... in the details

offering bowl - mjd 2014

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the air of winter 

may be biting, but in its

sting i feel alive. 

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my work over time has evolved into simpler things. my focus is upon solid craftsmanship and defining details. even my writing this year (because i felt like i was losing focus somehow) is being combined with some haiku writing - where the choices all matter - you only have 17 total syllables to work with. 

but in our work, this too is true. there are things you will always need - findings, texture, metal, beads or other materials. they are defining. 

bracelet bar - mjd 2015

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as i am me and

you are thee, there must be peace

for the sake of we. 

-----

there are days where components are my focus. they provide opportunities for practicing what i find to be important - creating texture, attention to details, attainment of satisfying patina, even what i choose to clean the pieces up with (sandpaper, steel wool, brass brush, nail shaping block, etc.). and figuring out if the addition of something really does add, or if it detracts and was just fun as an exercise in trying something new. 

this has taken me years - 

it's important - as you work, you find out what makes your work yours. there is no way to really know at the beginning, it takes time and mistakes and victories to find out. it takes listening to your heart and being attentive to what makes it sing. you can successfully execute a design, but is it something you want to do again or reflects your aesthetic? 

what are details that matter to you? what ones do you feel are key to your work? 

wishing you all a year filled with what you need - i think i speak for many when i say that 2014 was a bit of a brutal one. let's hope for something a bit gentler. 

Art Jewelry Boot Camp: Fine Finishings Week 1

Welcome to Week One of our new Art Jewelry Bootcamp: Fine Finishings!!! If you missed Staci's post last week about this new bootcamp, I encourage you to go read it, because all of our members at LMAJ have a unique and diverse perspective to draw from.

 I'll be back with you tomorrow to share some wordy and philosophical perspectives about fine finishings but today I want to talk about:

 WIRE GAUGES.

 Too Thin?

 Too Thick?

 Just Right?

 Let's talk about basic wire gauges.... There are at least 3 realms of standard gauges at the minimum you need to have in your basic toolbox for basic wirewrapping and art jewelry making. As an artist develops his or her skills and particular style, they usually add more gauges to round things out.

This is a VERY old piece of mine that used very thin (TOO THIN in my opinion now!) wire to wrap the bails of the pendant. I'm guessing it was 24g since there are also wrapped pearls in this piece. You can tell I compensated by wrapping it twice and 3 times through the holes, but I'm glad my work has evolved since then!!!!

20-21g. 
20-21 gauge wire is the widely accepted standard for earring wires. Larger gauges, such as 18 or 16 will stretch, irritate, or even tear the majority of customers while smaller gauges such as 22 will be too thin and will not enjoy longevity or will bend easily. This standard gauge also works well for wire wrapping large hole or ethnic beads. 20-21g when formed and properly work hardened either by chasing, hardening with a mallet and tumbling will produce a sturdy and beautiful finished ear wire.

These are handmade earwires I make from 20g brass wire.

22-24g. 
This is the perfect wire wrapping gauge for most bead stringing and basic bead wire wrapping applications. 22g will fit most gemstones and art beads and has a heavy enough presence to balance the work. Certain gemstones, like pearls and tiny finer semiprecious stones may require even a 24g. You may also find you lean towards 24g if you have a tendency to work very small or do very delicate work.

This is an older piece of mine but has a wide variety of wire gauges. The urn shap was formed from 16g brass wire, the Buddha pendant was wrapped with 20g, and the small glass beads were wrapped in 24g.

This is a more recent piece where I used 16g  copper wire to form a sturdy wire wrapped bail for this pendant while I wrapped the beads in 22g wire.

16g-18g. This is the perfect basic starter HEAVIER gauge wire for beginner smaller clasps, links, heavy jumprings, and beginning heavier wirework. It is generally still malleable enough without a torch annealing to wrap large bails, make wire wrapped links and connectors on their own without the use of other beads.

Staci used 18g to wrap these pieces. It is a bit lighter than 16g but allows her the flexibility to securely wrap these large pendants together.

Once you begin adding and refining your wire toolbox, you'll rely on your own judgement and burgeoning expertise to acquire a broader knowledge of different wire gauges and how useful they are in your particular piece or work!

Do you have any favorite wire tips when selecting the best solution for a piece? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below!!!

guest post - shae freeman

Sometimes the hand remembers 

what the brain does not.
It recalls what the rest of the human has never known.
There are unknown cartographies in the fingertips, 
ones that map old memory. 
- anonymous   

       

Objects exist as visual language, representations of complex ideas before spoken language itself was even established.  Ritual objects, spiritual objects, fetishes.  Objects for remembrance, objects for hexing.  Objects for containing the spirit after death, family heirlooms and objects for earthly remains. Good luck charms, protection and safe travel. Functional objects, objet d’art and artifact.  Objects are tasked with carrying precious and sometimes fearful power. Our species has an affinity for tangibility, for acquisition. Our relationships to objects are so vast and complicated that very many of us are not consciously aware of them.

As a maker, I use the same tools and traditions that have been used in metalworking for thousands of years.   I am following an ancient and deeply embedded tradition of object making.  My hands, the intermediary between brain and tools, are the executors of intent which make the ideas a tangible reality.  As an artist, my responsibility lies in truthfully reporting the world as seen through my eyes.  The end result of my interpretation of the data I receive through my senses is what name we give to an object- art.  As a creator, I am tapping into genetic memory, collective unconscious and archetypes imprinted in the human animal’s psyche- the wellspring from which we all draw.  This skill is only honed by the act of creation itself, and by opening interiors doors to allow it to enter.  In creating, the attempt is being made to enter into a state of grace to receive creativity.  By allowing myself to be open, if I am very lucky, I can channel this imperative and let my hands do the rest.  The object thus made will be invested with power shaped through my unique focusing of the lens.  A uniqueness we all have in common.

I am a visual artist, a visual learner and most of my communication with the general populace is visual. So let me tell you a short story, visually.

Thank you for letting me share my limited understanding of the universe.


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shae's work ranges in scale from jewelry to large sculpture (7+ ft. tall)

find her here:

etsy

flickr