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Sunday, June 10, 2012

Art Jewelry Buzz: Metal Clay and Faux Bone

Over the course of the past several weeks I've been rummaging around the inter-webs looking at metal clay components and jewelry. This is an area I am beginning to investigate myself, so I've been eager to see what other artists have explored.

There's some pretty cool stuff being done with metal clay, and just recently I stumbled across a relatively new material, "Faux Bone".

Our own Kristi Bowman explores rich texture and color with her copper clay components:




Barbara Becker Simon makes interesting sculptural shaped beads out of metal clay (and has written a book about the topic, Metal Clay Beasds:





Barbara has also created entire pieces out of metal clay like these bronze bangles:




Though primarily a glass artist, Aja Vaz created these really interesting bronze beads a while back (I just happened upon these in a google search on metal clay beads). I love the ancient looking patina:








Robert Dancik is creating amazing mixed media jewelry using metal clay and a product he invented called "Faux Bone". When I came across this, I did a double take: Whaaa??? Followed by: "Whoa!!!" This is a media you can shape, carve, mark, and stain, to create components that look like ivory or bone. My head is swimming ideas as I have long been a fan of scrimshaw and other traditional or ancient styles using these old natural materials.

Here's a sampling of his work:





Another artist using these same materials is Don Pezzano (Urbandon):


3 comments:

  1. WOW Barbara Becker Simon and Aja Vas do stunning work, and have always wished I had time to add faux bone to my work. I've never seen Don Pezzano, love his stuff! Melissa Cable has been doing some wonderful creative work with Faux Bone too. http://www.melissacable.com/

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  2. What a wonderful way to start my Sunday! I do need to get a second kiln for PMC!

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  3. Thanks for the link Kristi - another one on my list to drool over! ;-)

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