Underwater Marvels Propel My Art
My friend Susan Shahinian was kind enough to demonstrate how to create fine silver lace using silver metal clay paste.
With great weather, a nice local farmer’s market nearby, and views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the meeting room, members of our local guild watched and learned from Susan. She started with cloth lace and finished by placing ‘greenware’ metal clay lace onto a hollow form.
You can see more of Susan’s work, including her handmade glass beads, at her website.
My friend Bob Rush has an article published in the current (July 2010) issue of Lapidary Journal. I saw the article “Catseye Obsidian Cabochon” when I browsed through the magazine tonight.
My friend, and fellow jewelry artist, Fran Grinels is very happy to have one of her rings included in the new “500 Gemstone Jewels: A Sparkling Collection of Dazzling Designs” book published by Lark Books. Sam Grinels, the photographer, is her husband, and it’s nice that they were both published at the same time.
Last Spring I took a weekend wire sculpture workshop from Thomas Hill at Scintillant Studio, and almost completed a wire outline of a piranha skull. I posted a picture of the skull and the work in progress here.
A friend of Tom’s had given him a piranha skull they’d found. The skull was one of many that he uses to teach students how to concentrate on the outlines of figures. The first exercise was to draw the skull as an outline.
We then made some joins using steel wire fragments to practice the techniques we’d be using to connect the wires in our sculptures.
We created our first wire sculpture of the skull we’d chosen and drawn.
“Chi ha paura…?“ means “Who’s afraid…?” in Italian, and is a message about the fear artists have of creating non-traditional contemporary jewelry.
If you have a chance to hear Gijs Bakker speak, you’ll enjoy it. He discusses his start in design, the beginnings of droog and Chi ha paura…? and shows pictures from his early life all the way to the present.
To see more images of the jewelry on exhibit, visit the Chi ha paura…? website
Photos of Fabergé boxes were used in these display stands for part of the exhibit. Notice the music stand like bases.
A line of text around one of the museum’s rooms shows a quote by Bakker:
“…the piece of jewelry must be designed as a means of communication. We want to bring about wonder surprise or amusement in a field, the jewelry field, which is still very classical and traditional.”
the Sense of Wonder:
As Gijs Bakker signed a book for me, I spoke to him about a light fixture I’ve been oogling for years, 85 Lamps by Rody Graumans (sold by droog), which he told us is coming out soon with LED bulbs. The power required by the award winning 85 lamps design is high, and will be much lower with the LED version. Unfortunately at this time the price of LED bulbs is much higher than traditional bulbs, a constant trade-off faced by those adopting new technologies. The lifetime of LED bulbs is much higher than incandescent bulbs, so changing out one of the 85 bulbs will be required much less often. And, that’s always a plus in a chandelier.
My friend Susan Shahinian was kind enough to give an in depth demonstration of electroforming to the local metal clay guild, her second time doing so. When I saw the first demo I didn’t take many pictures; this time I did. And, I took note of the equipment needed to electroform, so this first post is dedicated to sharing that information. Note that these lists are short and there are many places who sell equipment and supplies for electroforming.
The priciest piece of equipment you’ll probably want is a bench DC power supply with which you can vary the current and the voltage to the piece you are electroforming. The power supply is also known as a ‘rectifier’ or ‘linear variable power supply’ or ‘full wave rectifier’ or ‘variable bench power supply’. You can find instructions to make your own AC to DC converter. Off-the-shelf units, such as the one in the photo below, make it easier to get started as they are already built and tested.
Rectifier Suppliers
Plating Solutions (in addition to the suppliers above who also sell the solutions)
Conductive Coating Suppliers
Online Forums and Resources for Assistance with Electroforming Issues
Kits
Tips and Troubleshooting
Books on Electroforming
Edith Sommers recently shared her use of radiator parts in a lecture at the November meeting of the Metal Arts Association of Silicon Valley.
She kindly brought many examples of radiators, fins from radiators, and pieces she has created with radiator fins. Edith thoroughly cleans her donated radiators before creating her wearable radiator art.
Edith obtained some new fins from a radiator manufacturer once, and the parts have a beautiful wave pattern. Note that unless they are new, radiator parts have lead on the brass and sometimes copper section, and the black on the parts is often an asphalt based paint in addition to copper oxidation. So, wear appropriate safety equipment if you plan to purse radiator art. Here’s a link to a video showing how some radiators are made.
Emerging art jewelers Fran Grinels and Sherry Cordova are very excited to be the featured artists at an artists’ reception in Lireille Gallery of Contemporary Jewelry and Art at 3980 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA on Friday August 7th, 2009.
Sherry Cordova and Fran Grinels will be at Lireille from 5:30 to 8:30 pm along with finger foods, wine and people enjoying the Oakland First Friday Artwalk. Come meet the artists and talk to them about their newest work, their inspirations, and help them celebrate their first ever gallery artists’ reception. While you’re there take a look at the wide variety of art jewelers’ works at Lireille.
Lireille is located near the corner of Piedmont and Monte Vista Avenues, kitty corner from a Wells Fargo Bank. Behind the bank the city has provided a parking lot, or take a look on the nearby streets for a spot.
Sherry Cordova will be showing new work in her “Oceanic line” which was inspired by a recent SCUBA diving trip to Loreto, Baja California Sur.
Fran has created some very cool ‘mobius’ rings which she will be showing in addition to other work already at Lireille as seen below.
In addition to works for sale, both artists will be showing some pieces from their own private collections.
For more information, visit Lireille.com, SherryCordova.com, or FranGrinelsDesign.com
Friend and fellow jewelry artist, Fran Grinels, loaned me two interesting articles on art jewelry from this week and last December. The Economist’s “Golden Globes” article focuses on the trend, galleries, artists and shows in the Netherlands. The second article in the Seattle Times “Pacific Northwest” Sunday magazine focuses on the large art jewelry community of artists, gallerists, and collectors in the Seattle area.
I enjoyed reading the articles and am happy that interesting contemporary jewelry is getting some good press.
Friend, fellow jeweler, and Out on a Whim store owner, Beki Haley, is looking for ideas on how to reduce plastic use at her store and at shows. If you have some ideas, head on over to her blog and share.