Two Sides of History - In Progress, Pt.1

I've just emerged from my studio lair with a major new neckpiece, which I've documented all the way. This post will take us halfway through the fabrication of the piece, to be followed later by the completion. I'll be shooting beauty shots of Two Sides of History later today, to finish my documentation.

Ready? Let's hit the bench.


After deciding on one of my collection of antique animal leg traps to use as the body of the piece, I choose some elements to add glass to in my new kiln.

Keyholes ready to slump glass into.

A beautiful and tiny brass drawer-pull gets prepped for similar treatment.

The trap, jaws and chain removed.

Readying to remove the small setting strap after shaping the metal above it...

...for modification.

Drawing the new contours of the trap.

And sawn.

A keyhole window gets a cutting template.

Slow work in old and brittle steel.


A stunning optometrists' lens, glass altered from below, will take center stage on the pendant.

A real fisheye-grade lens!

Gathering materials to make the swing attachment for affixing the lens to the trap.

The tiny assembly ready to go.

The trap, shaped.

To remove the rust, the trap gets a day in a rock tumbler.



In the meantime, I start work on the jaw. Note the lovely deep dent on the right...must've snapped shut on another piece of steel long ago...?

The tiniest chain of this design I've ever made.

The trap cleaned, now the jaw gets rounded out on a steel form.

A beautiful steel eye bolt is riveted to the jaw.


And fitted with a large brass ring, while the upholstery tacks are bent into loops to hold the little chain.


Part two will start by showing what emerged from the kiln and we'll take it from there.

Ciao!

Things heating up as temperature soars

It's a wonder I can do a thing in this ghastly heat. Sydney is a fireball at the moment, and I wilt in summer at the best of times. My kingdom for a snowball...

So, um, what's the logical thing to set up in my studio to beat the oppresive temperatures? Of course, you guessed it - a lampworking station.

This will enable me to work glass marbles and beads into my work. I've played with it whenever I've had the opportunity over the last 10 years, but only now will have it in my studio to explore more deeply.

As you might imagine, my beadwork will be rather untraditional. Thus far I have been at work creating molten 'blobs' filled with bubbles and other textures; these look as if they've been unearthed at Pompeii. My partner Irena and daughter Mira are excited to have a hand at it as well.

I'll post next week when I'll get back into the studio for some new work. Now back into a bathtub full of dry ice.