A Splash of Colour

Review. Beginners Enamelling Workshop (February 2013). London Jewellery School, London.

I don't know about you, but in winter and especially during the early months of the year when I'm desperate for spring, sunshine and warmth I absolutely crave colour. It has long puzzled me that in a country deprived of the naturally vibrant hues of warmer climates our palettes for winter clothing are so dismal and dingy. I think we really need an injection of brightness to cheer us all up.

With that in mind I jumped at the chance to introduce some colour to my jewellery and learn the basics of enamelling at the London Jewellery School. It was a fantastic sunday! In comparison to other jewellery techniques (like stonesetting !!!) there were elements to it that are satisfyingly immediate. Instant gratification isn't something typically offered by the practice of metal working.

As the second class I've attended at LJS I knew to expect a good level of equipment and organisation - everything was well set up so that we could all get cracking with colour. We had a brief introduction and some handy help sheets on the different techniques, our work spaces were set up and in no time we were away under the friendly supervision of Michelle Leaver.

First up was dry enamelling. Using copper blanks we counter enamelled the back of our pieces to ensure that the right side colour didn't warp and crack, then we got to play with the assorted opaque and transparent colours! I was very pleased with how my first go turned out. I put a couple of layers of colour on the piece trying to get a nice balance and blend of the white and red opaque background then made a little stencil and applied a layer of transparent turquoise.

Next I got to try my hand at a technique I had been hankering to explore - scraffito. Another dry enamelling technique where you can scratch out a design in the piece. My effort here was inspired by the positive vibes of the Holstee Manifesto. 

Fortified by a spot of food we resumed work in the afternoon, progressing to the more complex and far glossier practice of wet enamelling! This involved a lot more prepping than the dry (where essentially you are shaking glass compound onto a prepared surface and firing). Time consuming though it was, it was still good fun to play with the colour and to achieve a very different effect...

Another great joy of taking craft classes/workshops is the people you get to meet. This class was no exception. In keeping with colour seeking I had the great fortune to meet a lovely Cambridge based jeweller and hairdresser - Hannah Collins, wearing a great bright red coat. Do check out her beautiful website and work - http://www.hannah-collins.com/! 

Hammer & Pickle Ratings:

Value - 5/5

Although not a cheap option (what jewellery making is?!) LJS is wonderfully equipped, everything needed is provided in the cost of the class and I came away from the day with 2 pendants and a pair of earrings. Quite an excellent haul I think :)

Vibes - 5/5

Michelle Leaver's calm presence and the nature of enamelling meant this was a perfect relaxed Sunday activity. Hot kilns, but chilled jewellers.

Pickle Rating - 2/5

Although the dry enamelling technique is straightforward it does require a steady hand! There was a fair bit of huffing and puffing from yours truly during a space of about 15 minutes where I repeatedly failed to get my prepared pendant onto its stand. 

Stick a pin in it (see if it screams!)... Halloween Special!

Today's post is bought to you by the mystical powers indecision, frustration and thwarted ambition. All thorny issues I felt were evil enough to summon on a dark hallow's eve. I incite them quite happily for the purpose of this post and then shall banish them from whence they came never to darken my creative door any further!

As anyone who has been following my ramblings will know, I have fallen head over heels for metal working. I am excited whenever the first twinklings of a design sparkle somewhere in the grey matter of my head or heart. A plain brown jiffy bag arrives at the office, to anyone else it appears to contain little squares, rectangles or lines of metal, to me it holds potential (for a piece) and dreams (for something bigger!). I savour time I get to use a hammer, drill or blow torch and can play and develop and make. With a little luck and a lot of hope transforming a conceptual glimmer into an actual piece of jewellery.

This post isn't really about those times (sorry)

This post is about the dark side (mwahaha!)

I have to confess. Sometimes the twinkle doesn't get to sparkle. The metal isn't animated and given magical life as jewellery. Sometimes things just. don't. work. out. Or, they don't quite make it. This post is about suspended animation...

I present, exhibit A. Bat Pendant.

