Sterling Silver Leaf Pendant

Rosie

I have spent much of my Christmas break with Rosie, as I don't get to spend much time with her when I'm away at school.  Rosie is a two-year-old schnoodle that my family has raised since she was four weeks old - she has definitely become a part of our family.  She is rather curious with a keen interest in playing games with anyone who will pay her a spec of attention; she loves to give high fives, roll over, dance and fetch the ball.  If one begins to talk to her, she tends to stand up straight, tilt her head to the side and perk up her ears as if she were listening intently.   I have chosen to mold Rosie in this particular position in hope that her stature will express a small aspect of her own unique personality. The actual dimensions of the sculpture is approximately 4 x 2 x 3cm and has been cast in bronze. 

 Part One - wax model using hot and cold modeling techniques

 Part Two - wax model cast in bronze

Part Three - cleaned and finished with a patina

what lies beneath

 

Our character is often built upon our faith, our perseverance, our attitudes and beliefs and our relationships.  Immaculée Illibagiza, a young survivor of the Rwandan genocide, is a living example of how faith can pull one through the most devastating and challenging circumstances.  Her story of terror, endurance, healing and forgiveness, shared through the words of Left to Tell, has become an inspiration and has drawn the attention of significant leaders and government figures. Based on her work with the Left to Tell Charitable Fund that seeks to support the children of Rwanda by rebuilding and restoring their lives, Save the Children would like to present her with the Save the Children Humanitarian Tribute for Peace and Reconciliation.  Save the Children seeks to acknowledge and give tribute to those who have displayed and exemplified an effort to bring peace and reconciliation into the lives of vulnerable children.

This brooch is composed of three layers which have been fabricated in sterling silver and copper.

the christmas story

My friend Danica shared this beautiful Christmas story, narrated through the voices of children, and I couldn't help but pass on this childhood goodness!   I hope everyone had the opportunity to spend cherished time with family and friends today.  I was blessed to spend Christmas day with my entire family - we aren't too sure how many more years we will all still be living in the same province...

 
Merry Christmas!

winter mittens

Before the jewellery studio closed for the Christmas season I wanted to make a few articles of jewellery for my family.  My time was pretty limited this week, so I wasn't able to spend as much time as I'd have liked to in the studio but I was still able to come up with a couple items.  I am particularly in LOVE with the mittens :)

christmas crafts

I was walking down Queen Street West a few weekends ago with Lydia and we came across these light fixtures in a modern home design store.  Since then, I've began searching online for a DIY tutorial because I figured it has definitely been done before and was an affordable craft for the holiday season.  I came upon a very easy and simple DIY for these particular lights on the blog Wednesday.  She seems to use them more for sculptural purposes but I think they could be used in a variety of ways.

My sister came home this past weekend which has filled the past few days with lots of Christmas crafts and baking.  Earlier this week we scavenged through the thrift stores in town looking for yarn and any other treasures that caught our eyes.  We were able to find a few bundles of yarn for only fifty cents each as well as a few antique dishes and a wool sweater for only $3! It was refreshing to visit all these places again, as I'd spent a good portion of my summer in these shops.  This typography art print by Ashley G. on etsy pretty much describes my approach to all forms of shopping. 

Anyhow, the greatest thing about these Christmas lights is that they don't take very many materials to make.  All you'll need are a couple bundles of yarn, warm water, corn starch, vaseline, balloons, white glue, a pair of scissors and a few friends.  Start by mixing 1/4 cup warm water, 1/2 cup corn starch and 4 oz white glue in a bowl.  Don't be afraid to get messy!

Blow up the balloons to a medium size - try to keep the balloon as round as possible - and lather each balloon in a coat of vaseline to prevent the yarn from sticking to the balloon once dry.  Hang each balloon above the ground so that they will dry evenly - we just strung the balloons to a broom pole that hung between two kitchen stools.  Once the balloons have been hung, have one person lather the yarn with the corn starch paste, while the other wraps the balloon evenly.  (If interested in placing a light fixture inside the sculpture afterward, be sure to leave room at the top for doing so).  Once each balloon has been wrapped, allow to dry for 24 hours.

 After 24 hours, check if the yarn has dried by pressing the balloon inward.  Rather than popping the balloon instantly, grab the top of the balloon and prick a small hole to let the air out slowly as shown below.  Carefully thread the remainders of the balloon through the top of the ball.

My sisters and I decided to have a little bit of fun with these balls before they will be spray painted.  I am really happy with how they've turned out :) I think we may hang them in the kitchen above the window or perhaps above the fireplace in the living room.  We've yet to spray paint them, but I'll be sure to post a photo once they're finished and in place.  My mom seems to fancy a silver colour, but I think I may just go with a winter grey.  

 Happy Crafting to all :)

the parable of a mustard seed

A parable can most often be defined as a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.  Historically, parables and storytelling were often used to pass down significant stories from generation to generation.  Parables were commonly shared amongst one another to help communicate complex ideas in a form that was easier to comprehend.  The parable of the mustard seed was one of many parables Jesus told his disciples when trying to explain the kingdom of God.  Jesus describes the kingdom of God “as a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants (Mark, 918). ”  I have chosen to illustrate this parable in a form of body adornment that visually communicates the key components of this text.  Focusing primarily on the mustard seed and the elaborate plant that grows from the seed, I have designed a pair of earrings that are visually composed of both of these elements. The black mustard seed, in its two-millimeter natural size, has been situated on the lobe of the ear with the mustard plant growing intricately out of the seed.  The seed is partially covered by the plant, which acts as a symbolic representation of one’s faith and how one miniscule seed can grow into something elaborate and complex.

One of the challenges of this particular project was to create the entire pair of earrings using only sterling silver wire, in comparison to using sheet.  This created several challenges but also forced myself to broaden my spectrum of thinking and come up with innovative ways to manipulate wire.  These earrings have been fabricated entirely out of sterling silver wire and each earring has been set with a 2mm smokey topaz faceted stone.  

[I have not yet had the opportunity to properly photograph these earrings, as they are currently on display in the jewellery department at my school, but the photo above gives you a glimpse of the style I have chosen to work with.  I will be sure to post a finished photograph of the earrings in the new year].

lost wax casting

A symbol is most often defined as a recognizable shape or sign used to communicate or express a specific object, function or idea. I have chosen to represent the relationship between a mother and her unborn child in the form of a young fetus that sits in the palm of a mother’s hand; the child is grasping onto her umbilical cord, her lifeline, which travels up the mother’s palm and wraps tightly around the mother’s finger.  This ring is meant to be a symbolic representation of the decision a mother makes in choosing to give her child life.  Visually, the ring is not entirely seen by an outside viewer, as the fetus remains safely and intimately in the palm of the mother’s hand, just as an unborn child remains safely in its mother’s womb.

Over the course of the past few months I've had several people ask me about the process of lost wax casting and so I've done a brief photo documentation to display how this process is carried out.

The following images outline the steps I have taken to create this particular article of jewellery.  The first step is to model a small sculpture, in wax, of the design one has chosen to work with.   The wax be manipulated with one's own hands, heat and small sculpting tools.  It is important that one works as clean as possible, as every hair and fingerprint will be cast back in metal.

Once one is satisfied with the wax sculpture, wax sprues are placed on the model to create a passage by which molten metal can travel while casting.  The sprues are than adhered to a base with wax and a flask is placed around the base to prepare for investment (the photo below displays a different project I have made but uses the same process).  Investment is then mixed and poured into the flask until level with the top of the cylinder.  The flask is then placed on a "bouncing" investment table that releases any air that may be trapped inside, which results in bubbles rising to the surface.  After the investment has dried, the base is removed and the flask is placed in a kiln which burns out the wax model, leaving a hollow mold of where the wax used to be.  Based on the weight of the wax model, mathematical formulas are utilized to calculate how much metal is required to fill this mold.  Once this calculation has been made, a specific amount of metal (bronze in this case) is placed in a crucible with a sprinkle of borax (a chemical used to prevent oxides from forming while heating the metal).  The flask is placed in a casting machine and the metal is heated with an oxy acetylene torch.  Once the metal has become molten, centrifugal force is used to direct the molten metal into the cavity of the mold for approximately three minutes, depending on the size of one's piece.  The flask is set aside until cool, then quenched in water releasing the investment, and one is left with a bronze replica of their wax model.   

The cast metal is often covered in dirty oxides and leftover investment which can be cleaned off with hot steam or placed in an ultrasonic (a cleaning device that uses ultrasound (usually from 20-400 kHz) to clean delicate items).  Once the surface of the metal is relatively clean, the sprues are cut off and one is left with an object as displayed below.  Some of the edges are quite rigid from where the sprues had resided which can be manipulated with files and various rotary tools. 

The entire piece is than cleaned and finished with various rotary tools and emery paper to remove scratches and burrs that may have occurred while filing.  I have chosen to finish this particular piece with a satin buff.

vintage lace

this past summer I had the privilege of making my sister's prom jewellery.  She had chosen to move away from the traditional "princess" prom dress and instead wore a rather simple, yet elegant cream coloured vintage dress.  She wanted her jewellery to be original, yet well integrated with her attire.  I chose to work with sterling silver, turquoise, pearls and a segment of vintage lace I found at a thrift store.

