Laser Quest...(sorry)

Last week Ian and Becky put on a Laser Cutter training session for the Tech Dems which was really exciting; 
The laser cutter won't cut metal..but we can do that so no need but what it can do is cut rubber stamps that can then me used in conjunction with enamel. This is a big step forward for enameling in Small Metals and it opens up so much....

Ian going through the soft wear specifications

The Laser cutting the rubber for the stamp

The inked up stamp is pressed onto a piece of enameled metal

 and while the ink is still wet enamel is sifted onto the surface and 

the excess knocked off

The finished samples once the coloured enamel 

has fused to the surface in the kiln

Water slide transfers

Wilna Venter from level 5 Textiles learns how she can put her textile designs on ceramics using water slide transfers.

Some Recent CAA Work

Laurence Brands Mechanical Box, a beautifully crafted object. The work that went into the jigs and tooling to make the threads and gears was as impressive as the end result.

Niki Burns Robot Egg, water cut steel with machined brass components and a turned wooden body. Very cool!    

Image transfer with enamel 

Following on from last summer's visit from Jessica Turrell we have been developing the process of image transfer using enamels...striking results can be obtained using ink pads, stamps and water based pens making the process more experimental and imediate..

There is the oportunity to develope rubber stamps using the laser cutter to use with enameling.

So now its the students turn...process workshops are bookable for small groups of 3 or 4.




Range of samples in the workshop



Using the kiln to fire the enamelled metal



The process is usually reserved for HE students but FE students with a particular interest

(such as Claire from Portfolio) can also use the process



Samples show the use of stencils, stamps and even finger prints

 CAA and Textile Design students

...have been learning how to use the Digitizer MBX Easy Design program.  This software can convert their scanned drawings into stitches to sew on the Janome machine.

                     

Maggie Kingstoneusing the machine to stitch her design onto organza ribbon

                             Sanya Booths Stitched drawing part of the Berrington Hall project brief

                         Lucy Coooper stitched design part of the Margo Selby competition brief

      

Ellie's baby!

congratulations to Ellie and Liam who welcomed

Florrie India Merrick 

..into the world on 8th February weighing in at 7lb 14oz and with a head of beautiful dark hair...lovely news :-)

NEW LINOCUTS

Here are some rather tasty prints which have been created by Viv and Sian from the Portfolio Course. Viv based her prints on sketches of hands. Sian based her prints of birds on naive ceramic art.

 AA2A...

 ...artists in the Ceramics workshop working hard towards the exhibition on 1st April at HCA...

Ita Drew

Shannon Donovan

Sunday Times page 22 Home & Interiors

Great write up & picture for 'tea with bea' in the Sunday time this week