Fusions in Metal and Movements in Clay

Continuing with the technique of drawing > wire > roller, I stumbled across an interesting fusion. Using scraps of metal from the off cut bin, and specifically with aluminium, there is an interesting affect that occurs:

It fuses, almost like an inlay in wood. I think it's very special.

The surface texture is quite delicious, what an exciting secondary act !

And further here with textured aluminium - the possibilities with this are so exciting!

Earlier this week we had a workshop with the clay bully. The extrusions from this are adaptable according to plates. Here are my extrusion experiments, I love the way they have movement! Once fired I will look to glaze these and introduce them to the wire drawings.  

Working In Wire

Whilst exploring ideas for my first project of the year and battling with the predicament of 'where do I fit - 2D or 3D?' I decided to take some of my drawings and start reproducing them three-dimensionally. I bought some modelling wire and got myself down to the shiny new metal workshop! 

Having the drawings as reference in front of me I drew with the wire and a pair of pliers. It was really good fun! :) 

After drawing and getting them to stand, I placed them on a piece of scrap metal and took it through the roller, this produced a really nice effect...

Really illustrative still and containing the life that I seem to have in my drawings, so i continued with some more:

Then approached some other areas of the sketchbook, fixing on this little guy, with his monocle!

Creating a bounce, he sat on the workbench

Then went through the roller and flattened into a new form of flight!

I'm curious as to where they might lead, but in terms of getting back into the workshop, combatting my fear of making that I have sometimes this felt like a really productive exercise and I nice ease in to week one, year 2!

Meeting of Materials

Our first project of the second year is Meeting of Materials. 

The Brief: 4 Week project

The Joining and Meeting of material techniques and processes is a key issue for anyone work in the decorative arts.How we combine materials, utilise techniques and synthesis processes , can leads us towards new working practices and eventually to exciting finished work.You are required to produce a series of Object that demonstrate working in combination.

Through research today  I have found an excellent display of jewellery doing this at Lesley Craze Gallery, I especially like Tania Clarke Hall's Freeform collection.

Considering the idea of the meeting of material and concept, I am really struck by the work of Steffen Dam, his curious glass panels fuse specimen jars with the application of attentive glass work

Cabinet of Curiosities, 2010

Further consideration, in terms of the meeting of process and material, exciting work can be made like the surface design of Drummond Masterton where digital craft technology creates bowls like this: 

From the Star Tessellation series

 Other interesting combinations can be found in the work of Stuart Cairns. His extensive utensils collection are delicate, clever and compelling:

2 Tea spoons

Nail Ladle

South Korean Ja-kyung Shin similarly explores the act of making through materials and process, like here with In My Hands (2009) which concentrates on the process of electroforming:

That's all Folks!

For my first year at uni at least! I can't believe how quick it's all gone?! Been such an exciting year, full of lots of discovery and plenty to develop in the coming 2 years. I'm unsure as to whether I am a 3D maker or 2D surface designer but I still have another year and a bit to decide which way I'm going to go! There were actually bits from all the materials (process wise) that I enjoyed, but overall Print, Glass and Ceramics gelled with me the best! I never did put up a post about my metal and wood projects, maybe that's because I didn't enjoy them as much as the others? Here are the final pieces for both projects:

Metal

having developed a process/texture through centre punch application

I made a variety of samples across brass, copper, alluminium and steel

and 'collaged' them together using rivets

Wood

Wooden sculpture based around the movement of piano keys.

This was my table layout for the Metal & Wood assessment:

And here is my one for Glass & Ceramics:

 

I never got round to documenting my glass project on here as it was very experimental and there were no real 'final pieces'. I produced a number of pieces and tried to incorporate a variety of techniques. Those pieces that I would potentially put in that 'final piece' category, but that need much more work in terms of polish and refinement are:

Bullseye glass assemblage using French Vanilla as a base and incorporating various circles of different colours and transparencies

I couldn't decide which side looked best so never got round to slumping! I'd be really interested in coming back to this and developing a number of colour palettes and arrangements

A fusing together of lots of different colours

then slumping it! Very much in need of a good polish though!!!

After an attempt at throwing some pots I was left with these 'collars'. I decided to fire them rather than recycling the clay and thought they might be interesting if used for slumping molds.

in an early experiment I had trapped some feathers between some glass and after fusing these bubbles appeared!

using the collars and the same fusing process as the feathers I took a whole pheasant wing, sprinkled on some enamels and let the kiln work its magic

I think this was my favourite piece. Having fused a few scraps of bullseye together I then slumped it into this failed thrown attempt. I like the way it hugs all the contours. This could make for a really interesting development....

Made In The Middle

I went along to the exhibition Made in the Middle at MAC in Birmingham last week. It was raining unfortunately so we couldn't make the most of the grounds but it was well worth the trip!

Before we even got into the exhibition there were some installations and displays in the corridors.

 I really liked this embroidery  Four Tragic Tales by Stewart Easton

This piece had been comissioned by MAC, 
50 Tiles by Sara Taylor  - I want them for my kitchen!

Jonathan Kelham had his Bookcase series on display

Clarke Gallery had this participatory piece as part of Allotment on show
There were four stacks of printed paper available to you in exchange for some words. I, like many others it seemed, did not exchange, only took this picture!

Full of midlands based crafts people this was a really great show!

There was a showcase of work by a number of young people that had taken workshops with the artists as part of Apprentiships in the Making here is work by Jennifer Collier's apprentice

some more of Jennifer's work

and I just love this!

I quite liked the composition of this piece by Stuart Ackroyd

Michelle Arieu is making paper-like porcelain pieces

that are just wonderful

Mandana Thompson is working with leather in an interesting manner

Clare Willard's pieces were simply composed

and Maggie Smith's nature inspired basketry was a delight

Having started ceramics I was really taken by the simple decoration and attentive mark making
on James and Tilla Waters range of small cylindrical forms

Karina Thompson's digital wall hangings were impressive

and Imogen Luddy's conceptual embroidery was incredible!

I finally saw Andrew Tanner's augmented plate in the flesh!

This is not the best photo but Esther Lord's metalware was beautifully etched

The marquetry of Gareth Neal was impressive

it worked brilliantly in large scale too!

Vanessa Cutler's waterjet cut glass was great

Anna Lorenz is making articulate metalware

Whilst Jon Williams is making pottery that looks like it moves!

Gill Wilson is working meticulously with paper construction

Anna popped up on show there!

Laura did too!

I liked Jenny Creasey's work - this display on the lightbox was particularly effective

*beautiful* glasswork by Charlotte Clark

*exquisite* paper jewellery from Li Chu Wu

and lovely textile jewellery from Yoko Izawa - go to the website for full gallery - this photo does NOT do the work justice!

I was also quite taken by the enamelling on this piece by Norman Cherry

The exhibition is on at MAC until 15th April then it heads to the National Craft And Design Centre in Sleaford - it is most definitely worth a visit!


To complete our day, because it was so wet, we head over to the Bullring and ambled around the shops. I saw these two in Urban Outfitters and felt them in keeping with the form and structure of the day so included them in this post!

industrial marquetry?

 and I just had to include this one - I have a bit of a thing for lighting!