Geographic Scope
- Multi-cultural
- Global in scope
How will the new organization affect the existing organizations and corporations?
- Many people are already members of both Art Clay Society and PMC guild. As artists, many are already brand neutral in that they use all brands of clay.
- PMC Guild and Art Clay Society are very supportive of all metal clay artists regardless of brands of clay used.
- Art Clay Society has never been brand specific. It is, however, based at Art Clay World. Once a brand neutral organization is created, Art Clay Society would be willing to merge with it.
- The companies, Mitsubishi and Aida, will always be separate corporations.
Currently there are many sources of support
- Art Clay Society, PMC guild
- Yahoo Metal Clay list,
- Metal Clay Artist Magazine,
- Metal Clay Academy
- Metal Clay Today.
Next Steps
- Get ideas from other similar guilds on by-laws, etc.
- Enfold PMC Guild members
- Figure out what happens to Art Clay Society and how does this impact relationship to Aida
- Members to help guide the organization forward
- Survey regarding what we discussed today (PMC guild, ACS, Yahoo, other venues)
- Consider having someone from the business community on Council/Board
- Legalities, where to incorporate, etc – Sandra Graves
- Put video on You Tube for 3 months – Jackie/Tom Truty
- Written recap of meeting – Katie Hanrahan, Judi Weers, and Gail Lannum. Gail will consolidate the notes and send to Mary Ellin D’Agostino. Those who have blogs are encouraged to post the notes on their blogs to get the word out to as many people as possible. Also place on Yahoo board.
- Google Doc outline – Mary Ellin D’Agostino
- Website Plan – Signe Lalish-Menagh
- Translation into other languages
o German, French – Verna Sowersby
o Spanish – Elizabeth Del Monte
o Dutch – Inge Verbruggen
o Are there others who can translate?
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Saturday, August 13, 2011
Book Review Saturday
I have so many jewelry books stacked up in the studio that I want to read or study....but this book showed up on my doorstep yesterday and I had to sit down to look at it.
It's a cute book about the size of the moleskine I keep in my purse...I love moleskine's. And it's printed on glossy graph paper.....I love graph paper. I know....I'm a nerd. When I was in college I loved to take notes on graph paper. So without even looking at the contents of this book I was in love.
I had heard about the Ring a Day project. This is a 250+ page collection of some of those rings...obviously 700 of them. There are pictures...lots of pictures... on every page with a few quotes from the artists on their designs. There is lots of inspiration in this book. Some of the rings are fabulous, some are unusual and some are just weird...LOL. But when you've challenged yourself to make a ring a day... no matter what.... sometimes you grab the twist tie off the bag of bread and get to work.
One of my favorite jewelry artists...Sara Westermark...has work in this book and some of my metal clay Facebook friends...Lorena Angulo, Angela Crispin and Lora Hart.
This is going to be a book I'm going to pick up again and again.... write and draw in the margins....put sticky notes in.... and get tons of inspiration. Making rings has been one of my goals so maybe this book will help me take those first few steps.
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
A nice day for weeding
After weeks of 90+ degree weather it is finally in the 80's and tonight it will be in the 60's....great sleeping weather. I left work early, threw open the windows and doors when I got home, then went into the backyard to weed for two hours. It was so nice to go outside and not wilt.
The summer has flown. I still have half the flower beds in the back yard to weed. I haven't touched them in a couple years since I'm usually doing art shows. At this point I might be better off just plowing them under and starting over. Anyone want to help me weed??? I can pay in jewelry :))
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The summer has flown. I still have half the flower beds in the back yard to weed. I haven't touched them in a couple years since I'm usually doing art shows. At this point I might be better off just plowing them under and starting over. Anyone want to help me weed??? I can pay in jewelry :))
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Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Metal Clay Classes in Cleveland.....Seats Available
The NEO PMC guild is hosting Lora Hart and Gorden Uyehara on August 25-29, 2011. Our own Cathy Davies-Paetz will also be teaching. Besides metal clay classes we will have classes in photography and use of the flex shaft. I have created a page with the class brochure. Just click on the Metal Clay Classes In Cleveland link over on the right side of my blog under PAGES.
If you want to sign up for a class, contact Katie Hanrahan at katieskreations@yahoo.com
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If you want to sign up for a class, contact Katie Hanrahan at katieskreations@yahoo.com
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Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Polished up...
I polished up a few of the pieces I made last week. Next stop...the assembly bench. These are far from finished. I love the extra cut that the copper texture sheets give the metal clay.
