Second Chain

I planned to make a second chain with the extra links left over after putting together the first chain. I started putting the second chain together to get an idea of how it would look laid out but I felt it looked too similar to the first one. I put the chain aside hoping I would come back to it. I still have not decided what is missing, what needs to be added or if the orientation of the links needs to be changed for me to be happy with the design. 

Bowes, K., (2021). Chain layout. 

Pendant- spin-offs

The image below shows a collection of sterling silver pendants inspired by my organic chain links.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Link pendants.

 

Both of the pendants were put together from the textured links. Not all of the textured links were successful so I decided against making moulds of all the textured links and rather use the successful links to make finished pieces, as seen below.

Ring - Spin-offs

The image below shows a collection of sterling silver rings inspired by my organic chain links.

Bowes, K., (2021). Link rings.

The spin-off rings are derived from my organic chain like the earrings. They were also made with the intention to sell either at the market or on my website. For the rings, I tried to hide the link in the design so the use of the links is not as obvious as the spin-off earrings. The plain double band ring and the teardrop ring sold at the recent I heart market.

Organic Chain

Figure 1 is my completed organic chain with links cast in copper and silver.  Figure 2 shows the chains' focal link that consists of a ring cast in gilding metal and a succulent cast in silver.

Figure 1- Bowes, K.,(2021). Organic chain.

Figure 2- Bowes, K., (2021). Chain details.

Whilst working at Phile Bear jewellers I was tasked with casting a chain. I wanted to make the most of my experience so I used an app called ArtFlow to mass-produce designs of my own organic chain with three different shaped links. I designed chains using the shapes individually and by mixing them.

Whilst designing I thought about using succulents I cast in silver last year as a focal point. The petals of the castings were fragile so I designed the succulents to sit in a 'flower pot' to add stability to the petals. I used ring wax to cast the 'flower pots' in gilding-metal creating a two-toned piece.

From my experience casting at Phil Bear, I learnt that it is better to cast the links closed. I moulded each of the links in wax, cast them, made a mould and then cast multiples of all three shapes. I cast in copper, brass and silver so that I could play with combining the different colours because the focal point is two-toned. I planned to put together two chains; one copper the other brass both with silver details. I connected the links with jumprings. The first chain was too long so I shortened the chain making the focal point less centralized like a pendant, as seen above.

I took inspiration for my chains from Nicole Ringgold's chains to use my cast succulents except I didn't want my chain to be as fine. I looked at Louise Partain's chains next but Partain uses organic objects to create her links. In the end, my chain resembled Naomi Tracz chain's just not as heavy.

Due to the links being cast and having a mould made of them I can continually come up with new designs that incorporate the links.

Earring spin-offs

 The image below shows a collection of sterling silver earrings inspired by my organic chain links.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Link earrings.

I played with textures and the different sized links to generate a collection of spin-off pieces from my organic chain. I made the spin-offs for the I heart market which has started up again. I also added them to my website as I do have moulds of the links and could always make them again. 

The hoop-like earrings I made were inspired by Naomi Tracz's Dalia Hoops. I know she uses her heavy marquise shape so I added a twist to my marquise set and left the other link flat as they have an interesting side profile. The Marquise studs were sold at the I heart market.

Chains-new plan

I couldn't see the forest for the trees. I realized this while playing with the link textures as the textured pieces started to look like I had been so focused on making chains that I couldn't the links themselves can be used as elements on their own, to generate spin-off. 

My new plan is to clean my current links and remake my mould so that the links needless clean up once casting is done. Thus giving me more time to play with the links in metal. I also want to add a smaller version of my original links to add variations. 

Bowes, K.,(2021). Variation. 

Texturing links

Considering the feedback I received I wanted to give my links a reason for being cast instead of making them each out of wire. I thought adding texture to the links and redoing the mould would give the links a reason for being cast. 

Bowes, K.,(2021). Textured links.

Naomi Tracz

 Naomi Tracz is a UK based jeweller that takes inspiration from the natural world around her and, "turn[s] them into jewels with simple, clean lines and a minimal aesthetic," (Tracz, 2021). I was intrigued by Tracz's Dalia chain as it is very similar to my own organic chain. Our work is similar in that the links are cast (see Figure 2) and we both use marquise-shaped links (see Figure 1). The main difference is Tracz's links are much thicker, making them look heavier.

