I AM DONE!!!!!

After rousing from my post-uni coma I thought it was about time I put up another blog post. The bad news is that I have finished Uni. For good. I am no longer a student. I cannot put taxes off any longer. The good news however, is that I got selected to go to New Designers in London!!! I now have that and the degree show to look forward to, so at least I can finish uni with a bang. In the meantime I'm going to crochet all day and do frivolous things like let my nails grow back and paint them.

I'm not sure If it is wise for me to upload final pieces on here before New Designers, so for the time being I will sneak you all a cheeky close up. Enjoy...

Shadows and Things....

So I've acquired an OHP and it's taking up space in my bedroom. I have been meaning to give it back to uni for about 4 months now but haven't plucked up the courage to battle with it down the stairs. I've gone into stale mate with my water jet cut pieces and thought that projection might make me see them from a renewed perspective.  It's making me think about how to light my degree show space too. Just wish I had the time to digest all the things I have to get done for it....

Look What I Got In The Post!!!!

Why can’t all letters be like this? I received this lovely letter from fellow student Abigail Udale, whose uni work is reviving the good old fashioned letter in the face of the digital age. Although I’m sure she’s destined for a fulfilling career in something wonderful like textile design, I secretly think she should work for the government to bring joy to whoever has to open up a council tax bill.

If you want to see more beautiful letters you can visit her blog at  http://abigailudale.blogspot.co.uk/

Or if you’d like one of your very own you can confidentially submit your address here: www.postable.com/abigailudale

Etching Samples

I am thinking about surface effects that I can put onto a water jet cut bowl, which I wrote about in my last blog post. I am unsure if any of these are possible without scratching in the construction process, but what's a project without a bit of problem solving...

Accidental samples are always my favourite. Nickel shouldn't be this vibrant when heated. The only thing that could have caused it is that I didn't rinse off the ammonia properly, which was used to neutralise and clean it, having been etched with ferric chloride. 

This is my double check sample. I think I'm right about the ammonia, but the nickel needs to be left to air before being rinsed.

One thing I love about ferric chloride is the streaks it leaves on the etched surface, which is brought out more when polished.

Blue steel!!!

I would love a piece that has a simple high polish but maintaining it during the riveting process would be really difficult. One thing I could try is polish the nickel sheet before it goes onto the water jet cutter, sandwiching it between 2 pieces of MDF to reduce chance of scratching and burrs, and then wrap it all in masking tape when bending the metal. 

Water Jet Bowl

When I say it's a bowl, what I'm really saying is that it can hold air and not a lot else. I like the idea of one solitary orange balancing in the middle of the piece like a citrus crystal ball. There are a few things that I would have liked to have changed, but I'm really pleased I managed to get it to this state without it snapping or warping. 

Paper burn outs that survived the kiln

They live!! These ceramic samples need further refinement and experimentation with glazes but I feel a sense of achievement that they haven't disintegrated in the kiln. My next batch will have pigment mixed into the slip in which I will dip my laser cut shapes. I don't know if such pieces will have a place in my degree show, especially as I only decided to look into ceramics in my last term of uni, but when my tutor justifies it as a "visual enquiry" its difficult to give up on something that sounds so posh. 

Valentines Cards

It's that time of year again at uni where my fellow students and I are starting to raise funds in the run up to Valentines day, but this time it's not a random exhibition, but a big scary degree show. My laser cut heart pendants were popular last year so will be stocking up on those, but I fancied having a go at cards too. I might go as far as buying some sickly pink card to laser cut onto next.

Laser Cutting in Polypropylene

I've been back on the laser cutter, playing with card and plastics, while waiting for my ceramic pieces to be fired.This is definitely my favourite model so far, I think it looks like a space ship that would leave Captain Kirk quaking at the knees. However I need to redesign the construction tabs and other things so that there's no need for glue. My next step is to find some contrasting materials to be suspended in the or intertwined within the piece, and work out better colours. It turns out that Polypropylene cannot be sprayed or dyed, so I've been faffing around with different plastic suppliers to find a colourful alternative.  I also want to play around with arranging multiples and stacking. I prepared a file ready for it to cut in mild steel on the water jet cutter, to see what it looks like on a larger scale. 

Laser Cut Burnouts

I doubt that these will survive the firing process, but I love how the weight of the clay slip distorts the shapes even further than paper alone. the slip is so lovely to work with I just want to swim in it...or eat it. 

Water Jet Cutting Part 2

I did it!!!! I expected my ham-fisted score lines to snap but it survived!!!! I need some opinions on finishes. I could let it rust and have it lacquered, or spray it in a bold colour. I'm thinking red for some reason, anything but white as it nearly looks like a snowflake already. What I have decided on is that it needs to be matt, and that it will become a table lamp.......somehow.....