Katy Ginger

Senior Project Pieces

2009-04-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Slime Mold Necklace
14 k gold plated copper

Slime Mold Post Earrings
14 k gold plated copper

Slime Mold Dangle Earrings
14 k gold plated copper

Slime Mold Cuff Bracelet
14 k gold plated copper

Slime Mold Cuff Bracelet
14 k gold plated copper

Slime Mold Brooch
copper

on the body:

Taher Chemirik

2009-02-16T02:26:00.000-08:00

I think this is brilliant! I found this in Elle Magazine but can't find anything else about this particular design on the internet so I scanned part of the page.

Proposal for Senior Project

2009-02-16T01:38:00.000-08:00

"The Beauty Slime Mold Can Hold"

SUBJECT:
The mind is a maker of analogies, a suppliers of metaphors. It is a distributor of associations with a brain full of symbols waiting to be shipped out. Some objects like apples or roses have strong and traditional emotional associations with temptation and love. Other objects like shoes have weaker, less obvious associations. Associations arise from colors too. Green is healthy. Red is aggressive. Associations ultimately depend on context. An apple on a teacher's desk means something entirely different to most of us that the proverbial apple offered by Eve to Adam. Associations can arouse strong emotions.

This whole subject of associations and the emotions attached to them came to the forefront of my attentions when I found myself strongly attracted to images of slime mold I discovered on the internet, in my search for natural objects as the basis for organic jewelry. I wondered why and how I could find these pictures so artistically striking when they were photographs of slimy mold. So I did some quick research on slime mold in an attempt to understand it more fully.

Slime mold may have an unattractive name, but it is unfairly demonized by it's name. These fungi-like amoeba organisms can appear gelatinous in some stages of their growth, hence their name. But they are not fungi. They are really oddballs or misfits in the biological hierarchy. They are close to being both plant and animal, but are neither. Slime mold has been the inspiration for many "B' grade monster movies. But ironically, slime mold for the most part, is a beneficial organism that decays dead plant material, returning nutrients to the soil.

So why does slime mold inspire me to formally reproduce its various forms as works of art? The answer is simple - it is hard not to be shocked by its stunning beauty of color, form and texture in all of its life cycle stages. It remains an unexplained contradiction to me. The images of decay and horror that slime mold is traditionally associated with versus the reality of slime mold actively enriching the earth while growing in gorgeous colors, textures and forms. Conceptually, my organic jewelry comes from a desire to embrace the impermanence of the natural world around me. Rather than mourning the transience of life, this jewelry will celebrate it, transforming decay into beauty, slime into the sublime. Practically, these slime mold designs are aesthetically pleasing. They alternately can resemble coral, leaves, branches, veins, pearls - a myriad of organic forms. It is almost as if the design is alive, showing growth and movement in its branching form.

As an artist, I realize that the association I make with an object may not be made my others. By lifting out a small segment of one piece of a specific slime mold and reproducing it in metal, I can refocus the viewpoint and hence the association. Not showing the whole subject shifts from the information and emotion associated with the whole, to something more abstract. Parts can be graphic. When designs are not literal, they invite many interpretations. By focusing on a part of the slime mold design and lifting it out of its usual decaying context, I hope to invite the viewer to appreciate the beauty of things previously overlooked, to revive a part of our world previously dead to our senses.

OBJECT:
I propose to make a few pairs of earrings and a few necklaces, maybe a bracelet and a ring - all with the purpose of bringing natural forms to the human body for display, adornment and enjoyment.

Using the format of jewelry, I hope to reveal some unexpected and hidden beauty, buried in the contradictions of nature and design.

senior project ideas...

2009-02-16T01:29:00.001-08:00

I decided I want to electroform hot glue forms based on slime mold for my senior project and then enamel them. I want to make a whole line of slime mold jewelry - necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, etc. Since it is fairly easy and fast to make the hot glue forms, I want to make a whole bunch of them to electroform, this way I'll have a lot of pieces in the end.

These pics are some of my hot glue forms that I made on a much smaller scale than my previous ones, and the chain is laid out so that the orientation of each pendant is clear.

Sketches and Maquettes for Enameling

2009-02-15T22:29:00.001-08:00

brainstorming and preliminary sketches:

maquettes:

mixture of cornstarch, salt and water that turned into playdo

elmer's glue

caulk

hot glue

Photographs of my Jewelry

2009-02-14T20:49:00.000-08:00

For my senior project, I was required to have some of my work professionally photographed, and then send the images of my work to 3 different exhibitions for the experience and in hope of getting my work entered in one.

I went to Joseph Hyde to get three of my pieces, all inspired by mold, photographed this past friday. He is an amazing photographer and very nice man. He emailed me these jpegs the very next day which was very cool, so here they are!

Joseph Hyde:
http://web.me.com/josephhyde1121/Joseph_Hyde/Contact.html

Websites I Like

2009-02-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

Part of my senior project is to locate 5-10 artist's websites that I love, take screen captures of the sites and post them to my blog. The goal is to build an effective online presence - identify what we like in a website so that we can create our own. I chose all jewelers because those are the types of artists whose websites I frequent.

Anthony Nak
Jewelry designers Anthony Camargo and Nak Armstrong launched Anthony Nak. I love the black background, the simple font, the cropped photos of their jewelry, and the use of artsy photographs to showcase some of the jewelry. I think their site is very classy and easy to navigate.

http://www.anthonynak.com/

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Alexis Bittar
Inspired by bakelite and Lalique glass and stimulated by the beauty of precious and semiprecious stones, he mixes unusual colors into bold combinations, some of which have become collectible pieces. I like the white background here just as much as I like the black used by Anthony Nak. I don't like colorful backgrounds...I think they take away from what you're trying to showcase. I also like the modern looking font, where the name "Alexis Bittar" is in lowercase letters.

http://alexisbittar.com/home.php
http://www.verbena.net/producthighlights/alexisbittar.htm

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Suzanne Wilson Designs
I love Suzanne Wilson's website. It is very simple, yet beautiful. It is also very easy to navigate. I especially love the way her jewelry is displayed on objects found in nature. I think it enhances the organic quality of her work. I'm thinking this might be a good direction for me to head in with my website.

http://www.swdjewelry.com/

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Lauren Wimmer BEADS
I like Lauren's website is it very very basic. I don't like complicated websites. In fact when a website is too busy I won't even bother looking at it. This has a nice plain white background, and the jewelry is photographed to that it looks like it's floating in space. I think that is a great way to show off jewelry because there is nothing distracting the viewer.

http://www.laurenwimmer.com/index.htm

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Odette
Jennifer Sarkilahti is an artist and designer who created her own collection of jewelry called Odette New York. Since she is inspired by nature, botanical forms, art, and modern design, it makes sense that her jewelry is displayed on rocks, slate, branches and the human form. I love the use of monotone colors - white, light grey and dark grey. It matches the jewelry and what it's photographed on.

http://www.odetteny.com/

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Kyoko Honda
What I love about this website is the inclusion of hand drawn and graphic images on the homepage. I also obviously love the white background and the simple font. I also really like the way the thumbnail images of the jewelry before you click on the to blow them up larger are cropped so only part of the piece shows. I think it makes the viewer want to look closer to be able to see the whole piece.

http://www.kyokohonda.com/index.html

friday the 13th was a good day!!!

2009-02-14T18:50:00.000-08:00

This past friday I finally started my internship at Michael's Jewelry Studio, working behind the bench. I have never been so nervous waking up that morning getting prepared to go in for my first day because I feel like I know absolutely nothing about being a bench jeweler. Jan said in class the other day to start preparing for the real world outside of college. That being nervous about starting and/or encountering new things is always going to be nerve wracking, but that we should quickly learn to embrace that feeling because it is something that you can never escape, and unless you want to stay stagnant for the rest of your life, then you must push through the fear and continue moving forward.

As soon as I walked in, my heartbeat quickly slowed down. Everyone was just wonderful. Michael immediately put me to work. He had me roll some silver down from 18 gauge to 20 gauge then hammer out small discs. He then asked me to cut the discs in half and when he saw that I wasn't sawing correctly, he showed me the proper way which made things so much easier! Then he had me file the edges flat, then file 45 degree angles so the discs could be soldered together at those angles to ultimately make a pair of earrings. When he saw that my filing was wobbly and all over the place, he showed me the correct way to file which was very exciting. It was so nice to have one on one attention which is something that is very difficult to get at school when you're in a class with 20 people for only an 4 hours a week! I was so embarrassed that I wasn't doing things correctly and felt so out of place, but he reassured me that it is going to take hours and hours and hours of practice to get it right. Good thing I have 120 hours with him! :)

There are 4 bench jewelers (one kid, 2 older men and Michael) and a woman who watches the gallery and actually graduated from Towson in the jewelry and metals program with John Fix. Everyone is funny and warm and extremely talented. I felt right at home. At the end of the day I didn't even want to leave! I am just so happy and excited to have started this internship. I think it really going to help build my self confidence.

After working at the bench for a little while, I watched some of the bench jewelers and they talked me through what they were doing as they did it. It was so cool to watch. I learned a lot.

They day just kept getting better. That evening after work, I went to meet Joseph Hyde to have some of my jewelry photographed. He was absolutely wonderful, and extremely talented. I have never been proud of my work and was very embarrassed to show it to him, considering he's been photographing many great artists, for example jeweler Janet Huddie. It was so interesting to see the whole process and collaborate with him on ideas for the photographs. It was very cool that he actually wanted my input! The photographs, untouched, came out amazing. I am so happy about them. He helped me to look at my work in a new light and actually feel proud of it.

So all in all, it was a very very exciting and productive day!

Enameling II

2009-02-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

This semester in Enameling II, we are starting off with electroforming. I have decided to go with my slime mold forms, surprise surprise. For our first project we are supposed to build our models using alternative materials - preferably something other than metal or wax, and then electroform them. I haven't decided exactly what I want to make, but I know I want it to be a wearable piece of jewelry that is based on slime mold. Most likely I will be making earrings or a pendant.

For my creative caffeine assignment, it was suggested in class that I choose a bunch of different materials that could be squeezed out of a pastry bag to create my form that would ultimately harden so it could be copper plated. I asked all of my friends on facebook which substances they recommended by asking the question on my profile page. I got a lot of great responses - hot glue, cake icing, caulk, tempered chocolate, easy cheese, cornstarch mixed with salt and water that creates playdo, elmers glue, and clay based face masks. I tried them all and only the hot glue gave me the effect I was looking for.

The playdo came close to what I was looking for, but became a little too crumbly as it dried. The icing was too thick and the chocolate was too thin. The cheese cracked when dried and the face mask was extremely messy. The elmers glue and caulk spread out and turned into big blobs after a couple of minutes. So I went with the hot glue because I was able to get clean precise veins and the glue dried very quickly so it was fast and easy to work with.

At first I tried drawing out my design in hot glue on a plastic page protector, but it stuck and wouldn't come off. Next I tried wax paper and plastic coated freezer paper, but the glue stuck to that as well. Then I tried putting a thin layer of crisco down on the 2 different types of paper and then tried a thin layer of pam after that. The glue tended to spread out and look a little messy, and still stuck a little bit to the paper. My last resort was tin foil and that did the trick. The glue peels off of it nice and easy. This wasn't the best option because at least with the wax paper it is somewhat translucent and I could put it over my sketch and trace the design with the glue gun. When using the tin foil I had to draw my design on it freehand with a sharpie and then trace that with the glue.

Houseware Jewelry?!

