In Persuit of Rust

Wandering through Bunnings Hardware searching for my current favourite - chemicals that will do "things" to metal.

There was a whole section devoted to removing, retarding and preventing rust.

Then I found this . . .Rust Paint????!!!!

LOOOOOOK!!

Leetle rusty relics and they are not even metal!

*sigh* I'm in love

 

Wonder how rust would look as nail polish? Yeah it's do-able.

The Destiny of Periodic Orbits

Destiny of Periodic Orbits

Cool name eh?
I looked up periodic orbits - all to do with chaos theory and gaaaaaaah what they said wasn't written in English!
Topological entropy, chaotic attractors,  bifurcation order, phase space partitions Faaaaaaaaaaaaaark!
Anyway I still like the name even if I don't understand any of it.
Distressed, aged and sealed nickel

Salvaged copper with torch-fired enamel

Sterling silver

Her Feet are Set in Darkness

 Her Feet are Set in Darkness

Salvaged metal

Czech picasso finish glass

Coral rounds

Aeons of the Fossil Sea

 

 

Market Treasures Again

Boulder opal still in the matrix. Some show flashes of colour.

Amethyst, rhyolite, quartz crystals, iron pyrite, amber and green quartz? and a chunk of some other green stuff.

Have no idea what I am going to do with them, but my muse just had to have them.

Bitter Sky

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not. 
               William Shakespeare


The first creation using the salvaged metals.
Salvaged metal bangle, salvaged pierced and enameled copper, mismatched czech glass beads and silver wirewrapped pearls.

Very happy with these as they have the air of edginess I am aiming at.

I can See Clearly Now. . .

Did it all start when I bought some copper vases at the local market?
Apparently not.
When I first started making jewelry I seem to recall two people suggesting that salvage items might fit my aesthetic.
How is it possible that they could see, when I didn't really have a clue about my direction? Could this have been the first nudge by the Universe?

Well, after the vases, I was at the local Lifeline shop and found a lead free pewter tankard and though I might be able to use this.
Nudge.

 Then, someone gave me these two old tins. Don't you just love the top one. And I love the colour of the metal inside - pewter grey.
Nudge.

And finally, a gift of old costume jewelry and some souvenir spoons. 

Suddenly the scales fell from my eyes and I could see clearly the way the Universe had been shepherding me, from all that time ago until now. Putting barriers in my way to turn me and sweeping them away in other directions until I stand here. . .
Immediately all kinds of exciting opportunities to create opened and the Universe is holding the door.
Yes I can See Clearly Now

Looking Forward Looking Back

It has been really hot here for the last 2 weeks and creativity tends to wilt in proportion to the rise in temperature. So most afternoon we have taken our deckchairs down to our rainforest lined creek, and sat in the shade with our legs in the cool water waiting for a breeze. 
The time was also used to review the passed year and the direction of the future.
My year was one of endurance and frustration as events beyond my control moved at glacial pace. These events have finally been resolved. One more hurdle to get over and onwards.
The silver lining of this cloud has been the time I have been able to devote to being creative - just playing.
Most of the playing involved enamel so thought I'd share some of my enamel tests and the direction my inner 'mad professor' wanted to take.
I have flirted with pretty enamel, but I was looking for rustic, grungy, raw and edgy. So began the journey.

This is a series using liquid white enamel and liquid copper. Was hoping to get copper nitrate, but the local pharmacist's eyes glazed over when I tried to order some.  Lateral thinking and a trip to the hardware store yielded cupric hydroxide a gardener's fungal treatment.
(Note: copper nitrate and copper hydroxide can be a hazard, so sensible precautions to limit exposure are required)
Tile one was wet on wet. Tile 2 is wet on dry liquid enamel. Tile 3 is strong copper solution on wet white liquid enamel and the last is the same as 3 but high fired. 
The wet on wet yields a rather nice dotted halo effect. Best results are using a weak solution.
Put this one in the useful file.

This is a test using borax which is a flux. Like the pink effect where the flux has thinned the enamel and let the copper show.

2nd panel was fluxed and high fired.

The third one is the craters left when the borax is quickly heated. Might be more effective on paler colours. 

(Note: borax is also hazardous)

 

Next was a test of white liquid enamel with a reduced atmosphere flame. The 2nd one had flux added and the last one was fired from the front deep in the flame. Really like speckled carbon deposits and the colour variation where the flux ran

 Next some more of my faves - toxic chemicals! This time in the form of salt glazing. Salt glazing in pottery gives a textured satin finish so thought I'd try. 
(Note: heating the salt results in the release of chlorine gas soooo beware)
Love love LOVE the result on this tile.
Satin finish, great colours, fine texture and detail,but could I duplicate it?

 Nope, nope, nope, and nope! More time and testing needed on this one.
 

These two are a combination of liquid enamel, cupric hydroxide and borax. The bottom one is high fired. Really complex textures and colours. Put this one in the useful file.

Next a dalliance with champleve. Need heavier copper, so that deeper compartments can be etched but I like the rustic bleakness.


Finally a sneek peek at a technique in Barbara Lewis's Painting with Fire book.

You will have to come back for more of the story and the full reveal