Why Metal Clay?

Last spring the discussion came up about the validity of metal clay as an art form.  As with any new medium, this question always comes up.  The "traditionalists" deny the validity of the new medium.  Acrylic paint was boohooed because oil paint was the traditional choice for painting.  Silk screening was a commercial process and could not be a valid technique for "fine art." Sculptures had to be carved from stone.  The list goes on and on.

And now, it is metal clay's turn to be scrutinized and ballyhooed as unworthy.   I have personally felt the snub of the traditional jewelry making world.  There are many, many traditional silversmiths who are using metal clay but this is not enough to quiet the nay sayers.  Even the big guru of silversmiths, Tim McCreight works with metal clay.

The question has been asked...... Why do you work in metal clay instead of using traditional silversmithing techniques?  We all have different reasons for our choice.  One of my students chose it because she could create designs with it that she couldn't create with lost wax casting.  A fellow artist chose it because she had a bad experience with a silversmithing instructor.

I took a silversmithing class in college that I absolutely loved (although the professor could only talk to your chest.  He didn't seem to know that the female students had faces.) I have talked about this in a much earlier post, so I won't go into the details again.

First off I don't believe that technique or media make something a piece of art.  Art is communication.  Any media can be used to get an idea across.  Secondly, design is one of the first things we notice when confronted with art.  Good design is not indigenous to the material.  Effective communication and good design make art.

So why do I use metal clay as my main medium of choice?   I became an art teacher because I like to do it all.  Metal clay affords me the opportunity to still do it all.  It's a medium that is so flexible and open to a variety of techniques.

Sculpture....... I can sculpt it with traditional carving tools.  Both the additive and subtractive sculpture processes are achievable with the clay.

Printmaking...... Molds can be created from my own drawings using the printmaking technique of photo polymer plates.  Block printing directly into the clay is another printing technique that can be used to create designs.

Drawing....... The clay can be drawn on directly or indirectly.  Using hatching, cross hatching and stippling add dimension and texture to the clay.

Painting........ Adding color through enamels, inks and beads satisfy my painting desires.

Fiber Arts.......The clay can be draped or woven like fabric and yarn.  (My advanced degree was in fibers.)

Design and patterns...... Textures and forms can be explored with the surface of the clay.

Ceramics .......... I don't throw on the wheel but all the other hand building techniques of the ceramic world are available for the metal clay artist's use.

Yes, metal clay doesn't require fancy (and expensive) equipment and tools.  The learning curve for metal clay is much shorter than learning traditional methods.  But in my book it all comes down to design and the message communicated by the piece.

I know this won't change anyones mind but it gets it off my chest.  Thanks for letting me vent!

Yep, it's Autumn

The leaves this year have been downright gorgeous and the change took place early.  There are still some beautiful colors out there but they'll be gone soon.

The last few days have been very productive for me.  I didn't get into the studio until after noon each day and worked until seven every night.  (I need to get out of bed earlier and put in a nine to five workday........ as if that will happen.  Sleeping in is one of retirement's perks.)  

I was working on my National Transit Jewelry series.  (Can't share any pictures though as I'm planning a scavenger hunt to see if people can find the pieces of architecture that inspired the jewelry.)

But, while I was waiting for the pieces to fire I decided to try out alcohol inks to add color.  Awhile back I took a class with Tim McCreight on adding color to metal clay.  I posted about that class in January of 2010.  That class involved using enamel, resin, colored pencils, flocking, and liver of sulfur among other things.  

Lately though I've been seeing a lot of metal clay pieces that are colored with alcohol inks.  One of the metal clay artists to use the ink is Janet Alexander.    

And, since this post is about autumn (and color)......... I felt it was appropriate to work with some metal clay leaves I had laying around.  

Real  leaves can be coated with multiple (and I mean multiple) layers of metal clay paste.  Each layer is completely dry before the next layer is added.   The leaves can not be waxy or hairy.  The leaf is left in the clay and burns out during the firing process.  The Gatlinburg TN leaves are from the geraniums that adorned the flower boxes on the street.