2009-02-01T01:24:00.000-08:00

I was going through old magazines looking for design ideas for my senior project and enameling...color schemes, forms, textures, etc. In Lucky magazine I came across this fierce porcelain bowl. It's weird to describe a porcelain bowl as fierce because typically porcelain objects are thought of as beautiful and delicate, but this bowl totally is fierce with the spikes and draped chain.

Sarah Cihat and Michael Miller are the artists who make these beautiful porcelain bowls. They also make vases and chandeliers among other things that are also dripping with chain. To me this looks like jewelry for houseware...something to make these everyday objects more interesting and exciting. I love the idea of making jewelry for objects, as opposed to humans.

http://www.sarahcihat.com/DIRT/dirtopen.html

more slime mold...I just can't get enough!

2009-01-30T16:16:00.001-08:00

Artists who use electroforming and enameling in their work

2009-01-29T07:23:00.000-08:00

DENNIS NAHABETIAN

Dennis makes unique wire vessels and jewelry, although I wasn't able to find any pictures of his beautiful garden series brooches that I like so much. His bracelets, brooches and pendants look like smaller more delicate versions of his vessels. Jan always says that when you look at an artist's work and can't identify what processes were used in creating the piece, then the piece is successful.

When I first saw Dennis' work at the Smithsonian Craft Show, I looked around for fifteen minutes in his small space inspecting everything until I finally asked him how he made his work and what it was made from! He said he uses a metal matrix, screening, electroforms that and then uses patinas to add color.

http://web.mac.com/denahaha/Nahabetian/Home.html

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VICKIE HALLMARK

This artist I can't find much about, but when googling "electroformed" I came across some of her work that I thought was interesting. She primarily makes lampworked glass beads and vessels but recently started incorporating metal into her work as well.

We were talking in class about using other materials for our matrices, rather than just wax, and when I saw that Vickie electroforms glass vessels she makes, I took a closer look. I can't figure out how she got all of the copper bumps...are they nodules? Whatever they are I think they are beautiful! I also like the way that only parts of the vessels are plated, revealing some off the smooth glass through the rough copper.

www.vickiehallmark.com

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STANLEY LECHTZIN

"Lechtzin's 'Torque' series is an example of his work that utilizes electroforming preceding his use of the computer. He has been making these pieces since the early 70’s. Each piece consists of similar features such as the cast plastic torque body with variable electroformed ornmentation. Though many of the torque pieces are bangles as the title implies, some serve as neckpieces or brooches. (The three pieces shown here) flaunt the freedom of Lechtzin's materials and processes, they are large forms that would be too heavy if he had not used electroforming and plastics."

Lechtzin's pieces draw me in because they are so elaborate. Electroforming does not come into my head at all when I look at these pieces. In fact, no processes do, which I think make these pieces successful. My eye is too busy moving around the forms and looking at all of the detail.

http://biodigitaldesign.wikispaces.com/Stanley+Lechtzin
www.temple.edu

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MELISSA HUFF

"Huff is known for her one of a kind sculptural jewelry, based on botanical forms and made of enamel, electroformed copper and fine silver."

She says, "my current work is plant-based, often with actual seed pods or other plant material serving as a starting point for the form. Some pieces derive from cross-sections of parts of plant anatomy, such as roots and stems. In my recent hybrid series, I combine plant forms from multiple sources creating new forms which are not meant to be representational, yet are intended to look as though they could exist. The pieces are very much about growth and development, as if caught in the act of becoming something.
My materials and techniques enable me to explore the sensuousness of plant forms, their structure and patterns of growth, the processes of time and the sensory appeal of an opject's tactile qualities."

Although I have only been able to find two pictures of Huff's work online, I absolutely love her artist's statement. My creative mind works in a very similar way. A lot of the forms I end up crafting are branch like or based on forms such as seed pods found in nature. I like my work to also look very literal, not changing much from the original form I get my inspiration from. I love all of the qualities of objects found in nature and want replicate these beautiful forms in metal.

http://japanhouse.typepad.com/japanhouse/2007/10/index.html
http://www.40north.org/who/Melissa-Huff.html

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JAMIE BENNETT

Bennett is a metalsmith that makes enameled brooches and pendants. There's a nice hand drawn quality to his work. Jan mentioned in class that if you look along the edges of some of his pieces you can see a bumpy dashed line indicative of nodules that might have formed there and have been taken off, so I think some of her pieces might be electroformed.

http://www.fullercraft.org/Travelling.htm

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MARIA PHILLIPS

"'I am interested in capturing both the beauty and inelegance of objects as they proceed through decay and regeneration,' Phillips has said. The resulting collection looks as if it might have been gathered from a forest floor, but is, in fact, created out of a combination of enamel, string, steel, silver and electroformed copper."

What I love about Maria's work, as Jan already said in class, is that she didn't take the traditional enameling route. A lot of the enameled work I see is very detailed and perfect, and that is not really my style. In fact it kind of turns me off to enameling. However looking at artists like Maria who use enamel the way she does, I start to get excited about working with it!

http://www.newpaltz.edu/artsnews/news.cfm?id=2792
www.artjewelryforum.org

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JUNE SCHWARCZ

Schwarz uses enameling and copper electroplating in her work. She is most well known for her sculptural vessels. I love the imperfectness of her work. It's like she wasn't forcing the metal, just allowing it to do it's own thing as she formed her vessels. I also like the subtle hints of color she added in with the enamel. It's not overpowering her work, and allows the forms to be the main focus which is a direction I think I want to head in.

americanart2.si.edu
www.velvetdavinci.com

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KATE FOWLE MELENEY

In her biotech series, Meleney is making glass forms inspired by nature and encasing them in an electroformed skin to add contrast to the glass surface. These pendants are lampworked glass with enamel and electroformed copper with liver of sulfur patina.

http://www.katefowle.com/

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HARLAN BUTT

Harlan Butt is a metalsmith who makes enameled copper vessels inspired by nature. I love that there is so much going on in each vessel. Lots of color, texture, design and interesting form. What I like the most about his vessels is the way it looks like each is covered in scales. I can not figure out how he uses the enamel to create this pattern, but I'd love to find out!

www.unt.edu
http://harlanbutt.com/

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BARBARA SEIDENATH

Form and design are the of focus in Seidenath's work. She uses enamel to enhance her forms and add colorful designs. In her artist's statement she says that she has been recently examining the dimensional possibilities of transparent enamels. In Enameling I, I did not like to work much with transparent enamels. I stuck to the opaque because I liked the brightly saturated colors I could get. I love this idea of layering transparent enamels not only to give a piece more depth and dimension, but maybe also to explore new color possibilities which I hadn't thought of before.

www.klimt02.net
www.risd.edu

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JIVAN ASTFALCK

Astfalck is an artist I found on google who uses some enameling and elctroforming in her work among many other processes. Atflack uses a lot of mixed media and this got me thinking about some other materials I could incorpate into my matrices before electroforming them.

paper, silver, enamel, pearls, fossilied Shark-teeth:

silver electroformed on plastics, silk, organic materials and raffia:

silver electroformed on oak twigs, fabricated copper leaves

www.klimt02.net

Fungus that inspires me...

2009-01-26T16:35:00.001-08:00

Reminds me of Suzi

2009-01-03T11:38:00.001-08:00

I found these pictures on Etsy...I wish I jotted down the name of the designer because I think these pieces are beautiful...Sakura is her name maybe? Anyways these pieces me reminded me of Suzi and her beautiful work.

2009-01-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

I love love love this ring. I have this obsession with gems and stones and rocks and geodes. Plus, this prong setting is what our class just learned so I'm very excited to try to make a ring like this!

Hisano Takei

2009-01-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

Ever since my felt luggage tag project my eye has been drawn to objects made of felt. I was looking at jewelry online and found such a cool felt necklace, made by artist Hisano Takei, that I had to post a pic of it.

Design and Production Class Projects

2008-12-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

Our second project for Design and Production was to design a line of objects that hold together aesthetically, are unique and original, and utilize current manufacturing technology. The project had to be outsourced. There needed to be at least 6 items in the line and we were asked to produce prototypes of all six designs and produce three designs in quantities of six.

April:
(do you have a blog??)
Had pins with photos of people practicing yoga and meditation and had an ad for a newspaper made with a brown paper bag reminding people to relax and breathe. The ad read "breathe" over and over again, and the paper bag had instructions on how to breathe into it.

Megan:
Sent forms she designed inspired by eggs to Ponoko. They laser cut the forms out of felt that she ended up making into brooches.

Karen:
Built fire hydrant salt and pepper shaker forms in Rhino and had them rapid prototyped and designed coasters that were laser cut out of acrylic.

Lizzy:
Had sterling filigree pieces cast that she filled with dyed rubber and made into a line of pendants and earrings.

Jo:
Had silicone rubber laser cut and she arranged the pieces to make brooches, earrings and bracelets.

Amy:
Built forms in Rhino that she had rapid prototyped, then made molds of these forms that she used to cast concrete. The end result was a line of concrete pendants, all slightly different from one another.

Ring #4 - Stock

2008-12-18T00:09:00.001-08:00

For my stock ring, I started off with a piece of sterling silver square wire that I think is 14 gauge. First I rolled the stock and then hammered it to create a simple band ring. Then I used the leftover stock I sawed off from the piece I made the band ring out of and rolled it to get it much thinner. After rolling it, I hammered it to distort the metal and get the edges to curl a little bit. I cut shapes out of the sheet I created and soldered one piece on top of the other, in an attempt to create a circular layered form, similar to the image of the fungus below. After making this part, I soldered it onto the band ring.

As of now, there's solder all over the fungus part of the ring and it looks messy. Once I figure out how to clean this off (the silver is so thin it's close to 26 gauge now), I want to curl the edges up of each little piece of flattened silver that forms the fungus part of the ring.

Thanks to Dillon, I learned how to create a band ring from stock, which I've never worked with before. She taught me how to hammer the metal correctly, which hammers to use, walked me through the band ring making process, and helped me brainstorm to come up with my final form.

Inspiration:

Ring #3 - Tube

2008-12-17T23:49:00.000-08:00

For my ring made out of tubing, I started with 6 mm sterling silver tubing. Amy let me borrow her tubing cutter - which I might add is the coolest tool EVER - and I sawed the tubing into pieces that are about 1.5 mm thick. I originally wanted this ring to be a double finger ring, wrapping around the fingers like the image of the mold below. However, the whole process of cutting the tubing and soldering them together took way longer than I had anticipated. So as of right now, it is only a one finger ring. I hope to add more to it tomorrow and stick it in the tumbler with steel shot to get it nice and shiny.

Inspiration:

Excited!

2008-12-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

I'm wide awake, at 2:30 in the morning the night before my design and production crit. I'm so nervous that I can't sleep.

I am also so excited because an artist that Jan told me to google, Cynthia Eid, commented on one of my posts where I cited her! How cool is that?!?!?!

I'm also very excited because I finally (a month later) got my die form together! It still needs a little bit more finishing, and then it will be ready to turn in! Although this project was extremely challenging for me, I'm glad I stuck with my original idea of using more than 2 pressed pieces to create the form.

I chose to originally press 3 pieces and solder them together to form a seed pod. This came out looking absolutely horrid, so Richard suggested that I try using 4 pieces instead of 3. I ended up soldering the first 2 pressings together at a right angle, and then the second 2. Then I joined these 2 larger pieces. This was much much easier than trying to arrange 3 pieces to fit together. Thanks Richard!

The end result does not read "die form" in my mind, and because of this I think this project was a success and I am proud of it.
I would like to take it further and learn the correct way to clean up the seams and then make this form something other than an object that sits on a table. I don't know what I want it to be yet, but I definitely want to continue with it.

