These are the results of the jewellery course I went to last weekend at Ku-ring-gai Art Centre.
Coral-textured pendant with dichroic glass cabochon |
Silver leaf imprint |
These are made by painting layers of precious metal paste onto a real leaf. Each layer must be completely dry before the next is applied. Then they are fired in a kiln. The leaf and the binding clay burn away, leaving pure silver.
I finished this by tracing the major vein lines with a burnishing tool, then burnishing a few raised parts of the leaf randomly. I haven't made this into a piece of jewellery yet. I think I might try to solder a pin to the back to make a brooch.
Open ring - textured PMC. |
Earrings for an autumn saunter |
I'm still undecided about using PMC as a medium on a regular basis. It's certainly much quicker to work with than sterling silver sheet and wire, but the nature of a clay-based medium means it's also harder to be precise.
But the workshop was great, worth every penny. Just as it did the last time I made silver jewellery, I was barely aware of time passing. I was happy, well and truly 'in the zone'. It was a good reminder of why I want to find a way to make jewellery all the time.