My friend Jan and I have been going to a silver clay workshop on a Wednesday evening over the past couple of weeks. It's an interesting material!! You start with a clay and end up with a metal that is more pure than Sterling!
We spent a little time learning the basics with Plasticene, you have to work quite quickly with the clay and it's not too cheap to be making mistakes with.
After moulding, drying, refining, firing and polishing, this is my first piece and I'm really rather pleased with it.
This week I had some bronze clay sent though. Apart from it is considerably less expensive than the silver to practise with I do actually really like bronze. I have plenty of bronze hares around the house! It is also a different process to the silver as it has to be kiln fired and you can actually work more with it once it is in a metal state.
Here are my first attempts in the bronze clay. I was trying for a variety of techniques and textures.
This is how they were after coming out of the kiln yesterday with a little wash and brush.
And after the tumbler.
They just need a bit of refining polishing. They came out really well, very pleased.
Today the thermometer is on the freezing line and there are flurries of snow. I am sitting here with hay-fever however as all the hazel catkins are out. I hope the snow is not affecting you too badly wherever you are.
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