Contain Project: Part I, Reflection

Overall I am very pleased with how this piece turned out. The concept remained the same throughout the production though the final form experienced some minor alterations. I believe the clarity of the column symbol is still clear despite the fact that I flattened one side to provide a window into the piece and a door to be opened by the wearer. My original concept did not incorporate a hinge so I had to alter the form to incorporate this into the design. I am very thankful for this because it adds interest to the interior side of the piece and allows it to lie nicely against the chest of the wearer. Making the piece able to be opened gave me access to the interior and allowed for a much more complicated and cohesive piece altogether.


I had a few issues in applying my hinge but I’m certain this is normal, as it was only my second hinge ever, and I was attempting to mirror it in the clasp on the other side of the piece. This means it had ten very thin brass knuckles that needed to be lined up perfectly with just the right amount of solder and the most precise application of yellow ochre. This was most rough starting out but got easier as more knuckles were tacked on there. To sum the experience up, I would say that my major hiccups were smooshing one of the hinges with my pliers and having to replace it after it had been flowed completely, as well as getting my steel hinge pin stuck in the bottom knuckle of the clasp side of the piece. This was my very last knuckle and was hellish to clean because I couldn’t put it in the pickle with steel inside of it and I needed the knuckle to be clean so that I could flow the solder to heat it off. These two moments occurred back-to-back and were a test of my resolve but both were worked through.

The feedback I received via facebook and my blog all alluded to the same element that I needed to improve. I didn’t receive any negative feedback on my concept or craftsmanship but everyone seemed to be unanimous in that the string I used to flow through the IV tubing and into the piece was not the correct choice of material. I was told it seems “impermanent” and “sloppy” in comparison to the crisp nature of the entire piece otherwise. I completely agree with this upon reflecting on the piece and plan to change it once I receive the piece again. I am currently researching thin IV tubing and clear cording. I believe the translucent nature of these materials will correlate better to the medication as well as add a “finished” element to an area that was lacking in this respect.

The structured nature of this piece played well to my strengths and aided in the construction. I find most comfort in precise, clean processes and that made the excessive knuckles and strict fit of the two pieces of the body less painful for me than I expected. I took my time with this piece and I think that this was the key to the success of my mechanism. I was hesitant about my clasp when I first conceived it but proceeded with blind confidence and it worked out. I am overall very pleased with the piece. I think it reflects my aesthetic and truly correlates with my vision. I have a deep passion for the concept of this piece, which I think drove me through those long studio nights. All that yellow ochre fueled frustration was worth a successful final piece.

Container Project: Part I (Complete)

Here are some images of my final piece for the first portion of the container project.  It is a wearable reliquary of sorts depicting the struggles of disease, particularly Multiple Sclerosis.  My mother has Multiple Sclerosis and Fibromyalgia so I have very intimate knowledge of the pain and complexities of disease.  The outside is in the image of a column to represent the tough, solid, strong, supportive exterior that those with disease must put up on a daily basis.  I paid particular attention to craftsmanship in this respect because I wanted the piece to be structured and precise, as this is essential to the concept.  I tailored the hinge and clasp along the sides to mirror this aesthetic.

The cording to go around the neck is IV tubing with a white cord running through it to represent the steroid medication that my mother takes to keep her disease in check.  The white cord runs into the piece.

The back of the piece is closed and dark to separate the sides of identity and the keep the interior personal and somewhat hidden until it is opened.

The interior stressed the dichotomy of how disease affects the identity of its victims.  While the exterior is structured and stoic, the inside is stressful, jumbled, and overwhelming.  Upon opening the piece (via sliding a pin up to release the door), a sting of warning labels for the many medications one with MS must take bursts out of the interior. 

These labels are contradictory (i.e. “Take on an empty stomach” and “Take with food to lessen chance of stomach upset”) and frightening in their multitude.  They are physically connected and are associated with the medication flowing into the structure. The medication keeps the structure stable but also puts forth an alarming amount of vital information one must always keep in mind and worry about.

After bursting forth, the warnings lie in a list format to emphasize the overwhelming nature of the disease and how it is always on the person’s mind and running their priorities.  Each label has a separate label backing it, doubling the amount of information that is kept on hand.

Once opened, it is revealed that the film that was so dark and preventing view to the interior is actually a piece of an MRI film displaying two very clear brain lesions indicating the presence of MS.  This is an actual film from one of my mother’s MRI's that she graciously donated to this project.  This is meant to make the interior feel as if one is looking inside the brain of the diseased.  It is dark, sterile and full of jumbled, worried thoughts.

In order to close the piece again and return to the solid, structural façade, once must singly fold each label back into the contained space, forcing the viewer to individually assess the worries and decide to place each away.

This piece is meant to represent the complexities of how disease affects the identity and thought process of its victim.  Please let me know what you think about the concept, materials, craftsmanship, overall effectiveness, etc via comment.

Four Day Tour de Force

These images are the result of four massive work days.  I made sure to take my time and ended up knocking off and recreating three of my ten knuckles.  It was a trying four days that stained my hands yellow and left them feeling of leather, though the result was lovely. 

 This is Tai's patina face haha.

 Yellow Ochre was my best friend these four days.  I had some serious issues with it mixing in with the flux as I was heating it, but I would just have to rinse the piece and reapply everything.  It was a painstaking and delicate process but I feel like I am more knowledgeable for it.

 Look at that successful hinge!  Now for the other side...

 Woo!  All my knuckles are soldered down and lined up!  Oh but I don't like three of them.  Two of them got slightly smooshed because the tubing is so small and I was manipulating the piece to get the best fit.  Off they came.  One knuckled fused with the steel hinge pin so that one definitely had to come off.  Oddly enough I had cut exactly enough spare knuckles.  Funny how life works like that.

 Soldering on the bottom cap.  It's starting to take form!

 Testing to make sure the door lined up with the bottom cap.  Yep, it does.

 The top cap is on with the hinge pin trapped between the caps and the clasp slip in place.  It's a working mechanism!

I hand cut glass to bezel set in that window.

I am very pleased with this.  It's very sturdy and lines up nicely.  I'm glad I allowed myself so much time such that I didn't skimp on a bit of the construction.

Container Taking Shape

Here is my progress thus far on forming my container.  It's going to be a long weekend.

This is the work I completed yesterday and today on my container project.  Amy convinced me not to open up one of the ends of my die and I am glad she did because this method is going fairly smoothly. (knock on wood)

One of the pieces I pressed 7 times (got it all the way to 10.2mm deep) and the other I etched and pressed twice.

This is the general design I am going to work from, though the finished piece will vary slightly depending on the exact depth I bring the formed piece to.

Painting: White Still Life

Here is one of my finished still lives from my oil painting class.  It doesn't relate to my jewelry work but it's something I have been working on recently so why not share?  It was an all white still life, which is really difficult.  This is my first painting class so I am still getting a handle over the medium

Slice and Dice

Here are the results of my cutting and capping the forms I made earlier.

It was difficult to cut such small forms in straight lines but I enjoy how these forms turned out.

I lost the smallest piece in of my fourth form down the drain when I was cleaning it.  Otherwise I feel these pieces are fairly successful.