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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Gravity, Gravitas: The Weight of Silver

I'm not going to write about the high cost of silver because everyone is doing that and nobody really knows what's what and I certainly don't have a clue. But I would like to describe my personal response to this meteoric leap in cost.

First, I wrote students in my upcoming classes to say I wouldn't be selling PMC in my classes. Figuring out when to buy clay and how to price it is beyond what I want to do. Second, I sold my scrap silver and that made me feel A LOT better about the price of silver. I suffer no qualms of contradiction for celebrating the price I'm getting for my scrap on the one hand, and carping about the cost I'm paying for silver on the other.

But here's the real response I want to describe:
The cost of silver was worming its way into my studio life. It was inhibiting my work; there was a big green dollar sign hovering just under my desk light, over my desk whenever I sat down to work. It was off putting and fast becoming a serious deterrent to rolling out clay. Then I started thinking about it in a different way; as a call to action of sorts. After all, I do use other materials in addition to PMC; why not take this as a challenge and let the other materials do the heavy lifting? The silver is not diminished by being lessened. Rather, it's celebrated. Cherished.

For many years I've made this toggle clasp (Ouroboros, pictured below) out of carved solid snakes of PMC.

It's heavy, very heavy. It uses a lot of precious metal clay. So, last week I remade it out of polymer then embellished it with little bits of PMC.

As soon as I finished it I began to see other ways I could have accomplished the goal of using silver less automatically, and other toggles I could make. Now I have many ideas I intend to pursue, all of which serve the dual purpose of nourishing my creativity (I love a challenge) and saving my precious silver.

Above is a photo of polymer toggles in process.

Above shows a carved PMC toggle
ring and carved wood sticks that have been rubbed with paint and will be embellished with silver and fashioned into toggle bars.

Many years ago, when I first discovered these materials, adding metal to polymer was my starting point. I loved polymer clay but until I began mixing metal with it in the early nineties, it lacked something, for me anyway: it lacked gravity; it lacked gravitas.

A little PMC goes a long way to enhancing polymer. It adds weight, which in my opinion the polymer needs, it adds dynamism, it adds value. I love the way the combination looks and feels.
But there are so many other materials that are so enhanced by that dash of silver; wood, rusty metal and old tin, broom straw, etc.

Although I made these sample toggles for my upcoming Treasures Bracelet class, all of my upcoming classes incorporate polymer to some degree. Because silver prices are a concern to anyone likely to come to my classes, I expect these ideas will find an enthusiastic home among my students, and although I won't actually get into my studio to pursue these ideas myself until July, I will have the opportunity to talk about them with the creative crowd in my classroom.

25 comments:

  1. Excellent Celie!

    Cheers,

    Tonya
    www.wholelottawhimsy.com
    www.tonyadavidson.com

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  2. Wonderful, these toggles are just what I would like to work with when finishing a necklace! I think that ugly commercial findings are a huge deterrent for me when trying to finish a piece. I too have been trying to use polymer to make interesting and clever closures, but I have a long way to go...I can now see that silver/metal does indeed enhance the polymer! Thank you for this post.

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  3. Great post Celie!
    I love that what started out as a potential deterrent ended up nourishing your creativity. Looking forward to learning more about this in your classes this summer.

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  4. Thank you for your post. I love your beautiful polymer work. I think that we are all in the same position as regards silver. I, myself, am being far more creative with the materials I use and my rolling mill has been put to good use ;-) (aka Helen Derici)

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  5. Great post. I am so impressed with how people in the metal clay community are finding creative ways to use less silver.
    I love your polymer toggles. Such a good reminder that small amounts of PMC go a long way to enhance polymer and other materials.

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  6. Well-written and insightful. I myself have turned to using more of non-precious metals but still combining that work with precious stones where it fits, like copper and emeralds.

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  7. Celie, you are a wise woman. Very well said.

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  8. Hi Celie,

    What a wonderful post. Truly this will make ua all more creative. Very inspirational!!
    Jeanne

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  9. Celie, this is such a timely and insightful post! I have been thinking a lot lately about ways to combine metal clay with other materials, both to reduce costs and to expand my creative "toolbox". The challenge has been how to do it without compromising the artistic and aesthetic value of the work. Your post has inspired me to pursue this approach by demonstrating how well and beautifully it can be done. Thank you, as always, for sharing your wonderful work and insights!

    Margaret

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  10. Excellent post, Celie ! Thanks for sharing. I totally agree, which is also why I have often mixed materials myself. You have been in my thoughts. I hope all is moving along. Your wok is as lovely as ever !

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  11. I like your new toggles much better!

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  12. If we take the high price of silver as his recognition and appreciation, it's one way! But for the first creative attempts is the price of the courses, especially for us in the middle of Europe, is too high. The beginner will probably work with other metals, and modeling in the finals before we go into the silver. But maybe it should be like, this is a wonderful and valuable material, and people will appreciate it will be more ...
    Jana

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  13. As always, an obstacle from one point of view is an opportunity from a different point of view. Our job as artists is to look and see.

    Your point of view is gorgeous!

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  14. Celie,
    Thank you so much for the inspiration and for sharing! You continue to be an AMAZING mentor to so many and I am so grateful to be one of your students! Tamara

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  15. Thanks Celie.... Makes me want to incorporate more glass and polymer into my work too. Lorrene

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  16. Dare I say I like the polymer and silver clasps better? It does give the silver more importance, more specialness.. while the polymer adds color and another texture. I've not played much with polymer, but it's gotten my wheels turning to consider it.

    Thanks!

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  17. Thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments. I'm pleased that my little story resonated with so many of you.

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  18. Celie, the process you just described can be applied to every situation which causes anxiety--Hoorah ---Brilliant

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  19. Challenge = the perfect solution...... through creativity. Wonderful to see the transition in your beautiful work towards using more PC/less PMC. I think it really works well and you've made it very elegant. So nice to see your work featured at PCD!

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  20. So cool. One of the things I always love about craft and crafters is the creative solutions to tricky problems. Great blog!

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  21. I too am reeling under the price of silver and have started looking at alternative as I find customers just don't want to pay the higher prices. And you are right it will make us be more creative and think of other ways to make things and 'feature' silver rather than it being the main component.

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  22. Wow how the collective subconscious works! I've spent a few weeks experimenting with metallic polymer making toggles and spacer beads as I too resent paying the increase in silver prices. I bought your carving tools a while ago and absolutely love using them Celie - I can't come to the states for any classes, could you come up with a pdf version of the bracelet to sell on etsy perhaps?

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  23. As a polymer artist with a desire to work with PMC one day, I have what is probably a naive question:
    How do you incorporate the two materials together when the firing temp of PMC would destroy the polymer immediately? Do you make the PMC first and then bake the polymer onto it afterwards?

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  24. Thanks, everybody, for your comments.
    Anonymous, you're right about combining polymer and PMC: You make the PMC parts first then bake the polymer into it or onto it, later.

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  25. thank-you! i have been looking at polymer for years and it just never grabbed me until right now when u said to add the silver/metal! perfect, awesome! tx for sharing and inspiring, aloha, angi in hana

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