I've chosen to set a turquoise stone in a sterling silver ring band wrapped with two rings of twisted wire, the earrings were fabricated with sterling silver wire and pearls, and the bracelet was made from a segment of vintage lace dyed with tea to match the colour of her dress.  I encased the entire collection of jewellery in a protective case that I made using bookbinding techniques and fine japanese papers.

where the wild things are

Today I had the opportunity to photograph a few of my jewelry pieces from this past semester.  I recently received back a narrative piece I fabricated back in January; inspired by the childhood story Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  Much of this story is about our imagination and how our thoughts and feelings are necessary elements of our development.  As a child is given the opportunity to dream and imagine, her character grows and matures, aiding in the development from child to adult.  I have chosen to create a visual representation of one of Sendak’s illustration through the construction of a sterling silver and brass haircomb.

In the past, I have usually asked one of my teenage sisters to model my work for me - but both of them found themselves much too busy today. However, I was in great luck when my beautiful eight year old sister said “I’d love to help you Jocey!”  She even came up with the idea of having her read the story Where the Wild Things Are while I took her photo.  She got a little bit giddy at the end, but I’m definitely sensing a modeling career in her future!

home

how great it feels to be home after a long and exhausting semester at school.  While I've begun to fall more in love with the city of Toronto, there is something super sweet about spending time with my family as well.  Today, my family had the opportunity to celebrate my little sister's seventeenth birthday...emphasis on little as she's not so little anymore.  I spent most of my day at home while everyone went off to work and school - I baked an ice cream cake for my sister, cleaned the house, took my sister out for lunch, and stopped by a few of the thrift stores in town. 

On a side note, one of my goals this Christmas break is to photograph the jewellery I've been making at school - I hope to share some of these pieces over the next few weeks! 

 

pretty things and pretty people

It has been a busy week of wonderful music, lovely people, lots of tea, and an overflowing abundance of inspiring creativity.  I have finished school for the semester and am just coming to the realization of how many creative people I have been surrounded by these past four months.

I've had the opportunity to share life with so many people this week and it has reminded me of how much joy can be found in sharing life with others.  From listening to a very talented friend, Elissa Mielke, share her music, to eating nachos and watching crime shows with my roommates, to spending time in the jewellery studio, to drinking countless cups of tea, catching up with friends I have not seen in nearly four years, spending the afternoon thrift shopping with a great friend, watching The Muppets Movie (which I would highly recommend...I couldn't stop laughing), attending an inspiring City of Craft Show, and celebrating the birth of Jesus with wonderful friends...

catch the trade winds. complete.

“So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”   - Mark Twain

Today, I endured my last Jewellery: Structure critique, which happened to go quite well.  Through the exploration of naval architecture in relation to Mark Twain, I have designed and fabricated a sterling silver ring that visually communicates, both literally and metaphorically, the key components of a sailing ship.   I have etched the interior of the band ring with catch the trade winds, in hope of highlighting the significance of wholeheartedly letting down one's bow lines and choosing to let the wind carry and guide one's direction in life.  

jewellery as a matter of faith

A couple of days ago one of my professors shared a lecture on contemporary jewellers and jewellery practices.  I often find myself uncertain about what I would like to personally do with my own jewellery practices, but this lecture sort of reaffirmed my decision to continue studying jewellery and metalsmithing, embracing the whole contemporary culture of jewellery.  My professor shared several segments of writing by contemporary jewellers, the following of which I found rather intriguing...

Another thing I have learned about jewellery is that jewelers are not very communicative.  Their work is not created to tempt their buyers.  And also in that sense jewellery cannot be compared with design, which is overtly designed to seduce the buyer by its use of colour, form and market strategies.  That is why everybody wants the newest ipod and iphone – they are designed to overrule all rational decision making, they are bought on an impulse.  Jewellery on the other hand, tries to convince.  Jewellery is a matter of faith.  You have to believe in it before you purchase it. But you can stir this faith by clever communication strategies.  ["The Power of Jewellery," Liesbeth den Besten] 

Another thing I found particularly interesting about contemporary jewellery and the direction with which it is heading is that it has really opened up the doors to what is jewellery? and what are the barriers or guidelines that classify an article of body adornment as jewellery?  We talked about the idea of a tattoo being an article of jewellery...I am not too sure how I feel about this particular idea, but I am interested in labelling a tattoo as an article of body adornment.  I'd absolutely love to have the following tattoo as a piece of jewellery.

 

catch the trade winds.

a quick glimpse at how my final Jewellery-Structure project is coming along.

busy busy busy

I've always been a person of lists; lists for groceries, school work, time management, laundry, wants/needs, thrift store finds etc... My experiences as a third year jewellery and metalsmithing student have definitely encouraged my list making processes and entitled me to a new nickname, "jo-jo busy" based on the fact that I spend hours on end in the jewellery studio. I've been super tired lately and haven't 'had much time to think through everything....so let's make a list!

