Coming to an end

This semester i feel that I really grew creatively. Last semester I was still figuring out how things worked and what was expected of me. Now I know and I feel free to explore ideas and new processes. This semester I learned:

Forging techniques
Colored pencil on metal tenchniques
Sandblasting
More advanced hydrolic dieforming
embossing
glass cabachon making
multiple chain tenchniques (loop in loop, chainmail and woven/crocheted)
marriage of metals

I really clicked with forging and would like to do more of it. The whole expeince of learning to raise in metalsmithing and now understanding how to "move" metal makes me feel really empowered in the studio. I feel like I have full control over the metal i'm working with. However, when the metal cracks, its sooo frustrating. I felt like I was constantly filing away metal. Maybe as I practice more, this will start to happen less.

Spoooon

heres the last picture I took of just the sppon part, before I attached it to the cast piece.

We had  crtitique today, went pretty well. I'm really glad the semester is over, the projects due in metalsmithing were really starting to stress me out. Theres more I want to do to my projects from that class before I call them officially done. It is quite the process when you have to raise a vessel and adorn it. phew. I want to raise a couple 4'' bowls. I'm thinking as part of my summer research on enameling I might want to try my hand at enameling on a vessel.

Final pictures coming soon

Exhibition at the Burchfield Penny

I entered my first piece from this semester in the upcoming exhibition at the Burchfield Penny titled, The Artists Among Us


The opening reception is this Friday May 11 from 6:30-9:30PM

Heres the link to see what its about:
http://www.burchfieldpenney.org/exhibitions/exhibition:05-11-2012-08-26-2012-the-artist-among-us-ii/

Forging Issues

My spoon is almost where i want it but its keeps getting small cracks on the sides. Each time before I forge it again, Im filing or cutting out the cracks but it seems like i'm wasting material. Its starting to get some cracks in the middle, definitely think its time to stop pushing it before it splits down the middle! Here is what it looks like so far: