Ah, college! Finding that art department while attending San Diego State University is one of the most memorable times of my life. I remember wanting it to last forever. I could not get enough of it. I was in that studio all the time, at all hours of the day and night. I graduated on May 21, 2011, so that would make this my 10 year anniversary.. wow! I remember pushing myself so hard for those last few weeks to get out some of my most important and cherished works I created. (So hard, I got strep throat immediately after, thanks to me running myself into the ground) So today, I want to share one of those projects...
Our last project was to be two objects in relation to each other. I can’t recall the other parameters but I remember discovering the elements that went into this particular project and how excited I was to make it and discover what I did along the way.
I had been taking a fibers class alongside my metalsmithing classes and planned to incorporate what I learned there across to my metal adventures. When I discovered ‘weaving’ in that class, I thought to myself, hmm I wonder if I could weave metal too? So I grabbed some thin copper wire and started going at it. And it worked! I could weave. The metal baskets then started to form in my mind. And then I wanted to take it further...
I thought well I could just make two metal baskets that could be great, but what if, as I usually like to do, made it my own, made it original? I thought about the materials and how using non-traditional metal created a more rigid basket. My thought process: What if I deconstructed it in a way that only I could do with a metal basket? Oh whoa, what if I made it look like the baskets had been blown out from the inside, and then whoa its just frozen in time and space like that? Blown AWAY! Blown Apart? WHOA.
Then my BLOWN baskets were born.
The only thing left to do was to think of an application of color and such for the surface treatment, and since I was already learning about applying enamels and patina, I decided to apply those to the baskets as well. What a cohesive project I created! Ah, I really was proud of myself.
Learning to enamel on weaved wire was interesting but very cool, I truly love enameling. It was the first thing I set up in my home studio. Patina is beautiful too with that teal color. It did take quite some time to solder all the bits together for the patina basket, however the enamel basket has no solder, just electroforming holds it together. I love the power of electroforming and fully enjoyed that process as well. (Still need that set up in my studio, too!)
And just in case you’re wondering, my metal baskets still stand proud on top of my bookshelf :)
Blown #1 Metal Basket
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copper, patina 2011 |
Blown #2 Metal Basket
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electroformed copper sheets and wire, enamel 2011 |
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