Copper etching

Copper cuff bracelet with laser ink transparency resist.

Copper etching is another one of those things that I've read about, sounds interesting...not gonna try it for reason X,Y,Z...but today I took a copper etching class with Candace White & dang is it fun! The class & the process lol :)

Before: Doodles with Sharpie.
Anything black (resist) will be protected from etching action of ferric chloride & end up raised....gotta fill up the blank spaces!!

After - Etched Sharpie doodles.
Yes, my thought is art clay texture haha...

Left: Laser ink image from a transparency.
Right: Paisley stamp with permanent (solvent based) ink.

The fleur de lis turned out interesting, I dipped the piece in ferric chloride, then changed my mind (oops!). Neutralizing the piece with baking soda, trying to clean the sludge off & NOT the resist, then re-submerging the metal caused a neat honeycomb pattern in the "exposed" areas of the copper.

I find the feathery look in the blank areas of the paisly a nice addition. There didn't seem to be as much on the edges of other students' etched brass pieces. Rather interesting.

Though photopolymer plates have their perks & uses, I think making etched copper plates is more fun, & versitile! Too bad the lil bro is on vacation & wasn't able to come to class today, I think he would like it too!

Pasadena Beads & Bits

This past weekend was the Pasadena Bead & Design show. I was volunteering there Saturday & Sunday for the Art Clay Society of OC. It was fun seeing people from MCWC so soon, & hanging out with Estelle & other OC peeps to spread the love of clay...whoo-hoo! :D

So evidently at the end of the end of bead shows, when bead vendors break down their displays, they don't worry about broken strands of beads & leave behind trails beads & other shiny bits of things...

Found beads & molding compound mischief.

Cloudswing was the piece I made with other artist's things from the January show, we'll see what happens to the stuff from this show!