Mary Hettmansperger's Class

AARRRGGG not feeling well at all today...I think I got a bit run down during classes with the awesome inspiring Mary Hettmansperger. At the time I also had a badly infected thumb and had to go and see a Dr after the first day of classes to get some antibiotics. Its likely to have helped with the run down feeling and was a great hindrance for me in doing stuff in class. Just hurt too much to apply any great pressure or pick tiny things up with. I did (with Mary's OK of course) take photos of Mary's work of what we were taught and took lots of notes so I would have a reference back too, to see what we did. I'll share some of the photos I took with you as well. OK so here is a pile of some metal samples made in class.

We learnt how to use the flame, air and quenching to colour copper. Just love the effect!!

The next few were flame coloured and stamped (yeha...I knew there had to be a use for my stamps). The first one was done on brass and the others are done on copper.

Next sample was done using the flame in a different way to get orange and red colours. We used stamps or paint brushed patterns on the metal.

These next samples were done with stamps, embossing powders and heat to create textures and patterns. I have a draw full of embossing powders too so something else in my stash I now know I can use on metal.

 Flame coloured, stamped and embossed on both of these but I over heated the one on the right..it sort of looked bleached then.

 We were taught to apply texture with a texture hammer...this one was done onto nickle silver.

 AT LAST I now know how to use enamel powders...well sample at left is how NOT to use them and sample right came out just right.

 Look out guys we were burning balls left right and centre LOL

We also learnt hammering to make paddle style widened ends on wire, flatten balls of wire and wire weaving. I did try the weaving but haven't found the sample yet as I have only half unpacked my stuff. When I locate some more things I'll put them here too :o). Mary showed us how to make pods and conical forms which was another thing I had wanted to know. Here are some of my conical ones...got some cogs on two of course.

On the first two the texture was created with coloured pencils over hammered areas.

Here are two with cogs on my burnt balls *grin*.

A better look at my enamel effort. Mary showed us how to mount stuff and make bezels!!

From here on the photos are ALL of Mary's own work. I bought this one from Mary as it has some wire work inside that she showed us how to do.

See that paddle effect on the central wire on the apple piece?. That's what Mary showed us how to do.

 Hammered balls on this one...I feel a bit cheeky every time I say something like that LOL.

More paddles and pencil colour on this one of Mary's.

 I REALLY liked this pencil and domed one she made.

One of Mary's pods.

One piece showing one of the types of wire weaving we were shown how to do.

As you can see there was allot of flame work going on and by the end of three days I was TOTALLY at home with flame work so much so I went straight to Bunning's when class ended and bought a torch the same as the ones we were using in class :o).

Mary thank you, thank you, thank you so much for coming to Darwin and showing/teaching us techniques...you were totally awesome and I will be doing more classes with you when next you visit from the USA for sure. Also a huge thanks to Warren and Estelle Virgen...it was their studio the classes were held in....you two are amazing hosts and next time I wont bring my own food as the smells from the food you both cooked, drove my senses nuts!!! The classes were made even more awesome due to the lovely ladies...my fellow students with whom I did the class with as well.

I still can't believe it was a domino of circumstances that led me to do classes at all. Thank you Christine Atkins for telling me about Estelle and Warren...kicking myself that they have lived only a suburb away for the whole time I have lived here and I didn't know. They are artists themselves and host international tutors each year. I did Google them at the time Chris told me about them but mainly got papers they had been published in only... till Jen Crossley my original mentor, friend and inspiring person all round told me about Fibre Arts Australia and mentioned I may enjoy classes coming to Darwin being taught by Mary Hettmansperger...I go to their website to see and there is the connection to Estelle and Warren and the last Domino fell in place that led me to classes with Mary and my feet at Estelle and Warren's door. Their son lives four blocks up from me. Oh and on the studio wall I spied Warren's sculpture he made in Christine's class...I recognized her influence or its likely origin as soon as I entered the door to the studio LOL.

Hugs

Annette In Oz xxx