Metalsmith stump and & fun techniques

Isn't she a beauty?  I love working at my metalsmith stump, creative juices flowing, and soaking up the beautiful Sierra Foothills.  Although right now the temperature is 110 million degrees and if I tried to work in the studio I would be reduced to a puddle of sweat within minutes.

The stump came from my dad, who will do anything to make me happy, including negotiate with some shady mountain characters to rescue it from an ill fate. 

I bought this beast of a vise for $25.00 at a thrift sale. The jaws are jagged and 6 inches wide. Some day I may cover it with copper, but for now I use leather strips to protect the metal. The most expensive part was the leather reins we used to create loops for the hammers. It's so nice having them out and accessible!

The total height to the top of the vise is 23". Keep in mind, I'm a short little thing, so I don't need it to be that tall. If you are wanting to make one, for proper height, my instructor said it's important to keep your arm in a 45 degree angle, and in a relaxed position to avoid injury to your wrist and arm. An adjustable chair is probably best too. For now I am using my Grandma's chair, soon to be painted and recovered.

What are some of the techniques I use the metalsmith stump for? My most favorite right now is working with a Sinusoidal wooden stake that I made. Yep, I made that!

I found an awesome Youtube video here on how to do it. This young lady is bad @$$ and really knows her way around power tools! The hardest part for me was using this router. The thing kept jumping around like a jumping bean and shooting bits of wood everywhere at projectile speed.

I use this metal raising hammer, but sometimes I use a Delrin hammer if I don't want to lose the pattern on embossed or etched metal. Ok, I know my raising hammer looks funky. It's a hammer from a body fender kit. I modified it by cutting off the back because it was too heavy and then sanded it down to create rounded edges. Hey, whatever's clever right?? I covet Fretz hammers but geez, they are so expensive. I also rounded the edges of the delrin hammer as well. 

Also annealing the metal really helps when hammering. Sometimes I have to anneal more than once if the metal becomes work-hardened.

Another way I use the vise is with bracelet mandrels. I either use them standing straight up or I have a steel stake I run through the hole and then tighten the vise so I can use them horizontally.

I was given this draw plate awhile back and for months I had no idea how to use it. My instructor showed us in class one day, and I went home and then drew tons of wire. 

It's super easy and fun.

Basically, you file the ends and then feed the wire through a smaller gauge hole. Then use some vise grippy pliers to grab the metal and pull through. Keep repeating in smaller gauge holes until you get to the size you want. The wire becomes longer and work-hardened so that is an added plus.

Finished wire.

Here are couple bracelets finished with the sinusoidal stake.

Do you have any metalsmith techniques you are loving right now or that you would like to explore? How about some clever tricks you have tried lately. Please do tell!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

Inspiration Outside the Ordinary Jewelry Box. By Karen McGovern

I refer to myself as a schizophrenic artist.  I mix medias, rarely make the same thing twice, and flit between style, construction and design like a hummingbird on crack.  I find my taste in art, and artists that inspire me, is pretty much the same.  Everything interests me.  Painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media art, and jewelry design ranging from Tiffany to completely unwearable avante-garde creations.  Inspiration comes in any and all forms.  Today I want to share with you some 3-D artists that are blowing me away right now. 

 

First is Marina Bychkova of Enchanted Doll.  Art dolls have become an incredibly diverse genre that I have only recently discovered.  To be frank, before stumbling across Marina, I would never have considered “dolls” a source of inspiration or interest for me.  I was never into dolls as a child.  My best friends as a little girl were a semi-feral group of boys that lived across the street from me.  Playing “Barbie” consisted of me stealing my sister’s dolls and acting out elaborate jungle war scenarios with the boy’s GI Joes.  My dad spent more than one occasion fishing out my stolen Barbie from the roof gutters because I had tied a dishtowel to her and flung her toward the roof pretending she was paratrooping.  When I played “Barbie” her best friend was a toy spider monkey figure I had, and she lived in a tent in Africa.  I cut her hair off because it was annoying.  Anyway….

 

 

You can see the entire "Surviving" gallery here.

