Pearly Buttons and Chasing Tools

At the Genoa National Fish Hatchery Event, they also talked about the old button industry, making buttons from the pearly shells found on the shores of the Mississippi River.  That made me think about my own stash of buttons, from the Grandmas of course.   I found a few hand drilled and handcarved beauties.

These buttons were more likely made from shells out of the Wabash River, along the Illinois Indiana border, as they came from the family that lived in that particular region.  The buttons on the left would make beautiful rings, or brooch elements.  Are the ones on the right some sort of embellishment, maybe for a pearly fringe?  They'd be wonderful as earring components.

In any case, I won't get around to using them for a month or so.  I am busy finishing up ten sets of chasing tools.

I thought I'd be taking all ten sets to my workshop at Haystack, but it seems that five or six sets may already be claimed.

I'll be teaching at Haystack June 1st through the 13th.  I'll be away from my shop and inventory during that time, so I won't be able to ship out any purchases.  If you do purchase something, I will ship it out within 2 business days of my return, so mostly likely, June 16th and 17th.  I do hope to get these chasing tools completed, sold and shipped out before I go.
I should have internet access while I'm at Haystack.  You know how much I love my email, blogs, Skype, discussion forums, etc....  Unfortunately, my travel computer isn't big enough to run my favorite online games- boohoo!   That's probably for the best.  I am hoping to get lots of small chasings done for jewelry.

Mother's Day is coming up.

What's your Mother getting for Mother's Day?

Mine is getting the silver heart ring in this picture.

Here's another one, size 7, available in my Etsy shop that could go to your Mother. Or buy it for yourself!

I know I like to pick out my own presents. I don't want to be surprised. I just want what I want.

Hey, if you do buy it for your mother, put a note in the "message to seller" letting me know if you need it shipped to a different address or if you need a gift card enclosed.

Ahhhh

Now this is why I started making jewelry in the first place..... so I could make work like this mainly for myself at the time.  These days, even when I make jewelry to sell, I'm still envisioning it on myself.

Two sterling silver feather pendants- first handsawn, then hammered, then defined and refined with chasing tools over pitch.
 
For the finish, I tumbled the pendants for a few hours, oxidized them with liver of sulphur, and then burnished up the highlights with a 3M green polishing wheel.

This bracelet might be sold.  I have to wait to hear back from the client who suggested it.
 
I love how it turned out.  The oak leaf and acorn theme seems to be timeless.  I textured the metal first with hammers, then created the image with chasing and repousse, and finally formed it to the cuff shape with hammers again. 

The heat oxide is so beautiful on bronze.  Bronze gets a bit of copper plating on it after repeated heating.  There is so much copper in the alloy that the copper somehow comes to the surface during the annealing process.  So when I start to burnish back the surface, I go through a range of colors from black, brown, red and then finally the goldtones of the bronze.
I used a variety of 3M Scotchbrite brand buffs and wheels to get the right finish, burnished but still rugged, with lots of texture and color tones.

2nd Butterfly Finished!

 The 2nd butterfly pendant is finished!  It is created with chasing and repoussé, no molds or forms, completely one of a kind.

and a side view, just because

Both the first and the second butterfly have been claimed and will be flying off to their new owners very soon.

I love it when new owners claim their pieces even before they are completed.  Then I know the pieces have a story to tell and will stay close to someone's heart for a long time.

Butterfly, Ivy, and Wool Play Food

Do you think maybe I've got too much going on?

I finished one of the butterflies

I'd like to finish the second before I put them up for sale.  When I first started making jewelry, I made jewelry that I would love to wear but that I couldn't find anywhere else.  Now I'm doing the same and it's hard to part with these pieces.  Yes, I think I'm definitely entering into a jewelry phase.
(I still have to finish a few railings, but after that, it will be jewelry galore.)

I've been listing pieces from my English Ivy Art Collection.
#1  

#2 

#3 

and finally the felt play food
I looked at my wool and said "I don't know what to make next."  Of course the kids come up with all sorts of ideas for kitchen play.
 
