Borders casting, the story continues (some more)

The block of sieved, cleaned clay, from Hume in the Borders, has dried in the sun (and wind). I’m hammering bits off it, then grinding it with the pestle and mortar. The powdered clay is then sieved and mixed with beach sand. This mixture, when it is correctly made up and moistened, can be made into sand moulds.

Here are three two-part sand moulds drying in the sun ready to go to the Scottish Sculpture Workshop to pour, because they are too big for my wee charcoal furnace. I’m hoping to make cast bronze bowls for my three shows this summer.

You can visit my studio as part of East Neuk Open Studios 21st and 22nd May and see my work.

New silver charm earrings

I’ve started a new range of earrings using my silver charms. The top pair are pull-through silver chain earrings and the bottom pair are on a silver wire and oxidised metal hoop. Both will be at Cambo House today at the ENOS stall.

Pewter Casting

I poured these shells and wee fish yesterday. For the sand moulds I used the Borders sand and clay mixture, I made themoulds up last week so that they were good and dry when I poured in the molten metal.

This pic shows my pewter crucible with some of the scrap cut from the castings – the runners and risers for the metal to flow in and the air to escape out. These pieces will be available at ENOS and the technique is one that I’ll be teaching in November in Portugal.