The other leaves were made by rolling the clay over the fresh leaf and peeling the leaf off the clay.  I use this method often with my favorite leaf, the gingko leaf.   I like it because I can create a nice shiny border around the edges.  Or, as is the case with the weed, cut out a shape around the piece. 

Alcohol inks can be found in the stamping/scrap booking section.  They are permanent (although they can be sanded off the metal.)  And, they can be used on a variety of surfaces.  They can be applied with the thin applicator tip (if you have deep, concise depressions) or applied with a brush.

I used a brush for these pieces.  The brush was necessary to paint in the variegated colors in the Florida leaves.  As I was painting and blending the colors, I realized how much I do like to paint.  Maybe I'll do a painting too.  Damn, I just like to do it all!

The process of design

There are many methods of designing art.    During the conference, Tim, Ellen and Helga all shared their designing processes which I talked about in a previous post.

Helga explained how she begins her design process by "playing."  During the session she discussed how she played with paper to stimulate ideas that could be translated into jewelry.  http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/HelgavanLeipsig?xg_source=activity   After playing, she draws up 10 designs, chooses one of these to expand on with 10 more drawings.  Taking those 10 drawings, she expands one again until she finds something that she likes.

(This is my interpretation of her design process.)

Once again her ideas reminded me of an approach I used with my students for their 3-d plaster sculptures.  (I really need to reflect back on some of my own teaching experiences and give myself assignments like this one.)

The assignment was to create a carved plaster sculpture based on the human figure.

Step one:  Find 10 photos of people, preferably in some sort of motion
Step two:  Do 10 quick gesture drawings of each photo for a total of 100 drawings.  This sounds like a lot, but gesture drawings are very quick.
Step three:  Choose three of these drawings and simplify each one five times into simple geometric forms.
Step four:  Choose one of the simplified drawings and make it three dimensional out of oil clay.  (This is called the additive process of creating sculpture.)  This piece is basically a three dimensional "sketch" and is called a maquette.
Step five:  Using the maquette to aid in visualizing the form, begin carving into the plaster to create the sculpture. (This is the subtractive process of creating sculpture.)   In order to make an area project out,  you must cut into the form.  (That was a hard concept for the students to understand.)

I don't remember who made these pieces, but these are just a few of the results from the lesson.  The lesson was successful for every single student (which was amazing.)  The bottom two pictures are the same sculpture from two sides.

The process works..... whether it's making jewelry or sculpture.

PMC Conference - day 3

This isn't my last post inspired by the conference, but it is my last post about the sessions offered at the conference.  In my opinion, all the sessions were good but it was Saturday's sessions that I found most inspiring.

The morning started out with a virtual slide presentation created by Jeanette Landenwitch.  "Look at us now" was a virtual exhibition of work that's been created over the past seventeen years of metal clay.

The afternoon session that I attended was "Designing without a net" which was lead by Ellen Wieske and Tim McCreight.  The session was basically a very relaxed dialogue between the two about their working processes.  Ellen's process of creation is more scheduled and Tim's is more fluid.  This session got us to thinking about who we are as artists (which I am still trying to wrap my head around.  I had wanted to be an art teacher since third grade and was trained as an artist who would be teaching.  For me, I still identify myself more as a teacher.)  The dialogue between the two has me thinking about who I really am.  They both suggested that we choose some things that we really, really like and really, really hate, then try to identify why we have those particular feelings toward that object.   There are lots of risks involved in making art and we shouldn't be afraid to take those risks.  Ellen also suggested that we don't back away when we become obsessed with something...... that feeling might not come again.  (I'm quite sure she was talking about making art and not stalking someone.)

My favorite session of the entire conference was Helga van Leipsig's "Process as a Design Tool."  This session was in the same vein as "Designing without a net" but stated in a different way.

Helga has recently been inspired by an E-book called "Time Management" and has applied it to her life.  She feels that by following a schedule she has freed up time and has accomplished more in the time she is at her studio.  One of the quotes she shared was  to "Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." - Gustave Flabert  (I think I copied that right!)

