Studio Day - Playing with Electricity

Last summer I had an opportunity to spend a day learning copper electroforming techniques with Kate Fowle Meleney. We took one of her wonderful lampworked beads, painted on the copper paint that would allow the current to flow, attached the rectifier and started depositing copper onto the paint. It was very fun and quite beautiful. So, over the past two Wednesdays, I have painted several beads by Lewis Wilson, as well as two skulls. I will be electroforming the skulls at least today. I still need a good glass container that I can use for this, so I'll have to check out my local Goodwill for that. If I can't find one there, then Target, and if not there, then my local chemistry supply or kitchen supply company. I have the rectifier and the rectifying solution, the copper anodes, etc. I am hoping that these skulls will turn out to be a great Holiday gift for my DH - something unusual, relatively inexpensive (since I already own the equipment) and I can make a loop-in-loop chain for it. It'll be perfect for his "barbarian" days at the Renaissance Festival next year if I can get this done. I still have one more skull that I haven't painted - just in case these don't work I'll have one more chance.

I am almost finished with my Kinetic earrings. I will be making the earwires today and doing a small amount of graving around the gemstones. I'll try and photograph them today, but it may not happen until next week. I learned a lot making these and they're not perfect - not by any stretch - but they are a huge step forward in my fabrication skills with bronze clay, copper and gems.

So I guess I'll have my day filled again. I only have a short time until the Holiday, no days off except for my Wednesdays, and I have to get to work on the enamel pieces that I want to make. Being poor for the Holidays is making gift-giving difficult. I am hoping to get some enameling time in soon because many of the things I want to make will be enamel. I have to FOCUS.