breathe -

mary jane dodd

mjdodd 2016 - morning mantra plaque

as the moon sets

and the sun rises

may i begin my day

awake.

mjdodd - 2016 

may i move through each moment

mindfully

lightly

and

with clarity.

a heart bursting with love,

a mind propped open,

mjd - finished, sealed and mounted

morning mantra plaque

may i shine to lessen the darkness

of another being's

suffering. 

mjdodd

---------------

this plaque was the result of a customer request and for which i am most grateful. adapting skills and techniques i'd developed as a jeweler, i was able to enlarge the scale. 

Inspiration, Metal and a little Fold Forming Picture Tutorial

by Staci Louise Smith

It is spring in the studio and lots of things are going on.  I am prepping for new shows this spring......which is always fun for me.  I also have work in the Spring show at Bethlehem House Gallery- a contemporary art gallery in the heart of Bethlehem, who has featured my work on and off for the last couple years.

While at the opening of the Spring show,   I fell in love with the work of Dominick Naccarato.  

You can view his work for sale on the galleries website

http://www.bethlehemhousegallery.com/artists/domenick-naccarato/

His work is industrial.  It looks worn and old....and of course, that spoke to me.  I mean, :swoon:....its dreamy to girl who loves to destroy metal!  I grew up in a home who a mom and brother who love to go antiquing.  so, old things, in art, its bringing together a couple loves of mine

http://www.domenicknaccarato.com/markings-feed-sprocket-access/

I do hope you will take a minute to follow the links and check out the gallery site and his personal website as well.  His work is amazing.

Anyhow, there was that, which of course, made me long to play with metal again right away.  I am always inspired fresh and new after a trip to the gallery.


I have always loved the process of disintegration.  It fascinates me, the way nature breaks down organic and inorganic matter over time.  Rust, fungus, all these sort of things always grab my attention and draw me in.  I love how the sea changes things as well, takes rough bright things and washes the color away and smooths them.  Worn, old things were once new things, full of life.  And as they decompose, they lose one life, yet take on another.  This process is just amazing, and watching the beauty of this process is endlessly inspiring to me.  

That is why, I love taking white polymer clay, and turning it into something that looks like you pulls it out of nature.  Or taking bright copper sheet, and making it look as if it had been out in the elements for decades.

Anyhow.............

Then I ended up at a Clover Market with my mom for the day.  I am doing that show in May and June, and wanted to check out the lay of the land, the crowd, and all that good stuff.  

The show is full of antique vendors, mixed in with artisans.  It is such a cool show!  I love that you can buy rusty old stuff next to handmade items!

I picked up some rusty old keys to use for something some day!  For now they are laying on my work table.

I did not take any pictures at Clover Market, but here is their facebook banner, and it is good picture of some of the unique items you can find there.

My mom loves old tin ceiling tiles, and there was a vendor there who had a booth full!

The vendor was Olde Good Things

And here is a picture of the tiles from his website

http://www.altered-antiques.com/tinstuff.html

The textures of the metal tiles had me newly inspired as I browsed through them.  Each so different.  I loved the washed out old paint added to them.............everything about them was amazing.

In checking out the vibe of the market, I thought, I need to have more metal.  I have gotten away from all that copper in my work because of time constraints the last couple years.  I have been so focused on polymer it hasn't left a lot of play time.

So I got to work.  I decided to have fun and cut out lots of copper shapes to make fun, fold formed, patina earrings for Clover Market and the gallery.  And man, let me tell you, I am so happy I did.  I really missed playing around with fire, metal and chemicals!

I loved texturing them, and definitely felt the influence of those wall tiles coming through as I hammered in little raised spots and such.

Here are the components before I started making them into jewelry.

And here are just some of the earrings I made.

I had so much fun!  I really missed working with the metal and patina.  Though I also forgot how labor intensive it is.  Thank goodness I love what I do!

Do you also find that what you see and places you go inspire you go in a different direction, or revisit an old one?  Tell me about it.............

And, as promised, a little picture tutorial on fold forming.  If you want more information, there are lots of great online classes you can take!  But, if you have already played a bit with metal and a torch, this may be all you need to try it out!

_____________________________

Cut some shapes in copper sheet, I used 26g since they are going to be for earrings.  This keeps it light, but you can use any gauge.  File the edges smooth.

Line them up on a solder block, and use your torch to heat them until they glow red, and then quench right away

Once they are quenched, dry them off a little bit.  The process of heating and then quickly cooling them,  anneals them and now they are softer and easier to manipulate

Fold it over at a place where you want a fold line

Use a chasing hammer to flatten at the seam

Torch them again to soften them.  It is important to do this between each step to keep the metal malleable.  Otherwise it could break.