Anyway, she also (as did Tim and Ellen) suggest that we do some deep soul searching and learn who we are, what motivates us and makes us happy.  This hit home with me in both sessions as I sometimes feel like I'm still not sure who I am.  I have an inkling, but still feel like I'm searching to find out what I'm best at.  (Damn I'd better hurry.  I don't know how much time I have left..... I guess I should have gone to the Palm Reader at the Saturday night gala.)  

As a teacher I felt I knew who I was..... but as an artist, not so much!

PMC Conference Day 2

Well I'm finally back to posting about the conference sessions.  Friday morning's first session of the day was a trip back in time with Tim McCreight to trace the history of PMC which began in 1995.

The factory where it all began.

Artists meet at Haystack to experiment with this new medium

My first choice of the morning session was "The ABC's of Teaching" with Lora Hart.  Long before the conference, Lora sent out a questionnaire for us to respond to.  My main reason for going to this session was to see what others had to say.  I was an art teacher for 35 years, so basically I felt that there was nothing to learn from this session.  But I was wrong.  Lora brought up some points I hadn't thought of and shared some tips worth trying (like carrying materials for sale in a shoe bag..... multiple pockets and see-through accessibility.)

After lunch I went to see demos by Barbara Becker Simon and Vickie Hallmark who both include glass in their work.  

Barbara's demo included using sheet clay as a bezel with all different kinds of glass and mixing enamel right into metal clay to make colored metal clay.

Vickie showed us how to make a glass cab using a torch and how to work with vitreous enamel in using glass cabs as a canvas for painting.

For the last session of the day I chose "Social Media and your on-line presence" by Susan Dilger.  I had met Susan before (again we were in a class together at PMC Connection's Retreat at Arrowmont in 2009.)  I do use social media (but probably not as much as I should.)  She had lots of information on which site to use for our own specific needs.  For the most part, the theme came through as "If you are not online - you are invisible."  (Those are Susan's words.)  

Now, here is where I should post a picture of Susan making her presentation.  But, instead I am finishing with a picture of her boots.  (The photo came out very dark and I thought it was unusable but thanks to the advanced adjustment tool in IPhoto it is presentable.)  The boots were the first thing I noticed when I sat down.  (How did she get her toes into those upturned pointed toes?)

The Party's Over

My original plan was to post the conference in the order of my participation but instead I'm starting at the end and working backwards.

After fifteen years the National PMC Guild is no more.  Last night was the last official guild event and they went out with a bang.  Rio Grande (a major jewelry making supplier) hosted a gala last night for the guild and it's members, complete with drinks, finger foods, a palm reader, a caricaturist, a photo option, prize give aways, and a goodie bag for all the members.   It sure looked like everyone was having a great time.  I know I did.

Our very own Pittsburgh metal clay guild's Donna Penoyer and one of her many alter egos provided entertainment.

Just one of the many balloon hats created by Donna

Our fearless leader, Tim McCreight was treated to a "Here's your life" slide show.

(That's Tim in front wearing one of Donna's hats.)

Even the Mitsubishi scientists cut loose once in awhile.  Dr. M. Morikawa who lead a team of scientists in the creation of metal clay entertains on the dance floor. 

Many of the members signed a large card in a silver pen to present to the Mitsubishi Corporation. 

Thank you Mitsubishi, Rio Grande and the National Guild for getting us hooked on this amazing medium.

Certification carved pendant

The last post on my certification projects is the carved pendant. I really like this pendant and the process used to create it. In fact I taught this process in a class tonight.

I call this a double carved pendant. The first carving is done in an eraser (in class we used the easy carve block) to create a mold. After pressing PMC Standard clay into the mold, drying and sanding the piece, we carved directly into the dried clay. Since Standard clay shrinks 30% the design can be considerably bigger which makes it easy to work on. After firing, the design is sharper. Standard clay carves like butter. (PMC+ and PMC3 can also be carved but they are more difficult to carve.)

The front design was a requirement. We all carved the same design but the back was a design of our own choosing.

