Tea Stains

Here are the pictures of the results of the rose tea staining on the the stud clusters. As hoped there is a nice black rust ring round the clusters and also a nice layer of green on the studs themselves; from the coating of the metal I presume. 

Showing the black stains.

Close up of the clusters and the green coating that has appeared.

I am happy that more colours are being introduced into the work and would like to see more staining coming from the green coating - maybe some rubbings etc.

At the moment I am currently working on a plan for a workshop day with Sara, as we are just at the end of the experimenting stage. Re-worked has had to take a bit of a back seat, especially in the last few months as Sara is studying hard for her final Masters assessments, however we hope to get back on track quickly once it's ended. The works there - it's just not getting uploaded!! I hope to post the workshop plan this week with lots of basic workshop techniques!

Repetition and Interrupted Patterns

This post is long overdue! A few images from my initial compositional experiments after receiving the first parcel. These should be ready soon - simple in their foundations for where I hope to move next.

Experimenting with length of links and weight.

After my initial experiments with the rusted paper clips, and the immediacy in creating my own chains, it seemed sensible to use the clips again as a base. I like the idea of building up layers, almost like chain mail and embedding the rescued fastenings within the links: 

It is an extremely rudimentary way of producing jewellery but I do find the process interesting - hopefully once I can partake in a workshop under Nicola's guidance I'll be more adept at construction with metal.

Interrupting the constant stream of the very identifiable form of the paper clips, I find very appealing visually, though I do look forward to seeing the finished product once the paper clips are fully rusted. The idea of having to study the piece before being aware of the interruption of the lovely hooks and eyes will, I hope, draw attention to the questions we are posing with this project. And if these chains react in the same way as in previous experiments, I hope to produce rusty rubbings (as suggested by Nicola in a previous comment - see post here) from the lengths of clips. I imagine this piece, when finished, will shed if worn. A nice nod back towards the ideas expressed in Nicola's final year project and a literal prompt to being conscious of value as the piece reacts with the wearer's day to day surroundings.

So as not to tamper too much with the state in which the hooks and eyes are currently, (they are beautiful, having rusted slowly in their own time), I intend to lace the majority of them into the paper clip chains after the paper clips emerge from their induced rusting. I like the idea of a contrast between the naturally affected and the immediacy of the induced samples.

I have also been experimenting with the idea of softer constructed pieces - creating loose concertinas and ruffles by stapling the ribbons Nicola sourced.

More soon.