Modern Resin Jewelry by Night Sky Jewelry from In Art Studio

I keep a notebook, where all of my design ideas are drawn. This notebook contains the date, manufacturing questions and details, resin amounts, and test results. Of course other less pertinent information, like to-do lists and phone numbers find their way into my notebook. This is the anal engineer part of my personality. I still have design notebooks, going back 30 years.

The idea for the new series of mermaid bracelets that I am currently working on, came to me early one morning. I had the idea, but could I make the design work? There are so many issues to resolve for every new design. Would the mold be easy to make or nearly impossible? Which type of resin or combination of resins to use? Approximately how much finishing time would the design require? Would I need to order any new materials to complete the first piece? What range of sizes do I want to offer? All of these questions, and more, go into my notebook, to be answered as the idea progresses.

Sometimes, I hit a real snag, and the whole design is shelved, until a later date. I periodically go through my notebooks and look for these ideas. Maybe, I’ve discovered a new material, that will allow me to proceed with the old idea. Or, as sometimes happens, my brain has had more time to stew over the details and I have one of those “a-ha” moments.

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Today, I tried casting my new mermaid bracelet design in gold pigmented resin. I then gave it an antiquing wash of black acrylic paint to bring out the details. I think the gold looks fantastic, and the details really pop! This medium can be frustrating to learn, but so much fun.

To read all the details, see more pictures or to purchase this bracelet, go to my etsy store Night Sky Jewelry by In Art Studio

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It’s finally done! The first cast of my new mermaid bracelet design -”Treasure”, and I am very pleased with the results. I think she turned out fabulous! The mold was a real bear to make, and required a whole day of post finishing, but it picked up all the fine details. My fiancé remarked that the octopus almost steals the show. So, I am thinking about making “Glamor-Pus” into a pendant. Today, I will try casting this bracelet design in gold pigmented resin.

I am already planning the next mermaid bracelet design. I’m thinking of a mermaid floating in a bed of kelp, sunbathing with her friends.

To read all the details, see more pictures or to purchase this bracelet, go to my etsy store Night Sky Jewelry by In Art Studio

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I want to incorporate my logo tag into my new bracelet design, but, where to put it? I plan to cast this bracelet mainly in clear resin, but the metal tag I use, will show through the front. The first bracelet has the logo tag hidden behind a sea shell. But, this new design has no good place to hide the tag. So I have decided to just sculpt the initials NSJ into the right hand side of the octopus. Hopefully it’s not too obvious, but it’s there. I am just about ready for the final bake of the master.

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Now for the final cast of characters. The design calls for a school of tiny fish, between the mermaid and her hand mirror. These fish are crowding each other, trying to get a look into the mirror, so only part of their bodies show. I try sculpting the fish individually, intending to stack them. I then realize there is a better and easier way. I take a small amount of clay the approximate size and thickness of the school and place it into position. I outline each fish, then start to carve and define each small head. Here is the result. They still need some refining and detail work, but, I like the look.

The last character is my baby dolphin. I imagine him to be inquisitive and playful, so he will be sporting a pearl necklace. I love adding dolphins to my designs. They are easy to sculpt, and add so much charm.

Well, the sculpture is almost finished. I still have a a lot of finishing work to do, before it will be ready for molding. The surface finish is important, as every little flaw will be picked up by the silicone molding compound. But I am very pleased with the design, and think it will look fabulous when cast.

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This mermaid bracelet master calls for a figure on the right side. I have designed the layout to include an octopus. I have Googled pictures of octopus to get an idea of their texture. I want to make this a lady octopus with eyelashes and kissy lips. She is trying on jewelry with her mermaid girlfriend. Sound like fun?
Here she is roughed in.

I decided to change the arm position, and added the suction cups to her tentacles. And here she is with most of her jewelry on.

Next - a dolphin and a school to tiny fish complete the scene

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Now for the really fun stuff. The treasure chest is next. I have been thinking about this and I wanted a layered 3-D effect. But, because it sits behind the mermaid, it can not be too thick. The front and sides are twice as thick as the top, which is hard to see in the photograph. I want it to look like rough, old wood, like it’s been under water for a long time. I added a lock and some strapping, for more detail. It’s not finished, I want to make it look even more old, by roughening the corners and sides. But, you get the general idea. One of the benefits of having lived in the Florida Keys, was the opportunity of visiting the many treasure museums. I got to examine the items salvaged and collected from the local shipwrecks. I also had the opportunity to meet and get to know, the guys that did the salvage diving. What fun!

I’ve added hair to the mermaid and some jewels. The Mermaid’s body is finished and soft fired, for 10 minutes at 265 degrees. She is not hard all the way through, but she is hard enough to scrape and sand, before adding her hair. She looks so much better with hair. Here, also, is her fancy little hand mirror. All the tiny pearls are glass, and will be fired and cast, right into the mold.

Next - Sculpting an Octopus

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Here is where the fun begins. My design is complex, with a lot going on in a 7 x 2-1/4 inch area. On the left side of my design, is a full length mermaid reclining on her right arm. Her left arm is out stretched and holding a hand mirror. Behind her tail, in the middle of the design, sits a treasure chest, filled with jewels and jewelry. On the right side of the bracelet, is the mermaid’s octopus girlfriend. The mermaid and the octopus are both trying on jewelry from the treasure chest. I have incorporated a baby dolphin, who has gotten in on the fun and has a pearl necklace draped over his head. My design also, includes a large school of tiny fish, that are so curious about their reflection in the hand mirror, that they are blocking the mermaids attempt to see herself. I want the mermaid’s face to convey a combination of annoyance and amusement. This might be a hard expression to pull off.