I had my students work up a design of their own before beginning the piece. In some ways I think this was the hardest part for them. Although, carving does take a little practice.

Oh and by the way I got my tetrahedron back from Tim today. I worried for nothing. He sent a nice little note about it.

The other ring

The other ring we made in the Rio Certification class was also sized without the use of a ring mandrel or ring gauge. We used the same neat mathematical formula even though this ring was made flat and bent after firing.

The construction method of this ring was difficult as the signet containing the stone was fired separately and added after the ring band was bent. The objective of this piece was to learn ring sizing, bending metal clay, setting a stone and double firing.

Usually double firing isn't difficult. Just paste the two fired pieces together with lavender oil paste (which I mentioned in an earlier post) and re-fire.

What made this piece a problem was that the amount of contact area between the signet and the ring band was minimal. I filed and filed the open ends of the ring band and could not for the life of me get them level. There was always a curve to the end which Tim told us happens because we have elbows and tend to file in an arc. So, when I inserted the (somewhat) square signet into the opening between the ends of the band there wasn't a lot of contact area. The ring fired intact, but when it was put on a ring mandrel and hammered to get a better curve, it broke at the seam.

Now I need to repair it. When I do, I'll put some kind of design between the band and the signet that gives more contact to the pasted problem.

Originally this project had the signet sitting on top of the band, which gave more contact area to the pasted joint. Doing the ring this way, made the signet stick up considerably and that is why the design was changed. I think I would have liked the other design better, (both in looks and ease of creating.) But, it was what it was.

Certification Pen

Another certification project was making a pen with a cap that unscrews.

Imbedding a screw into the pen and the cap was a very interesting technique with lots of possibilities.

As with all my other projects, I didn't focus on design.... just learning the technique. So the focus of my pen was texture.

It really was an easy project, although I thought it would be difficult. (For me the rings were the most difficult, which really floored me as I make rings all the time...... although not without some learning experiences.)

Again this was a project I wasn't sure I was going to like, but I think I do. I'll let you know after I've used the pen for a while (and I am going to use it.) The silver pen is thin and I tend to like thicker barreled pens. I use to have my students make polymer clay pens which I still use to this day. They are much thicker and to me are more comfortable. (Plus they are a lot of fun to make!)

Both the tetrahedron and the pen were teaching techniques that I did not learn in my PMC Connection Certification. (But those classes taught me other techniques that were not taught in the Rio Class.)

Another little trick I learned was that the ink pen can be cut without ink leaking all over the place. (I was really a little worried about that one, but it works.) The mess comes when cleaning out the cut end a little to make room for air to help push the ink through. (At least I think that's why we cleaned out the end. Darn.... why didn't I take physics? Actually I don't care that I didn't take chemistry or physics.)

3 hours too short

As mentioned in the previous post, I took the Rio Grande Certification class this past weekend.

Right from the start Tim McCreight said it was not a race and it was okay to finish up after the class was over. I took that to heart.

I decided not to try to get everything done and stress myself out. So, I didn't push myself to get my tetrahedron finished. (Which I regretted every time we cheered for someone who did complete them all in the alloted time.) But, that was my choice.

I have Level I and II Certification through PMC Connection. It is amazing how different Rio's class is. Both programs are valuable and both teach similar but different things. I'm glad I've taken them both.

We had seven projects to complete. In the next several posts, I'll share my thoughts on all of them. This post deals with the tetrahedron which I'm still working on (all the other projects are done.)

The tetrahedron is "the dreaded" project (which is why I chose to postpone it..... silly me!) We had to make our form out of isosceles triangles and it really wasn't that difficult. The part that most people dread is giving it a mirror finish.

Half of the tetrahedrons warped during the firing process (and of course mine was one of them.) The warping lead to hammering it back into shape and lots of filing to even the planes before we could start the polishing process.

Since I brought the piece home I had to go buy a big metal file (which I've needed for a long time now.) So, in that sense waiting to finish it was a plus.

As I've been polishing the piece, I realize how strong the form is.

