Last job

I should have shown some close ups of the last job. I am out of practice!  I have been taken up with the book and DVD, not only the doing but (with no publisher, remember) the selling.  It takes HOURS.
Only just beginning to get back into the studio, so the result is a certain stiffness, not necessarily in the work, interestingly, but in the mental attitude.
If you are not producing all day, every day, your confidence suffers a little, and you (I) become self conscious. I was very nervous about the reception of the panel; I could see all the faults and little of its merit.
But, happily, the clients loved it, really and genuinely. It was just right for them and their purposes, so all is well. I am very chuffed, and hope they will recommend me to some of their architect friends, so I can do more and more.... and get loose!
However, that feeling of fear is familiar to me. I think many makers (working for clients) feel like that, and we just have to live with it.

Looking after the parents does eat into the time, too.  I dont want to have deadlines while I am wheeling one or the other to the hospital. I dont deal with that kind of stress too well.  So I will do what I can and get some new pics up as soon as poss.

Bought a new toy today...great fun. A tablet. So I need to learn all about that.

Was at West Dean for a Short Course Tutor Seminar, www.westdeancollege.org.uk at the weekend. It is a marvellous place, and well worth the money if you can for a break away and a chance to learn something.

panel done

Complete panel

So this is now done and I can get back to other stuff.
The jewellery is being made up and I have plans to get it out to a couple of galleries as soon as I can.
Vessel Gallery, vesselgallery.com are representing me and will soon have not only some of the jewellery but also we are planning some lamp bases. Great scope there for different treatments.

some progress

The silvering is well and truly on now

The silvered panel from the front

To carry on with the panel... I have re-silvered and it is looking a bit better now. I will add a pic of the finished, with a Venetian red border.

A bit of work in progress jewelry, on recycled optical lenses. These are UNFINISHED.

Continuation from 15 Nov

Below are pics of a project I have been working on since the end of last year. If anybody is actually reading this they may be able to trace the progress of the work, which could well be of interest to someone trying to do this work. 

Even after all these years I have things go wrong, often; so stupid!
The glass has been gilded and a design etched into it. The idea is to back it with paint in order to isolate the design.

Etching into the leaf

Starting to back up in order to isolate the engraved design

Backed up and seen from the front

Seen from the back

Now it has gone wrong!

To explain. The background is to be silver leaf, but I must have made a bad batch and all the silver fell off! As simple as that.  It is a bit of a pig as I have to remove as much as poss so I dont pick up bits when I regild.
I will get back to it once I have some more leaf, and meanwhile I am carrying on with other projects.

Terrible pics

Re the last posts, the pics were terrible. They were taken on the phone and posted then and there, but the quality is bad.  And for the pic of Alice, she was not DRIVING tea, but DRINKING it. Predictive text, sorry.

Cats

More prep sketches.

Grisha, 3