I prefer to do all my Zooms out at my clay table – even the non-clay ones – because I think keeping my hands busy helps me focus. So I was on a rather official Zoom the other day and I picked up a piece of Bronze Premo with a sheet of Copper foil on it and there was a piece of Antique Gold Premo with with gold foil on it. So I went “Hmmm, what if..” I grabbed a small sheet of Souffle Sea Glass and added the copper and gold foil pieces that were still hanging around on the table – this one was kind of piecemeal!
I stacked the layers with the Antique Gold in the middle. (aside: Why do I always forget about Antique Gold when I am making clay color decisions?)
I grabbed a sheet of patty paper and quickly chopped, chopped and chopped some more.
Once I thought it was pretty finely chopped. I pressed the pieces into a semi roundish patty and placed another patty paper on top. I’m using a coffee press to press straight down on the clay pieces. I think this keeps the design better than rolling the clay – which stretches the pieces. WORK THOSE ARMS BABY!
When I can kind of gauge that the thickness is close to what I want, I gently peel the paper and and peek.
BUT, I find the better side is always the bottom side!
Now I can put a deli paper over the top and use my cutters to cut out as many pieces as I can before I gather the scraps and start the process again!
Once the pieces are baked and cooled, I use those little threaded screw eye pins. I start a hole with my hand drill and then screw the pins in. A coat of Sculpey Gloss glaze and they are done!
I really like how the metallic Premos give us both the light and dark versions of their colors, depending on whether we are looking at their mica edges (for dark) or the flat sides of the micas (lighter). And the foils just add to the fun!
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