Quenched 

Now you can open it up.  If you need to, you can slip a razor blade in the fold to open it enough to grab.  Place it on your steel block and hammer again.  You can add other hammered designs, or use hole punches to make divets and such.  Use a hole punch or drill to make your holes as well.

Here is a close up of some finished pieces with patina and all on them!

I hope you will try it out, because let me tell you, fold forming is FUN!!!!!

Creative way to polish metal

Carol Dekle-Foss

When I first started making jewelry, I fell in love with the versatility of the Pro-Polishing pads. These pads were my go to for all my polishing needs. I have now learned many different techniques to finish metal, but still use these guys in many different ways. 

Recently in the studio, I had just given these bracelets a nice liver of sulfur bath.  I then set about the task to remove the oxidation and expose the hammered marks.

I could have easily used the pads by hand, thrown the bracelets in the tumbler, or some other technique, but I had another one of my 'huh, what if  I try this' moments.

Try this technique for yourself. It's fun and super easy!

What you will need:

Pro-Polishing pads

Slotted mandrel

Flex-Shaft or Dremel tool

Please use all safety precautions when using these products. Safety glasses, mask, gloves if you don't want dirty hands, and if you have long hair, tie it back so it doesn't get caught up in the mandrel.

The Technique

This is a great way to utilize those half used or almost used up pads! I usually end up with these all over the studio.

First, cut the 2"x 2" squares into 4 pieces.

Place your slotted mandrel in your flex shaft or Dremel. Now slide the polishing pad into the mandrel. I had to widen mine a bit with a screw driver so it fit snugly.

Some of my latest creations, right out of a liver of sulfur bath and completely dry.

Here, I am removing the oxidation from the back of a sterling silver pendant.

Please disregard my dirty hands and tattered fingernails.

In the below pic, I am polishing a handmade sterling silver link bracelet wrapped around a wooden mandrel. THIS is a very dangerous technique. You have to be very careful and hold the chain real tight so it doesn't come up and smack you in the face or worse, tangle in your finger. Ouch.

With smaller, more delicate chain, I just run it through a larger pad a few times. 

One of the downside with the pads is they tend to tear if caught up on sharp edges, and then get a gummy mess all over your jewelry. So for the earrings, I used a larger pad by hand. It just depends on what you are polishing as to what technique is best. If you want to remove less of the oxidation, all you have to do is use a lighter touch with the mandrel. 

After removing the desired amount of oxidation, I will then take a jewelry polishing cloth to shine up the metal a bit more.

Try this technique yourself! You will be surprised at how fast you can remove the oxidation and polish your jewelry.

Here are the finished pieces.

I recently added these pieces to my website, and extended my holiday sale through to Friday. Use coupon code Holiday to receive a 20% discount!

Happy Holidays everyone!

The Color Conundrum by Karen McGovern

There is a wealth of information available online and in print about coloring metals.  Patinas come in every form and color, from simple homemade recipes (used cat litter and salt/vinegar potato chips—SERIOUSLY!) to specialized chemical and dye patinas (sculptnouveau.com).  The choices are endless.

 

Then there is heat patina, or flame painting, which is a wonderful way to easily color copper and brass with a torch.  I’ve been following a few threads online about this subject, and it seems that the Achilles heel regarding this method of coloring is how to seal and protect the metal AND retain the original intensity of color.  Hmmmm….again, 1000 suggestions out there but no definitive EUREKA solution.

 

Here’s my take.  There is no perfect answer or product out there that will forever keep heat colored copper and brass true.  Sorry.  The opinion I give here is based on working with copper for several years while living in South Florida.  Copper reacts very quickly when exposed to heat and humidity.  Natural patina, for me, is pretty easy to achieve simply by leaving copper sheet in my garage for a week or so.  I’ll get the beginning of some amazing verdigris greens courtesy of 98 degrees and 70% humidity.  We’ll come back to that later.

 A lovely flame colored copper cuff by Delia Stone.

Coloring copper with a torch is great and you get AMAZING purples, reds, pinks, blues and more.  There are several coatings available that are specially designed to seal and protect patinas, my favorite is Everbrite ProtectaClear.  The spray and dip versions offered are really wonderful and, in my experience, will not dull the colors instantly upon application like so many other coatings.  That is the biggest challenge—finding a product that doesn’t instantly change the colors of the metal the second you apply.  So, Everbrite works for me and I use it all the time.