On the down side of bringing the piece home, I feel like it will be scrutinized more closely when I send it to Tim. Just when I think I've got it highly polished, I see fine scratches. Maybe everyones else's pieces had these fine scratches too. I don't know. In the quick review at the end of the class they may have been overlooked.

My piece does reflect images like a mirror. So, in that sense I've achieved my mirror finish. To complete this piece it needs to have a pin back soldered on it. That, I am comfortable with.

Rio Grande Certification

Tomorrow I'm off to do the Rio Grande Certification class with Tim McCreight. Yahoo!! I tried to take the class in January but it filled up so fast that I missed the cut. But now I have something to look forward too (and lots of pictures to share.)

I already have Certification I and II with PMC Connection. (Level III and IV are in my future plans too. I just love being a student.)

Both companies teach their certification classes differently. I'm really looking forward to seeing Rio's style and I get the head guru as a teacher too. Can't get any better than that.

I was rereading my information last night and was glad to hear that Rio's classes stress technical skill and not design. That is somewhat of a relief as I tend to (and I know others do this too) stress over whether my piece is a "good design." (Now I just have to keep reminding myself of this.)

The photos: How I finished the broken ring top and the view from the deck at our camper on Lake Erie (where I find beach glass.)

An end to the color workshop

Finally, this is my last post about the color workshop I took with Tim McCreight. (Well until I add color to a finished piece of jewelry and not these samplers.)

Tim had some unusual media with him for the workshop. One of which was flocking. (Like what use to be on wall paper. When we bought our house, the front room had gold carpet, a fingernail polish pink wall and red and silver flocked wall paper. God, it was awful!) I tried some of the red flocking. It came with an adhesive red paint that was used first; then the flocking was sprinkled on. I hated it! (Almost as much as I hated that wall...... and Tim's example looked really nice.) Anyway, I tried scraping it off before I ended up torching it off (and breathing in all those toxic fumes from the polyester it is made of.) The damn thing would not totally burn off. It just turned black and stuck. So, I ended up scraping it off after all.

I found some flocking in a mini-pack of colors at Michael's. I can't believe I bought it and tried it again. This time I used a plain glue before sprinkling on the flocking. I'm not crazy about it but at least I don't hate it.

Michael's also had some really cool glitter and mini glass marbles. So, of course I tried those too, but just the marbles.) They are really interesting little things. (I like little things. My husband gets mad when I tell people that. I never did go for tall, dark, and handsome. I'd rather have a short and handsome type.)

My main concern with these "kitschy" color mediums is their staying power. I suspect they will fade over a very short time period. Which brings me to my conclusion about using color with the silver.

Which is ...... color for color sake is never good. Color is a design element which needs to work in harmony with the other design elements. It must play an integral part to the total design if it is to succeed. I love the look of silver and the contrast of textures, lights and darks, and positives and negatives. Unless a piece tells me that it "needs" color (remember my jewelry talks to me) I won't be using color arbitrarily any time soon.

At least not in my jewelry. But..... a piece of sculpture could be no holds barred for any form of color media.

Playing with resin, is next on my list. But I'll try it out without using the fine silver.

Contemporary color

Tim McCreight's color workshop covered the range of traditional coloring techniques to non-traditional ones.

Experimentation was the word of the class, so experiment we did. Tim brought an assortment of coloring media and so did other class members.

The first piece was colored with Prismacolor pencils. Since the pencils need a "tooth" to hang onto, the metal clay piece was fired but not brushed or polished. Turpentine was used to blend the colors. Polishing was done by hand after adding the color. I've seen beautiful metal pieces done with colored pencil so I was a little disappointed when I tried this technique. But, the area I was coloring was small and I only had a few layers of pencil. Other classmates who had taken the Debra Weld workshop on adding color said they had "hundreds" of layers of pencil. (All said in a manner which indicated lots of hours.)

The second piece was colored with Liquid Sculpey to which liquid color (and sometimes powdered color) had been added. This was a fairly easy process but can be "peeled" right off the piece when dry. I did this in lieu of messing with resin, but I am going to try resin at my studio. (Resin was one of those many things I bought to try but never got around to.)

