D10 Candidates Choice - Other Metals
Submitted to the Registry evaluators - August 2010
It took me ages to decide on what to do for this project as it requires use of other metals with metal clay. I experimented with lots of things but decided to use copper as I really wanted to experiment with a patina and copper is so good for this.
I attended a course in raising and forming and learned anticlastic raising. This allowed me to make a spiral shaped bangle with a concave form and I decided to add metal clay elements into the form. I made silver metal clay discs and punched out different sized circles from the edges and the middle, then after firing, soldered copper wires to the back. These were riveted in place on the bangle.
I then added a patina using salt and vinegar sprinkled all over the copper. The whole thing was then put into an airtight container with an open dish of ammonia and allowed to fume for a couple of days. The patina that results from this is a lovely turquoise blue. It’s quite crusty when it comes out of the container but after washing off the crust, I used Renaissance Wax on the copper and it gained a lovely lustre. I was very pleased with it.
Design – 3 out of 5
Craftsmanship – 2 out of 2
Wearability – 1 out of 1.5
Finish – 1 out of 1.5
So I was very disappointed that it just scraped through with 7 out of 10. Here are the comments…
“The anticlastic raising is well done, as is the patina.” Good start…and the other evaluator agreed, “I agree that the patina is nice.”
“I don’t understand the relationship between the silver elements and the sinewy copper form. Why are they there? Why three clusters.” Oh, how I wish they wouldn’t ask questions that I have no mechanism to answer!
“Wearability might be OK but I think the ends of the bracelet are abrupt (visually) and might catch on clothing.”
“When all is said and done this bracelet would work without the silver design elements. Do they add to design?” And more questions! This is very annoying. If I was being evaluated face-to-face, it might be a good debate to have but in this format, it’s just frustrating. I try to consider the answers to the questions as if I was talking to the evaluator and this can help me to step back and see my work as they do so I suppose it’s useful in a way – still frustrating though!
Here is the project description from the Masters Registry website:-
D10 Candidates Choice – Other Metals
A project designed by the student that uses metal clay and another metal.