Collaboration Reflection

 Collaborating isn't something that I do often so it was interesting to try it. Each collaboration was important. With Courtney, I learnt valuable skills for working in wax. My work with Leanne is simple but it taught me the importance of social media. Her business has become known by social media alone, it can help a business reach a wider audience. My work with Amy was the most important as it influenced my design development.

The only collaboration I still have on the go is the one with Leanne but I don't think I will be doing any more anytime soon. I will admit though that even though I enjoyed learning, I don't like the stress of if I am portraying the person's concept correctly especially when they know exactly what they want.

Bear, L., (2021). Solace rings.

Collaboration Summary

Working with Courtney I had to figure out how to take her digital drawing and translate it into a ring. I learnt that designs can be mapped out on wax by printing the design and using a pin to poke holes through the paper and into the wax. I tested the process on my own ring.

In my collaboration with Leanne Bear, I made fidget rings for her Solace business that is aimed towards people with anxiety. They were pretty simple to make but it gave me the opportunity to practice working in 9ct gold.

My most important collaboration is probably with Amy Pieterse. She taught me to make paper and I made skeleton leaves for her. My collaboration with her is probably the most useful as it influenced the design development of my platinum project.

Bowes, K., (2021). Courtney's rings.

Patterned ring

 When I did my collaboration with Courtney I wasn't sure how to mark out her design on the wax rings so I did this ring as a test with my photocopied leaf skeleton pattern.  I forgot about this ring but I recently came across it and realised I still want to finish it for my portfolio.

Bowes, K., (2021). Marking the patter

Bowes, K., (2021). Pattern marked out on the wax

Bowes, K., (2021). The ring just cut off the wax tree

Solace

 Working at Phil Bear Jewellers I have been collaborating with Leanne Bear on her business idea, Solace. Leanne is a graphic designer but she has been around jeweller her entire life so she does all the social media. I make the fidget rings that Leanne came up with to help people who suffer from anxiety by redirecting attention away from the nitpicking habits that comes with anxiety.

I learnt from Leanne the importance of social media for advertising, posting regularly means that the posts are more likely to be seen so they won't disappear on the public's busy feed. Following local celebrities can help make a business known because it can take a long time before a business gets known. It showed me how bad I am at posting on social media which I really need to improve on.

Bowes, K., (2021). Fidget ring

Thomas, J., (2021). Gold Fidget

Paper making

 On Friday I spent the afternoon making paper with Amy Pieterse from Fine Art and I really enjoyed it. We used denim jeans to make the pulp, which is why the paper came out blue which is stunning but not practical to paint on. This was a test as I want to make white cotton paper to use for my watercolour painting.

Here is a link to a compilation video of Amy teaching me the papermaking process: https://youtu.be/kNn7og5fnE8

Bowes,K.,(2021). Paper making 

Collaboration

Collaboration between Graphic design(Courtney) and Jewellery design(me). Courtney came up with the design from some postcards she created. 

We transferred the image from the paper to the wax by printing the drawing to scale and using a pin to prick small dots through the paper and into the wax. Courtney then carved into the wax which I then cast for her. We used wax as Courtney was restricted for time and I thought casting would be the fastest method.

I enjoyed working with someone that wants to be involved in the making process especially when the design is not mine. 

Shelley, C., (2021). Landscape ring design

Bowes,K., (2021). Cast landscape ring