I'm going to lace this one up
She lost a faux rivet. Lou told me I should "pick off" the other ones. I just started laughing. I had to explain that I couldn't just "pick" them off. It is all one piece after firing.
Tribal designs
Orange dots on this one....if only I knew what goes on during the firing to make the colors and patterns.
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Sunday, July 24, 2011
It Never Gets Old....Bronze Fresh from the Kiln
It's been crazy hot here in Cleveland. Driving home on Thursday the car was reading 107 on the freeway. Lou headed to Michigan on Friday for a golf weekend so I decided that this was a good weekend to just stay inside and work in the studio.
I recently made a few (40+) etched copper sheets to use as textures for metal clay. I had used polymer clay tear-aways in the past but the polymer clay company changed formulations so the process no longer works. It was time to try something different. I picked my favorite designs and nailed down acid-etching on copper.
I tried out a number of these yesterday. And I have to say I LOVE them. They were easy to use and because I can control the depth of the copper etch, I can make a stronger texture on the metal clay. It's not as much as with a rubber stamp but more than a tear away. I haven't polished them up yet but I can't help posting pics of the pieces fresh out of the kiln. The colors are just so great.
I recently made a few (40+) etched copper sheets to use as textures for metal clay. I had used polymer clay tear-aways in the past but the polymer clay company changed formulations so the process no longer works. It was time to try something different. I picked my favorite designs and nailed down acid-etching on copper.
I tried out a number of these yesterday. And I have to say I LOVE them. They were easy to use and because I can control the depth of the copper etch, I can make a stronger texture on the metal clay. It's not as much as with a rubber stamp but more than a tear away. I haven't polished them up yet but I can't help posting pics of the pieces fresh out of the kiln. The colors are just so great.
My typical tribal designs mixed with some industrial girders and rivets. Check out the orange spots on some of these.
These are all from nature. Molds of drift wood from my brother's beach and part of a seed pod (heart shape) from an Amaryllis that sits in my office at work.
The gear was made from a shaped frame I picked up at the MCWC . It's from polymer clay express. It's was a really easy to use. The other two pieces.... I have no idea....they were sheets that I had cut small discs and rectangles from...but I liked them so I threw them in to fire.
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Tuesday, July 19, 2011
New Directions: Powder Metallurgy (Metal Clay) in a Sheet Metal World
New Directions is a book that "embraces the unique personality that metal clay brings in the form of jewelry, vessels, functional and decorative objects". It brings together some amazing metal clay artists and I'm proud to be included in this book. A portion of each sale will go to CERF+ which is an organization that provides emergency relief to artists.
I borrowed a picture from Christine Norton. It is a pic of me and the book open to the page that features my work.
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I borrowed a picture from Christine Norton. It is a pic of me and the book open to the page that features my work.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Back from Metal Clay World Conference
Got back yesterday. It was really great to catch up with friends...especially Facebook friends. To actually see them in person and get a chance to talk was great!! The MCWC is a well run meeting, in a nice location, and there were lots of good lectures.
I picked up some photography tips from Lisa Pavelka and my most favorite was a lecture by Lisa Barth who does amazing stone setting with silver metal clay. She has a book out...Designing From The Stone: Design Techniques for Bezel Setting in Metal Clay Using the Stone as Inspiration
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I picked up some photography tips from Lisa Pavelka and my most favorite was a lecture by Lisa Barth who does amazing stone setting with silver metal clay. She has a book out...Designing From The Stone: Design Techniques for Bezel Setting in Metal Clay Using the Stone as Inspiration
She makes beautiful pieces and the book goes through her design process and how she uses the features of the stone to guide her in designing the bezel...on both the front and the back. If you have any interest in bezel setting stones in metal clay....you need this book. Of course I bought it and had her sign it :)
Speaking of stones....here are a few I picked up from Joe Jelks at Horizon Mineral. Joe doesn't have a website but he does shows. You need to check out his stones if you ever run into him at a show.
Anasazi Pot Shards...very cool and after Lisa's class my mind is buzzing with thoughts of the bezels I can make.
Fossilized Dinosaur Bone....really!! I have a hard time grasping that I have a piece of dinosaur bone.
Agate Tubes. Finding these were worth the trip.
I thought they might be thousands of years old. Joe said they are more like millions of years old. They are the result of volcanic ash deposits on the stems of silica rich marsh plant stems in Sumatra.
This is a picture of the primordial place they were created.
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Sunday, July 10, 2011
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