 

BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, that is not the end solution.  No matter what, the colors in your heat patina designs are going to change over time.  PERIOD.  Why?  Because the design will be in contact with human skin and body temp, AND be exposed to heat and humidity in general. These things affect copper and brass no matter what you coat it with.  I have test driven many designs and actually have a simple way to decide if a design will hold its color.  I wear it on a hot day for several hours on my skin.  Brass holds torch color better, but the side that touches skin turns chocolate brown pretty quickly.  Even if coated several times.  Body temp affects metals, folks!  SCIENCE!  Copper changes even quicker.  Skin PH also plays a factor.  I have low PH, which is why I can’t wear perfume.  An hour on me and it all smells like cat pee.  SO LUCKY, RIGHT???  Copper and brass are affected by this as well.  Coating the metals helps tremendously for folks whose skin reacts badly to base metals, and I feel completely comfortable saying that the coatings I use will prevent dreaded green lines or rashes on sensitive skin, but I do not ever guarantee that heat patinas will remain the same color forever.  THEY USUALLY DON’T. 
 

Universal patinas by Sculpt Nouveau

 Which is why I use chemical patinas instead.  I have found that the line from Sculpt Nouveau is fantastic.  Endless color choices and formulas.  You can literally paint on metal like it is a canvas, and get intense and beautiful results that will hold up over time.  Check out their YouTube channel, full of ideas and tutorials.  Chemical patinas react with the metals and physically change the metal itself.  It’s not just a coating.  You still have to seal the metals, and Sculpt Nouveau has a line of sealers to go with their patinas.  I have found Everbrite works extremely well here and have decided to stick to that brand alone.  Dries quickly and will not change the colors as you spray.  I LOVE EVERBRITE!  Also, amazing customer service, shipping, everything.  In case you didn’t notice—I RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT.

A copper cuff I made using layers of chemical patinas.  Sealed with Everbrite. 

A pendant created from a layer of painted patina copper on aluminum.

So, there are many factors to consider beyond initial sealing when working with flame colored metals.  Understanding how the metals react to heat and moisture over time is very important.  Because I have seen first-hand how heat colored metals change over time when worn next to skin, I no longer create torch colored designs for sale.  I use chemical patinas only.  For copper and brass cuffs, I color them first with liver of sulfur to get a nice, dark base.  Then go nuts with chemical color, let sit for 24 hours, then coat twice with Everbrite spray.  For those of you who live in cool, dry climates, you may argue that you have no problems with heat patina.  BUT, if you sell to a client living anywhere warm and moist I bet the design will be a different color in less than a year.

 

So, I recommend exploring chemical patinas.  They are fun, endless and offer so many choices and colors.  I am linking to an artist here that I think is one of the best I’ve come across coloring copper and brass with chemical patinas, SSD Jewelry.  AREN’T THESE CUFFS GORGEOUS????  They are pretty enough to EAT! 

 

 

As always, we’d love to see your creations and hear your opinions on the subject.  As I said before, there is no one answer and what I’ve printed here is based on my experiences alone.  Have you found the holy grail of sealants?  IF SO, PLEASE SHARE!!!!!!

coloring metal, cont'd

mary jane dodd

julie spoke of ways to add color to metal yesterday and i wanted to continue the conversation as the use of patina has become quite near and dear to me... 

aside from los and salt & vinegar, i hadn't used anything in the way of patina... 

but there are times and places that you need just that in your designs... 

i love sculptor's grade patina - 

the use of opaque and translucent... layering, buffing, adding powders for sheen... 

i learned of it through shannon levart a.k.a. missficklemedia who has put together a wonderful tutorial.... 

as with anything, there is a learning curve, but shannon's tutorial is very informative and helps to explain the whole process.... this is truly one of the techniques that i am most grateful to have in my arsenal... 

and you can see how addicting it is!

work as meditation

mary jane dodd

'there is no enlightenment outside of 

daily life.'

~ thich nhat hanh

making components for me is mindfulness at its best... 

 while one gets into a meditative 'flow' 

 

conscious choices are being made

  and a perfect balance is struck... 

 hours passing by with purpose

until night when you look back and know that your time was well spent

in more ways than one... 

wishing you peace this season... 

when one thing leads to another

mary jane dodd

yesterday was a blustery day... and many a leaf took flight...

in my head the words of samuel taylor coleridge circled about in a sing song-y type of way...

'the one red leaf, the last of its clan,

that dances as often as dance it can,

hanging so light, and hanging so high,

on the topmost twig that looks up to the sky.'

so i went to my bench and cut, shaped, hammered, filed, drilled and riveted... 

to get this... 

and once they are all done - 

these are waiting for me... 

my patience is being sorely tested - 

but i am ever so grateful for the ability to interpret and act upon what i am moved by...