Metal Clay Category

Under Sail

Artist: Deborah Ellis (Mead, WA)
Honorable Mention, Metal Clay

"The lines, curves and shapes of a sailboat's sails come together to propel the boat forward using only the power of the wind. However, it's not just the practical side of this that I find amazing. These lines, curves and shapes are also amazingly beautiful and graceful. This inspired me to design a pendant that had different curves, shapes and lines that would keep the eye moving around the piece and evoke a graceful image. After drawing the design, I cut out the shapes in paper to get a better idea about whether the design would work. Given the different curves I wanted to bring together, this was a very important and necessary step.

"Bringing together pieces that have both anticlastic and synclastic curves did prove to be challenging! Each "sail" needed to be cut, fired and formed individually. The challenge was to attach these differently-curved pieces to each other and achieve a balance - both from an aesthetic and engineering standpoint. At first glance, shapes appear simple. Yet, as the eye moves around the piece, you see different lines and shadows created by the different curves.

"To add a bit of sparkle, I included cubic zirconia using an engraving beading tool to set the stones and create a decorative outline. Hand polishing and finishing were required to achieve different "finishes" - especially given all the different curves and spaces. I enjoyed the challenges of creating the piece and I know that using metal clay made this project possible. What an incredible material!" — Deborah Ellis

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