I loosely needlefelt the forms, then toss them into the washer to firm them up.  Then I go over them again with a needle for shaping, more fuzzy color, and for the banana, to add the peel.  I have no idea what I'm doing.  I just keep jabbing it with a needle until it looks passably like an edible fruit or vegetable.

Felting is kind of like chasing and repoussé that way.  Sometimes I feel at a loss when I teach a workshop, because once we make the tools, I just want to say "now hit the metal until it looks like a leaf."  Use the little tools to pinch, pull, squeeze, and coax the metal into the shape you want.  No formulas.  Just do it, like you would if you were using your fingertips to mold clay.

Chasings, Butterflies, and Cattails - so much!

I have a lot of things to show you!

First, the exhibit pieces that are now in my online shop.
Remember "My Heart in December", the piece I did while teaching a workshop in Minnesota?

The Steel Bamboo Leaf Cluster

and the Bear

I am still slowly working on my silver butterflies.
 

And the marshy piece...
Now you can see how pipe transforms to cattails

I use a fullering tool to pinch in the pipe all the way around.  I work my way down the pipe, making what looks like a length of link sausages.  I'll break them all apart and weld on round bar above and below the seed pod shape for the stems. I'll be sure to post another photo after they're welded up.
Here are some of the leaves before I form them.  The tips are too pointy, so I'll make them more blunt first.

This is going to be a busy week, so keep checking back for more wall art, jewelry, and cattails in-progress.

My Chasing and Repoussé Back from the Exhibit

and ready to list in my online shop... Each photo links to its listing in my shop, so click on the photo for a price and more details.

Everyone's favorite, the Green Man!

This is the most expensive of the chasings that I will be listing. It is also the most detailed, most time consuming and most... well.. enchanting.

Oak Leaf Reflection

This piece shows off the best of my skills, with a chasing at the top and the reflected forged bronze leaf hanging from the bottom. I've been making oak leaves for as long as I've been doing chasing and repoussé, oh about 13 years now. The oak leaf chasings are very representative of my work and style.

and The Eagle

one of my favorite subjects this time of year, when the bald eagles are migrating North through Wisconsin's part of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Many of them will stay and nest along the river. There are a few mature eagles that stay all year round.

I'll be listing the bronze heart and steel bear next.

Butterflies and other pretty bits in progress

Many Etsymetal Street Team members participate in a monthly theme challenge. There are no votes or prizes. The goal is to stretch our creative skills and grow as metalsmiths and artists. I'm currently working on the insect theme with butterflies.

There are 2 different butterflies, each one about 2 inches at its maximum dimension. I haven't decided yet if these will be pendants or pins, maybe both.

Some other things going on in the studio...

Leaves and cattails in progress! Oh, you don't think those pipes look like cattails yet? They will. I'll show you later this week.

Hearts and Leaves, No Bunnies

I know.  I should have bunnies right now.  Instead I have Hearts and another Ginkgo Leaf.

The matching set of heart pendant and earrings are on their way to their new owner.

And here's the back sides of them. They are created completely with chasing and repoussé.  You can see the little tool marks on both sides.

Yes, I can create more like this.  Yet every single heart will be slightly different, each one unique because I freeform sculpt each one with my little chasing tools and hammers.  I don't use a mold or form.

I also finished a sterling silver Gingko Leaf Pendant for my online shop.

Again, every leaf is individually handsawn and hammered out, using no molds or forms.  Every one is unique and has its own special magic.

Exhibits, Ornaments, and other new stuff

The show is up and beautiful at the Frehner Gallery of the Monroe Arts Center in Monroe Wisconsin!  This is the arts center, an historic Methodist church, saved from destruction and transformed into an active Community arts center.

Suzanne, the gallery director, went above and beyond the call of duty to install the show.  She did such a fantastic job, using fishing line to hang the work and keeping it perfectly asymmetrical, just the way I envision the pieces hanging in someone's home.  Now how often does that happen? 
I sold several of my leaf wallpieces right at the opening, pieces similar to what you'd find in the art section of my Etsy shop.

I did steal bits of time in the house to finish up some more wool felt ornaments.

The little acorn is made from vivid green roving and royal blue yarn.  It measures about 1 x 1-1/2 inches.  The heart is made from wool batting and alpaca locks and measures about 3 x 3 inches at its maximum dimensions.  I've got these safely tucked away in my ornament box for next Christmas, but am more and more tempted to sell them.

You might have already noticed this.  I've started selling the book Moving Metal: The Art of Chasing and Repoussé

by Adolph Steines in the commercial supplies section of my Etsy shop. This is the book that I recommend most often for medium to large chasing and repoussé work in my workshops.  I did not learn from this book, but I still look to it when I need some creative approaches and technical insight for my own work.

I'll be making chasing tool sets again in April. I've got 3 requests already.  Please contact me if you'd like to be put on the list of people to notify when the sets are ready.

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered!

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered!

I recently completed and delivered two 24 x 30 inch copper bas-relief horse heads for a commission.  This was a great challenge for me!

I can tell you that I spent a whole lot more time agonizing over these than I did actually hammering on them.

Keeping scale and function in mind, I deliberately kept them much simpler than my smaller work, with the emphasis on the lines of the drawing rather than on the surface detailing.

I did a brush and ink sketch, that was only line for the design. I scanned the design into the computer, sized it up to the right size and had it printed (facing opposite directions) full size at Kinkos. I transferred the design to the back of the copper sheets with lightly punched dots. (For a small piece I'd put those dots on the front, but not for a big piece.)

I started off by working them over sandbags, from the back side, with a variety of hammers. I worked a few areas with my pneumatic chisel (and bits modified for chasing). I annealed the sheets one time and then went to the refining. I did most of the refining from the front, and just a little from the back. I couldn't figure out how to do it without pitch, so I set up a wood block with pitch on it. I did the refining over pitch in sections.

You can see the wood block with pitch in this picture, waiting on top of the anvil. I filled up the section to be worked with pitch and slowly melted it with a very very bushy flame. When it was melted enough, I plopped the wood on it and weighted it with a sandbag until the pitch firmed up enough to move the whole thing.

I didn't want to set up a huge pickle bath, so I scoured the surface with an improvised scotchbrite buff

then patinated it with Midas red to black patina solution (from riogrande.) 

I burnished back the highlights with handheld 3M Scotchbrite pads and sealed the surfaces with a low gloss tung oil varnish.  

For you metalsmiths, yes I do love the 3M Scotchbrite and unitized wheel products for finishing.  I buy them from industrial suppliers. I always wear a respirator when I use the products.  I'm not so crazy about the FX wheels or radial discs, but I prefer a more distressed surface, even on jewelry.

Wisconsin Hoarfrost and Minnesota Workshop

I've been busy, but not too busy to stop and photograph this lovely morning sight

It was so cold all day long, but still, a tad bit warmer than the day before, and certainly warmer than 2 days before. 

The workshop went very well.  Here's a taste....

1. Guild Workshop '07 in MN -1, 2. Guild Workshop '07 in MN -4, 3. Guild Workshop '07 in MN -2, 4. Guild Workshop '07 in MN -3, 5. Guild Workshop '07 in MN -5, 6. Guild Workshop '07 in MN -6 Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
Minnesota is just the best place to teach a workshop.  The students are ready to learn and always surpass my expectations.  They teach me too.  You'll see, when I photograph the piece that I worked on as a demonstration piece....

Chasing tools and Christmas goodies

First- handfuls of chasing tools!

I am teaching a workshop for The Guild of Metalsmiths in Minnesota this weekend.  I have plenty of tool sets prepared and should have some available in my Etsy shop next week.
I am entering what I call "the railing and interior ironwork season."  It's when builders/homeowners/designers finish up all the exterior construction and realize that they now need railings and other stuff, hopefully installed by the end of April for a spring flings.  All of these jobs are rush jobs.  I may be neglecting my Etsy shop for a few months.  If you need some jewelry or handforged leaf work, please contact me through my blog, email, or Etsy shop.  I will find a way to fit it in for you.