Here is my inspiration for the piece:

Here are some pics of the piece, unfinished:

I am so glad I chose not to make a die form out of 2 pieces. These are my die form samples are I think they are fairly boring and scream "i die formed!"

Bedazzled at the Walters

2008-12-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

To learn about the history of jewelry and to receive extra credit Jan had us go see the Bedazzled exhibition at the Walters. I think it was the perfect way to start our ring project. I got most of my design research on rings from this exhibition.

The exhibition was beautiful. Smaller than I expected it to be, but beautiful nonetheless, and very informative. Here are some pics I took starting from the beginning of the exhibition and working my way down to the end:

Etruscan:

Egyptian:

Roman:

Renaissance:

Draw plate:

I had to include this because I learned how to use the draw plate in our studio at school for the first time so I was excited to see this!

Lalique:

French:

Some random rings that I liked:

these came from all over, not sure exactly which era each ring is from...

accidents happen...

2008-12-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

When I was making my wire ring the first time around, I was really happy with it. I had laid out wire flat and soldered them together in a sheet and bent them up to fit around the finger. Just as I thought I was done, I decided to anneal it one last time and try to shape the shank a little bit more. As soon as I went to heat it up half of the wires snapped off! They didn't melt, but literally snapped like there were really brittle. Not sure what that's about...maybe someone has some ideas...

But there were a few good things that came out of doing it the second time around. I was able to make the small design changes I wished I had made the first time around, I ended up finding an even better way to construct the ring, and I learned a lot about working with silver since it's a material I'm not really accustomed to working with.

Here are some pictures of my disaster, which of course was at eleven the night before it was due...not good time management. Oh yeah, that was another big thing I learned...for the 50th time. It will stick soon hopefully!

Cynthia Eid

2008-12-17T13:31:00.001-08:00

It was suggested that I look into Cynthia Eid's work since I have a similar aesthetic. She is a very talented jewelry and hollowware designer.

This is part of her artist statement that I really related to:

"The forms in my work have their roots
in my gardens, and meanderings through
the woods and along the water's edge.
The allusions are ambiguous so that each
viewer may relate differently, as
perceptions are filtered through personal
sets of memories and experiences."
-Cynthia Eid

These particular pieces I gravitated to immediately because they remind me of the many images of fungus I've been looking at. For my stock ring, I started with a piece of 12 gauge (I think) sterling silver square wire. I hammered part of it to form a simple band ring. Now I want to hammer the left over stock even thinner and bend it the way the edges of the bowl are bent. Then I want to somehow arrange these pieces so that they look layered like fungus on the top of the ring, but not on the sides because I don't want the flared pieces bumping into the fingers not wearing the ring, if that makes any sense!

Ring #2 - Wire

2008-12-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

AAR

Sustains:
I think this ring was successful in that it looks nice on the hand. The balls on the end of each piece of wire are also nice and smooth and draw your eye in.

Improves:
I wish I could have had some more control with laying the wires out before soldering them together. I ended up having to bundle the wires together and solder them that way instead of laying them out next to each other so create a flat shank. The balls on the end keep the wires from being able to touch so I couldn't figure out a way to solder them together that way. Also when I tried hammering the ring around the mandrel, the wires started to look twisted on the shank of the ring instead of straight across, which is what I wanted.

What Ifs:
I think this ring could have been better if it wasn't a design that's been done again and again. I really wanted to reference mold spores which do look similar to what I created, but I wish I would have pushed the design a little further to come up with something a little more interesting.

Ring #1 - Sheet

2008-12-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

AAR

Sustains:
Overall I think thing ring was successful. The ring is very delicate yet substantial at the same time and I think that appeals to people. This was by far the most in control my piercing has ever been, so I also think that is a positive thing about this piece. I am glad that I pushed myself to work with silver, which is a little intimidating to me, rather than copper.

Improves:
I do think the ring is definitely too flat on the hand. I never even thought to bend the form until it was pointed out to me that this way I could give the ring more dimension. Make it more interesting. Make it come alive. I also was aware of the fact, after I finished the ring that it was uncomfortable on the finger because it is so long. Next time I would actually measure the area on my hand to see what would be comfortable before committing to piercing and eyeballing what looked like it would fit.

What Ifs:
The project could have worked better if I had studied the particular slime mold I chose to replicate a little more. The piece did come out looking a little leaf like, which was not my intention. I think if I had looked at more images of this slime mold and did a lot more sketches I could have come up with something closer to what I originally wanted. I also think making a copper maquette in addition to making a manilla file folder maquette would have been wise. That way I would have solved the problem of the ring not fitting and would have been able to see that the pattern once pierced didn't translate exactly the way it did in the sketch.

Brands

2008-12-02T15:00:00.001-08:00

Ed Hardy
Ed Hardy designs are fun and playful. They resemble tattoos and to have those images on clothing is in an innovative idea.

Dove
I love that Dove has a very clean line of products, similar to neutrogena, and in their ads they feature real women of all shapes and sizes.

Fiji Water
the beautiful image on the label and streamlined bottle take me to the islands of Fiji where I swear the water tastes better!

Free People Apparel
This clothing is casual and comfy for free spirits. I love the ads...they make me want to wear the outfit and share a part in their experience.

Apple products
Apple products are very plain and simple and that is what attracts me to them so much.

my first Blurb Book!

2008-11-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

Click on the box on the right hand side of my blog to check out my first Blurb Book! The book is all about my luggage tag and key ring production line. It describes the product and my inspiration through pictures and text. I am so excited and can't wait for it to come in the mail! It says the estimated shipping date is December 8th though. :(
So far away...

Pretty Fungus

2008-11-26T16:44:00.001-08:00

The first 3 are from my own backyard!!

Ring Maquettes

2008-11-23T22:12:00.001-08:00

For my ring that's going to be made from silver tubing, I was thinking about using the draw plate to help make my tubing more oval-shaped than round. Then I wanted to slice it up thinly and solder the pieces together to mimic the pattern created by one of the slime molds that I saw wrapped around a branch. My idea is for these little silver oval pieces to actually wrap around two fingers creating a double finger ring. I got my inspiration from the red mold below.

This is a maquette I made out of straws worn two different ways:

For my ring that's going to be made out of sheet, I want to pierce out the form that originally got me interested in mold. It is the particular picture of slime mold (blue) below that I tried to replicate when I did my cement, polyurethane and plaster slime mold brooches back in April. I want the actual ring to be pierced a lot more than this, however this was difficult replicate with scissors on paper. I love the way mold grows in an uninhibited way. Nothing can get in it's way and it is quick to branch out in all directions. So I want the mold to be wrapped around the pointer finger and then creeping up the hand.

For my ring that's going to be made out of wire, I want to work with 18 gauge silver wire. I want to cut pieces of different lengths that will wrap around the finger and then flare inwards and outwards to keep the ring attached to the finger. I want to ball up the ends of each piece of wire, put the all together in a bundle, and solder them together where the underside of the ring will be. I got inspired to make this ring by looking at the photo of mold below. I like the way it seems to sprout off of the branches and I want the silver wire to mimic this and look like it is sprouting off of and in between the fingers.

For my ring that's going to be made out of stock, I have been inspired to create something that looks similar to these photos of Jelly Fungus wrapped around a branch. I want to hammer the stock to create a simple band ring that wraps around the finger without connecting and has organic edges and a hammer texture. Around the ring I want to solder pieces of stock that have been hammered into sheets and scrunched up to look like the jelly fungus on this tree.

This image is pretty much what I want my ring to look like:

More Mold

2008-11-23T16:31:00.000-08:00

For our next project in Jewelry III, we have been instructed to make 4 rings, one out of each of the following materials - sheet metal, tubing, wire, and stock. This entire semester I've felt so uninspired and nothing has been sparking my creativity. So, I decided to go back to something that had excited me in the past - slime mold. I've been looking at all kinds of mold now as a result and trying to base my ring designs off of the images i've collected.

These are some of the mold images that I liked the most:

green chandeliers

2008-11-22T12:51:00.000-08:00

I grew up in an old Victorian style house in New Orleans that was filled with huge crystal chandeliers so ever since I was little I have been attracted to them. In school we have been researching and looking at lots of eco-friendly objects so my eye has been jumping to any kind of green design I see. I came across these chandeliers that were eye-catching and beautiful and green at the same time!

This chandelier is made by Studio Verissimo out of recycled coffee stirrers.

This one is made by Michelle Brand. She cut the bottom off of plastic bottles to craft this.

Although this one isn't sparkly, I still love the feeling it gives off. It's not glitzy, but very soothing. It's made Julia Lohmann from dried Irish and Japanese kelp.

My Felt Luggage Tags!

2008-11-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

So my felt luggage tags finally came in the mail yesterday! Although they don't smell too hot at the moment, they sure do look great! Each leaf has been laser cut and has the name of the leaf etched on.

Below is what I typed up on a piece of paper that explains what my project is about. Each description is folded and goes inside the packaging, which happen to look like mini suitcases! The packaging is stamped with a fleur de lis, representative of New Orleans, and has stamped on it reNew Orleans.

one side reads:

reNew Orleans
a simple concept for a complicated time

Initially created weeks after Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, the reNew Orleans slogan became a rallying cry for thousands of displaced citizens as they struggled to rebuild their city.

Ropeadope Records relaunched the campaign to reach more people in need by partnering with three key non-profit organizations in New Orleans - Replant New Orleans for environmental help, Common Ground for rebuilding efforts and the Tipitina's Foundation for musicians' support.

Part of the Proceeds from the sale of these luggage tags and key rings will be donated to reNew Orleans.

the other side reads:

Fleur de Leaf Designs:
Luggage Tags and Key Rings

Some of the trees heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana included the:

Red Maple, Southern Magnolia, Southern Catalpa, Slippery Elm, Live Oak, and Water Locust.

The leaves from these trees are beautifully represented as luggage tags and key rings. Made from a renewable resource - eco-friendly 100% wool felt - they are durable and can withstand the elements, yet eye-catching enough to help you navigate your way quickly through baggage claim or just through your pocketbook.

Interesting Rings

2008-11-17T23:23:00.000-08:00

rings that challenge the notion of ring

2008-11-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

This isn't even a ring at all, but when on the hand looks like a ring.

This ring is a wearable flower pot!

This is actually functional - it is a bottle opener.

These are just pieces of pierced felt.

Rings

2008-11-17T15:08:00.000-08:00

Jewelry has been worn throughout time for many reasons: to protect against evil or danger, as a magic charm, to adorn the body, or as a practical piece of clothing. Animals in particular were a common subject in early jewelry because they were considered sacred and had mystical powers.

Rings in particular, since their first appearance about 6,000 years ago, have never gone out of fashion, and no other type of jewelry has so many facets and functions. They are the most personal items among jewelry, conveying sentiments like love and affection as well as mourning. Rings frequently signal the owner's marital, professional, and social status as well as his faith, loyalty and wealth.

Magical and protective powers were ascribed to rings, and they could be used as containers for perfume, locks of hair, or relics. Rings served as tokens of affection, gratitude, and commemoration; they even could convey secret messages. They could be worn on every joint of every finger and also attached to necklaces, bracelets, belts, dresses, and hats.

Egyptian Jewelry
1500-900 B.C.
The protective power of jewelry was particularly important in ancient Egypt, where it was never worn just for personal adornment. Jewelry usually provided magical protection for both the wearer in both life and death. On their rings various things were engraved, most commonly of which was the scarab. Typical of the early part of the 15th century in Egypt are
gold signet rings - rings with a carving on them so you could stamp an image or letter onto another surface were used to seal contracts and letters to pass down power. They were used instead of a signature.

