A Plan Dashed

I was absolutely thrilled last week when I received an invitation to teach a two day  polymer clay workshop at a beautiful venue in Washington State. I took it as a perfect opportunity to finally put together a class teaching my crackle technique on canvas and under resin. I've been back burnering this idea for a few years now. I have always wanted to travel and teach. Having seen so many inspiring instructors from the US visit Canada I thought it would be marvelous to do the same. It didn't occur to me that the ease with which they visit Canada as paid instructors couldn't be reciprocated should I travel southward .

Here are the simple facts- I could accept an invitation to teach for room and board and travel expenses but no payment. If I were to try to teach a two day class for pay I would need to have the party that invited me go through a long process of completing  forms as well as having to pay $325 US for the privilege- at that point I might be eligible for a Visa. I would have to go through this every time I was invited to teach.

Conversely American instructors may travel to Canada as a "Seminar Leader" with no requirement for a work permit whatsoever. They are welcome to teach for up to five days. They are eligible to receive full payment for their services.

I suppose I could put together an instructional  DVD for sale but I love teaching and travelling. The way that this goal has been dashed is especially bitter with the inequity involved in a country with which we are supposed to have "Free Trade". I can't teach in the US but Americans can teach here.

When I cross the border into another country I feel most comfortable being honest about my reason for visiting.  I'm interested in hearing from other artisans who may have solutions to this issue. How do Canadians or other nationals teach short term workshops in the US without "bending the truth" at the border? 

Polymer clay wall art- the most interesting part .....

The lady's face has been made and she's a very sweet character. I think this is the part I love the most about working on a piece like this. The "adornment". It's time to decide on hair colour , hair style and jewelery. The lady will be carrying a basket... but what is in it?

Can anyone make a prediction on hair colour and what will be in the basket she's carrying?

Polymer Clay Day- Resin Valentines and The Muse Emerges

Wednesday was very busy for me! I "dressed" the Muse, she ended up being a bit more voluptuous than my sketch... we'll see how she reacts to the long vest with pockets I have in mind for her. Her body is fired but the arms are still raw so I can arrange her basket.

During firing times I was able to do some resin work. The four copper Valentines are going to be made into pendants with silk and sent to Side Street Studio. If you are curious about what the pieces are in, it's BARLEY...I find it perfect for making little adjustments to stop spills and it works a charm for curing dimensional items like rings.

I have bezels for sale in my Etsy shop... the hearts are almost sold out.

PS- here are the finished Valentine's pendants!

Armature in Place....

Here's the armature of the lady in position for firing- the arms will be done later to get the correct positioning. It looks pretty odd at this point, like a Ed Woods  horror picture from the 50s but bear with me... I think I know what I'm doing!

Here Comes the Hippie Chick!

I FINALLY finished the foliage on my GreenShade piece and so now I can begin work on the central character. She's a funky little lady- very much a Gulf Island Hippie Chick. I determined her proportions in context with the background by placing tracing paper on the piece and doing a very rough sketch on the paper. The next step will be to build the polymer clay body using the sketch as a pattern. Yes, those are my toes at the bottom of the photo.

A Super Blog and Another Mini Low Budget Kiln

Yesterday Susan left a comment suggesting I check Tonya Davidson's Blog for info on metal clays. It's a stunning site and I am tempted to spend my Saturday there. Tonya's Whole Lotta Whimsy Shop  is terrific and whether you are a polymer or metal clay artist you'll find an excellent selection of tools that might twig an idea.  Of course I checked the kilns and was impressed by the Trinket Kiln which is $200 and can fire pieces that are 5" in diameter. I wonder how thick the pieces can be though?

Morning Reading- Low Cost Metal Clay Kilns

Yesterday's morning reading was my own email... not so interesting for a blog post.

Today I went through the Art Jewelry Special Publication in Metal Clay Jewelry this one is a keeper and if you have even a passing whim of interest in metal clay it is a good one to add to your collection.
I was immediately drawn to an article on alternatives to kiln firing. A real kiln is in the future but it's going to take a while, sales are never good at this time of the year and spending time researching methods to emphasize ooak rather than production is financially risky in the short and perhaps long term. So a budget kiln would make sense. I plan to use a torch for my first pieces, they will need to be less than 25g and smaller than a US silver dollar which I suppose is the size of a Canadian Loonie. I could use steel mesh on the top of my gas stove too. Both techniques limit size and thickness- so what are the options?  The article makes two suggestions:

A PMC Hot Pot Kiln - this is $68 in Polymer Clay Express. It runs on alchohol gel fuel. (anyone have a Canadian Source for that?- Canadian Tire?)

 

The second option is The Ultra Lite Beehive Kiln- I found it on the Cool Tools site. It's $178 and requires ceramic inserts for metal clay firing- they cost $19 for 3.


Bottom line... I have to get to work!

Morning Reading- Low Cost Metal Clay Kilns

Yesterday's morning reading was my own email... not so interesting for a blog post.

