melded metals :: wax process carvings of my new collection

so, i have been extremely reluctant to show these to...well, let's just say everyone. i am always very critical of my own work - something i have really been trying to improve on. what you are looking at above are the rough {not dusted} wax models i carved for my new jewelry collection. they have already been delivered to a nearby metal artist who is casting them as we speak. through the process of lost wax casting, these lovely and strange things will turn into some pretty interesting accessories. can you tell how each piece will be worn? it's definitely understandable if you can't tell. most aren't bent nor shaped into their true forms yet and won't be until they're in metal.

when i explain to people the process of lost wax casting, they get befuddled. maybe because of the way i am explaining it or maybe it's because the whole darn process is so extremely detailed with so many steps. it is an ancient method that is used in lots of different ways. very few casters are willing to work with such fine and small pieces but thank goodness i found a very talented and local {very important to me} person willing to undertake my work. to find out more about the process, you can find out about general lost wax casting here and jewelry lost wax casting here.

another question i get asked a lot is, how did you get into this and learn how to do it? well, i used to assemble jewelry based on vintage articles i would find. but this was very limited. whenever i would be approached to do a wholesale order, i would usually have to turn it down because my pieces were so limited based on their rare and antique nature. when i started to buy 'vintage' pieces in bulk on etsy {to allow for wholesale orders}, i found that a lot of sellers on there were calling pendants and beads 'vintage' but once you got them you could tell that they definitely were not. sure, they might have been cast from a vintage object but i wasn't about to sacrifice the integrity of my shop based on their shortcomings. this also made it very easy for other sellers to copy my designs. it was really saddening and extremely frustrating.

so i sought out different ways i could make my own, original pieces that i could be 100% sure of and proud of for that matter. i took a few metalsmithing classes at a local college but it just wasn't my thing. all that sawing on a flat, one-dimensional piece of metal screamed of boredom and tedious time - not to mention not business savvy at all unless i had tons of people helping me. not to knock this kind of work at all - i own quite a few pieces of jewelry {that i treasure} born from this process but for me to make - just didn't excite me.

my style is very bold, dramatic and at times, i'll admit, a bit out there. i knew i wanted to make elaborate pieces that had a unique handmade appearance to them fitting my bold sense of style. also, being a painter for much of my life, i wanted to incorporate my aesthetic in this sense into my pieces. so i looked to other artists that i admired to seek out a process that worked for me. and behold, after many emails to kind and helpful jewelry artists, i found the process of lost wax casting. i then taught myself through what i like to call the school of many mistakes, google and youtube videos. yes, it's very true, believe it or not. determination and believing in yourself will get you anywhere in life.

carving was also something to get used to and designing in dimensions. figuring out where you want shading with patinas to go on your design. it's quite overwhelming but also really exciting to think about. it's still unbelievable to me that you can imagine something fantastic in your head and then logically deduce how you will execute them. i never knew such means were possible for me.

for the collection, i would like to make my pieces a bit thicker and more three dimensional. but for this collection it is a bit basic but concentrates on the line work and illustration within for the most part.

so, i can't wait to show you the final product which i will be seeing next weekend. for now, i can just imagine wonderful things and anticipate peeing in my pants at the sight of my new collection. yay!!