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METALWORKING

In September 2019 I participated in Arts Intensive at Stanford where I learned basic metalworking techniques with a focus on small pieces in silver and bronze. This was an opportunity to dive in and learn a new skill starting with zero experience.

QUICK START PROJECT

Within the first hour, we started working on our first project: piercing a letter out of brass. I made the last ‘E’ in ‘Arts Intensive.’ Through this project I gained experience using a jeweler's saw and using sand paper to create a polished finish. I was surprised by how much of the work was finishing versus the cutting. The cutting took minutes, while finishing the edges, first with a file and then using sand paper took hours.

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PIERCING PROJECT

After finishing my first project, I approached my piercing project in silver with much more confidence. I sketched several organic designs and finally decided on ginkgo leaf earrings. I quickly learned that I made things a bit more complicated for myself on this project. My designs were all organic, with both curves and sharp points. While this made cutting easier, since the exact lines were less important, it made finishing much more difficult.

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Finishing the inside edges proved to be my biggest challenge on this project. In the end, I used a hand vice and threaded sand paper through the slit in order to polish the inside edge. While working on this project I also got my first experience with the polishing wheel. For the finishing touch I domed the earring over the end of an anvil to give them a tapered look, and then gave them a final polish.

BELT BUCKLE

My first lost wax casting project was a belt buckle in bronze inspired by one of my favorite novels. Through this project I became much more comfortable using the flexishaft, for carving wax and really came to appreciate the dimensionality that can be achieved through casting. I also learned how much time it saves to do a good job of finishing in the wax: wax is a lot faster to sand than bronze.

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In the finished piece I created contrast between the inside edge of the buckle and the front face of the buckle by using the sand blaster to create a matte finish on the inside edge. I also trimmed, dyed, and atttached the leather for the belt. When it is fastened it looks like the head of the dragon is emerging through the water inside the coastline.

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RINGS

My final project during Arts Intensive was a ring. I wanted to really push myself to come up with something interesting that exploited the freedom of the three dimensional medium. I came up with an abstract cherry branch design, but once I had the ring in silver I wasn’t happy with it. The petals made it feel childish, so I simplified the design to just the branch. Ultimately I ended up with something I was happy with and a stronger piece, even if it wasn’t what I was envisioning originally.

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I also made a second ring as an exploration of texture and how delicate I could get in the wax. The design was meant to emulate sea foam. I gained additional experience carving wax and improved my ability to achieve different finishes and prepare pieces for casting. Overall, these two rings were an important reminder to adapt when something is not working and that simpler designs, that get to the essence of what you want to convey, are often stronger.

REFLECTIONS

Arts Intensive was a wonderful opportunity to focus just on metalworking and creative design for a month. Thank you to Amanda Knox Sather and Sara Shaughnessy for being amazing instructors and dedicating so much time to teaching us and to the other students in my class for making this a fun and rewarding experience.

Some of the things I learned during my time in Arts Intensive:
 

  • How to be detail-oriented (and why it's important!)

  • What it feels like when a design works and how to adapt when a design isn't working

  • Diving in when learning a new skill can be the best way to learn it

  • It is always worth it to put in the work early on to make it easier later and a better final product (e.g. making sure your wax is well sanded, sanding your piece well before applying a finish, lots of sanding!)

  • When to ask for help and when to try to figure something out on your own

  • How to use a jeweler's saw, finishing techniques, lost wax casting, and other metalworking techniques (of course!)

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