I’ve finished using the Tay River clay and have the torn hands to prove it – it was very gritty.
This piece was made on the beach, the surface is ash used to stop the clay adhering to the rocks; it has been sawdust fired.
I’ve collected more clay from Crail and half of it is processed ready to use once it has dried a bit.
This is the sawdust fired Tay clay piece that is in my mid year review show
This is where the Tay River clay was collected from.
More Big News. I’ve met up with Anne Tynte Irvine and spent some time with her pear tree from the pear walk established by Mary of Guise in St Andrews. I did some bark rubbings and gathered a few twigs. I have an invite to go back and sound record in her beautiful garden and see the tree at different seasons. It still bears fruit – which seems extraordinary.
Pear tree dating back to the time of Mary Queen of Scots’ mother
bark rubbing of the pear tree
Not to be left out on the Big News front, I have met with Pete from the Ratho Forge and set up a date to work further on my Damascus steel. Beat some more swords into ploughshares – well knife-metal into spoons. He has an amazing range of power hammers, an oil-fired forge and twenty-six years of experience, so that is pretty exciting.
Damascus teaspoon etched, but not yet sanded back
A different spoon etched and sanded back.
A couple of pretty pics
The witch hazel in my garden in January snow
Topical pics of Greece (elections today) from my trip there over New Year. My daughter and I had a great trip; the people we met were so pleasant.
Typical Acropolis pic
Snow in Edipsos
And again. It didn’t matter as the thermal waters still ran hot.
Rust in Edipsos – the thermal waters do impressive work
Big News, I’ve been given a silver bullion award (thank-you to Goldsmiths and Sandra Wilson) and am busy preparing designs for a domestic piece cast in silver. I’m very excited. I cast some silver rings in the States, but this will be a big challenge. I hope to make a piece that will fit with my Damascus and beach-sand casts. The Maker Lab is helping me 3d model a bowl-this is the set up to capture the shape.
I hope to trial the piece in bronze and beach sand on Tuesday.
The six part silicon mould for the sound piece is complete. Just need to find the time to cast into it.
The spoon is shaped with an angle grinder and then filed and sanded smooth on the parts where I want to reveal the pattern. The steel is then etched to reveal the patterning, then the raised parts gently sanded to leave the contrast of the two metals.
I think it is my second favourite piece to date
I’ve just done a workshop with Zoe Arnold, making a brooch with a biographical theme. The brooch is not quite finished, but a couple of days should do it. The theme is Mary of Guise. Mary landed just north of Crail when she came to St Andrews to meet her husband James V. The stone in this piece is from the beach near where she landed. Mary of Guise was regent for her daughter, Mary Queen of Scots. It’s claimed that Mary had refused to marry Henry VIII, claiming her neck was far too small.
Where there is clay in the East Neuk there used to be brick-works. Anstruther had a brick works and there are still Anstruther bricks on the beach. I have chosen a sea washed brick that fits really well in my hand to make another sound piece.
I tried casting it in bronze, which was a mixed success
I love the spikes from the air vents, but that doesn’t work with it being hand-held.
So I’ve been working on a six part mould that can be poured in pewter.
If the last part worked, I’m nearly ready to pour.
A friend has turned these little bowls for me from Scottish wood. I have been collecting silver to try a mixed metal casting using these as forms and maybe the beach sand I used last term.
They are about 3 cms across. I have tried carving these forms in beeswax too, as the college hopes to have a lost wax casting facility soon.
juliacowie 