The bat pendant was designed enthusiastically as the shadowy yin to my 'sweet bunny pendant's light spring time yang. As it entailed more piercework I was happy as a bean to get sawing. However, this did not feel to be the end of the project. What was lurking in those very shadows? The accursed beast of indecision waiting to pounce. Dear readers, I have never taken the plunge in finishing the piece. In terms of its shape I am content, it matches my design. But it needs texture, possibly colour and, many months after bringing it into being I have yet to bring it to completion. Here are ideas I have toyed with thus far... oxidising, applying texture in the rolling mill (but precarious due to the thin creepy branch), stringing it with dark pearls, enamelling... 

And then, to our macabre second examination - Exhibit B. The screaming silver skull.

This piece has been doubly cursed, and perhaps rightly so given its' sinister nature. It was borne of my love of Tim Burton and a bit of a thing I have lately about skulls. My intention for this piece was to try my hand at wax casting and create a necklace with not one, but three stylised silver skulls, each with different expressions. I lovingly hand crafted the creepy little wax heads and was very pleased with my modelling work.

Fate and casting, however, are a fickle pair and a fabulous trio of silver brain cases weren't on my cards that evening. My tutor Nick and I diligently prepared the cast, melted the silver with the impressively large blow torch, poured in the beautiful molten substance and waited dutifully for the vessel to be cool enough to work with. When it came to the moment of truth, as I chipped away at the baked plaster, it was evident that all had not gone to plan. The plaster wasn't crumbling away as well as it could be. With a heavy heart I discovered, some sad looking blobs of silver :(

But wait! It was not a complete unmitigated failure. Amongst the sorry wreckage, literally screaming to be found was this hideous little beauty...

But, in keeping with the wicked witches cited at the beginning of my tale this too has a pin in it. When will the decisions be made? How will I help these creatures meet their destiny and the world? When the hurly burly's done?

Happy halloween! Enjoy pumpkins, the colour orange and use the evil forces for good (eg. writing blog posts!)

Sx

ps. If you like my darker side, here are some lusciously creepy sites that are well worth a visit...

If you go down to the woods tonight, watch out for... Kate Gililand - macabre jeweller extraordinaire, she works with found dead creatures (!), but in the flesh her pieces are incredibly delicate and fine.

If you just can't get enough skulls (who can?), check out the one and only 365 Skulls. Memento mori - tastic.

Lastly, a recommendation from Mr Silversmith for any gamers out there. Enter a simply stunning dark fairytale land as a young boy trekking through the forest in Limbo.

A Sable Silver'd: Sweet Little Bunny Pendant...

It's been quite the couple of weeks at Silversmith HQ with some major ups and downs, of which I will definitely be sharing more soon! But for now, a little tale about how a local market on a bitterly cold day lead to a love of piercework (sawing silver).

I work in central Cambridge and can stroll past beautiful college buildings during my lunch break within seconds. However, having grown up in the area, this all whizzes by unnoticed most days as I dash out for lunch or a last minute chore.

One day when I was taking the time to enjoy my enviable environs I decided to venture into the Cambridge Art and Craft Market. The day was wintry and the stalls were few. Amongst them was a young girl, surely freezing her fingers off, selling a colourful array of jewellery - I had to take a peek.

To my delight I found this little beauty...

Orange and bird themed! Hurray! So, this little friend (I called the bird Nigel) came with me on one of my early jewellery classes at White House Arts. My tutor suggested making a silver version, to learn the piercework technique, which seemed like a good idea, were it not for my compulsion not to plagiarise, copy or pilfer the works of others. I'm very morally upstanding in that way ;)

But, the seed had been sown and I pondered how to make my own little lovely pendant. From birds to... bunnies...

I have a great affection for my bunny, although unlike Nigel, he didn't get named. A number of people asked if this is the work of an excellent local jeweller who specialises in sawing metal - The Hairy Growler. I take this as a great compliment! But do confirm that it's my own, because as you know that's  very important.

Anyone else had a great flash of inspiration when they've taken things more slowly, or when venturing out to a wintry market stall?