Month eight outcome -
Bronze Earrings:
Bronze Earrings – For those following me on social media, you will know that October was my month of making jewellery from something with bronze. This was a month I really enjoyed. Intuitively creating from imagery. Carving directly into material and embracing asymmetry and imperfections. All things which are not necessarily usually related to my outcomes.
Month eight of my #ProjectWabiSabi was a celebration of bronze because this is the material that marks the eight wedding anniversary. So each month for the rest of the year, I will be selecting the next material in line. Each marks the next sentimental anniversary gift.
My plan this year is to mark months 1-10 in celebration of my ten years in business.
During October I also recommended some brilliant independent businesses making beautiful makes from wool, see more here. I also interviewed Queen of nature inspired jewellery Jessica Collin about her jewellery commissions. Finally, I made bronze earrings and this is what I wanted to talk about further in this blog post.
Making in bronze
Setting myself a brief …
I knew that I wanted to try casting for this outcome as this was a technique that made sense with bronze as a material. Therefore I knew that wax carving would be the technique that I would explore so that the lost wax casting could be used.
Such a technique is something that I have not explored for many years but something that previously I have taken real enjoyment from. I love how organic and fluid the process can be. I was also wanted to gain further knowledge on a new metal that I’d not work with previously. This was a great opportunity to do this.
Carving in wax …
I wanted to find some inspiration from some organic forms that had recently inspired me. My recent trip to Sicily was the perfect starting point. As I sat at my bench, I found it quite therapeutic to carve from print outs. My photography from the trip was nothing swish. Instead things that caught my eye and this made for a great starting point.
Bronze earrings
Problem Solving…
Working with various files, then sanding papers, I got rid of the sprues and managed to clean up the surface of the selected earrings as I’d hoped. I then soldered on earring posts and repolished the whole set, ready to be let loose in the world!
The outcome…
A pair of buttery bronze earrings. Made from polished, solid bronze with silver posts and backs, great for sensitive ears. The bronze measures approx 1cm in diameter and is 0.5cm thick. Available with their own little cleaning cloth, great for keeping the bronze looking lustrous.
So tell me … what’s your verdict, let me know below in the comments.
