Base Metal Clay - Inlay

Inlay definition from Wikipedia:  Inlay is a decorative technique of inserting pieces of contrasting, often coloured materials into depressions in a base object to form patterns or pictures that normally are flush with the matrix

This is a sample that I made for Hadar’s book in 2009. It shows the copper inlaid into the bronze clay

   

In the class today Jen showed examples of two clays fired together in a single piece.

    

Base Metal Clay – Collage of Textures

Jen Showed the mixing of Hadar’s clays and students explored textures.

   

 

         

                     Drying the clay                                                                              Ready for the firing                                  Into the carbon

    

                     Ready for the kiln                                                Laurellee’s pendants                                                Finished pendants

Metal Clay Classes at MCAS

The studio is all ready for the start of Accredited Teacher Jennifer Tattam classes in base metal clays. Jennifer has studied with Hadar Jacobson in the US, using Hadar’s clays.

 

   

Hadar’s Copper Clay

    
           

Hadar’s jewellery

              
The clay powder was easy to mix when the distilled water was added and felt creamy when rolled.
   
Sarah drilled the holes in her pendant. I attached a bail to the back of one of my pendants and insert a coil of copper wire for the bail of another.
   
Sarah wrapped a river rock with a sheet of clay and then had to mend the crack. I made another pendant from my cuttle fish mould.
     
Sarah made a piece with holes so I could show her how to add PMC3 after the copper was fired.
   
Torch firing PMC3 was a completely new experience for Sarah. She inserted the silver through the hole in the copper pendant. The washed pebble was cut into three pieces.
   
Sarah’s finished pendant. My gingko leaf with a silver insert. The abalone shell pendant has a silver insert with a wire embedded. I am going to add a half drill pearl.