Next a gift to myself, for our family Christmasses.  It's a bronze leaf, close to six inches long, similar to the one I made for the WIST (Wisconsin Street Team on Etsy) ornament swap.

and now the tree!

It's a tall and narrow wild balsam fir with short pointy needles- my favorite old fashioned look.  It's about 12 ft tall, but not heavy. The trunks are never wide enough for our stand, so as usual, we duct taped the trunk to thicken it up enough to tighten into the stand.   It works!

(psst.  Notice that the blacksmith still has a temporary wood railing after living here 3-1/2 years.)

Owls in Progress

Here are a few more wallpieces I'm finishing up for the show.
Owls in progress, both in steel. I'm following an instinct to keep them more lyrical, more of a fairytale quality to them.

I'm working on a third, but trying to get these 2 done first.

Studio, Inspiration, and Food

A recently finished wallpiece - a bald eagle image in bronze

Queen Anne's Lace in October

Cool weather food

Here's the photo of the finished stew, that Smarticus requested. It was good!  Husband is tired of seeing the little curly things (quinoa).  The pickiest child took seconds and ate it all.  That's all that matters, so I'll put the quinoa in next time too.  And yes, that's soft white grocery store bread next to my crockpot soup.  Recipe- Put a bunch of stuff in there, including mushrooms and onions.  Add plenty of salt and some curry powder. If you forgot to soak the beans, then start it at 9am, set the crock pot on high and let it go all day. 

Studio Update- english ivy or grape leaf pieces

I am going to do a post and run. I don't have a lot of time to think through a thoughtful entry. Here's a mosaic photo of all 8 of the english ivy (or grape leaf) series. Nance1 asked me what motivated me to use the grape leaf form.
Honestly, I think you can't be a blacksmith without eventually making grape leaves and grapevine. It's such a classic motif and the form is gorgeous. There's also a lot of room for individual expression.

1.
Ivy leaf panel 1, 2. english ivy 3, 3. english ivy 4, 4. english ivy 2, 5. english ivy 5, 6. english ivy 6, 7. English Ivy 7, 8. English Ivy 8 Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
You can click on the photo titles to see the full image.

I think the ones with the negative spaces are influenced by the recent flash flooding, the way it tore up the landscape around the area.

What's next? I'm working on a bas-relief eagle now. Then I'll be doing another Greenman and probably an owl too.
I've got to work on a commission involving steel bamboo.
I've got to ship out 2 packages of my forged leaves- both packages to very special people, which makes me smile. I hope to ship out a 3rd package to another special person in a few days.
I need to draw up some new leaf shapes and order them cut in steel.
I need to order more pitch, for another workshop.

I think that's enough for the next few days.

English Ivy leaf series

Here are the next 3 in my series of 8 ivy leaf chasings.

approximately 3-1/2 x 2-3/4 inches

approximately 7 x 5 inches

approximately 8 x 5 inches

I've got 2 more done, ready to photograph and 2 more still in progress.

New Art!

I finally made some jewelry just for me! I haven't worn earrings for a long time, because any metal makes my ears itch, from gold to niobium. I finally found some nylon ear wires on ebay which truly are hypoallergenic. I also seem to be having good luck with plain surgical stainless steel. So I'm wearing earrings again and loving it.
Did you know I worked at a bead store for about six months in my early 20s? I found one of the pair of earrings I made from that time, and reworked them.

I kept the black leaf beads, then added 3 vintage beads from a broken necklace that used to belong to my grandma. The yellow beads are an old plastic. The black and gold beads are a handmade glass bead, really beautiful. The best part- they are just for me. They are long, dramatic, beautiful and tickle my neck when I move.

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I've been doing lots of stuff in the studio. I don't know how, as I never seem to have enough time in there. I finished up another in my copper collage series. This one is called Driftless Wetlands Landscape and is about 12 x 12 inches at its max dimensions.

