Kicking Up Dust

Horse and Foal Pendants kicking up some dust around here.

When I make these I am humming this tune:

Whale Ring

Whale ring, in stonewashed fine silver

An Actual Tweet

Experimenting with whistles.
I love that it is a simple object that does something.
Well, Im trying to get them to do something!
The top version is based on a South American quena or notched flute, which to me has a beautiful, slightly husky, slightly broken sound- or as wikipedia puts it a "dark and textured timbre- very unlike the western flute". These are traditionally made from reeds, or anciently, from llama bones.

Not sure what the science is on the angle of the cuts, and so on.
Both of these work well, but not easily. You have to sort of find the right angle to blow. So Ill need to change that. I think the initial delivery of the air needs to be guided and focussed...
It cant be that complicated. I have a clay ocarina that works awesomely- and I assume the maker wouldnt be able to test the wet clay to see if it works, so it must be a set-angle situation, rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb...

Simple Gold Bangle

What was made from the gold rod I was forging in the stone matrix;
Keeping it simple...
18k Gold bangle
This one is made-to-measure for a close fit, so is not circular, but ovoid like a wrist.

Warwick Freeman in Studio

Interesting studio details:
Bench is a central island.
Monolithic bench pin.
Angle-poise suction/ dust extraction ( see? on left of bench).
Lapis Lazuli-blue walls... and Jasper-red outside...
And what Ive been wanting to ask was partly mentioned;
Does Warwick make any duds/ incomplete sentences?
The studio is a place where the jeweller's works are resolving or dissolving, gestating or put-to-restating sometimes for years;"...a material looking for an idea- or an idea looking for a material..."

Recycled gold horse pendant

Pendant made from Your Gold
Send me some old jewellery and I transform it.
This time: 3 recycled 14k rings
Price:$250

Something tricky about the design of this pendant was getting it to balance once its hanging on a chain;
because of all the material in the head and the neck, it wants to tip forward!
To solve this problem, I forge the head and neck just a little thinner, place the bail in just the right spot,
and then...
It balances perfectly!

Smiths Biff, wrong tongs

Stone Matrix

I found myself in need of making a round rod into a half-round section,

that is, flat on the bottom and round on top. So I thought Id try an ancient solution;

carve a matrix into a stone block. 

The stone is basalt, quite hard. I used a chisel and some files to carve a round groove.

These basalt blocks or 'bluestone pitchers'- a common sight in Melbourne where I live, I believe many of them were hewn by convicts ( and bear the broad arrow mark).

This made me remember a fountain here in Melbourne that was hewn from basalt by a prisoner, William Stanford. He was a horse-thief and highwayman, who discovered a talent for masonry while in the clink. Trust me, basalt is not the sculptor's friend! Good story, good story, but I digress....

I think this matrix technique was very common for the ancient smith, I have seen many examples, but couldn't find a good picture to show you.

(Usually this operation would be achieved by a passing the rod through a mechanical roller or by extruding the rod through a half-round draw-plate, but these methods tend to be very consistent in texture and form. (yawn))

So I put the rod in the groove and hammer it in...

the bottom is now flat, and the top is round, but beautifully stone-textured. ( albeit a little dusty!)

It was nice to work outside in the grass and yarrow for a change.