Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Early Explorations in Copper Clay

Well I finally got to try copper clay. Took 3 firings in my little Paragon Caldera Kiln to produce reasonable results. Still some bugs to work out (mainly in areas where cracking occurred), but for the most part its pretty easy to handle: works much like porcelain only spongier and stickier. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it is MUCH easier to work in the leather-hard stage than traditional clay. You can sand it, drill it, etc. - it's very sturdy and tough, unlike traditional clay which is much more likely to crumble or break.


8 comments :

  1. I am so happy to see that you are getting into the copper clay pieces. So cool. You have such pretty designs. Great job!

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  2. Looking pretty! I love the color and the deep textures in the designs. Lovely all around.

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  3. Absolutely beautiful, Karen!
    That copper clay is amazing and really allows for detail. Your work just keeps getting better and I think these are examples of some of your best designs yet. You and copper clay are meant for each other! :-)

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  4. Fun to see your explorations in what has become my favorite medium. Beautiful!

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  5. Thank you everyone! It is fun to play with - I can't wait to go another round!

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  6. I just got some Copper Art Clay to experiment with. I don't have a kiln to fire it in, so I got the Art clay that I can torch fire. It looks like so much fun and am excited to start trying it. I really like your first experimental pieces and the textures you used.

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  7. Would love to get into copper metal clay, I too don't have a kiln. How did the tourch work for you?

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  8. In my first 2 firings in the kiln, the temp was not hot enough so I finished them off with my torch, which worked fine. I'm not sure how that would work from start to finish, but I believe it is possible. Certainly worth a try!

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