50 Words, 50 Images

Wow! I’ve been busy!
I’ve had a presentation to do, an essay to write and a new project to start.

The new project is 50 words, 50 images. Basically it started by me choosing 50 or more images and words to inspire my work. The images can be anything: my own photos, found images or images of artists’ work.

I now have to respond to those words and images. Here are a few of my samples, using metal and stitch, which I did at the beginning of this project:

Here are 12 of my words which relate to these samples:
Vessel, Light, Shadow, Linear, Texture, Combine, Reflect, Warm, Geometric, Growth, Contrast, Windows.

Feeling Pretty Pleased!

Thought I’d post these photos of my salt spoons displayed together as I think they look great and I’m really pleased with them.These photos also show the great finish on the spoons. I used antiquing fluid to give them a less harsh colour and surface. It also really emphasizes the extra lines I created.I have another reason to be pleased. Yesterday I got my results and feedback for ExM (Exploration of Materials) and the Spoons project…….
I got a 1st!!!

This is the display of my work for this project:
I have also had a 1st in the two other modules I have completed so far! It will be fantastic if I can keep this up!

A Pinch of Salt

Someone asked if my geometrical spoons actually had to have the bowl part of a spoon on the end… Could it be a part of the handle instead?

This prompted me to make these last three spoons as part of my final collection. They are the same design as the others except with just a small dip at the narrow end of the handle as the bowl making them the perfect spoon for just a “pinch of salt”.

Brass Angles

This past week I have been working on developing my geometric spoons in small metals. I have four more in brass which you can see below.These two have not yet been bent but I have looked at working with the surface of the metal. I have gone over the surface with sandpaper to create this scratchy appearance which I rather like. With this next one I have practiced making the folds sharp and angular. I have experimented with ways to change the shape of the handle with the placement of the folds.These spoons are also very interesting and fun to photograph as the shapes and angles create beautiful shadows which really emphasise the geometric 3D forms.This last spoon has been the most successful. I have added extra lines where there are not any folds. This really adds an extra dimension to the design.As my deadline is this Thursday I have decided to abandon my idea of wooden and plastic spoons so that I can focus on developing and finishing these designs in brass. I am really pleased with them!

Geometric Spoons

It’s taken me a while to get around to doing this post as I have two deadlines coming up very fast. I also held back on doing this post as I was very disappointed with how my plastic spoons turned out. I kept having to remind myself that they were just a first attempt.

Looking back at them now I see that they are not so bad. The main problems were that I made them too big and I was also just focusing on the handles so they definitely have an unfinished look to them.
I have continued the geometrical ideas and I have also thought about the idea of the spoons hooking onto things.
To develop these designs I am hoping to scale them down, use plastic only for the handle and maybe use wood for the bowl part of the spoon.
I am also thinking of using a different colour of plastic, although I still want it to be see-through as I like the intersecting lines this creates when you look at it from different angles.Before developing my work in plastic I decided to try my designs in small metals. This is my first geometrical spoon in brass.Doing this design in metal allows me to make sharper angles in the handle than I could create in plastic. I still need a little practice at this though.

Spoons

Just a week or so before the Christmas holidays I started my first set project for Uni. The project is to make a spoon or series of spoons using the new skills we have learnt.

Here are some photos of the first two spoons I have made. I used the wire technique I experimented with earlier in the term as it was one of my favourite experimental pieces.

Copper wire spoon:
Brass wire ladle:I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

First Semester Over!

As my first semester is over it’s about time I did another post! (It’s all gone so fast!!)

This is my desk set up for my formative assessment of all my work so far. I’m please to say my feedback was very good.

Small Metals

So far I think my favorite workshop has been Small Metals. Obviously I’ve worked like this before when I went to Silversmithing classes but this time I had a chance to be more experimental.I am really pleased with the samples I produced in this workshop.I especially like this piece. I think it has the most potential to be developed into something further although it is incredibly delicate.

My Workspace

I have been a student at Hereford College of Arts for 6 weeks now (which makes me realise how little time I have spent on this blog recently) so I think it is about time I posted some photos of my workspace in the Uni.
As you can see I have decorated the walls with postcards and business cards from artists who inspire me and also some of my own work.I also have my experimental work from our workshop introductions. So far I have done mark making, paper construction, ceramics, plastics, small metals, textiles and wood.I am pleased to say I am really enjoying my course so far.