Today I went through the Art Jewelry Special Publication in Metal Clay Jewelry this one is a keeper and if you have even a passing whim of interest in metal clay it is a good one to add to your collection.
I was immediately drawn to an article on alternatives to kiln firing. A real kiln is in the future but it's going to take a while, sales are never good at this time of the year and spending time researching methods to emphasize ooak rather than production is financially risky in the short and perhaps long term. So a budget kiln would make sense. I plan to use a torch for my first pieces, they will need to be less than 25g and smaller than a US silver dollar which I suppose is the size of a Canadian Loonie. I could use steel mesh on the top of my gas stove too. Both techniques limit size and thickness- so what are the options?  The article makes two suggestions:

A PMC Hot Pot Kiln - this is $68 in Polymer Clay Express. It runs on alchohol gel fuel. (anyone have a Canadian Source for that?- Canadian Tire?)

 

The second option is The Ultra Lite Beehive Kiln- I found it on the Cool Tools site. It's $178 and requires ceramic inserts for metal clay firing- they cost $19 for 3.

Bottom line... I have to get to work!

First Steps

First steps with metal working- I returned home last night after a trip to take the Introduction to Soldering workshop at  Pouncing Rain in Bellingham Washington. It's a terrific metal arts center and I heartily recommend a trip there is you are in the Vancouver/Seattle area. Instructor Judi Gauthier has the knack of sticking to the program while dropping foundational information that builds a beginner's understanding of a very extensive art form. I was fascinated and loved every second of the class- my inner pyromaniac was given voice! The techniques I learned will serve me well for the ideas I have in my head...
 In the polymer clay realm, I pulled my sketch book out when the ferry was going through Active Pass and my pen flew. She arrived with one sketch- she is a determined little person! The lady on the garden path is a "hippie chick'... perhaps she's gathering produce to sell at the Galiano Farmer's market.  I have to finish the ferns along the path and then I can begin to begin first steps on this new character.

Cold Connections with Steel Wire & Continuing Greenshade

The May 2009 Issue of Art Jewelry was the morning's reading and jumpstarted the week! This was the "Green Issue" and has a lot of info about recycling and repurposing.  Brenda Schweder wrote "Capture Found Objects with Low Cost Steel Wire". This piqued my interest as I've been a devotee of "low carbon black annealed steel wire" for years. Known as "stove", "rebar" or "baling" wire- it's been vital in my work for years as an armature as well as an occasional "out front" wearable art component.  Brenda's article is clear and fascinating and her books look tempting too! 

After my reading session I got busy again in the studio... Here's GreenShade on Monday. I'll be travelling to Washington State tomorrow for a soldering class at "Pouncing Rain". I'll have a ferry ride over to the mainland my plan is to get some detailed sketches of the lady who is wandering down this garden path as the islands go by the windows. The muse may get busy because I'll sail by Galiano Island which is where I took the photo of the gate!

A Great Issue of Art Jewelry and Continuing Greenshade

Today's January 2010 Art Jewelry read was fascinating. I was making lots of notes throughout!  This would be one back issue that I'd recommend purchasing. There's a feature article about Kathleen Dustin along with photos that are awe inspiring. You can catch up on electroforming, a process that's "currently" making a buzz in clay groups!
Best tip- diluting liver of sulfur gel with ammonia for gentle iridescent effects. 

Funkiest tool with Personality - a Microtorch MT-30

My favourite article was by Helga van Leipsig 

it detailed how to apply colourful ceramic decals to metal clay .  

Finally- here's the daily installment of GreenShade- 

Firing Considerations & Greenshade

Today I started the day with the November 2010 issue of Art Jewelry. The article that best suited my metal clay research was a fine tutorial by Cindy Miller describing how to make a hollow metal clay bead. I see many applications for my ideas here but I'm beginning to see that my plans may be compromised until I invest in a kiln. For the time being I have to keep my real-time explorations in metal clay limited to flat simple pieces which is actually the plan I had in the first place. Of course this is all just talk because I'm still waiting for a supplies shipment before I can even clear my work table off and get mixing the Hadar's Copper clay ! I may be able to do something this weekend though because a parcel is waiting for me at the post office!
I took a big step with metal work last night at a very enjoyable hammered link class. I will post a picture when I finish the piece.

In my polymer clay zone work continues on the clay on board piece that has a working title "Greenshade"...I'm still working on the background.

Today's Reading and Yesterday's Progress

My morning magazine today was the July 2009 issue of Art Jewelry. I ofte feel like a Venusian wandering through a Martian Mall when I read the metal working articles so I was grateful for a wonderfully detailed article by Hadar Jacobsen  that presented a method for combining metal clay with sheet metal clay with basic soldering. I was especially interested in this as I have a soldering workshop next week at Pouncing Rain in Bellingham Washington!
Yesterday I didn't actually use much clay, I was focused on the background image layout which is printed on silk. It looks a bit odd at this point but there is method to the madness!

Today is a Clay Day. Tonight is a metal night- I'll be taking a Hammered Link  Necklace Class at Skanda Designs here in Victoria.

