Follow Me On:
LAURIE KERN
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
    • Metal Work >
      • Chasing & Repousse
      • Holloware
      • Jewelry
      • Other Wonderful Items
    • Fiber Arts >
      • Temari
      • Yubinuki
  • Resources
    • Library
    • Tools & Equipment
    • Links
  • About
    • Artist Statement
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • How it is Made
    • Contact

My 4th Blogoversary 

3/31/2013

 
I can't actually believe it.  

Four years ago, I started this blog. Well actually I started it over at the Ganoksin website but I eventually set up my own website and migrated the blog to here. 

I started, oh, so, long ago, with just cutting a few cab's, then setting them in a silver bezel. Then it was chains and some jewelry. 

But NOW, it is hollowware and chasing and repousse. With of course various side trips into enamel, fold forming, and blacksmithing and many many classes, workshop and trips along the way. 

So please tell me what you have liked reading about - so I can share the memory with you. 

Trust 

Finally!!

3/22/2013

 
It was March of 2012 when I made the Calimari Cuff and I submitted the picture to Art Jewelry Magazine for their Gallery section.   It was accepted and I sent the cuff to them,  in April, so it could be photographed.  The cuff was returned to me in May and I then entered it into the San Diego County Fair. 

I was told that it would be a few months before would actually be published in the  magazine.

And I waited, and checked the May 2012 issue.
          And I waited, and checked the July 2012 issue
                   And I waited, and checked the September 2012 issue
                                      And I waited, and checked the November 2012 issue
                                                         And I waited, and checked the January 2013 issue. 
And then I kind gave up. 
I figured it was now over a year and it was not going to be published.

Well, I was properly surprised yesterday when I received an email stating that the Calamari Cuff was to be in the Gallery section of the May 2013 issue. 
Picture
Art jewelry Magazine, May 2013.

On the Ropes

3/17/2013

 
"On the Ropes" is a boxing term, because it originally meant that one of the boxers was pushed up against the ropes of the ring (and they were usually getting hit a bit and to avoid the hits, they were backing up and eventually, their back was against the ropes). 
 
The term has now entered our lexicon to mean:  On the verge of defeat or collapse; hopeless or powerless.

And let me tell you, that working on this exercise has me literally and figuratively  ON THE ROPES.

In my prior post about this exercise, I showed the copper I was preparing for this exercise.   

Now, I am actually chasing the lines of the rope and it is not easy.  To steal another boxing term - I want to throw the towel in on this.    But I made a promise to myself that I would not only do this exercise but I would try to perfect my ability to do it.  I could just walk away and leave that last blog post with no follow up and never ever do a rope border around my work. But noooo,  I have challenged myself and I like to win; could I really walk away?  [Well I could but that does not make me grow as an artist]

I am finding the first skill to master  which is that line, that represents the twist of the rope fibers is *&#@!!! hard. It is not just a straight line at an angle across the (repousse) ridge that is the body of the rope. The start and end point have to be curved slightly to give the proper perspective of that twist.   
Picture
Here is a line drawing that I did in Adobe Illustrator to show how it should look. 

Getting that twist to look just right is hard. So after making many "lines" just working on perfecting the movement; then it was to move on to getting them consistent from line to line.  

The next part of the technique is to space them evenly. No, they don't have to be exactly spaced, a wee bit off will not be seen by the eye but if one is just enough too far or too close, your eye will be pulled to it because your brain has had the pattern it is seeing jarred.  But wait, there is more. The distance between the twists in the rope should be aesthetically matched to the thickness of the rope.   
Rope Practice
Rope Practice
My first lines I did along the straight sections so I work on perfecting my rope. 
So, starting at the bottom of the picture which was my attempt; I attempted to do all the technique at the same time: proper angle, distance apart, consistency of line. Go ahead, laugh because, even I admit it, it looks pretty bad.  There is even one that I did not finish- oops make that two.  The middle rope was even harder because I had a smaller rope body to work on, which forced me to find a smaller tool that would fit. Here you can see that the beginning and ends of the twists are more consistent and wow, my spacing is even better. Then lastly, the top rope! Good beginnings and endings. A few of the lines need some better transitions of the curves from right to left (I can do that when I am done with this post) and my spacing appears pretty even.

Next time, I will work on the rope circles. Stay tuned. 

Montana Agate Ring

3/10/2013

 
Now a days, I don't make jewelry very often but when I do, I make stuff like this!
Picture
The agate was purchased while I was in Tuscon, I just had to have it since the scene just called out to me.  

I had been playing with which way to orient the stone it since I got back - vertical, horizontal, around and around but it had horizontal BECAUSE of the scene.  


Then, because of the translucent nature of the agate, the bezel setting is opened backed.  And to further aid in light getting behind the stone, connection between the bezel and the shank is formed such that it raises the bezel off the (my hand) .

Here are a few more pictures showing the setting and how the shank was formed such that it raises the setting off of my hand.

Making Ropes

3/3/2013

 
When I finished my chasing and repousse piece in Tucson, I actually did not do one part and that is the rope that goes around the outside of the design. 

Here is Val's sample and below that is mine.
Picture
Val's Teaching Sample for Lesson 2
Picture
My first copy of the 2nd Lesson
When I was asked about it being missing I admitted that I wanted to do the rope (not really but you have to do it if you are going to learn) but I was not confident that I would not get it a perfect as the rest of the piece. What I said I wanted to do was, when I got home I would make a practice piece of circular and straight ridges and practice the making the rope(s) so I knew I could do it correctly. 

And that is what I am working on now. 

Last weekend I lined and started the repousse for the practice piece. Today I expect to finish the repousse and start the chasing of the rope.  When I am done with my ropes then I will make another sample of this piece in copper.  Once that is done, THEN I will do a variation of this piece in silver.   The variation has more ropes as detail and it is domed a bit.

    RSS Feed

    How to Aquire Your Own Shop Elf

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    October 2020
    August 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    Jan - Nov 2010 History
    File Size: 2272 kb
    File Type: pdf
    Download File

    Jan - Dec 2009 History
    File Size: 2332 kb
    File Type: pdf
    Download File

    Categories

    All
    42
    Art
    A Year Of Repousse
    BFA
    Blacksmithing
    Blogoversary
    Box Project
    Business
    Chasing & Repousse
    Commission
    Education
    Embroidery
    Enamel
    Entries
    Entry
    Exhibition
    Facebook
    Filing
    Fold Forming
    Gold
    Holloware
    Hot Forging
    Hydraulic Press
    Jewelry
    Keum-boo
    Knitting
    Learning
    Leather
    Market
    Metal
    Patina
    Photography
    Polishing
    Publications
    Quilt
    Raising
    Sanding
    Santa Fe Symposium
    Shop Elf
    Sinking
    Social Media
    Soldering
    Store
    Studio Visits
    Superbowl Challenge
    Teaching
    Teapot Project
    Technique
    Temari
    Tin
    Tools
    Vessels
    Visiting Workshops
    Weaving
    Website
    Workshop
    Yubinuki

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.