When metal clay was
first developed in Japan in 1990, it was only available in silver. The clay-like pliability of this substance
allows users to fashion pieces that, when fired using a torch or kiln, creates metal components that can be
used in a variety of jewellery applications. In essence, atomized
particles of metals such as silver, gold, bronze, copper or steel are mixed
with an organic binder and water and can then be shaped, textured, extruded or
pressed into molds. During firing, the
binder burns away leaving pure, sintered metal. There are several brands of
metal clay available on the market, including Hadar’s Clay.
Traditional metal clays are sold as ‘lump’ clay, that is, already mixed
to a clay-like consistency and sealed in air-tight packages, unlike Hadar’s
Clays which are sold in powder form. Water is slowly added to create a pliable clay-like
substance that that can be easily worked. Hadar’s Clays are known to take
texture well and because of their long open working time, meaning they do not
dry out quickly, they’re a dream to use. Unmixed vials of clay have an
indefinite shelf life – an added bonus for metal clays!
Hadar
Jacobson’s initial venture into jewelry-making was through metal fabrication. In
fact, the ability to work with different metals, and combine them, was one of
the things she missed once she had moved to silver clay. She began
experimenting with other metal clays around 2004, when she discovered powdered copper
and bronze at a local craft store in San Francisco. Hadar was delighted when
bronze clay became commercially available, but was told that copper clay would
not be available for another year. She was impatient and her students continued
asking her to make it for them…and that’s how Hadar’s Clay came to be! There are a wide variety of
Hadar’s Clays available on the market, several of which BeadFX currently
carries.
In 2013, Hadar implemented
an instructor’s Accreditation Program for those wishing to teach how to use her
clays. Liz Reynolds is one of only four Canadian accredited instructors and she
teaches at BeadFX. Liz is an ardent
user of Hardar’s Clay and enthusiastically shares her expertise.
Getting Started with Hadar’s Clay teaches students the basics of
using Hadar’s Clays including how to properly mix the powdered clay with water
so that you have the proper consistency to get the best results. Participants
will create various pieces so they can discover for themselves how well the
clay accepts texture and allows for draping and shaping. The class also
includes all the information needed to fire finished pieces.
Metal Clay Finishing picks up where Getting Started leaves off. Students learn how to clean and polish
kiln-fired pieces and how to apply patina to highlight texture. The class will
also look at troubleshooting any problems students may be having with forming
or that occur in firing, as well as determining when a piece has been
over-fired or under-fired.
Upcoming classes with
Liz Reynolds:
Sunday, March 8
Sunday, June 14
Getting Started with
Hadar’s Clay
11:00am – 4:30pm
Sunday, March 15
Sunday, June 21
Metal Clay Finishing
11:00am – 4:30pm
For complete information about the classes, including class and kit fees, please refer to the website. Additional classes will be held in the Fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment