Some sketches for the new casting project

Family Makes A Home Locket

Studio Night For Fun!!!

So for this semester, I haven't been that stressed, I mean, I am but I'm not panicking like last semester.  Also for the first time in a long time, I realized why I did art, and why I love it so much.  

Instead of doing my casting homework or jewelry 2 project, I went ahead and made something that I wanted to do.  I am obsessed with fold-forming, I made one big one and cute it down to 4 piece. Two of which I put a post on.  

Model: Ashley Santana

Blood Diamond Project: Sketch and Model

Start of Research: When I first started doing my research, there were a lot of things such as the Kimberly Law and How Sierra Leone had one of the most well-known university of West Africa and how diamonds were made.

Concept for this project:

I was very inspired how diamonds were made with the volcano and the Kimberlite pipe.  I want a neckpiece with the start in the chamber where the diamond was made then which travels up the kimberlite pipe, and it looks like an arm. At the top, it has a ripped up arm which is from the amputation that the people go through.  Also I will be fabricating a shackle which is used as a mechanism to make connect a chain for a necklace.  The Shackle is used to not only for a mechanism but has an allusion to enslavement. And the chain, I will be getting a more circular chain similar to the one that people use for shackles.  

The model is at the bottom and that's its first stage.

Blood Diamond Necklace Front

Blood Diamond Necklace Side

Skeleton to Skin Project Final on Powerpoint

Here's my artist's statement if you can't see it on my picture.

In this first piece of work, this group of apples that has a lot of fluidity, which I fought to be interesting, inspired me.  With my understanding, this assignment was about learning how to use the different types of waxes as much as possible.  So with both designs, even though it’s harder, I wanted to use every type of wax in each form (symmetrical and asymmetrical). 

When I first started, I had a very hard time with the wire wax because it wasn’t as quick as welding; with that I had to be very patient… something I learned much later.  With that, my second round of models is better crafted.  The first ones, I didn’t know much about cleaning up and craftsmanship.  But during the ride, my wax pen was stolen, and I think it was good for me because I got to use the dental tool which gave me more on a knowledge and the experience and the education that I needed.

With the first collection, the Pokemon ones, there is a disconnection between the first two and last two, I tried to show the transition but it wasn't as well planned or as well thought out and it didn’t show what I wanted to. Separately, I was happy with three out of four but as a collection, I think it needs a better transition.

With the symmetrical one, I thought the connection was very smooth which I’m happy with but it wasn’t me as much as I wanted to.  It was a little too simple but I’m happy I went simple.

Overall, as a new learner of casting, I am happy with what I have learned.  Even though, my products didn’t come out as great as I want to, I learned so much and that’s the most important part for me.