Creating new memories

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free! I was daydreaming a little too much today... and decided to create a dream sequence to splice into life.

Fine Silver Jewelry

Here are several of my current jewelry designs in process. Using PMC or Precious Metal Clay, I have begun sculpting several jewelry items. The clay can be sculpted by itself or manipulated using stamps, molds and other shaping tools. Once formed- the pieces are fired and the clay burns off while the silver particles embedded within it become compressed together and form the solid sculptural item.


Molds can be made out of mixing (bellacold in this case) molding compound together and then pressing found items like shells, coins or small toys of interest into the molding compound and allowing it to set. The mold can then be used in one of several ways.


Cork clay was compressed into the mold then allowed to dry before removing it, Then allowed to dry over 24 hrs to completely dry it out before i then painted thinned out silver clay paste onto the surface, letting it dry repeatedly in between coats. The more coats the greater the strength when the cork clay burns out in the kiln. This method leaves me with a hollow shell.

The butterfly at top right has a cork center and consists of 3-5 layers of paste thus far. The butterfly on the top left has been fired, leaving its center hollow and a few small occlusions which i have now filled with clay and intend on firing again next monday. This will help to correct any weaknesses in the piece.


As is the case with the dragonfly and leaf - PMC clay can be rolled out thinly and then pressed into the mold so as to gain as much detail as possible. Letting it set until quite dry before removing,then sanding lightly to remove imperfections in the surface.



The tardis and dragonfly with leaf were made by pressing clay directly into a mold while the butterfly and the second dragonfly, along with the beads of varying shapes were crafted from cork clay forms.

Narrative through use of imagery, 2006

A tendency towards accepting nothing less than perfection neatly guarantees perpetual failure. To me, no item of artwork is ever quite complete.

There just comes a moment when i no longer resume working on it and my interests lean in some other direction than the one they had currently been invested in.

Projects remain unfinished and incomplete, often disposed of haphazardly some time down the road when I no longer feel attached enough to it "to bother."

Usually when i finish working on a project - it no longer exists in my mind. It is this flaw which i hope to erase through use of this blog.

Through documenting the process and conclusion I hope to find closure.
At best, i may finally enter my comfort zone and begin to feel able to accept myself as an artist.

At the very least i will have a record of the artwork which I have invested my time on over the years.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this video is worth that times ten

For Beeker.

A thousand words....

Why am I finally joining the Blogosphere after years of reluctance?

I commonly find myself gathering images, stories and ideas which relate to those around me - it is a natural tendency of mine. I am easily mesmerized in research, seemingly regardless of the topic, as i find satisfaction in pursuing each individual new idea. Whenever a friend or family member, (or stranger in distress) finds themself asking how, who, or why - I enthusiastically jump in to work with them to determine those answers. I get excited by the network of ideas that following up on each concept can evoke. Put simply enough, I like to think. This is a dorky response in many ways, yet for me it is as accurate of a reasoning as I can conceive of at this time. I find that I succeed in finding items of interest to an eclectic audience.

I have created and destroyed numerous websites over the past 13 years, never content with the topic or focus; uncertain of the audience that I seek to reach. Unsatisfied with the limitations that I placed upon myself I would cease and desist, only to begin the cycle some time later, yet again.

I like to think. I live for it in fact. The result of this is that my thoughts remain diversified in their focus and intent. While i failed in my first attempts at maintaining a website, namely due to a lack of focus, I believe that my thought process lends itself readily to the current environment provided by keeping a Blog.

Arrikas Ego Trip, the first website I created, back in the early days of the internet is hereby reincarnated in blog form. My primary goal is an experiment of sorts - to sieze the opportunity to document my thought process and share with the community. To seek out, my thousand words.

Snapshots from my mind

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