Figure 1-Tracz, N.,(2020). Dalia chain.

 

Figure 2- Tracz, N.,(2020). Cast links.

Shorter Chain

 Before my exhibition, I am most likely going to shorten my first chain as I didn't want the succulent to be in the centre of the chain as a pendant but the way it is lying it is very close to being centralised. I also have to replace the toggle so I will change it out when I shorten the chain.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Shortened layout.

Organic chain summary

 I completed the first of the two chains I planned to make with the links I cast. I cast about once a week at Phil Bear so it is a skill I use often. I used my experience of casting a chain at Phil Bear to cast my chain. Thin chains are machine-made but larger chains can be cast. 

My chain is the first completed piece that I had done drawings of beforehand. Even though I had the drawings of what the final chain might look like, decisions are made in the manufacturing process which changed the outcome of the chain. Considering my chain isn't a plain round link chain I think the outcome was better than expected as I wasn't sure if the link shapes would be visible or work together like a chain.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Conceptual drawing.

Bowes, K.,(2021). First completed chain.

Chain details

 I didn't want the links lying end to end to so I used oval jump rings to prevent that from being the outcome. 

Bowes, K.,(2021). Close up of links.

Laying the organic link flat allowed for the negative spaces to be visible thus drawing the eye to the link with the succulent as the negative space is filled.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Positive and negative spaces.

First Organic chain

 I put together my first organic chain. I have links ready to make a second chain so that I can make changes to the second one making them slightly different. 

Bowes, K.,(2021). Organic chain

Organic chain inspiration

 For my organic chain/s, I was inspired by Nicole Ringgold to use my castings from last year. I feel that some of Ringgold's chains aren't very proportionate for her forms. I saw Louise Partain's chains and really loved the texture/roughness of the chain.

I want my neckpieces to be a combination of the two, my castings with a somewhat chunky organic chain.

Ringgold, N.,(2019). Sea Horse.

Partain, L.,(2021). Seedpod chain.

Chain

All my links have been cast so now I can play with color and placement. I think I cast enough links to possibly make two chains. 

Bowes, K.,(2021). Cast links.

Casting links

The wax injecting took a while for the links as I had issues with the pressure but I managed to make three trees and cast them in brass, copper, and silver.

The wax and the casting both looked like flowers which reiterate my point that I used these shapes as they are the basic shapes of most petals.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Wax tree of links.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Silver links.

Chain links

Now to cut off the sprues and make some moulds so I can start putting my chains together.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Chain links.

Wax links

As a slight distraction from my platinum prototyping, I rolled some wax to shape the links for my organic chains.

Bowes, K.,(2021). Wax links.

Casting links

Bowes, K., (2021). Cast links. 

Links cast at Phil Bear jewelers. The links were cut open before the mould was made. The deformed ends happened during casting and added time to the assembling of the chain. 

Note to self, for my organic chains, make a mould of closed links to prevent this from happening. 

Organic chain reflection

The chain designs were a result of procrastinating from the sunflower earpiece design. Now that the drawing are done I want to make the out of wax for casting. Once the links are cast I need to make a mould so I can mass produce the individual links. When the links are cast I can start playing with the chain designs even further. I have been thinking about using a mix of different metals. I have also been thinking I could use the plain links for earrings.

Bowes, K., (2021). Wax link and casting.

Organic chain Summary

I was making wax trees of chain links, at Phil Bear Jewelers, and decided that I wanted to make my own chain. I really hate drawing each link when designing chains. Luckily, I came across a new feature to make my own brush on my Art Flow app. By changing the settings of the brush slightly, I mass-produced my chain drawings with each chain being different. 

I used the marquis, teardrop and ‘butterfly wing’ shapes as the links. I also generated chain designs that are a mixture of the three links. I have also been playing with using my plant castings from last year as links within my organic chains. I did a rough design of a beaded chain for two of my smaller castings from last year. I am documenting my designs in  mini booklet that I will to eventually bind together. 

Bowes, K.,(2021). Chain segment.