Estruscan Jewelry
850-325 B.C.
Estruscans jewelers were known for their remarkable technical skills. They excelled in filigree, repousse, and granulation, a technique they perfected in the early 7th century B.C. A lot of their jewelry seems to be of rare beauty and great value. The majority of the rings that I saw from this period are made of gold and are elaborately embossed, chased and inlaid.

Greek and Roman Jewelry
325 B.C. - 600 A.D.
This jewelry is characterized by the abundant use of gold. Their jewelry is enriched with precious stones now so less attention was paid to adding decorative elements to the metal itself. The Romans used a less lavish style than previously seen, combining a single type or color of gemstone in their rings with a gold setting. The use of coins in jewelry also became really popular at this time. Religious, mythological and heroic scenes were the themes the Greek and Romans used in their work. Snakes in particular symbolized fertility and were believed to ward off evil. Because of the animal's protective associations solid gold rings became some of the most popular types of rings.

Byzantine
Hellenistic and Roman traditions had a great influence on the rise of ostentatious Byzantine jewelry. Intricate filigree and enameling were the most common decorative techniques used in Byzantine jewelry. The use of multicolored gemstones can be seen a lot in their jewelry as well. Byzantine jewelers also continued the ancient Roman practice of incorporating coins into jewelry.

Most of my information came from the Bedazzled exhibition at the Walter's Art Museum and the rest came from books and the internet.

United Way Video

2008-10-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a link for a video the United Way shot of my family on our experience during hurricane Katrina and how the United Way helped us. I made a one and a half second appearance. :)

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/unitedway/video/franklin.html

3D Iconic Form

2008-10-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

Packaging, branding and trademarks are all so intertwined with iconic 3D forms. “The term 'icon' goes back to the Byzantium where local artists were trained to exactly replicate religious images so that no matter where the icons traveled, viewers would share the same emotional experience. Modern marketing is seeking to do exactly the same.”

See article on Designing Iconic Packaging - http://www.agiklearfold.com/news/article/PD_AGI_Iconic_Packaging.pdf

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In the case of the Ketchup (or catsup) bottle, the shape is so closely allied to the product that without labels any American can easily identify the contents of any traditional catsup bottle. Shapes not only have functions, they have associations. Further, without labels, anyone can identify the Heinz bottle. As any student of the art history of Western culture knows, traditional iconography and traditional forms are closely wedded together, it is quite possible, in fact, that iconography and form are functions of each other.

http://www.studiolo.org/Email/KETCHUP.htm

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Coca-Cola has just received trademark recognition for its iconic bottle. The elongated hourglass bottle became a registered U.S. trademark in 1960 and is honored by Russia and China, among other nations. Coca-Cola began fighting for Japanese trademark registration of its "contour bottle" back in 2003. Other shapes associated with pop culture and American food, notably Kentucky Fried Chicken's Colonel Sanders, have won Japanese trademarks. What made the Coke case different is the fact that its bottle has no lettering whatsoever. In fact, it's the first bottle sans lettering to receive a trademark in that country.

http://www.slashfood.com/2008/06/03/cokes-iconic-bottle-wins-japanese-trademark/

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There just aren’t that many great great great ad campaigns. I’m talking about the ad campaigns that transcend commerce and become art. But the Absolut Vodka campaign hits that mark. That’s why, of course, there are books and collectible posters related to the campaign, just as there have been with Volkswagen, Campari and other great brands, that focus on the iconic bottle shape.

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2006/01/absolut_ads_a_g.h

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Nabisco makes Barnum's Animal Crackers, arguably the most famous commercially produced version of the snack, due to the distinctive package art of a circus cage on wheels and full of animals, with a distinctive handle. The string handle was originally added so that the box could be hung on a Christmas tree or house plant.

Good Design with Food

2008-10-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

I love food and I love design so naturally I would love these!

The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley

2008-10-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

It was fun to reread the first five chapters of this book. IDEO makes work sound almost like play. It's great to think about how you can excuse the silly dress codes and stifling office environments and yet still get serious accomplishments completed. I still think that you have to be lucky enough to get the right people - not only smart and flexible, but with great work ethics and integrity. Because a lot of people would just use the freedoms in a place like IDEO to "flake off" and under-perform. With the right group mix, perhaps either they wouldn't last long or they'd change and become creative and reliable.

Chapter 1 - Innovation at the Top

Tom Kelley, general manager of IDEO and brother of David Kelley, IDEO founder, describes the 5 major steps of his creative methodology - Deep Dive:
1. Understand the market, the client, the technology, and the constraints
2. Observe real people in real-life situations to see what they need and what they hate
3. Visualize new concepts and who will use them
4. Evaluate and refine prototypes
5. Implement the new concept for commercial production

He details IDEO' Nightline show on having one week to create an innovative grocery shopping cart.

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Chapter 2 - Winging it in Start-up Mode

A short description of how David Kelley started IDEO.

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Chapter 3 - Innovation Begins with an Eye

IDEO designed the first stand-up toothpaste tubes and self-sealing sports bottles, fat and soft toothbrushes for kids, and all-in-one kids' fishing kit. He describes the initial observations, questions asked, attempts and re-attempts at designing these (and other) products.

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Chapter 4 - The Perfect Brainstorm

"The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas," says Linus Pauling. He details seven steps for better brainstorming:
1. Problem statement -could be a question - but has to be well-articulated and specific enough.
2. Don't criticize or debate ideas.
3. Number the ideas.
4. Build and jump.
5. No personal note-taking - scribe everything on paper on the wall for all to see.
6. Do group warm-up exercises before started brainstorming.
7. Do both 2-D and 3-D mock-ups of ideas - have lots of materials on hand.

Six things to avoid:
1. Boss gets to speak first
2. Everybody gets a turn - going clockwise and giving everyone 2 minutes - stifles creativity and sharing.
3. Don't be an expert snob.
4. Brainstorm at office - not at off-site retreat.
5. Anything goes - even silly stuff - in brainstorming. Don't ban silly ideas.
6. Don't write everything down like you're taking notes in class.

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Chapter 5 - A Cool Company Needs Hot Groups

Team building, teamwork - heart of IDEO method. Must have clear goal and firm deadline.

The Designer as Producer: Working Outside Mainstream Manufacturing by Victor Margolin

2008-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Margolin discusses the emerging global marketing structure that has changed the role of the designer - designers are becoming manufacturers and distributors as well, due to the use of advanced technology. Computers and the internet allow designers to immediately become entrepreneurs, creating and selling their designs world-wide and doing away with the old craft-based cottage industry with only local distribution. One particularly exciting area is sustainable products. He argues for design schools to move beyond the historical preparation of designers to serve manufacturers, and rather create design entrepreneurships, for designers who want to be both product innovators and manufacturers, to learn about technology, marketing, management, and design.

Post Turtle

2008-10-04T07:36:00.001-07:00

This made me laugh...and it is so true...

"While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.

Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being President. The old rancher said, 'Well , ya know, Palin is a post turtle.'

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle.'

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. 'You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, she doesn't know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her up there to begin with.'"

What is Product Design

2008-10-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

What is Product Design: Part I - Issues by Laura Slack

Product design is "the creation of an object that originates from design ideas - in the form of drawings, sketches, prototypes, or models - through a process of design that can extend into the object's production, logistics and marketing."

Slack asks the question, "Is it the a designer's responsibility to be designing for our future and to find new and effective ways of producing what people want?"

A timeline chart of the history of design shows how it is directly related to worldwide economic development. (p. 14-15)

Part I also highlights hybrid products, functionality, decoration, and design as a statement.

Marcia Lausen Lecture

2008-09-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Marcia Lausen came to Towson University to talk to us about election design and what she's doing to change it. I learned so much from listening to her speak. What struck me as the most interesting part of her lecture was in the beginning where she talked about text and how making small changes to it can make a huge difference in how something is read. For example, she showed us a ballot she redesigned with lower case letters which were more legible than the older example with all caps which formed hard to read rectangular shapes.

Another example she gave was how center type is being eliminated because it is too decorative. We read left to right and usually when we are creating something we want the reader to be able to decipher quickly what is written. So the redesign that Marcia made was to change text from center to flush left.

A third example I found to be interesting was that she said to keep font size, weight and any other variations to a minimum. I would have thought that lots of variation would be more exciting, but when she showed an example of complicated versus simple, the simple was much clearer.

I was surprised to hear that the most important information on a design needs to be black. My first instinct tells me to put important information in red or a bright color to catch the viewer's attention. However, she showed us how black is the most legible and pops off the page unlike any other color.

I am in the process of designing business cards for myself right now and this lecture came at a perfect time. The information I learned from Marcia has helped to completely change and improve my design.

AAR for Deconstruct/Reconstruct Project

2008-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Sustains:

What I think I did well was I took a risk by incorporating a lot of curves into my die forms. I also worked very hard at coming up with a form I liked and went through about 16 pages of sketches until I came up with something I liked. I did a lot of sketches on how I would alter the form I finally chose too. In the end, although my edges didn't meet up the way I would have liked, I was very pleased with the shapes I had. It also helped having extra time, so in order to make sure I have some extra time for the next project I plan to jump in IMMEDIATELY to allow myself some wiggle room.

Improves:

What didn't work so well was my time management. Next time I really need to create a project management sheet where I plan out ahead of time what I need to get done each day. I also need to work on my chasing a little bit to make sure that the edges are completely flat so that they will meet up when the form is cut out. I know what I was doing wrong now (hammering waaaay too hard) so I think now I just need to practice.

What Ifs:

The project could have been more successful not only if the edges would have met up, but if I wouldn't have used so much glue. The glue made the pieces look a little messy. I also learned after I turned my project in that my I'm filing all wrong. So I think the forms could potentially look a lot better if they were chased correctly and I got some more control when filing. The good part about my project what the overall shape of each form.

Design Techniques and Materials by Raymond Guidot

2008-09-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Designers have to coordinate the engineering and technical requirements of manufacturing, and the use and appearance of the object from the client's perspective. Past materials and methods as well as new innovative materials and methods are outlined - from the Industrial Revolution's use of coke to mass produce cast iron to the development of semi-synthetic materials (ebonite, celluloid, etc.) and the first totally synthetic material (bakelite) that contained different marbling effects in pieces produced in the same mold (differentiation in mass production) and aluminum. Phenolic resin used to mold cases for appliances (record players, cameras, radios, etc.), pressed sheet metal, and steel were used to create many iconic designs of the World War II era.

Military research resulted in mechanical welding replacing riveting and the development of many synthetic materials - thermoplastics such as nylon, plexiglass, Tupperware, polyethylene and polypropylene, PVC, polystyrene, and ABS. Two that made particular impact in the 1930's were polyurethane and polyester (especially fiberglass-strengthened polyester).

Composite materials (reinforced plastics, laminates, reinforced concrete, metal alloys) are based on natural structures.

CAD (computer aided design) and rapid prototyping are described, as well as ecological design, as well as choice of materials.

Life Now: National Design Triennial 2006

2008-09-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

In the first chapter on "Intelligent Design," Barbara Bloemink discusses how modern designers are using natural laws, materials, processes, and appearances as their main subjects. Designers like Hitoshi Ujiie, Jason Miller and David Wiseman bring natural forms into the interior environment. In the recent past, we turned our backs on the natural world, preferring technology. But now, we're turning back to the natural world for solutions to specific problems. She examines the interplay between technology and engineering and nature in several venues - the life-like animations created at Pixar, the self-organizing and adaptive iPod, the robotic vacuum cleaners that closely resemble animals foraging for food, NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab's Mars rovers - Spirit and Opportunity, and the many ways robots mimic human behavior.

