J2 First Project Reflections

All in all I am very satisfied with how this project turned out. Usually when I do a study like this there are one or two pieces that I just want to chuck out the window because they pale in comparison to the rest (usually made in a mad rush right before the deadline). I feel like I paced myself pretty well during this project and it has resulted in my liking each and every one of my tiles. They are all pretty unique, may it be through texture, luster, or coloring. They're all very united and I think the theme is clear enough that most of the tiles can be correctly interpreted through a close look. I threw in a couple more obscure ones to make the viewer think. I know people had some issues in deciphering the "braces" but, upon hearing the answer, they all let out an "ahhhhh" and appreciated it for it's ambiguity and sudden clarity.

I've got to say that my favorite technique was the rolling mill. I just adore experimenting with different materials to see how they impress themselves in the material. I really loved the effect that paper stencils made. The raised areas (or the cut outs in the paper) because super shiny while the areas that the paper indented became very matte and beautiful. The contrast in level as well as gloss made this technique one of my favorites. I also came up with the idea to drip elmers glue onto a piece of cardstock and let it dry. By doing this multiple times, building up layers in certain areas, I could push some gorgeous organic images into the metal. I used this technique for the baby sea turtle tracks. It was my very first tile and one of my favorites.

My least favorite technique is, without a doubt, solder inlay. Perhaps if I had made my indented paths by etching rather than rolling the copper through the mill with wire I would have liked this technique more. I am just a stickler for detail and exact lines and execution. The wire is so hard to control and the the solder spills all over the place. It just seemed like a poorly crafted mess. I made the best of the situation and tried to distract from the unevenness of the lines in the splitting cell tile. I riveted it on a nice sheet of brass and heat patina-d the whole thing. I really love rivets so I felt like I had to include them in at least one tile.

I am just really happy with how these turned out as a collection. I think I will display them as a wall hanging, most likely in a frame. I was considering bonding them to the fronts of journals to give them the purpose of being a pregnancy journal. I wouldn't know what to do with them afterward, though, as I know no pregnant women. A wall hanging just seems like the most practical idea for me.