I did this sample piece which is sgraffito, the design is based on a black walnut shell. Sgraffito is done by drawing lines in dried sifted enamel before firing it. I have also used this technique on my black walnut neckpiece which has been my main work this week. (photos to follow)
These are two more samples for the earrings. Both are die formed copper. The darker piece is quite burnt (I rather like the effect) and has scales by the tail that are pierced and bent forward for a 3D effect.
The other piece has the same enamels, but has slots near the tail to hold separate copper tags as scales (not shown).
I have started work on the final pieces – so next Monday…
This is my first piece of base taille – a translucent enamel over a piece of sugar lift etched copper, partially stoned back. I am really pleased with it.
The blue-gray piece is champleve – pierced copper sheet soldered to a backing and the piercings wet packed with enamel. I oxidised the copper. The face is wet packed enamel and the eye is cloisonné. The fish is die formed.
The brown fish is cloisonné. Both are samples for the next project – a pair of earrings.
We started term cuttlefish casting – these have still to be cleaned.
then we moved on to wax carving – this is a sprued wax wire model.
these are models using natural materials (the red wax was poured into a snow mould)
and these are the two pieces that I’ve cast in bronze using lost wax process and the centrifugal caster. Great fun. The piece on the left was wax into snow and the righthand piece is from a wax wire model.
juliacowie 