Project Description

This workshop will give participants the skills and inspiration to cast a piece of jewelry or a small-scale object in sterling silver. Using the ancient technique of cuttlebone casting, students will learn to make molds into which molten metal will be poured. Within minutes after casting, the molds are opened and the metal objects are ready for finishing. Students will learn how to use a jeweler’s saw, hand files, abrasive paper and wheels, how to patina metal and use a rotary tumbler for polishing. The Cuttlefish is a squid-like creature whose skeleton can be found on the beach. It is soft enough to carve and has a beautiful wood grain-like pattern which yields a rich texture on the surface of the cast metal. There are several ways to prepare the molds from the cuttlebone, including direct carving, making a mold cavity by pressure (pushing something hard into the soft surface of the mold) or by creating negative space in a sheet of mat board which is placed between the two halves of the mold. This may sound complicated, but it is not. The process is simple and students should be able to create one or two pieces during the day. During the workshop, we will talk about other methods of casting, alloying metal, when to cast and when to fabricate a metal project.

Sign-up on the Notification List (link below) to be notified when the next Workshop is scheduled.

Details

  • Dates –
    TBD (Typically Saturday)
  • Times –
    Typically 10:00am – 5:00pm (with 30minute lunch break)
  • Length –
    Typically 7 Hours
  • Class Fee – TBD
    Materials Fee -TBD
  • Ages –
    16+
  • Skill Level –
    All levels
    • Location –
    UNG Classroom,
    School Street Studios Building, OCAF Art Center
    34 School Street, Watkinsville, GA 30677

    Sign-up for the Cuttlefish Notification List Here
    Barbara Mann
    Barbara MannInstructor
    Barbara Mann has 40 years’ experience as a metal and jewelry artist. She graduated from The University of Georgia with BFA and MFA degrees. She has taught for many years as an instructor at the UGA School of Art; with the UGA Studies Abroad Program in Italy and Costa Rica; through the UGA Continuing Education Program; Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts; and has conducted workshops. She has an extensive exhibition record and is these collections: The Mint Museum of Art; The Georgia Museum of Art; The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center; The Committee for the Olympic Development of Atlanta; and Nations Bank. As a studio artist, she has created artwork for a wide range of clients including Delta Airlines and UGA, Delta Prize for Global Understanding; The UGA President’s Medal; Georgia Office of Technical Education, Governor’s Award, Mobius Sculpture; The Terry College of Business, Pinnacle Award; Prize4Life, Hope Sculpture; and UGA Founders Garden, Sundial; Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.