The second chapter on "Craft and Community in Design" has Brooke Hodge examining how the design process encourages community - thinkers and doers coming together to create - whether physically or virtually.

In the third chapter on "Design and Social Life," Ellen Lupton writes about design as a social activity - designers collaboration with client, fabricators, suppliers, retailers, editors, art directors, schools, etc. and designers forming their own social networks. She examines blogs from the design community and the many aspects of collaboration.

The final chapter by Matilda McQuaid is called "Transforming Design" and summarizes the work of the 87 designers in the National Design Triennial exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in 2006, and the ways that these 87 different design approaches transform and revolutionize our lives.

'Studio Multiples'

2008-09-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

(for some reason it won't let me post the last page so i'll try again later...)

'Studio Multiples' by Donald Friedlich and Bruce Metcalf

The curators describe the "Exhibition in Print" in Metalsmithing 1997. Works represented in their portfolio were selected according to the following criteria - metalsmith work by production artists which had been produced a minimum of five times in a small studio setting and was original to the artist.

Production Metalwork Today by Donald Friedlich

Don discusses the responsibilities of academia versus the perils of the marketplace - the push and pull between production work and one-of-a-kind work, the inherent struggle between leraning, growth and innovation and financial success. He details production's contributions to the field by bringing a large quantity of work before the public at various prices. He concludes by noting, ironically, that despite all of the technology available today (commercial photoetching, laser cutting and CAD-CAM), the most frequently used production techniques are casting and fabrication.

When Production Had a Good Name by Bruce Metcalf

The author discusses the evolution of production from being considered cultural pioneering (modernist ideology and the Bauhaus model), to the current feeling that production represents selling out to the marketplace.

Inventory of Skills

2008-09-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

art history knowledge and appreciation of
interpersonal skills
collage
drawing
beading
wire wrapping
limited knowledge of photoshop and illustrator and rhino
pop-up technology
finishing metals
roll printing
riveting (basic and some special rivets)
chainmaking
some clasps/closures
chasing and repousse
dapping
die forming
heat patina
liver of sulfer patina
lost wax casting
sinking and raising
solder inlay
soldering (variety of methods including pick and sweat)
some enameling
some welding

Sarah Graham

2008-09-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

I just love Sarah Graham's work.

It's interesting how she has created all of these various types of chains. She takes the idea of a simple chain and transforms it into an elegant necklace that in my mind doesn't read "chain." Her work has a calm, soothing and organic feel to it, all of which draw me in and want to see more.

Here are some of the various chains I like:

My favorite collection is the shadow collection. How sweet are these?!

I am also very drawn to these earrings. They remind me of the forms I was attracted to while doing one of my creative caffeine assignments on interesting form.

AAR for Project Object Green

2008-09-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Sustains:
I think what I did well was that I was innovative in coming up with an unexpected and different yet simple way of attaching my brooches to the shirt. I was able to get to this point by going through a couple of steps. First I brainstormed and thought about all of the different brooches I can remember coming across. One in particular came to mind...I think it was Rebecca's idea last semester maybe...she had a brooch attached to the inside of the shirt somehow and i tried to remember how she attached it and rubber bands made sense to me, although I don't think she used those. I explored different methods of attachment for my creative caffeine assignment and tried incorporating my rubber band thoughts until I found something that worked!

Improves:
One of the things that didn't work so well was my choice of glue. I used super glue to glue the pieces of the can together and this got messy. The super glue dried into a white crusty mess that I couldn't clean off the sides of the brooch. The hot glue I used to hold the twigs, rocks and pine needles in place was very ugly and distracting. I knew that using both of these glues was going to yield a messy outcome but in my mind those two glues were my only option. That is because I never explored different methods. I should have done a creative caffeine assignment on this too.

Another thing I think didn't work as well was my choice of twigs and rocks in two of the brooches. They were the first two I created and knew they were boring as soon as I made my third one with the pine needles. I should have kept going with that and should have further explored a maquette I made with moss inside.

What Ifs:
I think the project would have been more successful if I had displayed the brooches differently. I think it was wise to go about displaying two of them on fabric and wearing one, however I came very unprepared in that respect and had to borrow fabric from Jo (thanks by the way!). I pinned it up quickly without any thought and stuck my brooches on there. It looked very sloppy and unprofessional in my opinion. If I could do it again I would spend a lot more time on this because I realized at this last critique that the presentation is one of the most important parts of making something!

forms

2008-09-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

Finally, after an extra week of nonstop work (literally), I finished my Deconstruct/Reconstruct project. I think I might have been doing something wrong because this took me so long. I had some problems getting a tight fit when gluing the pieces of metal together. I spent that past 4 days repeating this process: gluing form together, filing, form falling apart, gluing form back together, frustrated angry outbursts, more filing, more falling apart, tears, more gluing, confusion....you get the point. Maybe die forming just isn't my specialty. Anyways, here are my lovely forms ♥:

Creative Caffeine for Project Object Green

2008-09-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

For this creative caffeine exercise we were told to find about 10 ways to work with the material we have chosen to work with. For my material investigation studies I decided to try to play around with different ways to wear the brooch I designed. While doing this I also played around with different ways of constructing the brooch I had already had a "set" idea for just in case I could come up with something even better than what I already thought of :).

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Design Research for Project Object Green

2008-09-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

So, I was brainstorming how to create a wearable and easily reproducible piece of jewelry using cans discarded for recycling. Our large recycling bin is consistently full of shiny aluminum cans. My aesthetic is to not only reclaim these discarded materials but to combine them with natural materials of and from the earth – twigs, stones, leaves, etc. I want the theme of my pieces to be in the spirit of saving the earth.

My market research via the internet revealed an overused technique of earrings, necklaces, and bracelets made from cutting the flattened can into various shapes and affixing those shapes on either ear wires, chains of various lengths, barrettes, or pinbacks, such as those at www.gearfuse.com and www.etsy.com directly below.

HTTP://WWW.GEARFUSE.COM/RECYCLE-DIFFERENT-SODA-CAN-JEWELRY/

"To recycle a soda can, you usually just throw it away into one of those government mandated recycling bins. How about a creative way to use your empty cans? Look no further than Etsy. Available are these Dr. Pepper Earrings ($7) and the Mountain Dew Bracelet ($8), which can also double as a necklace for midgets. These would make a great gift for the caffeine lover in your life. Now all they have to do is make a Sprite version for people who don’t drink caffeine."
- Andrew Dobrow

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10490089

"I cut pieces from aluminum cans, ensure there are no sharp edges, and assemble them to make these lovely little flowers. This one can take on its new life as a brooch/pin, barrette, hairpin, or magnet. I used a rhinestone brad to hold the flower together and to give the pin a bit of sparkle."
- BarkerBell Herbs and Heirlooms

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Some people have added finer materials, like Swarovski crystals or sterling silver, to create earrings and cuff bracelets, as at www.jillhelms.com or www.elsewares.com below.

http://www.jillhelms.com/jill_pop_art.htm

"Delicate, sparkling and beautiful – each earring is a double-layered flower cut from recycled soda pop cans. In the center, a glittering Swarovski crystal."

http://www.elsewares.com/commerce/Silver-Beer-Soda-Can-Cuff_MPD229.html

"These bracelets are made with a generous dose of 100% sterling silver and real beer or soda cans (personally emptied by Dana Roth or a close friend). The aluminum is secured to the bracelet with sterling rivets and protected from damage by silver end-caps."

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In the same manner, others added recycled wire and fashioned angels or people, or simply used the pop-tabs alone, as in www.beadinggem.com below.

www.beadinggem.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

"The jewelry featured here are from the Bombulu Workshop in Mombasa, Kenya. The fun and funky earrings and pin above were made from recycled soda pop cans and wire. The choker consists of soda can tops. Their creativity and skill at making such great jewelry out of discards is amazing - just look at the angel pin."

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Then, I ran across an interesting and different idea – bottle cap brooch- at www.familycrafts.about.com below. This brooch, secured on a store-bought pin back, is made from a metal juice bottle cap. The cap is painted with acrylic paint and the concave side is filled with beads. I liked the “look” of this and wanted to incorporate this idea into my soda can brooch.

www.familycrafts.about.com/cs/miscjewelry/l/blchrisbottleca.htm

"unique brooch using a bottle cap...and variety of beads"
-Christina Panczyk

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Once I had decided on my idea, I browsed the web and found something very similar to what I had in mind at www.weblogs.baltimoresun.com (below). They incorporated the concave can bottom to create a look similar to the bottle cap brooch. However, the brooch is worn with a store-bought pin back.

I had to think of an alternate way to attach the brooch to the body. Since creating handmade pin backs would have been an inefficient use of my time, I experimented during my creative caffeine assignment with different methods of attachment. I settled on sandwiching one can top between two can bottoms, creating a smoother and more finished look. The back of the brooch then has a beveled edge which can be secured onto a shirt from behind with a simple rubber band. This method of attachment allows you to avoid poking holes in clothing and firmly secures the brooch. However, they are really only meant to be worn on thin jersey material or cotton t-shirts.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/crafts/2008/07/diy_beverage_can_brooches_1.html

"This DIY is from the wonderful book Fabulous Jewelry from Found Objects."

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These are my brooches:

Arthur David Hash

2008-09-10T18:12:00.001-07:00

As soon as I heard that Arthur Hash was coming to speak I knew I recognized his name from somewhere. It took me a couple of minutes before I realized that I looked at some of his bracelets for inspiration for a project last year I did on slime mold. I posted the pages from my sketchbook where I referenced his work.

Here are a few of his other pieces that caught my eye:

I think this is such a clever idea, and the abstract design makes a beautiful piece.

Above is a brooch from Don Friedlich's magnification series that I love.

This "bubble bracelet" by Arthur Hash reminded me of Don's brooch.

I found this on Hash's flickr site. It has no label so I have no idea what it is, but I think the form is really nice.

Maquettes

2008-09-10T09:00:00.001-07:00

2 of my Project Object Green maquettes:

Rendering of Project #1

2008-09-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today's production class was AWESOME. Heidi Lowe spoke and gave us a lot of vaulable information on multiples and production and the difference between the two. Rebecca Dortzbach also came and spoke to us about rendering. She showed us how to take into account where the light source comes from and how to blend with markers. I have always hated drawing but after today's experience using vellum paper and prisma colors I couldn't wait to get home and finish.

I did have a really hard time picturing the brooch in my head and rendering it in color so Rebecca suggested that I go home and set up the brooch with a light source pointing to the top left of the piece. So that is exactly what I did, and here it is. A render of one of my maquettes. It is supposed to be the bottom of a soda can cut off and it is filled with rocks. The end result is supposed to be a brooch.

die forms and hating parking at Towson

2008-09-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

So I finally figured out after years of denial that in order to find a parking spot at Towson and make it to class, you must arrive at least an hour ahead of time. I drove around for over an hour and half and I'm beyond frustrated that I had to miss class because I couldn't find a space. From now on I am going to have to embrace mornings and wake up extra early! >:-/

I wanted to put up pics before I leave to go back to school, this time much earlier, to show the progress I've made with my first die. I chose to use a shape that had a sharp point first because I wanted to see just how crisp I could get an edge like that. These four weren't as successful as I would have liked them to be. I pressed 2 in 24 gauge and 2 in 20 gauge. My die has a piece of plexiglass on one side and a piece of masonite on the other. I pressed 3 on the side with the plexiplass and one on the side with the masonite so I could see the difference in the edges. Only one blew out in the end, but I think that's because I was a little timid with the hydraulic press. I didn't really push the limits to see how far I could go.

