Friday January 7th, 2011
Tuesday December 28th, 2010
Sunday December 26th, 2010
Friday December 24th, 2010
Merry Christmas
先日ななと中之島にて開催している大阪光ルネッサンスへ行きました。ちょっとダッサイデコレーションやったけど、これは大阪らしさがでてたので楽しかった。巨大なレインディアの下で雨宿り。
光ルネッサンスは明日（２５日）まで。
Wednesday September 8th, 2010
New Work: Pendants
It’s so hot at home I have no will to make jewellery or even write a blog post.
I’ve made a new pendant range based on my popular earrings.
Donut
Flat
Round
Sunday September 5th, 2010
Books: Workbench Guide to Jewellery Techniques
The Workbench Guide to Jewelry Techniques
London: Thames & Hudson, 2010
Author: Anastasia Young
Technical data: Hardback, 25.40 x 21.5 cm, 320pp with over 850 colour illustrations
ISBN/ISSN: 9780500515143
“The Workbench Guide Brings together a vast range of skills, techniques and technical data in one volume, to provide an essential look-up resource for both students and professionals.
- Jewelry-making materials from precious metals and gemstones to ‘smart’ plastics, vintage textiles and found objects
- Clear instructions and step-by-step photography
- Examples of cutting-edge jewelry pieces made by designers from around the world
- Practical aspects of making a business out of making jewelry • Approaches to the creative process of jewelry design, from initial sketch to prototype.
- Workshop safety and procedures for outsourcing work to specialist external suppliers
- Exhaustive directory of tools – from simple hand tools to advanced machinery
- What to buy for a ‘beginner’s kit’.
Engraving / Chasing and repoussé / Fusing / Riveting / Enamelling / Drilling / Piercing / Cutting / Filing Annealing / Fold forming / Bending metal / Soldering / Pickling / Wire work / Hammering / Mounting and setting stones / Polishing / Stamping / Doming and swaging / Forging / Anticlastic raising / Hydraulic press forming / Wax carving and modelling / Casting metal / Casting resin / Casting plaster / Precious metal clay / Carving metal / Carving natural materials / Bending acrylic / Stringing beads / Chain Hinges / Findings / Catches / Etching / Rolling mill textures / Tooling leather / Hammer textures Reticulation / Granulation / Patination / Anodizing / Plating / Laminating / Gold leaf / Inlay / Mokume gane / Bezel or tube settings / Collet settings / Claw settings / Flush settings / Pavé and grain settings Channel settings / Illusion settings / Spectacle settings / Fancy settings / Gemstones / Metallic powders Stone shapes / Forming / Outwork / Inspiration / Drawing / Design / Photographing jewelry / CAD/CAM.
I would really recommend this book to many jewelers. It’s very clear and up to date and contains many step by step pictures as well as works by practicing artists - like me!
Rui’s work is the three rings in the middle.
Books: 500 Gemstone Jewels
500 Gemstone Jewels
Paperback: 420 pages
Publisher: Lark Books; 1 edition (April 6, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1600593410
ISBN-13: 978-1600593413
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7.9 x 1.2 inches
Introducing a book that shows my work that was published this year. Lark Books produce a really good series of jewellery books that focus on a particular type of jewellery. The variety is astounding, from high jewellery to contemporary which I hope means that it attracts people of all jewellery interests but at the same time exposes them to the different genres and styles.
Rui’s ring is the middle one. Freshwater pearl, silver and gold leaf. The shape is based on an aquatic insect egg.
Uncut diamonds, copper, silver and gold leaf. The sprouting elements are free moving but the attachment is invisible.
Sunday August 29th, 2010
New Work: Akoya Rings
New pearl rings with bubbles. These are naturally coloured akoya pearls from Uwajima. I love how each has a unique ‘face’, also naturally occurring. Pearls of this type are not usually put on the market as is because it’s not “perfectly round”, which is a shame because they are so lovely.
Friday August 27th, 2010
New Work: Earrings
I’ve designed some new earrings by melting silver into half round balls then drilled 0.6mm holes into them. I’ve then riveted on tourmaline stones. Drilling has been one of my weak points since starting jewellery but recently I’ve improved so I’m happy.
Pink Tourmaline
Green Tourmaline
Thursday August 26th, 2010
Work in Progress and I Love Architects
I’ve learnt a new word.
Wracking my brain for the past week I’ve tried to calculate how to make a dome thing that looks like a parabola but in 3D. Why does high school mathematics slip from the memory immediately after graduation? From the effort it took to cram and practice functions, calculus and integration I decided that there would be no chance of forgetting this stuff. By the way, as anyone ever heard of the word “paraboloid”?
This is a model of a sake vessel that I’m going to make for an exhibition this northern autumn in Osaka. Tin is very good for containing sake as the metal ionises the liquid and making the sake tastier. Not having made a vessel before or in tin I was told by a master tinsmith to make a model out of paper so we can make a mold. I love my master tinsmith. So I tried to research how to draw parabolae again so I can make an accurate drawing and calculate the volume of liquid it can hold. 180ml or 1 Go in sake language is appropriate for one round.
Not so much luck on relearning mathematics, better to wait until I can have my future children teach me. However, I am so proud of myself for making this model. It’s so beautiful, like an American football, a blimp of a butterfly egg. It’s amazing how people make structures like these without it falling on people’s heads. Architects deserve everyone’s admiration. I don’t know of many but my favourites are Hundertwasser and Gaudi. Anyone making crazy curves I look to with awe.
Now I look back on it though, if only my mathematics teacher said something like ‘Pretend you are an apprentice to a Renaissance architect that has just been commissioned to construct a new palace for the Medici family. You have been given the task of making the calculations for the domes on the palace. Plot the points where the windows will go. If the roof is to be covered with tiles how many tiles do you need? Construct this dome in paper’. What an awesome maths problem would that have been?
The next step is to convince master tinsmith that I can make this.