This is the 6th piece in the Driftless landscape collage series. They started off as collages of pieces, from my bits and pieces hanging in shop limbo. As they formed together, I felt that they represented the textures, colors, forms and feelings of the landscape that I live in.
These collage pieces are odd. First the bits are a challenging puzzle. I often wonder if they're too unrelated. I have to put elements together, almost blindly, then suddenly, the piece is appears right. It's complete.
You might recognize just this detail, from previous blog entries.

I've got one more of these collages sitting on my welding table, pieces waiting to come together. I already love it and can't wait until it's done to show you.

Here's another wallpiece, inspired of course from the bronze railing that I worked so long on.

It's horizontal and very long, maybe 3-1/2 feet long. To me it evokes the feeling of the water lilies floating on the Mississippi backwaters, so graceful yet still tough, never staying long, but always coming back. It could hang on a few small nails, but I also made these hooks for it to hang on.

With these kinds of linear pieces, the standard picture wire won't work. Although I prefer nails myself, nearly invisible when placed properly, I like to think of some other graceful options for hanging the piece.

After I perform my motherly chauffeur and chaperone duties this morning, I hope to be back forging in the studio this afternoon. It's finally cooling off a bit here.

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and back to my Pendant section on Etsy .
This pendant is still available. Don't miss it. It's the last one you'll see like this. I don't have any more of the tiny acorns and won't be making them any time soon.

Handforged Oak and ...
Knitsteel
$20.00

I added this steel oak leaf yesterday.

Wrought Iron Oak Le...
Knitsteel
$14.00

And what about some jewelry for the wall? You can tell that I come to Art Wallpieces with a jewelry background.



Oak Leaf Wall Pendant - Jewelry for your Wall$27.00

Grape Leaf Wallpiece - Jewelry for your Wall$30.00
>


Two Oak Leaves - Art for your tabletop or wall$25.00

Tunnel Mill Workshop - Chasing & Repoussé

I presented a workshop on Chasing & Repoussé at Tunnel Mill May 3rd-5th. I got back Saturday night and am still trying to catch up on family, housework, garden work and studio work. Tunnel Mill is a wonderful blacksmith/metalsmithing shop set out in the woods near Rochester, Minnesota, close to Stewartville. John and Carol Adams run workshops there when they are not working at their welding business in Rochester. They've restored an Old Mill into a beautiful cabin with dormitory style lodging upstairs. They've added two cute gypsy wagons, crafted by John, as private accomodations. You can see it here http://www.flickr.com/photos/knitsteel/486587940/. (I haven't quite figured out how to blog a flickr photo yet.) The bathhouse has modern plumbing and is shared by all.

The students spent all of Thursday making their tools, choosing their design, laying it out and starting the initial forming process. Friday and Saturday they spent the entire time tapping away at their bronze sheet metal, turning flat leaf drawings into lifelike 3D images popping out of the metal. They really did a fantastic job. Here are some photos of us throughout the workshop.

All of the students were primarily blacksmiths except Kathy. She works more in a jewelry scale, although I'm not sure if she makes jewelry or other types of objects. She discovered how wonderful the pneumatic hammer is for this type of work and used it effortlessly. It does take some skill to use it well, but she caught on right away.



Steve had some great insights into the relationship of the body, proper ergonomics, and the way so many of the concepts fall right into place with the body-use concepts of the martial arts.




This student came in with a tool & die background. He did a great job, though seemed skeptical of his results. He hammered fearlessly.



John, our host.




The Architect and wonderful conversationalist. He knows so much about art, architecture, and is full of joy.



Myself, taking the opportunity to get some work done!







Our host again. You can get a glimpse of the beauty surrounding us, spring in Minnesota.



annealing



more annealing



general studio shot- or is that a workshop....



Outside working space



Examples of 2 bloodroot leaf variations. I love to see each student's interpretation and how widely they can vary.

Minnesota blacksmiths, and Minnesota artists in general are philosophers. They will wake up early and stay up late, chatting- not small talk, but real conversation. Coffee first, wine later, surrounded by the first spring violets and lilacs about to bloom. I'm inspired and energized.