So I'm going to make another die. This time I want to then play around with a form that has smoother edges and push the limits a little bit more to see what the metal is capable of doing. I looked at pictures of vintage clock hands and took those forms and rounded them out until I came up with one that I liked. I am about to cut out that die and start pressing this evening.

Here is a picture of the information I recorded for my first set of pressings:

die #1 and pressings:

Here's die#2:

this still needs to be rounded out a lot more and filed

<3

2008-09-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

I came across this bowl, "Bronze Nest," made by Heather Palmer and fell in love. All I know about this glass vessel is that it was formed in a kiln, it comes in small, medium and large, and it is TOTALLY my aesthetic.

ACC experience

2008-09-08T18:28:00.001-07:00

At the American Craft Show in 2008 presented by the American Craft Council the leading artists in this country display work in every possible medium. The show was unbelievable, overwhelming, inspiring, and exciting. There were booths as far as my eyes could see.

As I slowly made my way down each aisle I was overcome by the unfamiliar and new techniques that I could see in some of the pieces, the wide array of designs and the quality of craftsmanship. There was so much to look at. So many pieces were so intriguing that I had to touch at least one work of art at each booth I stopped at.

One jeweler in particular that I liked is Dana Melnick of Dana David. Her pieces are very simple, looking like they are made up mostly of thick gauge wire. I really like the organic feeling of her work and the small bezel set diamonds that seem to float on her pieces.

Some of the most unique furniture I saw was crafted by Gaylen, Null and Null Designers. They create kitchen and bar counters that are gorgeous. When I have a house one day I'd love to own one of these! The tops are shaped like puddles and carved out of either what appears to be stone or wood. The bases, which look to be made from steel, have thin arced legs that mimic the curves in the counter tops.

My favorite artist that I saw was Ed Branson. He creates brightly colored organically shaped vessels out of blown glass. His shapes are very unique and he pays close attention to detail - two qualities I absolutely love about his work. I would love to own one of his Calla or Bulb vases one day.

Overall I loved my first ACC experience. I can't wait for this year!

Top Design

2008-09-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

I was sitting here just now "wrecking" my journal thinking that I really should go over to the studio when the show on TV in the background caught my attention. It's called Top Design and it is AWESOME. It's on Bravo, and I'm sure I'm the last to know about it since I don't watch much TV.

I caught the show while the contestants were divided into teams and their task was to decorate a NY loft. The teams were at junk yards and thrift stores because their budget was only about $2,000. It was so cool to see them running around grabbing things I would usually pass by and brainstorming how each piece could be restored in simple ways to create something beautiful.

A mini-challenge came in the midst of this where there were a bunch of boxes laid out on a table and the contestants had 30 minutes to grab a few of them and use whatever was in the house they were staying in to make beautiful shadow boxes. I loved watching the contestants under pressure and how each person handled it differently. I also loved all of the different outcomes.

Just a fun fun show. And it's back on now!

Bluehouse - a really great place!

2008-09-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

Bluehouse is a great place, a healthy space and high-end stylish retailer for the upscale environmentalist in all of us. I really really really enjoyed this outing!!

The whole store is environmentally conscious and friendly - from the natural and organic food and drink they serve (which by the way I sampled - an italian cream soda and organic brownie - and loved), to the sustainable wood floors and cabinetry (some really gorgeous bamboo), to the reclaimed dishes (that come in some amazing organic shapes and beautiful colors), to the recycled bags, boxes, napkins, stationary, etc. (all of which are super cute and so much fun!).

They clean their shop with non-toxic products, offer their coffee grounds to customers for use in their composts and gardens and provide their boxes and packing materials (all made from recycled materials) free of charge to customers for their personal use.

What I haven't yet mentioned are all of the products, furnishings and interior knick knacks they sell, made from renewable and sustainable materials. These include items for the living and dining rooms, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, along with many accessories. And all of this is presented with a clean, beautiful and comfortable grace. A really great place!!!

Jamie Bennett

2008-09-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

-metalsmith and enamelist
-imagery inspired by microscopic organisms, nature, and italian, moroccan and turkish cultures
-painterly style
-bright colors

Jim Cotter

2008-05-11T14:09:00.001-07:00

I love the fluidity of Jim Cotter's metal work.

This one reminded me a little of my blood diamonds cuff:

You don't see the fluidity so much in his concrete pieces, but they are also very beautiful. I especially liked this one:

This veiny look is so me!

Studio 1a.m. and Mio Culture

2008-04-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

Studio 1a.m.

"Industrial Bloom Series"
Shavings of a high tech thermoplastic elastomer are the discarded result of the machining process. In this case they are used to create a beautiful delicate flower. I love the contrast of the white flower against the black cord.

"This Table Will Self Destruct"
With each order, a “pixel” is removed from the design, so that each owner receives a different, progressively deconstructed version of the original table.

Mio Culture

"Capsule Light"
These lights are very interesting for many reasons. One is that they have the texture of wool which is odd for a light. Another is that they are 2 different colors not only to have a dark and light contrast, but to have one color direct light and have the other diffuse it.

RecycleBank

2008-04-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

PIGGY BANK
aka
RecycleBank

You’ve made curtains out of newspapers, designed vases from plastic water bottles, and used tin cans to feed your cats. You’re pretty industrious.

Either that, or you’re headed for a breakdown.

Before people start to wonder, try RecycleBank. The more you recycle, the more you earn in “money” that you can use at participating stores.

The earth-friendly organization will drop off a 35-, 64-, or 96-gallon container. You throw all that recyclable stuff inside (no separating) and put it out on recycling days. A truck scans the barcode with your address, weighs what you’ve got, and adds that to your coupons.

Log onto the site to see what you’ve earned. Then use your credits toward purchases at more than 100 participating stores and enjoy watching your hard work pay off — both materially and spiritually.

Call it an industrious revolution.

Available online at recyclebank.com.

article from dailycandy.com

Design Within Reach

2008-04-28T23:12:00.000-07:00

April's edition of the magazine Design WIthin Reach is all about being green. It's called "What Is Green?" There's a quote inside that I really like: "Green is creating maximum effect from a minimum of materials." I think that ties in a lot to our current project because I think a lot of us are trying to do just that.

I scanned some pages of this issue that I found to be particularly interesting. The pages I chose to upload are on rug designers. One is named Angela Adams who uses 100% New Zealand wool with 100% cotton monk's cloth backings attached using a natural rubber latex adhesive. The other featured in the magazine is Melina Raissnia who uses 100% lamb's wool, vegetable dyes, and no chemicals or toxins.

"From the production of synthetic carpet to its installation in the home, there are toxins and hazardous chemicals used at nearly every step of the process. Most carpets today are made from fibers derived from petroleum. They are bonded to their backings with natural or synthetic latex. They are treated with pesticides, bleaches, dyes, stain protectants, and anti-static solutions. Add to this mixture anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents, as well as chemical baths containing substances like chlorine, bromine, and phosphorous to render the carpet non-flammable.

What is wrong with this picture? Many of these substances are not approved for use in our clothing or bedding, for instance, and are not meant to come in contact with our skin. And yet, how many of us have pets or children who crawl, nap, and play on our carpets? How many of us sit or lie on the floor when watching television? How many of us live in energy-efficient new homes which seal the air in, not allowing fresh air to replace the outgasses of our shiny, stain resistant, flame-retardant, insect, fungus, and bacteria-proof carpeting?"

(http://www.caberfeidh.com/Carpet.htm)

green rugs by various designers that I love

BMA Visit

2008-04-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

I went to the BMA today with my mom and as we were leaving we stopped in the gift shop...I mean who can resist? That shop has the coolest things! I found this branch vase that I absolutely fell in love with and I had to have it. Go figure huh? Branches. I'm soooo into them lately. On the drive back we pulled over on the side of the road and I stole some beautiful flowers that were on someone's tree to put in the vase. Here are some pics:

Look at the attention to detail on the bottom of the vase. I mean the artist even went as far as to make the bottom look realistic. So cool. I'm in love.

Slime Mold AKA Physarum Polycephalum

2008-04-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've decided that for my materials project I'm going to base my design off of slime mold. Yes, slime mold. Out of all of the forms I was looking at, the grossest one seems to be the most beautiful and also the least explored.

EARTH DAY!

2008-04-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

unofficial Earth Day flag by John McConnell

Tomorrow, April 22nd is Earth Day.

Responding to widespread environmental degradation, Gaylord Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, called for an environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated that year, and Earth Day is now observed each year on April 22 by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.

It is intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth's environment.

According to Flags of the World, the Ecology Flag was created by cartoonist Ron Cobb, and was published for the first time in October 25, 1969. The flag was patterned after the flag of the United States, and had thirteen stripes alternating green and white. Its canton was green with a yellow Theta. It originally had a symbol that was a combination of the letters "E" and "O" taken from the words "Environment" and "Organism", respectively. Later flags used either a Theta because of its historic use as a warning symbol, or the Peace Symbol. Theta would later become associated with Earth Day.

source: wikipedia.org

"The Price of Gold" by Susan Kingsley

2008-04-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

The process of profitably extracting gold uses cyanide to leach the metal from crushed rock. When and if the cyanide leaks into the ground, there is no known way to get rid of it. Because there are few environmental standards in place, the results can (and often are) catastrophic for the areas around the mines. Migratory animals that visit the ponds of cyanide-laced water are killed and leaking cyanide and heavy metals kill wildlife, damage ecosystems, ruin the drinking water supply, and destroy local economies and societies. Prior to cyanide, mercury was frequently used. Mercury produces toxic fumes that severely damage the central nervous system of childbearing women and children.

Because the mining industry is such a powerful political lobby, there are still no environmental standards in place for hard rock mining to protect surface and ground water from toxic waste.

“Not only is gold not money, it is not a necessary commodity. It doesn't produce heat, or power, or transport. It doesn't provide clothing, or shelter, or supply us with food. Although approximately 12% of the gold demand every year is used in industrial application dentistry, medicine, and electronics that number is less than the 15% of total demand met by recycling. Every year, at least 85% of the gold produced is made into jewelry.”

“The vast discrepancy between the happy, carefree, gold wearing women pictured in the ads and the realities of gold in today's world must be addressed. Gold bears an invisible tarnish of misery and devastation. It is a stain that cannot be polished away. While the market price for gold may decline, the human and environmental costs keep rising: dead rivers, polluted watersheds, exploited native communities, abused miners, hoarding, and profiteering are dragging us into the ditch. All for the love of gold, the most beautiful and valued of the Earth's many gifts.”

This woman doesn't look like she has a care in the world, wearing her beautiful gold bracelet...

...meanwhile, these are the goldmining conditions in Ghana:

these last 2 photos are from an article I found on the web called "Ghana's gold inflicts heavy price"
by James Haselip

I.E. vs. E.G.

2008-04-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

I came across another problem with my grammar while blogging - when to use i.e. and when to use e.g. I couldn't go on until I figured out the proper usage of each, and here they are. Again, I thought maybe this could be helpful to someone else. I copied and pasted this directly from About.com:

The Latin abbreviations "i.e." and "e.g." come up very frequently in writing and would probably come up more often if people were more sure of when it is right to use "i.e." and when "e.g." is required. To me, the only way to figure it out is to know what they stand for.

i.e.
"I.e." stands simply for "that is," which written out fully in Latin is 'id est'. "I.e." is used in place of "in other words," or "it/that is." It specifies or makes more clear.

e.g.
"E.g." means "for example" and comes from the Latin expression exempli gratia, "for the sake of an example," with the noun exemplum in the genitive to go with gratia in the ablative.