1. Finish fabricating "catch the trade winds" ring in sterling silver.  Due Wednesday.

2. Write and compile a research paper that explains my ideas and processes behind the above.
3. Study for stone setting exam this Monday.
4. Prepare for final stone setting critique this Tuesday.
5. Design a narrative button collection based on the children's story "Are you my mother?" by P.D. Eastman. 
6. Make buttons in wax and bring to the casting house by this Thursday morning.
7. Write and compile a research paper that explains the ideas and processes behind the button collection.
8. Bake a batch of peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
9. Clean my room.
10. Count down to December 5.  My last critique.
11. Go to Paul Chin Spins: Season's Beat-ings at Starving Artist with Meghan tonight.
12. Spend time with friends before everyone goes home to spend Christmas with their families. 
13. Make Christmas gifts

the art of change

Today I am feeling tired, weary and exhausted.  I have approximately ten days left of school before the term is up, and I have an abundance of projects to accomplish before then.  I'd just like to share a post I read today written by Lauren Lankford, the writer of Lauren Nicole Love, a blog that I have been following for the past few months now.  I find much encouragement in her writing and her approach to art and design.  I hope you can be encouraged and inspired by what she has to say.

to fight the stagnant.

there is an art to change.
and the secret is not in the pursuit of it. or in it's accomplishment.
but rather in the art of perceiving it.

* * *

you have moved. you have grown. you have changed.
you have improved. you have become strengthened. you have learned.
you have seen. you have been. you have said.
you have created. you have chosen life. you have ended death.
you have become more beautiful. you have grown into yourself. you are more.
there is an art to observing the change you have made.

there is an art to knowing your growth, and ending the lie in your bones that says you are right where you always have been.

it is worth your time to document your movement forward. it is worth the hour of your day to know what you have done with your time.

sometimes we must move into our past, in order to accurately see our present.

create a place on the page, in the journal, on the blog, in the portfolio, on the table, in your soul. create a place to document your change.

* * *

look at your first month of blog entries.
look at your journal from three years ago.
look at your first photos.

do you see the movement?

write down the lies you used to believe.
write down the truth you know now.
write down the part of your heart you hadn't met 5 years ago.

do you see the growth?

find your first pieces of art.
find your first songs.
find your first designs.

do you see your progress?

think about the mistakes you've made that will not be made again.
think about the depth of character that was lacking 10 years ago.
think about the hidden places of the old depression.

do you see the new life?

sift through your albums, your archives, your chapters.

sift through your resumes, your childhood, your classes.

sift through your failures, your accomplishes, your proofs of action.

know the growth reflected in the dissonance between the past and present - know that your present will always be your past, and soon.

* * *

he says he is faithful. to move, to carry, to nurture, to redeem, to assign purpose. he is faithful to carry onto completion the good work he began in you.
you cannot help but grow. he has not forsaken us. like a tree beside still waters, you could not cease to grow even if you so desired.
because he is the great i am.

and in him we live, we move, we have our being.

* * *

refuse the lie of stagnancy. refuse the lie of stillness. refuse the lie of hopelessness.

document your change. be encouraged. and continue to move.

tangled thoughts in my lack of motivation.

As I expressed in my first post, this blog does not really have any definitive goals, but rather is going to be a place where I will share my heart and my love for art, design and all things beautiful.  I am currently studying jewellery and metalsmithing at the Ontario College of Art and Design University where I have come to enjoy the time consuming processes of the studio - a place by which I spend at least 12-15hrs of my day. I could probably write novels about the adventurous happenings of the jewellery studio, but right now I just need to exhaust my thoughts in writing, as they have become tangled trains of information that often distract me from finding rest and peace in the things that matter most.

Basically.  My motivation is lacking - more specifically in school.  As we're nearing the end of November, all I really want to do is spend time with my family, invest my time in relationships, drink hot chocolate with peppermint tea, make snow angels, bake peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, make arts and crafts, reupholster an antique chair I purchased in the summer, learn how to work my camera better, sing Christmas carols, go ice skating and this list could go on. 

But instead, I sit here trying to work through the last chapter of my sociology text in preparation for my final exam this coming Thursday. And yet while I try to focus on studying my mind is filled with the countless studio projects that still need to be completed over the next 13 days.  And then my brain is flooded with thoughts of fear and doubt in my ability to make it through the final studio projects and exams that must be completed.

Oh dear, just so many things going through my mind.  But it'll be okay.  Amongst being overwhelmed in so many ways today, I was encouraged by a kind friend that introduced me to the Rue Royale, an Indie Folk band from the UK that I had the pleasure of listening to while I endured the joys of studying late into the evening. 

I've created this blog to share my heart.  As a creative outlet.  To be open, honest, and real.