Laurelynn Art Jewelry

2011

By Jennifer This piece is an homage to the traditional fabric handycrafts in America.  It is entirely made of copper.  Each square was made using a variety of metalwork and wirework techniques .  Other enhancements are torchfire, ink, and acrylic. The center square is a traditional quilting pattern called a Log Cabin design. I used several gauges of sheet copper and copper wire for this piece.

Techniques: Copper sheet cut into 4"x4" square, textured with texture hammer, aged with liver of sulfur, detailed using steel wool and polished, fixed with clear acrylic Detailing-various gauges copper wire formed and forged, coiled, textured by stamping and hammering, aged with liver of sulphur Copper sheet cut, textured, and riveted Metalwork polished and fixed with clear acrylic

http://www.artcentercc.org/exhibits/information/artistic-links

Hammers and mandrels. One really big socket and a homemade texture mallet. If you own one of my metal cuffs, it was shaped and hammered on that socket! Most of our tools are repurposed or had a previous working on wood, boats, or cars. I love my little portable workbench.  I have a nice one up stairs, but I normally drag this one around the house and sit on the floor to use it.  I also occassionally take it to festivals with me.  The base is a stepping stool. The top is the formica cut out from the sink in our bar that my dad built.  I made the bag out of suede, leather, and jeans.  My bench block and a piece of a boat sit on top for hammering and shaping metal and wire.  I wish my dad could see all this.  I know he'd love it.  I am going to post a few pics later of my newest piece made only of copper using these tools and my torch.

So I am really just testing out posting from my new phone.  I got a new and improved phone which will help greatly.  I do imagine that it will still be off most of the time...that is how it goes.  But for the balancing act...my little car, Trixie, died yesterday.  Hoping for a full recovery although I am told it won't be speedy.  I suppose that means more studio time! One more week until work starts back up so without wheels I can justify it!!!