"E.g." is used in expressions similar to "including," when you are not intending to list everything that is being discussed.

Examples of i.e. and e.g.:
I.E. Id EstI'm going to the place where I work best, i.e., the coffee shop. [There is only one place that I am claiming is best for my work. By using "i.e.", I am telling you I am about to specify it.]E.G. Exempli GratiaAt the places where I work best, e.g., Starbuck's, I have none of the distractions I have at home. [There are lots of coffee shops I like, but Starbuck's is the only international one, so it's the only "example" that would work.]

"Some Groundwork"

2008-04-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

This essay by Ron Graziani addresses the “Golden Opportunity,” a global collaboration of 80 artists in 2006 to contribute to an exhibition about the past, present or future of gold. This show was hosted by Ethical Metalsmiths, formed to stimulate demand for responsibly sourced materials as an investment in the future, social responsibility and a healthy environment.

“Our relationship with the earth has a lot to do with how humans relate with other humans” (e.g. environmental justice and human rights, capitalism and accountability). Graziani calls this “esthetic jurisprudence.”

Punctuating Titles

2008-04-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

While posting my responses to these videos, articles, essays, and sections from books that we are supposed to be reading in preparation for our materials project, I realized I had no idea how to punctuate any of the titles! I found this online and I thought it was very helpful so I posted it up here...maybe it can help someone else too.

http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Punctuating_Titles_chart.pdf

"Ethics of Materials" by Keith A. Lewis

2008-04-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

This is an extremely powerful essay on the moral obligation of artists in choosing their materials. Keith Lewis discusses the impact of ivory for art – “each piece of ivory has a dead elephant tied to it” and “at least 80% of market ivory is illegal." In the same vein, exotic woods, gold and diamonds all have a heavy environmental and socio-political “burden” – death, slavery and pollution.

(pictures from WildlifeExtra.com from an article called "African Elephant Countries to Work Together to Thwart Poaching" which states that "At least 20,000 elephants are killed annually for their ivory and the lives of about 100 rangers are lost each year protecting them.")

Even in his review of the excuses people offer to not take action in the face of such catastrophic evil (“I don’t have the time to think about this”; I have a business to run”; “My customers will only buy things with ivory or diamonds in them”), Lewis claims it is immoral to cite powerlessness, because he says we have “a responsibility to try to make a difference, if only by a gesture.” Doing the right thing involves exploring alternate materials and sources, and educating ourselves and customers about “re-defining the precious." He makes the strong point that as artists, the things we make, what we make them out of, and the things that we do are great responsibilities.

The Cost of Gold

2008-04-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

This 3 part series by Jane Perlez is extremely powerful.

Part 1
The Cost of Gold: 30 Tons an Ounce

India, Montana, Guatemala, and Ghana mines. Cyanide mines in Montana have polluted the water of the area. Mines in Ghana steal the water from the region (used for people and animals). Environmental hazards associated with gold production – an ounce of gold requires the removal of over 100 tons of rock. Open pit mines are drilled and blasted with explosives. Gold-containing ore is crushed, loaded on trucks or trains, and taken to ore heaps where it is flattened. The heap is soaked with cyanide solution to leach out the gold (through a series of steps) into pools of water at the base of the heap pads. It is then melted into gold ore, which contains impurities (e.g. silver and copper). It is then shipped to a refinery where it’s purified into bullion.

Part 2
The Cost of Gold: Treasure of Yanacocha

In Peru is the world’s most productive gold mine. It sits 13,000 feet high in the Andes. Mining isn’t bringing natives out of poverty but, rather, encroaches on their property and pollutes their water, causing water shortages from water contamination. Also has social/economic impact – corruption of authorities in cities. Finally, landscape loss – losing mountains and lagoons disappearing. Oppression, death, stealing natural resources. “Dirty” gold.

Part 3
Questions on the Cost of Gold

Copper and gold, in particular, are both often found in conjunction with sulfide rock that can produce acid and in turn release metal contaminants.

I found this pic on the RUST BELT research blog. It is of a mine in Montana and the paragraph below reads, "...today’s mining practices involve large open pit mines, and often use toxic chemicals such as cyanide and sulfuric acid to extract minerals like gold and copper."

The blog also says, "We started this blog after so much frustration in our own research, trying to access information from suppliers, processors, and other jewelers about their materials and methods. We hope that our research will be useful to other designers and help to create a more transparent jewelry manufacturing industry. We will continue to update. If you have any relevant information that you would like to post, please contact us." I think it's very cool that they are inviting others that are learning about this terrible problem to post their own thoughts on the blog.

What ia Product Design?

2008-04-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

These pages from Laura Slack's book briefly discuss the meaning of product design and how it evolved with industry. They make me think about whether designers create a need for a product or respond to consumers' needs. I particularly liked the timeline of iconic products (like blue jeans and paper clips) and the corresponding key socio-political events and movements.

These pages also look at re-appropriation of objects into hybrids (blending existing objects into something new), information flow for optimal design (like the feedback loop between consumers communicating their needs to the designer in the research and conceptualization stages, and the designer then getting feedback from consumers to refine designed objects in the production and distribution stages), and design morality - namely design life span and impact on available resources. Design has consequences. This section really made me think about materials from a perspective of impact on the environment and impact on the economy.

Some quotes I particularly liked:

"Product design - the creation of an object that originates from design ideas - in the form of drawings, sketches, prototypes, models...can extend into the object's production, logistics, and marketing."
So, design is more than imagining and creating. It involves industrial production and the economics of selling those products.

"An object becomes a desirable product when it gives the appearance of having improved functionality."
Simple and sweet thought. I might add, "and/or having improved appeal" (by changing one's perspective or enjoyment).

"Design takes on the realms of art where a political, social or cultural point is made through a product."
This quote speaks about the often blurry lines between design and art, design and politics and design and social change.

Material Connexion

2008-04-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

Some quotes that stuck out at me:

"A great design becomes successful if the right material is selected."

"Since materials provide a basic way to see the world around us, we are really looking at how the world is evolving."

George M. Beylerian and Andrew Dent think that if you take away the arbitrary distinctions made between labeling people as artists, painters, architects, craftsmen, or product designers, then they would all really be material innovators.

Artists:
Michael Graves and Gaetano Pesce - design for Target
Craig Kauffman - uses an irridescent finish
Charles Worthen - silicone caulking
Gregory M. Beylerian - found objects
Kardash Onnig - large-scale sculptor
Aida Goganian - discarded materials
Robert Ebendorf - jewelry from recycled materials

Architects:
Samuel Mockbee - "natural" architecture (ie. bamboo)
Lot-EK (Ada Tolla and Giuseppe Lignano) - recycled shipping containers
Kieran Timberlake Associates - brick
Festo AG & Co. - "Airtecture" with inflatable materials
Shigeru Ban - paper house

Fashion Designers:
Issey Miyake - material juxpapositions

Industrial Designers:
Reiko Sudo - textiles

Creative Caffeine #2

2008-04-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

This exercise was a total disaster and didn't help me at all! I thought this would turn out great...drawing without looking should definitely create some very cool forms...but no. These were the four best, and they're still terrible.

Creative Caffeine #1

2008-04-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

In this creative caffeine exercise, I thought of words that had to do with what I'm thinking about for my materials project (words in the left hand column), and then thought of what could possibly be an opposite for those words (right hand column). This was actually more difficult than I thought it would be.

For my project I'm thinking about using forms that are typically very thin and then using a material than would lend itself to this form. This exercise got me thinking about maybe doing a series for one particular object, using not only a material that could easily be made very thin, but then pushing materials that can't easily be made thin to their limits. The one word in particular that got me thinking about this was using cement because I typically don't think of cement as a material that can be made into a very thin object without cracking.

Thin - Thick
Crepe - Tortilla
Rice paper - Cardboard
Old dry leaves - Live fresh leaves
Wafers - Muffin
Film - Canvas
Capiz shells - Conch shells
Insect wing - Bat's wing
Sea fan (soft coral) - Brain coral (hard coral)
Skin - Bones
Stingray (no bones) - Fish (bones)
Flower petal - Tree branch
Glass - Cement
Finger nails - Claws
Potato chips - Potato wedges
Silk - Corduroy
Tissue paper - Wrapping paper
Egg shells - Coconut shell

Forever...

2008-04-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

A diamond is forever.

A child's arm hacked off at the elbow will never grow back.

She will never wear a ring on that hand.

Diamonds cost more than money.

Forever.

Boycott diamonds.

I came across this tonight while reading some more on blood diamonds and I thought it was very powerful. I wish I could say these words were my own but I copied and pasted them directly from this site:

http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/kevin.binfield/BloodDiamonds.html

This site brought me to another site called Green Diamonds where they invite you "to help clean or 'green' your diamond by supporting diamond mining restoration in Sierra Leone and bringing development and alternative livelihoods to those in need."

Making More Connections

2008-04-11T15:55:00.001-07:00

I found this article in the April 2008 issue of Metropolis on these two designers who cofounded a company called Nervous System. Their work is very organic and cutting edge.

Their Radiolaria bracelet has a similar branching pattern to the venous system that inspired my blood diamonds project which is a cuff bracelet meant to look like veins that mimic those in the arm and wrist.

I'm pretty sure Jan has one of these bracelets that she frequently wears in black.

I'm making all of these connections right now and this is what is so good for me. This is one of the only ways I've found to get super excited about work and to get my brain stimulated and thinking - confidently - in terms of design.

AWESOME DAY

2008-04-10T19:12:00.001-07:00

The craft show at the Smithsonian today was unbelievable. I have never seen so many beautiful things in one place. I had such a good time. I learned so much from Don about craft shows, metalsmithing, working with glass, selling, etc. We laughed all day and sold TONS of pieces. His booth was by far the most popular out of all of the ones in my field of vision and I felt so honored to have the opportunity to be standing there with him.

If we didn't have a project due on Tuesday that I was freaking out about then I would definitely go back tomorrow and Saturday to help again. I can't even describe in words right now how much fun I had and the excitement I still feel from the day. I met and talked to so many different people - customers walking around the show and other artists. I got to see again and meet for the first time artists whose work I admire. Among those people were Thomas Mann, Dennis Nahabetian and Todd Reed (all of whom say "hi" Jan).

As soon as I figure out how to get pictures off of my Sprint account online I'll put some up of me and Don in action at the show! :)

setting up for the craft show

2008-04-09T17:12:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics I took while helping Don set up for the craft show. They're not very exciting, but some of the ones of the interior of the Smithsonian are very pretty and some of the pics can maybe be helpful in visualizing what it looks like before the show starts.

Even though I was just setting up, I had a really good time with Don. He's so funny and laid back, and his work is absolutely gorgeous. The pictures I took really don't do his work any justice. In person, the colors in the glass he uses are so gorgeous and his forms and textures are so unique. I've never been a fan of glass jewelry until yesterday when I saw how amazing it can actually be when it's done by the right person.

If any of you don't have class on Friday or have free time on Saturday I would definitely suggest coming out to see all of the beautiful art that is going to be there.

Here's what I copied and pasted from smithsoniancraftshow.org:Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Daily Admission $15
Seniors, Students, Military, and Smithsonian Associates $12

Daily Booth Chats
Talk with artists - Learn how they work.

Welcome to the 26th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show.

The nation's most prestigious juried exhibition and sale of contemporary American craft takes place from April 10 through April 13, 2008. Come to the historic National Building Museum in Washington, DC to discover delightful, one-of-a-kind and limited edition craft objects in 12 different media: basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art and wood.

The 120 exhibitors in this year's show include emerging artists and master craftsmen, 39 of whom are first-time participants. Twelve of those selected were also first-time applicants to the show. Three of the exhibitors were accepted in two categories. All were chosen by a panel of expert jurors from a highly competitive field of close to 1,400 applicants.

pretty fountain in the center

huge, beautiful columns

random people setting up (all of their booths were black and boring - Don had beautiful burnt orange silk drapery)

Don's area before we set up

frame and curtains up

display cases put together

Some of Don's work

Cool new book

2008-04-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

While I was looking for the Creative Caffeine book I found another cool book called 1000 Extra/Ordinary Objects. It's a funky little book with all kinds of weird and crazy objects and products.

One of my favorites is the edible potato starch plate, also known as the Biopic plate. I don't like it so much because you can eat it (it says they taste pretty yucky anyway), but because it can be used as compost decomposing in only 2 days, whereas styrofoam plates can take around 500 years to decompose!

Craft Show Jitters...

2008-04-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

So I'm helping an artist by the name of Don Friedlich at the Smithsonian Craft Show tomorrow (setting up) and then working the show for him at his booth Thursday and Friday. I've never done anything like this before and I'm getting nervous! Very excited, but nervous. If anyone has ever been to this show and wants to share about it or has any advice or pointers to share that would be awesome! Thanks ya'll.

Most of Don's work is done in glass and gold. Here are some of my favorites that I found on his website -
http://web.mac.com/friedlich/iWeb/www.dfriedlich.com/Welcome.html

Organic Series Brooch - one of his earlier pieces of work

Magnification Series Brooch

Translucence Series Brooch

Materials Map

2008-04-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

Thinking about Creative Caffeine

2008-04-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

While looking for the book Creative Caffeine, I stumbled upon another book similar to it called Creative Sparks by Jim Krause.

There's a page in the book in the beginning that I really like because it reinforces what Jan is always telling us (but that I never seem to want to listen to!). "We must become human satellite dishes...We need to pay attention to what is going on today and what went on yesterday...Be receptive. Be tuned in to what's going on..."

So there are a couple of things that I've been thinking about for my Creative Caffeine exercise. The first one is based off of this page (p. 164) in the book:

I like the idea of coming up with words that have to do with materials and forms that I'm thinking about and then being forced to think about what might be the opposite of those words. I get so set on my ideas and never want to think past them. This might be a good way to start doing that.

Another page that stuck out at me was this one on contour drawing:

It suggests that you draw while looking at the subject, not at the paper. The point of this the book says is to "teach your eye to see and your hand to follow what you are seeing." I like this approach to sketching and figured maybe while sketching some forms that interest me, I'll end up getting another form that is completely different, but just as beautiful.

The one last idea I had that came to me after reading this whole book was to go out into the world and pick up/collect found objects (such as old coins, keys, feathers, pinecones, etc.), photographing them like we've been doing, but then taking it a step further by putting bits and pieces of these objects together in a shadowbox. This will display a piece of each object to form one larger composition. I think this would be beneficial because it will get me to start thinking not only about materials, but about form, texture and the interplay of light with each material/form.

So that might be too many tackle for this one project, but I plan on choosing at least two of these exercises to do to get my mind thinking in terms of materials and form.

flooding in my house :(

2008-04-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

wax forms

2008-04-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here are all six of my wax forms that didn't come out when I casted. :( My investment was waaaay too weak. Now that I know what I was doing wrong, the next two pieces that I cast came out!

branches carved from hard wax with scribed line texture to similar to bark - sprued, front view

sprued, back view

pink braches formed from sheet wax with texture similar to hard wax branches - sprued, front view

sprued, back view

pyramid with 3 sides carved from hard wax with scribed line texture - sprued

pyramid with 3 sides formed from sheet wax - sprued

sphere carved from hard wax textured to look like a ball of string - sprued

sphere formed from sheet wax textured to look like a ball of string - sprued

Sonic Fabric

2008-03-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

I found this video by Alyce Santoro - cool to hear the sound the fabric makes when a cassette is run over it playing in the background as the soundtrack in the beginning of the video. The Fresh Design Ideas blog took to me the sonic fabric website where I read that Phish percussionist Jon Fishman wore and "played" a sonic fabric dress on stage so I wanted to find a video on this because I was half expecting to hear actual songs played. I had to know for sure what kind of "music" the fabric can "play." Turns out it's not actual music, but funky sounds that made me think of martians. Very cool.

video on Smithsonian Craft Show

2008-03-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Lost Wax Casting - Steps with Pics

2008-03-01T11:38:00.001-08:00

(wax pattern)

1. The figure is carved in solid wax by the sculptor (in this case, M. A. Dabritz). This is called the "wax" or "pattern".

(wax pattern with casting sprues)

2. Sprues (wax "wires") are attached to the pattern. These will burn away to form channels through which the wax leaves the mold and also through which the molten metal enters it.

(ceramic mold made from investment - cut-away view)

3. A ceramic slurry ("investment") is poured around the wax pattern and allowed to harden around it like plaster. This surrounds the pattern completely, the picture shows a cut-away view so you can see what is happening on the inside of the mold.

(ceramic mold after wax evacuation - cut-away view)

4. The wax is "burned out" in a kiln at 1250° F (orange hot), so that it goes up in smoke and leaves its impression in the ceramic. This creates the mold. Hence the term "Lost Wax" because the wax is gone.

(picture is taken with a flash so that you can see the cylinder that used to contain the wax pattern, before it was burned away - now it is the mold into which the metal is forced)

5. Metal is melted and to be forced into the cavity left by the wax.

(unfinished bronze figure with sprues - just out of the mold)

6. The hot mold is plunged into cold water to disintegrate the investment so that the bronze figure(s) can be removed.

(finished piece)

7. The metal figure goes through several finishing and polishing steps to complete it.

Source:
http://www.castofcharacters.com/lostwax.htm

Lost Wax Casting

2008-03-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Lost wax casting, also known as cire perdue (French for “lost wax”) is a method that has been used for centuries to make many of the intricate metal objects we see in museums today.

“People used this technique all over Europe, Asia and North Africa. It was used by the Sumerians in 2500 BC when bronze was first discovered. It was then used in Shang Dynasty China (1700 BC) to make goblets for sacrifices to the gods and in medieval Europe (1200 AD) to cast the bells for the cathedrals. Lost-wax casting seems to have been independently developed in West Africa around 900 AD, too.”

Lost wax casting is used to make objects in metal that can’t be made any other way because of how complex the form is. Wax is used to make a model of whatever object you want to ultimately be made from metal.

Wax models can be made by hand and then cast to make one object or a mold can be made to produce multiple copies of the same form.

Once the wax model has been touched up and is ready for casting, the first step the form undergoes (and the most important) is spruing. Spruing is a process in which sprues (wax rods) are permanently attached to your wax model which will provide paths for molten metal to flow and for wax to escape.

The sprued model must then be secured to the bottom a steel tin flask, keeping in mind that there must be ample room between the model and the walls of the can (about a half an inch from the top and a half an inch on the sides).

The next step is pouring in the investment. Investment is a type of plaster that won’t burn or crack when subjected to the extremely high temperatures that molten metal can get up to. The investment is mixed with water to form a slurry which is poured into the can to completely submerge the wax model.

The can with the sprued wax model and the slurry is placed in a debubblizer which sucks the air bubbles up to the surface of the investment so that when the model is cast there won’t be any cavities formed by bubbles.

The can is placed in a kiln to undergo the burn-out process. After this, all that remains of the original model is a negative space inside the hardened investment. Now molten metal can be injected into these spaces in the investment that were once occupied by wax.

Once the injected metal hardens, the cast piece must now be released from the can. This can be done by hammering or sandblasting the investment away.

The final cast piece will be dull and have many imperfections. The last process then is to polish the piece.

Since I have not actually cast something yet, I’m not sure if what I have written here is correct. This is a summary of my notes from class, some books and some websites on lost wax casting. As the semester goes on and I learn more about casting, I will edit this post.

Sources:
1. http://users.lmi.net/drewid/Lost_Wax_Casting.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_wax
3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-cireperd.html
4. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/arts/lostwax.htm
5. Modeling in Wax for Jewelry and Sculpture, 2nd Edition by Lawrence Kallenberg

Blood Diamond Pics

2008-03-01T10:47:00.001-08:00

Blood Diamond Research

2008-03-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

Diamonds that fund devastating civil wars, diamonds used by warloards and rebels to buy arms, diamonds associated with bloody violence, human rights abuses, terrorism, and environmental damage - these are blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds.

They have funded conflicts in Africa that have displaced and killed millions of people. These illegal diamonds have also been used by terrorist groups like al-Qaeda to finance their terrorist activities all over the world.

Workers in the blood diamond trade are subject to exploitation, brutality, poverty, dangerous working conditions, torture, maiming, and death. Many workers are children, unprotected by any child labor laws.

Legitimate or fair trade diamonds, which promote community development and higher incomes for diamond diggers, are supported by the Kimberley Process, where member countries pledge not to import or export conflict diamonds, as well as by organizations such as PRIDE Diamonds, a socially responsible mining organization in Sierra Leone.

However, blood diamonds are still being smuggled into the diamond market, as the diamond industry has failed to create an auditable tracking system with a solid chain of custody to ensure that diamonds are conflict free.

Sources:
1. Blood Diamonds and How to Avoid buying Illicit Gems, John Roach for National Geographic News, Dec 8, 2006, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061208-blood-diamonds_2.html
2. Website for Stop Blood Diamonds, an organization pleadged to stopping the exploitation of the diamond trade by human rights abusers, http://www.stopblooddiamonds.org/
3. Website for the World Diamond Council, http://www.diamondfacts.org/conflict/index.html
4. Wikipedia on Blood Diamonds, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_diamonds
5. Website for the Conflict Free Diamond Council, http://www.conflictfreediamonds.org/
6. Webiste for Global Witness, the first organization that sought to break the links between the exploitation of natural resources, and conflict and corruption, http://www.globalwitness.org/
7. Website for Brilliant Earth, Conflict Free Canadian Diamond Jewelry, http://www.brilliantearth.com/
8. Website for United Nations, http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html

Form vs. Texture

2008-02-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

After our class completed the creative caffeine exercise that Jan gave us on texture, she posed the question, "what is the difference between form and texture?" I went back and looked at some of the photos I put up on my flickr site for the exercise and realized that towards the end of my group of photos, I started adding in ones that were really more of form rather than texture. So I started thinking about these two elements of design and tried to distinguish between the two.

From my research, a good design is an expression of its material and fulfills its purpose. Design is implicit in nature, as well as a man-made expression. There is great variety in nature, and also in design – variety in texture and form.

Form is involved with mass and volume, but it goes further to also include size and shape. Form is the three-dimensional quality (depth) that makes objects distinguishable from one another and from their background.

Texture refers to the external surface of objects – both the tactile quality and the visual quality. The tactile quality can be felt by the fingers and usually comes from the nature of the material used. The visual quality of texture can be created by patterns, light, and color. Weathering is a great creator of both tactile and visual texture in nature. Sometimes visual textures created by the elements remain even after tactile textures have disappeared under the polishing of wind or water.