Back to Marina.  Her porcelain dolls are SPECTACULAR. I hesitate to use the word “doll” because that feels too limiting to me.  Her works are sculptural dream sequences brought to three dimensional life.  Her attention to detail is surreal.  Her costumes worthy of any red carpet fantasy fest.  All created completely by hand.  Her creations tell intricate and deeply moving stories, as well as bring to life classic fairy tales and myth.  I first discovered her Princess and the Pea installation.  HOLY CRAP.  Every inch a multi-dimensional, exquisitely rendered work of art.  I can’t fathom the artistic process—SERIOUSLY.  And the way she photographs her creations—perfection.  Each emotes in an unbelievable way.  These dolls are not for children, and some express dark and controversial themes.  “Surviving “, a doll created in honor of breast cancer survivors, nearly brought me to tears.  So beautiful, and at the same time somewhat difficult to look at. Please, please look at every image in the gallery for this doll.  I wanted to post a full photo of it here, but was concerned it may bother some viewers too much.  She is achingly beautiful and so spectacular, yet fully displays the ravages of the disease.  A truly magical expression. For me, this defines true art and artistry.  Please explore her website, and you will see how a jewelry artist can find endless inspiration in her works. 

 

One of my favorite BCS pieces.

Next, two artists that create amazing works inspired by wildlife.  First, ceramic sculptor Beth Cavender  Stichter.  Her artist statement reads in part: “There are primitive animal instincts lurking in our own depths, waiting for the chance to slide past a conscious moment. The sculptures I create focus on human psychology, stripped of context and rationalization, and articulated through animal and human forms.”  HOOK!  I can’t even begin to explain how humbled I am by her work.  For me, any art/artist that can convey a deeply personal idea or ideal through their art is extraordinary.  Art can often express what words cannot.  Beth’s works do just that and more.  I love the feeling of suspended energy in her works.  Truly exceptional, and you MUST look through her gallery of images.

 

 

 

 

Work by Ellen Jewett

Second, in a similar but far different vein, take a look at Ellen Jewett.  Her sculptural works are true flights of artistic fancy based on a love for our natural world.  I can proudly say that I own one of her fantastic creations, a custom interpretation of an endangered species I work with every day, the mountain bongo antelope from Kenya.  It’s hard to describe her work.  When I contacted her to commission the bongo, she asked me about where the animal came from, what sort of landscape it lives in and for photos of bongo to work from.  She then created a sculpture that not only captures the majesty of the animal, but also a feeling for the ecosystem in which they live.  Her works carry a biological component that is just AMAZING.  Created from a magic mix of polymer and more, the finished designs are magic in motion, a fantasy world of imagination, often a commentary on the state of wildlife in today's urban world.  I had such a hard time choosing an image to post here.  All of her works are just overwhelmingly gorgeous.  Google her and hit the image button in the search, then be prepared to loose an hour or two.  Take a look at current works available here.

 

A delightful theatre brooch by Kranitsky & Overstreet

Finally, let’s throw a jewelry designer in the mix, shall we???  Mixed media art and jewelry designers Kranitsky & Overstreet.  A creative collaboration between Robin Kranitzky and Kim Overstreet, these two amazing artists create stunning and intricate designs using found objects, antiquities, and so much more.  Their line of tiny theatre brooches and pendants are breathtaking and I am just BLOWN AWAY every time I see anything they create.  Each a tiny universe unto itself, full of detail and story.  I’m sure you sense a theme here—I love art created with intent.  Created to tell a story or evoke a feeling beyond “that’s pretty”.  I want to get lost in a piece of art.  I want to marvel, wonder and exclaim over it.  I want to share this sort of art with others and see what effect it has on them.  That’s what makes these artists so special.  Their work strikes everyone differently, speaks to each of us almost individually.  What an extraordinary gift to be able to give to the world!!!!

 

These artists also do something that to me is even more wonderful.  They make me want to become a better artist, learn more, explore more, and become even more fearless in my design choices.  They encourage us to express ourselves in deeper ways, encourage us to reach to the limit to create something singular and extraordinary.  A challenge every artist should not only strive to meet, but joyously embrace.

 

So, I hope you enjoy these artists and perhaps consider taking a leap in your artistic endeavors.  Go ahead, work outside your comfort zone and see what happens, even if it is just for you and you alone.  I bet the results will be SPECTACULAR!

Interview - Leslie Fawcett

                                                                                                    by Kelli Pope

I'd like to introduce you to a very good friend of mine and her incredible work.  The funny thing is we've known each other since high school, but the real friendship started about 8 or so years ago. We ran into each other at an art show in Louisville, Ky.  She walked into my jewelry booth, and told me she had her own jewelry booth there.  Who da thunk it??  It's hard to believe now, that we didn't bond in high school! We missed out on a lot of good years.   

Her work is fantastic, and unique just like she is.  I think you'll love it as much as I do!!

