New Small Metals Workshop

After a move and re-fit, the Small Metals Workshop is up and running at Folly Lane.  We've more space for more students and better facilities to produce exciting and ground-breaking work in non-ferrous  and precious metals.  We're also looking forward to Ceramics and 3D being open in the coming weeks - watch this space.  Pop in and take a look of you're passing:-)

VACUUM BED HITS PRINT WORKSHOP

Above are a couple of examples of water-based screen prints that were produced on the vacuum bed. This press is specifically for printing onto paper and card which the vacuum holds in position while you pull your print. The examples shown are printed using the trichromatic colours which are over-printed.

PRINTING WITH VINYL-CUT/PVC PLATES

This is a versatile way to create prints by applying an image which has been created using the vinyl cutter which is situated in the 3DWorkshop. The self adhesive vinyl images are laid onto sheets of PVC and rolled to ensure a good adhesion and expel any air bubbles. The plates can then be rolled-up to be printed as relief prints or they can be inked and wiped to be printed as intaglio prints. The examples here have been inked with the tri-chromatic colours (yellow, magenta and cyan) and over-printed on damp paper or silk and then passed through the etching press.

Hidden Gems

Fran from year 2 CAA enjoys detail and and working on a very small scale. After being inducted on the lathe she set out to make a complex container to demonstrate her new found skills.

Twenty-six machined brass components make up the vessel which has twelve Cubic Zirconia gemstones hidden within. On first inspection only a few of the secret gems are revealed, and only with prior knowledge or detailed instructions can all the stones be found. Many hours of precise turning went into creating this beautifully crafted puzzle.

Drawing with wire

An exquisite steel and brass wire maquette made by Sam 1st year Blacksmith.

A selection of Recent Work by Contemporary Applied Art First Years.

Nicki's Lalique inspired press formed hood ornament.

Ester's "Game bird" taxidermy broach.

Nic's bud inspired jewellery.

Penny's Mario Automata

The future's bright...

Some lovely work produced by Year 2 Jewellery and CAA students...next year should be a good one!

Dom's hinged mixed metal boxes; displaying a variety of different hinges and fastenings. Dom also spent alot of time in the 3D workshop making the frames...

Beth's first work in silver...a commissioned wedding headpiece! Using the techniques of rolling and press-forming and lots of soldering

Gemma's beautiful brooches are a mixture of fine jewellery and textile tecniques

Amy's hearts display a diverse range of techniques including flocking and using foils on perspex, and press-forming and etching silver. Her mixed media pieces have taken her into 3 workshops!

James uses our wool carder for the very first time.

James White (2nd yr Extended Diploma) wants to knitt with very thick yarn and having found that most commercial 'thick yarns' arn't actually that thick he has decided to card his own sheeps wool and make his own yarn to then knitt with.
This was an experiment for all involve but with a little help from youtube, james was carding in no time. Watch this space for the knitted results...

PHOTO-POSITIVE LITHOGRAPHY

A very simple and relatively inexpensive way of transferring complicated imagery to paper or material. All you need is a black and white positive transparency which may be made on a printer or photocopier. This is then placed between an ultraviolet light source and the light sensitive litho plate. The plate is exposed to the ultraviolet light and then developed. Once the plate has been rinsed and dried it is ready to print. Here are some examples produced by students using the Printmaking Workshop.

WORKSHOP CROSS-OVER: One step further. . 3D/Print/Ceramics/Print

The image was produced in the 3D Workshop using the Vinyl Cutter. The vinyl image was attached to a piece of plywood and sandblasted. The resulting low relief was rolled up with ink and printed in the Printmaking Workshop. To take the image a step further, we pressed the block into leather-hard clay. When dry, the clay was fired in the kiln in the Ceramics Workshop. The fired clay was then 'cold surfaced' in the Printmaking Workshop with printing inks.

Specialist workshop with Chloe Scadding.

Extended Diploma first years were treated to a talk and specialist workshop, demonstrating a fusing technique that Chloe developed whilst studying her degree at Chealsea College of Art (london). Chloe (who is an ex student of HCA) is currently HCAs Artist in Residence and will be displaying her New collection in a exhibition at HCA from 27th April onwards. Chloe has a wealth of experience to pass onto our students selling to such clients as Calvin Klein, Gap, Donna Karan and Diane Von Furstenburg...to name but a few!

The first years are working on a high profile project to come up with designs and final outcomes to be displayed in the garden/entrace to the Hay Festival.

Check out Chloes website @ www.chloescadding.co.uk

Procion Screen Printing

Alex Olivier (Extended Diploma in Art and Design Yr2) has been printing with procion dyes, its a technique that oftern gets forgotten but as you can see its a great tool for creating exciting and indervidual fashion fabrics.

Kay Williamson Talks to Extended Diploma Yr2

Kay Williamson, who is an ex National Diploma student herself, talks to our second years about portfolio building and her own experience studying Textile Design (Printed textiles) at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. Having graduated in 2008, Kay now works full time at HCA as a Teaching Assitant and Learning Support Tutor. Here are a few examples of her work...

http://www.kaywilliamson.net/

New Jewellery

Adam from Jewellery Design Year 1 had made a tiny set of headphones!

Made using various techniques such as fabricating, riveting, doming and soldering...watch this space for more tiny music themed pieces...

Mirror, Mirror!

HCA BA Textiles students spent this morning in 3D. They were playing, (working;-) with the new vinyl cutter, producing flock samples and having a go at sand-blasting mirrors. Their first time in the workshop and the results showed real promise, looking forward to working with them again.

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Resin Demonstration

Clare John, from C.J. Resins, visited the 3D Department on Wednesday. She demonstrated her range of resins to a few Jewellry/C.AA. Degree students. It was highly enlightening and really exciting to see the effects that can be created with the product. This particular resin has no odour and therefore is relatively safe to use, here at College; the material will first be available to said students and then be rolled out, College-wide at some point in the future.

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Resin Samples Boards