Okay?????

One of my favorite things I learned in Tim McCrieght's color workshop was something called copper cladding. Basically the process is covering fine silver in copper. Okay?????? Why would anyone cover an expensive metal like fine silver with a lesser metal like copper? Because it is fun and looks great!

The process involves dropping silver (with a paper clip on it) into an over saturated solution of pickle. (Pickle is used to remove oxidation from silver and copper.) The paper clip is used to create a charge, which causes the copper to adhere to the silver. (I think that is the way it went. I knew I should have taken chemistry in high school, but at the time it didn't seem important.) The silver with the paper clip on it was heated first with a torch. Again, I think this was only to remove the coating on the steel paper clip. Anyway, the heated piece makes that fssst sound which I love, when it goes into the liquid. We left them in there a few minutes. Often we got busy and forgot about them so they were in there longer, but I'm not sure that made much of a difference.

When they came out of the pickle, they looked like a piece of copper. What makes it worthwhile is cleaning off the high areas. Polishing with a cloth, tends to go into the recessed areas and remove it. I used a nail buffer instead which was rigid and polished the high spots.

This piece was one of my favorites.

More copper examples and pieces to come. This process is so cool. (Okay, I dated myself with that word. But at my age I don't care. There's got to be some perks to getting old.)

Tim McCreight Color Workshop

Got home today from the color workshop at the Society for Contemporary Crafts in the Strip District in Pittsburgh. What a wonderful class. I can't say I accomplished a lot, but I certainly did learn a lot.

The class was taught by Tim McCreight. Tim is pretty much the first person in the United States to get the chance to work with metal clay. He is a consultant for the Mitsubishi company who makes the clay. It was his first time in Pittsburgh, but it won't be his last. He is coming back the first week in June to teach a class on mold making and another Rio Certification class.

Tim's teaching style (at least for this kind of class) was laid back and non-stressful. It was a class of experimentation and very enjoyable. I would recommend one of Tim's classes to anyone.

On Friday night, about fifty people attended a reception the Western Pennsylvania Guild held for Tim. After socializing over food and wine, we were treated to hearing a little bit about Tim's life and career. He is an interesting speaker who is very personable and humorous.

Over the next few days, I'll share some of the things we learned in class and show my examples. The teacher in me took the educational approach and made my pieces with the intention of making a chart. (With all that silver, it's going to be an expensive chart!)

Tim McCreight Workshop

Yay!!!! Tomorrow I head to Pittsburgh for a workshop with the head Guru of metal clay, Tim McCreight. What a nice break in the middle of a snowy winter. It's a two day workshop on adding color to metal clay with a variety of mediums, like enamel, colored pencil, resin, etc. Tim is also teaching a Rio Grande Certification class the following three days. I really wanted to do that too, but the class filled up so fast. But, I am registered for the same class in June. Then on Friday night the local Guild is having a reception for him. He's going to make a little presentation that night too. Can't wait. I'll be sure to take pictures.

As I've said before, I love taking classes. I also think that anyone who teaches, should take classes. It helps us understand what problems our students may face.

I already have Level I and II Certification through PMC Connection, but each company's certification class is different and the more variety of instructors one has, the better.

The one problem I am going to have is keeping to my resolution of putting one item a day on my Etsy site. I'll have to put four on tomorrow or two tomorrow and three on Saturday. At any rate, I'll be averaging one a day. (Hopefully!)

Three for Three

Whew..... I didn't realize how hard this was going to be. I just posted my third photo on my Etsy site with only ten minutes to spare. Almost forgot to do it and then ran into trouble getting things posted. But I did it!!! Only twenty seven more to go..... Oh God!

I'm also trying to get things finalized for the fourth quarter to send to my accountant and tomorrow I'm starting inventory. Oh I just LOVE this time of year. (Yeah, right!)

At least I get to take a class from Tim McCreight on adding color to metal clay. Got to wait a week and half, but it will be a much needed break from working with numbers..... I HATE WORKING WITH NUMBERS. (My daughter's an accountant.... didn't get the number gene from me!!)