Morning Reading: 10 grams of Metal Clay & A Days Work: Several Pounds of Polymer Clay

This morning I  got my coffee and curled up by the fire to explore the November 2009 issue of Art Jewelry.  As a polymer clayer I find many parallels in approach and as I branch over to metal clay many of my current tools and skill set will serve me well. My favourite article in the magazine was a challenge for 5 metal clayers to create pieces with a limit of 10 grams of clay. The photos in the article were close to scale so I enjoyed the take on economic innovation.
Now the metal clay research is done, I'm embarking on the clay stage of my current polymer project. There's a shift from the modest 10 grams of metal to a much heftier amount of polymer!

sketch on 16x20 board

digitally altered photo - Galiano Garden Gate

The polymer project has been firmly captured by the Muse and she gave me 4 am directions this morning when I was supposed to be asleep. It isn't on canvas- it's on a 16"x20"board this time and I suspect the over the top colour scheme is going to be a bit moodier... Here's the sketch on the board and the gate will be a  background component...


 to be continued....

Morning Reading- Polymer and Metal Clay Combos and a Trip to the Seaside

Today I had my morning reading session with the September 2009 issue of Art Jewelery. It has a great article by Cindy Silas on Integrating Metal and Polymer Clay. It reviews the way that polymer can work effectively as a form for doming, making texture plates,  a backing material and stand out front as a glorious feature component.

The article that really got me thinking was by Monica Branstrom. She presents a method to make a bezel setting for sea glass. Her work is stunningly beautiful. The article is not geared for metal clay and a little Google research confirmed my hunch that an electric kiln is needed for glass and metal clay firing but it certainly makes me consider the possibilities, especially since I have a nice collection of sea glass and a soldering class next week!

The Sharing One Interesting and Artistically Useful Thing A Day For a New Metal Clayer Project

I have a huge pile of fabulous art books and magazines and finding time to sit down and go through them when I have books like "The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" in my Kindle. I have come up with a plan.. each morning I'm going to go through one of the volumes and then post something from each session here on the blog.
My focus is to learn metal clay techniques that will work with torch or stovetop firing . I'm a long way from investing in a kiln, altho there are some stovetop ones that may work for me...
Today's reading session was with the September 2009 Issue of Art Jewelry. I was drawn to an article by Holly Gage - Burned Out on the Hollow Form- turn negative spaces inside out with metal clay designs.

Negative Space Earrings by Holly Gage

I learned that metal clay can be caned in a way similar to polymer clay is but instead of using a contrasting colour you can use a combustible cork or paper clay that will burn off during firing to create a negative space! Cork Clay looks like a "must have " item! The big downer is that it's not recommended with torch firing.....
How many polymer clayers are thinking... "hmmm how can I do that with polymer and a water dissoving substance.... ?"

Studio Cleanout = Bezels for Sale in Etsy!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65594982/valentines-hearts-copper-pendant-bezels

I'm clearing through my collection of findings and I'm offering some very versatile bezels in my Etsy Shop. I have sets of assorted antique copper or sterling plated toggles, beautiful copper dangle earring bezels and delicate square and circle copper pendants. The heart bezel sets are just in time for Valentine's Day preparations! Shipping is free to the US and Canada.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62286133/three-copper-finish-pendant-bezels-heart

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65591415/square-and-circle-copper-plated-pendant

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65585184/copper-dangle-earring-bezels

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64070170/assortment-of-6-copper-silver-patera

4 am in the sleep studio

Sometimes at around four am I'm supposed to be sleeping but I'm in semi sleep and working in my head on arty stuff. Sometimes it's problem solving and sometimes I'll have a flash of inspiration. This morning I was thinking of adding text of some sort to the latest canvas when I had a collision of ideas. A seed catalogue  arrived in the mail yesterday and perhaps I could play with a scan of a page and print the result on silk as a component in the Woman in the Garden canvas. Here's a starting experiment after a bit of PhotoShopping...

Perhaps because of the scribbly sketch I've been calling her the Madwoman- so she may be called "Orphelia"... or perhaps Donalda Draper?

Canvas #1- 2011

I'm excited about starting to work with Metal Clay in conjunction with polymer and resin but I'm in a hurry up and wait situation here waiting for supplies to arrive etc.  The big news on that front is that there's a new Canadian Metal Clay Blog, it's designed to be a place to share images, ideas, supply sources and instructional venues. It's a multi-author blog and sign up info is posted in the blog header.

I do have a POLYMER CLAY project underway though. I'm starting a new canvas based on this rough sketch which was inspired by two unrelated fashion layouts in an issue of Vanity Fair. There's something about suspicious looking women in floral settings that intrigues me! I'm planning to make this a colour riot ....a good way to get January rolling.

First Project of 2011

Enough lazing about watching classic films on TCM and reclining by the fire with the Kindle (The 2011 Book List has started) ....it's time to get to work!
Yesterday we went through process of taking down all the decorations but left the lights up on the magnolia tree outside just in case it snows.
As we usually do at this time of year, we've been busy tidying and "re-designing" the house. I came up with a way to get back in clay mode and address a decorating issue that has been bugging me for a few years now. My tile backsplash in the kitchen  is not complimented by these incredibly tacky looking white switchplates. The plan is to do a run of colour coordinated clay and to cover these things...   when I'm finished I can creep back to the TV...

PS- Here's the new covers-- a bit of an improvement.