A~ha!

The hinges class is in full swing.

Heads down, total silence, keen focus kind of swing.

It took me until today to really GET the whole process of construction, placement & strengthening of metal clay hinges.

I remember the exact moment when my brain seemed to open so everything Celie had been talking about on the previous days tumbled into place & suddenly made sense.

The 'A~ha!' moment.

I can see I might enjoy the challenge of hinges now.

I mentioned to Celie I needed to make a ‘stand away’ hinge for a project I have in mind. 

She immediately produced this incredible little sample piece by the talented Alan Perry.

http://www.alanperrymetalsmithing.com

 

It's hard to grasp how finely made this item is from the photos.
It only measures about 3cm across at the widest point so it's pretty small.
And each opening part had a different type of clasp too.
Genius!

I haven’t managed to actually finish anything during the hinges class but that’s ok.

My aim in any class these days is simply to learn the techniques not produce pieces I care about. 

Takes all the performance pressure off me that way.

Here's what I had at the end of the class~

The triangular piece is still one complete hollow box, enclosed on all sides. After I finish carving all the edge textures I will saw the top third off with my jewellers saw, add the hinges and voila! ~ one hinged box.

The circular pieces will be a hinged locket (it’s huge! About 9cm across) with a secondary hinge for a hatch on the front piece. It's quite industrial looking and part of my 'spaced out' series.

The eye piece in the front is a swivel top locket yet to be riveted and mounted on snake chain. 

The rods you can see front right are solid rods and textured tubes waiting to become hinges.

This was a very intense class and those who finished their boxes had a great sense of acheivement.
The rest of us knew we had learned a lot and been part of something special.