Learning Soldering

In May I took a getaway to Racine for continuing education.

Ordering new tools always fills me with anticipation.

Crystal Neubauer, who introduced me to Wax and Wire in 2012, offered another wax and wire workshop with soldering and pinback-making.

Since my larger DOT Show pieces could have used some stabilization, I was eager to learn more.

Crystal met us in her temporary studio, and has since moved to a different floor in the same location.

Perusing other people’s tool collections is so fun.

So many toys to play with.

As is seeing all the samples she created.

Day one was spent bending and hammering wire.

My index finger took the brunt of one hammer strike, turning an array of colors until deciding on black for now.

We bent shapes to embellish the next day.

We were also taught soldering with a torch, but none of us could get the hang of it on day one.

I watched and noted.

A few of us were determined enough to keep trying the next day, and I made two successful joins after numerous false starts.

I learned to use my own brand-new dremel and will be finishing the 2 pins later this summer to add brooches to my collection.

Crystal also showed us how to make a cradle for a bezel, and riveting.

We closed out day one with dinner.

On day two we were taught wax techniques, including dipping, pouring, adhering and monoprinting.

We brought our own embellishments and also were gifted some of Crystal’s collected papers to play with.

The mini-pour was super inspiring.

We embellished our bezels.

I experimented with wrapping and pouring.

I also snuck in on the printing station for some fun paper to work with later.

Even the mono-printed trash was pretty.

One of my Swarm butterflies became a waxed collage experiment.

Everyone was so creative and inspiring.

I am happy with my new pieces, and look forward to implementing the techniques learned.

Some of these will be mine for the time being until I am ready to post them in the shop.

This weekend I will pick up more inspiration at Cultivate Urban Rain Forest with their next wire artist show opening.

I cannot wait to meet Lucy Slivinski and examine her flowers up close.