Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Couple more bronzclay pieces

I did another bronzclay firing this week - and hope to do one more today. The firing all went well and I'm using some of the pieces to experiment on with patinas and different finishes. I just made some simple shapes, such a hair clips etc and my firing today is more sculptural pieces.

This piece is a hair barrette with a design like a row of trees. (Looks like a type of crown in this picture!). It came out of the kiln with more colours on it - but they disappeared quite quickly. Which got me thinking about how to form stable patinas. I now have what my husband calls, a chemistry lab set up in the laundry where I'm working on what colours can come from the bronze....

This piece is one that I started at my pre-conference workshop. It is a reversible necklace with
different text on each side. I had been wondering how to string it - so yesterday tried it with some beads - larger ones in a bronze colour and the smaller ones in the highlighted text colour. I left one edge of the necklace "torn" looking with the idea that the whole piece looks aged. It sort of reminds me of something that has been found in an archeological dig.....

The last piece I made as a book mark - a musical bookmark. It has the impression of grapes and vines on it - but the real joy of this piece is it's sound. Bronze has just such a beautiful tone so I added a couple of tiny bell time shapes to this piece - one on with the square (hidden in this photo) and one on the end of the bookmark. When either of these hit against the square, they make a beautiful tone. I could see myself fiddling with these as I read my book...ringing my "bells" as I read! Hopefully not in a library or somewhere quiet!!

The sound of the bronze is just so pretty - it made me want to do more "sound" pieces...... something to mull over for a while and see where it takes me......

Hopefully I'll have some patina pieces to show soon.

Anyone else out there have some experiences with the bronzclay?

2 comments:

The Bunny Maker said...

i'd love to have a go with it - think we've be in touch before about it! I read up a bit and have realised that the standard little metal tin with lid that you can buy - which you put the charcol into along with the piece - is just too bit to go in my mini kiln - i'm wondering if you know of anywhere that sells a weeny one which will fit - or if you know of any substite I can use instead! the clay seems much cheaper than silver PMC so i'm dying to try it out!

Ruth said...

You can buy stainless steel mesh and make a little box yourself out of it - it's flexible - but edges are sharp. Add a lid too - otherwise the charcoal messes the kiln too. I'll see if I can find a link to someone who made a box and forward it to you. You should try it. It's more tricky in someways than the silver if you are sculpting and joining pieces, but if you keep it simple, it's great.