Color Always Helps

Try number three for the silver clay pendant. First I did random gold patches, then I filled the center with more gold. I wasn't happy with the look. I tried sanding off gold on the high points, thinking that the silver and gold relief might look nice, but the lip around the outside prevented getting a nice even removal.

So, as with any art process, when nothing is working, just change it up. Add something. How about some color?

Part of my birthday haul included the metal enamels that I regretted not purchasing at the Purdue Conference. Yesterday I got to work trying them out.


I first tried one of the simple shield pairs I'm going to make into earrings. I torch fired these. I think the right one needs to be fired a bit more since it's grainy still (alternatively, I overfired it), but overall I thought they turned out well enough for my first try. I'm thinking they'll look fabulous with some simple blue/green dichroic glass beads.

So I decided to go for it on the pendant. It's a bit of a waste of the gold underlayer, but it was either that or fire to remove the gold completely anyway. I'm happier with it this way, but keep thinking maybe it needs to be more uniformly colored. I can always add more enamel and refire. I was trying to highlight the bird, but it's hard to make out. I have concluded that tear-away textures are fabulous for under enamel.

Next I've been working on a koi pendant in silver (it's that cross-discipline thing again -- make a fish in glass, make one in metal). I now have a long list of things NOT to do. Very reminiscent of the bird nest locket. I need to start making the second iterations of these pieces, so that I can see how they are really supposed to look.

Photos tomorrow maybe, if I get the thing riveted together in the morning.