You can see more of Marly's work at Studio 28 - Waterloo,  Canada.

Oh dear! We’ve been so busy with summer projects and get-aways that I almost forgot that its THIS Monday that my next guest blog is due. Where does the time go? Its been fun having time for new projects like updating the little kitchenette in the front apartment and putting in a perennial garden in the front of the house. And we had a little get away to see Sting perform with the London (England) Symphony Concert Orchestra here in London (Ontario) on Wednesday night. Wow! What an amazing concert!

Not much time for the studio these days, but I’ve managed to create a few new pieces in the last while that I thought I’d share with you. I’ve grown to love working with copper and bronze clay along with fine silver clay. Although bronze and copper can be a bit more difficult to work with sometimes, the result of three metal colors in one piece is really worth it. Both Angie and I have found working with Hadar Jacobson’s bronze and metal powders to be our preferred choice. You can mix just the amount that you need, and the clay when it is first mixed is supple and very easy to work and manipulate. I currently am working with the three metals in a collage form that looks like a little temple. I like the form and hope there is lots of room for playing with texture and shapes within this format. Here are some of my initial pieces using this format.


I purchased some tree stamps at the art clay conference last year and decided to make a few pieces using this tree design.





The next two pieces incorporate some “Lake Huron Series” earrings that I had left in my “odds and ends” box.





I’m looking forward to playing with more copper, bronze, and silver soon. Just a few more projects....like clearing some space in the studio and I’ll be on my way!

My little bronze and copper songbird is featured in Hadar Jacobson's latest book about bronze and copper metal clay: Mixed Metal Jewelry from Metal Clay


I've done very little with bronze and copper, but it's lovely to see my little bird in such good company! The book looks great, stuffed full of information and ideas.

Well, it seems like I haven't made many new things lately. Just the hands last week.... Nothing to show and tell! :-(

So I thought I better explain that I haven't been sat around doing nothing. I've actually been doing lots of background stuff - such as:

• some research at the library on a few ideas for bracelets
• ditto the above but searching online
  
• spending lots of time on photopolymer plates and thermal negative films - I'm trying to work up some plates with really fine lines and details but haven't quite got there yet. Keep testing and not finding success.....yet......
  
• tried a new bracelet design on photopolymer plates, but it ended up looking too indistinct so scraped it
• trying copper clay again but not feeling inspired by it

Stuff like that! While I feel like I've achieved nothing, it's interesting to write about it here and recognize how much time is taken up in preparation of designs before I actually touch the clay. Some pieces need no prep time but others need lots. And then when a piece is finally made, there is all that time on photography and computer uploads and putting on different websites etc.........

As I was feeling like I'd done nothing, this afternoon I put all that to one side and just made a couple of things - nothing earth shattering but ........They are drying now and I may finish them tomorrow...so hopefully I will be able to show and tell later in the week.

Friday it is time for our merry go round post and we are all writing a little about the process of our art - so I need to take some photos of the different stages involved in making a piece of jewelry so you can see the "transformation" from clay to silver. I guess I'll have to make something new for that tomorrow - and even worse - tidy my studio if I'm taking photos up there!!!