I always start with the hardest part first, the face and torso. My design calls for a 3/4 inch long, full face, 1/2 head view. Matching the approximate size to the layout, I roll an egg shaped ball of clay, approximately 3/4 inch in diameter, and cut off the 1/2 back of the head. This is placed firmly on the glass, smooshing out any air pockets. The reason for sculpting on glass is I can see what is going on underneath my sculpt, like air pockets.

Next, I add clay for the neck, and upper torso. Again placing the clay over the layout and smooshing it firmly to the glass. I start with a lot more clay than I need, so I can carve the figure. Starting with less clay, means I will have to build up clay parts here and there, to add depth and dimension. I find it easier to carve away the clay to the desired depth and dimension. Either way works. It’s just my personal working style.

Sculpting a human face and torso is my biggest challenge. If the proportions are not right, the mind will perceive that something is wrong. I might not be able to place my finger on exactly what is wrong, but I can tell that there is something strange looking about the figure. Our minds judge beauty as balance of proportion. If one eye is higher than the other, or one arm is longer than the other, the figure is out of balance, and looks wrong, even ugly. Getting this balance right, is the hardest part. This is where my digital camera is my best sculpting tool.

After hours of sculpting tiny details, my eyes start to get tired. I see all the little details, but loose focus of the larger picture. That’s where my camera comes in. I set my camera to the Macro mode setting, and take close-up pictures from every angle. I then down load these pictures into a file folder on my computer, and take a break. Now, I come back and look at the pictures. I zoom in and look at the details my eyes have missed, but the camera has picked up. Zooming out and standing back away from the monitor, I look for balance of proportion. The camera gives me an unbiased critique. I keep these pictures, so as I refine my sculpture, I can pull them up, side by side, and compare the changes I have made.

Here is a picture of the mermaid’s head. She has no hair yet, and is very bald. The shape of her head is not perfect, but, her long hair will cover all but her face. I will add the hair after the first “half-bake”, so the hair does not interfere with sanding and polishing of the face and torso. She has tiny bits of fuzz, stuck here and there. But they will be gone, with the first sanding.

Amusement shows mostly in the eyes and mouth. The mouth and eyes need to both be “smiling”. The lower lip needs just a tiny fix on the left hand side. And the right eye, lower lid, needs smoothing, but, in general, I am happy with her face.

Next - Sculpting a Treasure Chest

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All of my sculpting experience has been with polymer clay. I have sculpted everything from jewelry and dolls to my full sized animal sculls with polymer clay. So, I know the media well, and always have some on hand in my studio.

For me, polymer clay is the perfect medium for creating a jewelry master. It has all the physical properties of a good sculpting media, plus, it has a long library life. I have masters stored away in boxes, going back 10 years, that look just the same, as the day I put them into storage.

My polymer clay jewelry masters have no compatibility issues with the silicone materials I use to make my molds. No mold release is needed, and any heat generated by the mold material curing is never a problem. This is a big advantage for mold making. Mold making, in it’s self, can be a real headache. No need to worry about my precious master being ruined. In fact, with proper storage, the same master can be re-used to make countless molds.

Polymer clay sticks well to glass. I always sculpt on clear glass, so I can peek underneath and check for voids. Once “cooked”, the sculpture is easily pried loose from the glass.

Polymer clay is cured by heating in a home oven or toaster oven. The clay I use, is fully cured by heating for 15 minutes at 265 degrees, for every 1/4 inch of thickness. One trick is to partially “cook” the clay for say 10 minutes, then progress to the next step and partially “Cook” again. This can be repeated over and over until the sculpture is done and ready for full curing. Did I mention that raw “uncooked” polymer clay sticks well to cured clay? That is another advantage. You can keep adding layer upon layer to your design with no adhesive required between layers.

Once cured, polymer clay becomes permanent and hard, and can be drilled, sanded, polished, sawed, glued, screwed and painted, just like a piece of PVC plumbing pipe. Because it is the same material. Polymer clay is Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with liquid plasticizers added to make it malleable and clay-like.

I buy my polymer clay at the local Hobby Lobby, for $8.00 per 1 pound box. Last week, I bought a new box, and the price had gone up to $12.00 for the same 1 pound box. But, considering how many jewelry sculptures I can make from a pound of clay, that’s still not a deterrent. I buy Super Sculpey in the green 1 pound box. I am not concerned about the flesh pink color, since my jewelry masters are not the finished product. I am happy with the consistency, straight from the box. And I find it easy to condition, by hand, without the use of any mechanical devices. Polymer clays must be conditioned, by kneading for several minutes to soften and to distribute the plasticizers throughout the clay. But, I just pinch off the amount I need, and start rolling it between my hands. It’s kind of a relaxing Zen thing, conditioning the clay, while my mind is wandering through the design process.

I am sure there are other advantages that I have forgotten to mention. So, feel free to leave your comments.

Next - Sculpting a Mermaid Face (Getting down to the Nitty Gritty Details)

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Detail of Polymer Clay Sculpture, “The Guardian”

First Place Winner, Skull Sculpture, “Speedy”

“Wild Horse Turquoise” Free Standing Polymer Clay Horse Sculpture”

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