Photoshoot

Photographs will be up soon! But today we had our photo shoot. Rob and Lewys (our fellow Welsh students) photographed everyone's pieces and our room mate modelled my piece. I personally don't think it's professional to model your own photography work and that is why I chose to have her, Tracey model my eye wear.

Here are a few images of the boys in action!

Completed Silver Ring

So this is my first ever silver ring, which I have set with an Amethyst stone. I went for a simple design, with a thick band, so that the focus is on the stone.

Independent Study

For my independent study, I won't be focusing on making a final piece to begin with. I will be focusing on some experimental pieces, helping myself to learn certain techniques, and learn new tips and tricks. Then if I decide to expand from something new I learn, then I will. But my aim for this Independent Study is for myself, to grow as a jewellery artist.

To help me along, I will use my recent fascination with octopi. I will focus on the texture, colour, tentacles and their movement.

Spring Break

During this week I have concentrated a lot on research for my essay. The question asks, to discuss how a contemporary artist/designer has appropriated their taste from an era, and so I have decided to write about the Victorian Era and how Julia deVille has appropriated the Victorian Era by her modernising Mourning Jewellery. Here are some examples of Julia deVille's work, although these images aren't the best quality and not the exact images I will be using in my essay.

Photo Brooch

Ken Cotter Painting
Romance is Dead

So the next project coming up is a Photo Brooch project, which is printing a photo on photographic paper (printed professionally, not on any old photo paper), making a border out of metal and filling with resin. Since I knew this project was coming up, I have been thinking about it, and always knew I wanted it to be something kind of personal! We had the option to do something humorous, meaningful, personal, etc. So I have decided to use one of my boyfriend's drawings, as he's so talented, and I have always been interested in his drawings. With his permission, I have decided to use this image, and will create the look of a frame out of metal. I am very excited to do this project!

To see Ken Cotter's art, visit his Tumblr page and his blog.

Tumblr: http://deadendsgallery.tumblr.com
Blog: http://kencotterart.blogspot.com

Hope you're not all too hungover!!

:)

Six Nations

Yesterday we watched the game, like true Welsh fans-we all had our daffs and leak badges on, and obviously Rob went all out and had his Welsh flag shirt, Cymru hat and a Welsh flag!! Luckily we won, otherwise I don't what we would have looked like!!

Rob scared the restaurant empty with his shouting and screaming at the television (again, true Welsh fan), but amazing game, and we still had the spirit for it, even miles away!

Also, we went to a Keltic Star bar, where the owner is from Llanelli (small world!!!), At this bar, they have a Welsh booth with some boring Welsh photos that we have promised we will update!! Although, it was nice to share our proud moment with a fellow Welshie!!!

Weather Update

I know, boring, but the weather is actually crazy here. Friday the highest temperature was 31c and right now, only two days later, it is -1c and forecast for snow!!

Unlike Wales, when Kansas forecast snow, we get snow and when they forecast sun, we get sun! It's amazing!

My almost finished glasses!!

These are almost finished, a few more collected items to be added, and they also need to be coloured with Ajax a little more!

This piece is also very difficult to photograph myself, but luckily we will be having our pieces photographed by the photography students (the Welsh ones actually!! Rob and Lewys!) and also modelled, which I will put up once they are done :)

Fake Paddy's day.

Which is a huge celebration in Manhattan, they celebrate Saint Patrick's day but a week early as it falls in the middle of Spring Break and everyone leaves for their holidays or go back to their home country.

It's a huge celebration where the streets are crammed, the apartments are loud and everyone is probably at their friendliest, talking to anyone who passes!

Awesome day!

Bowl

This bowl project was to help us towards creating our silver ring and to aid some in practicing soldering techniques before soldering the ring.

This is my final bowl, that I will use whilst soldering to hold all of the tiny little pieces that are cut and ready to be used.

Silver ring update!

Start
Middle
Almost the end!

I read this today and thought it very appropriate...

"Don't count the days, make the days count"

And I absolutely love it.

Update!

So the past 3 days and the weekend have flown! Tonight I almost finished my ring, just need to set the stone which is being ordered tonight. I have also almost finished both my glasses, which will hopefully be finished in the next two days, ready for Spring Break (although I will be working on my Essay in this time!).

3:1

+Made a lot of progress!!! (More than I've made the past few days)
+Class went fast
+SUN IS OUT!

-Tired (not sleeping well)

Glasses #2

Been working on the decorative part of my glasses today, as I'm finding it quite difficult to forge my main piece at the moment!

I am including coggs, wheels, coins, feathers, keys, chains anything industrial or anything to do with machinery to create the Steampunk look.

I have used Ajax to colour my piece to give it the rough, used effect, which I think has come out well!

Silver

Started to shape my Silver ring. Never worked with Silver before so quite nervous but so excited too!

I need to work on detail and measure the thickest and thinnest points on the band.

6/5/13

3:1

+Filed silver
+Odered Amethyst stone
+Class went fast

-Long day!

Bowl

This bowl is to practice soldering, in preparation for making a silver ring.

This proved difficult as soldering is not my favourite technique in Jewellery but is quite important!!

Really can't wait to make my first ring though!!

5/3/13

3:1
Bad day!

+Home early
+2 hour nap
+

-No motivation!

Can't think of a third positive! Bad day!!

3:1 Ratio

My Mum has just told me the most amazing thing to go by every day…

3 positive things 
and 1 negative..

+ laughed a lot

+ had nice lunch 

+ decided on my final ring design

- in Uni until 8:30pm.

I’m going to try to do this every day!!

Rings

For the next project in ART 300 with Heather Bayliss, we will be creating a simple Silver ring and setting a stone on it. Which is what I've been working on, whilst my forging piece has been in the pickle.

Inspiration

From a pen. Who would have thought? Some All Purpose glue that has leaked and dried on this pen, has created an amazing texture, shape, colour and formed around the pen in amazing way. This may be something I can work on for my independent project!

Glasses

Tiny bit more done on my glasses today, this project is really making me work hard, forging is quite a simple technique but making it look perfect is the hard part, and annealing the metal in between is making the whole thing take a little longer, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end.

I've also realised after forging this piece for hours, that it won't fit around everyone's head because of the material I am using, and so I have had to re-shape the way it sits on the head.

But I'm almost done and getting happier with the result!

Messy Welsh student's studio..

Forging

Forging is a process involved in shaping metals using hammers and anvils, also annealing in between to ensure the metal is soft enough to work with.

I will be using this technique to shape the wire of my glasses around the head and to shape and fit on the ears and under the eyes.