LMAJ:   Please tell our readers about yourself.

LF:    Hello! My name's Leslie Fawcett and I'm a jewelry artist ;) At least that's what I aspire to be some day when I grow up!  I'm married to a great guy and my best friend, David Fawcett and we have 2 kids, both girls (8 & 10), both red heads (fiery!).  We also have 2 crazy, yet oddly sweet feral cats that still owe me $1000 for my leather couch!  I've  worked in television production, 26 years and counting and it's been a lot of fun. I'm an avid volleyball player (I usually play in about 3-4 leagues a week). In addition to all of the above, I'm a big fan of super heroes, mutants, sci-fi and action heroes! GEEK!

LMAJ:  I know your jewelry is all about beaded beads using a peyote stitch.  Why do you like that technique? 

LF: I like the peyote stitch because of how everything fits together. On the tubular beads, the lines are very precise and you get a nice striping in the colors, while with the discs and balls, there is more of a blending of the colors.

LMAJ:  Do you use any other techniques in your pieces?  

LF:  I've recently been teaching myself some chain maille patterns. I'm using these as accent pieces. They complement the beaded beads really nicely. Eventually I'd like to make my own findings and components. I have some stuff to work with, I just need to find the time to play.

LMAJ: What was the first piece you ever made, and how wonderful was it ? 

LF:   When I first learned how to make the beads, I bought a bunch of colors and started making a bunch of striped beads. By the time I had combined them in all possible color combinations, I had well over a 1,000 beads. A couple of nights before my wedding, I had some nervous energy and I took about 220 of the beads and made a really long necklace. It will go around the neck 4 times and I think it's pretty cool. It's actually the piece that's on my business card and probably always will be. 

LMAJ:  How did you get started making jewelry, and what was the inspiration?.

LF:  I've always played around with crafts from knitting and embroidery when I was a kid to some basic bead stringing in my 20's, but I never really did anything with it until I tried making my first beaded bead. I saw a "how to" article in the back of an issue of Lapidary Journal written by Valerie Hector, teaching you the basics of making a beaded bead. (If you've never seen her work, it is amazing!) I think I actually had a little bit of a sleepless night after I created my first bead because it was just so cool how it fit together. I kept thinking about what to do with it. I made the piece above and people started asking me where I got it and it just took off from there. I think mostly I'm inspired by color, whether it's the color of a scarf I have or someone's shirt, a scene in a movie or even landscapes. I just love all the colors of the beads and there's so many different color combinations to play around with. 

LMAJ:  With a full time job and the kiddos, how do you find time to create?

LF:  I'm a bit of a night owl. I love to stay up late watching TV and making beads and putting my pieces together. My inspiration usually comes around 1am. Sadly I can't do it as much as I used to. As I'm able to get into bigger shows, I have to really budget my time. However there's nothing like the "threat" of the coming show and the fear of not having enough to really crank it up a notch:)

LMAJ: Where and when is your next show? 

LF:  Art in Speed Park in Sellersburg, IN on August 23 & 24.

LMAJ: Do you only sell at art shows?   If not, where can our readers find your pieces for sale?   

LF:  I mostly sell at art fairs, but I do have some of my work in the Art & Invention Gallery in Nashville, TN and I just got some of my pieces into The Shop at Walnut Grove in Louisville, KY

 As always, thank you Readers, for supporting handmade with handmade!!!!!!!

Flowers, Seed Pods and Teeny Vases

I love this time of year here in the Mid-Atlantic United States.

There is a lavender farm in Milton, DE called Lavender Fields which I visited a couple of weeks ago during peak bloom. It was magnificent!

And in my own garden here in Delaware, the annual poppies are finishing their blooming period and are putting their seed pods out to dry. Both of these plants are favorites of mine to dry out and use in my teeny ceramic vases.

I also had some Hellebores that have put their seed out and now they are drying up on the stem.

I am quite fond of these garden finds...

I just find a small brad nail and put these up on a wall somewhere (the one below is on a door - I wanted to see how it looked against the brown background).

And here are a bunch of the teeny vases on display in a little Art Shop called Bellefonte Arts where I have a small display case to sell my artwork. I like the set-up in person, but looking at it in a photo really does not show off the pieces. So I will need to keep working on that - maybe a large frame with a painted background and little nails for these to hang from. 

I would like to also work on making these a bit more wearable as a necklace focal or brooch.

Maybe not for such delicate dried flowers though...

Always a work in progress...