Updates, and Pearl-grey Steel Clay

My travel-teaching schedule has been updated. You can download it from the right-hand pane of this blog. New workshops have been added in 2011 in Pittsburgh, PA, Cleveland, OH, and Brighton and St. Joseph, MI.

I have just come back from a workshop in Texas and am preparing for a 3-week teaching trip to Europe. I will be teaching in the UK, France, and Norway. The store will stay open during this time and you will be well taken care of.

The rest of this year I will be teaching in Seattle, WA (August), The Netherlands (September), and Rochester, NY (October).

The participants of the workshop in the UK, hosted by Tracey Spurgin in East Yorkshire, will have the first chance (except for my local students) to experiment with Pearl-grey steel clay, which I hope to release after my return from Europe. This is a new type of steel clay, gray in the state of clay and pearl-gray in the state of metal. Unlike my traditional steel clay, it lasts a long time when stored in the refrigerator and does not turn grainy. It is as creamy and soft as the rest of my clays. After firing, it can be easily sanded smooth and brought to a matte finish. In reaction to patina it turns dark blue instead of hematite-black. It is compatible with all my other clays, and can be fired in combination with copper. The sintering temperature is 1750°F/955°C in a top loader, 1830°F/1000°C in a front loader.

Here are some photos:

t-Pearl necklace

t-Pear;grey earrings

The metals in the earrings above are (from top to bottom): Pearl-grey steel, bronze, regular steel, copper, and White Bronze.

t-Cube necklace

Same metals here. The center bead is patinated blue.

t-Pearl grey rock earrings

Hollow rock earrings.

t-Circle earringsThe Jewelry Artist.

t-Cracks with gold

This pendant was fired with a gold nugget.

t-Cracks with gold and patina

This is the same pendant with Birchwood Casey Super Blue patina (see instruction manual for steel clay).

t-Urchin

t-squaes in steel

t-Magnet Clasp

The pieces in the three photos above were fired with no bronze in them. Where did the bronze come from? I am not sure, but I am very, very happy.

t-magnet clasp 2

t-Magnet clasp textured

The pieces in the three photos above take advantage of the magnetic nature of steel. They are actually magnetic clasps.


15 Responses to “Updates, and Pearl-grey Steel Clay”

  • Terre Rigali Says:

    Hadar, I have been chasing my tail trying to find your classes in Seattle … found them only to be told they are sold out. I am dying to take your classes … please let me know if you have any suggestions. Your new pieces are magnificent.

  • Hadar Jacobson Says:

    Hi Terre,

    I teach 3 workshops back to back in Seattle. Are they all sold out? Have you tried “The Ranch”?

  • Donna Lewis Says:

    Hadar, this is so exciting! Will you be able to come up with a quick fire version of the pearl grey. My goodness it is a gorgeous color and the blue is wonderful. I cant wait!!!!!!!!

  • Donnalene Mastrangelo Says:

    There may still be a spot left with Wild Hair Studio in Tacoma. I have signed up Hadar and am looking forward to classes with you again. I had tried the Ranch but didn’t receive a response from them.

  • Patricia W. Says:

    Hi Hadar, Do you have dates yet for your 2011 MIchigan workshops? (I would have attended your last, but it fell on the weekend of my daughter’s bat mitzvah.)

    Better yet, any prospects of a Chicago-area workshop? As the chair of the Windy City chapter of the PMC Guild, I’d be happy to help generate interest and make calls to possible venues. Just let me know!

  • Hadar Jacobson Says:

    Donna,

    This is Quick-fire in the sense that the firing is only one phase. It takes 3-4 hours, much like white bronze.

  • Hadar Jacobson Says:

    Patricia,

    All my dates are on the file “Hadar’s travel-teaching Schedule” on this blog. Thanks for inviting me, I’d love to come to Chicago.

  • Michele Milana Says:

    Hadar, I am going to go crazy waiting for this one! It’s BEAUTIFUL! Skip Europe and get this clay on the market! 😉

  • Jenny James Says:

    Haven’t heard any news about this clay in a while. Do you have any updates? I probably speak for lots of people when I say that we are anxious to buy it. Do you know when it will be available?

    Also wondering if you will ever have silver clay of your own on the market?

  • Sutton Norris Says:

    Hadar, I’m new to your clays but very interested in purchasing. However, I’ve never seen a ring in any of your example pieces. Is your clay as strong as others on the market once sintered? I LOVE all the new colors and would love to see a ring made out of one of them.

  • Hadar Jacobson Says:

    Unfortunately, I believe that metal clay in general, no matter what brand, is not suitable to make rings. If you want to make a mixed metal ring, I suggest that you use a pre-made commercial shank, preferably stainless steel, and construct you design around it in metal clay.

  • Sue Williams Says:

    Hi Hadar,
    Your new clay color looks dreamy! I just ordered it, plus the last book. I have the first two. When are you coming to AZ-hopefully Phoenix- to do a workshop? I know it would fill! Please keep me on your students/update list. Thanks and enjoy Europe&England! Sue Williams, Prescott,AZ

  • Hadar Jacobson Says:

    Hi Sue,

    I’ll be teaching in November, 15-16, in http://www.exPRESSiveArtsStudio.com which is at the Amado Territory Ranch, 30 miles south of Tucson. Contact http://www.Amado-Territory-Inn.com, and you can see the details on their E-news. Hope to see you there,

    Hadar

  • Jenny James Says:

    Hi Hadar,
    I have some questions for you.

    1) I just read the post that shows 3 pics of combined bronze and copper and it says that they were fired with a torch. Have you successfully fired bronze with a torch?

    2) I have been trying to combine clays and have never been successful. Yesterday I tried again by combining copper with P.G.Steel and fired at 1880 in a top loader. The copper completely melted away. The majority of the piece was PG Steel and had a small cut out in the center that was filled with copper. It wasn’t inlayed over the steel. I actually cut out the center and filled it with copper. Did I do something wrong? I find that copper melts above 1725 in my kiln normally so I had some doubts going into it but wanted to try.

    3) Can you give some insight into the big differences in firing schedules between top and front loading kilns. Is it simply a matter of the variations in the temperature accuracy within the kiln or does it actually take more heat to sinter in a front loader than a top loader? Does my question make sense?

    Thanks a bunch,
    Jenny James
    PS PG Steel is really brilliant. I didn’t like working with the regular steel. It is too gritty feeling for my taste. The new steel fires perfectly every single time. It seems to be extremely forgiving.

  • Hadar Says:

    Jenny,

    1. I have never been successful in firing bronze with a torch. That must be a misunderstanding.

    2. I fire copper in a top loader at 1750-1800. 1880 is for a front loader. Are you firing elements located at the top?

    3. The brick top loader kilns fire hotter. In a muffle front loader the heat is leaking through the door and the muffles. Bricks hold the heat better.

    I hope that answers your questions.

    Hadar