Drawing Update

Added some more drawings into 'the cluster book, starting to incorporate collage, with a slightly surrealist feel, you can see more images on my drawing blog:  
http://ameliahalesdrawing.blogspot.co.uk/

Necklace development & the beginnings of final pieces

Been drawing out some more detailed ideas of the neck piece/chain for my pendants. I was inspired by a vintage necklace of mine that used to belong to my Nana, and also the idea of using brightly coloured threads..

    

 

Managed to get some rather good photos of the first two of my pieces all soldered and ready for polishing, I love the interesting shadows they cast, it makes the pieces even more intriguing to look at, and it's definitely something I could explore further for ideas/products in third year, perhaps branching out to lighting and wall pieces too!

 

Had the idea of simply looping thread through the pieces, I think it will keep it uncluttered and keep the attention focussed on the pendants. I also like the subtle use of colour.

 

So far so good, just a few more days til deadline day!

Idea development..

Thought I would show how I develop my ideas through my sketchbook and from photographs combining pieces I have made to map out ideas for forms..

 

These are just some very quick little designs for forms for my cluster pendants which I will be making..

I've found that the photography really helps me to visualise my ideas better, after the inital sketches, as do paper models, however I prefer seeing it in metal, and the structure and form is more tangible.

Just a few of my favourite forms.. 

 

 

I still like them as individual pieces too, I think for the collection there will be a series of necklaces with different amounts of domes on, from 1 - 4.

 

I also really like them flat, I can imagine these as singular pendants on a simple fine chain, 

 

 or connected together to form a larger neck piece..

Lots more piercing, filing, annealing and doming to do, whilst considering final piece ideas, very exciting part of the project when it all starts coming together (almost!)

Just a quick note too, I am LOVING the shadows that the pieces cast onto a white background, will definitely be using white for my presentation, and also it has me thinking of lighting and interior pieces, the possibilities of piercing!!

Working towards a final collection..

After a hard week of deliberation over potential ideas for jewellery and objects, I decided to use the domed pierced piece to make cluster necklaces (design illustration to follow), and as soon as that final decision was made I set to work on Friday centre punching and drilling lots of holes ready for piercing.

The starting point...

 A few tiring hours later and I've managed to pierce 7 out of 10, which is not bad going for Sunday working!

Close up (still with bits of paper template glued on and no filing done yet!)

I hope my idea for a collection of necklaces works well, it looks good in my head, so hopefully will look good once its all done! 10 working days left, fingers crossed!

Piercing & doming, a new direction

Since I had been doing alot of piercing I noticed I was tending to keep the pieces flat, so instead a pierced out a roughly circularly piece with shapes inspired by the lines within my rock drawings, and I domed the piece into a hemi-sphere.

 

I really like the domed piece I think it has more depth to it than the flat version as it draws your eye around it, and there is a nice contrast between the rounded base and jagged edges.

 

Here is some potential ideas, combining with other pieces and also combining copper with brass, I love the reflection!

 

 

EXCITING NEWS!

So, I've got some very exciting news about what I'll be up to over summer....

IM GOING TO CHINA!!!!

I've been offered a place on a 1 month internship in Beijing working in either the fashion sector or visual arts, and then taking a once in a lifetime 2,346 mile round-trip across China!

It's so so exciting, I can't wait to experience the culture, the food, the sights! Now all I've got to do is save up some pennies and practice my Mandarin!

                                  

P.S - Exclamation mark overload but I just cant help it! :D

Enamelling Tests

As part of my project I decided to try out using some enamels to add colour to my metalwork, I wasn't too fussed on colours so bought some surplus from another student just to give it a try, these are the results of my initial samples, I love the Lime Green and Paris Blue enamels.

 

Drawing update: The Cluster Book

As part of my personal exploration of drawing I have dedicated a book to drawing clusters, as I do tend to draw alot of clusters and the rock imagery I have been researched is quite 'cluster-y', I have begun by looking at images of lichen, barnacles and coral, check out my drawing blog for the full post http://ameliahalesdrawing.blogspot.co.uk/
  

Back in Nottingham - Third term begins!

So I arrived back in Nottingham yesterday for the third and final term of my second year at NTU, time has flown by this year but been loving every second of it. Met up with a Katie for one of our now infamous 'Crafty Corner' sessions of ideas, chatting and chocolate (check out her blog at http://katiealderson.blogspot.co.uk/ )

Here is a couple of pages of new design ideas; I really enjoy working with other people as they help to develop new ideas with a fresh outside perspective.

And heres a snapshot of what my bedroom floor normally looks like at the weekend, a mess of moodboards, sketchbooks, watercolours etc, sometimes a desk just isn't big enough! 

Project Update 2 of 2

Part 2 of project update....

Bezels and Piercing Progression - here I have combined three of my favourite techniques (bezelling, piercing, granulation) to make one piece. I love the intricate piercing edging the bezel, I think it elevates the look of the bezel with the added complexity.

 

Forming pierced metal - I formed this small piece and soldered it to a base to take it from flat to a more 3D object, which I think I would like to develop further

Etching - Me and some of the other 'metal girls' got together to try out etching, this is my favourite piece which I then formed and soldered to two bases to create a tiny vessel. I really love the etching on brass rather than copper.

More piercing - Can you tell I love piercing yet? These pieces are devlopments from having areas of solid and pierced metal together to just an entire pierced piece. This top one is my favourite one as it reflects my drawing style and has a more loose illustrative look.

 Some other ideas - I bought some small test tube jars and bezel set one with small bits of metal contained in it, (left photo) and also I cut up a piece of amethyst on the diamond cutter and polished it up (right) here are some of my initial ideas of how to use it..