Hippie Sister Artworks: Experimenting with Fold-Forming

Fold-forming copper is fun, and it is exactly what it sounds like, using folds to create form and shape from a flat piece of metal. The technique complements my style, it's perfect for creating natural forms like feathers and leaves. The technique was developed by Charles Lewton Brain, and is brilliant in it's simplicity. I like it because it is just down and dirty, heat and hammer, metalsmithing. Using just a single straight fold, I finished a feather cuff bracelet and a few variations of leaf earrings.

The cuff bracelet is a project pulled from the scrap bin. A few weeks ago, I tried to etch a feather. The etching was awful, so it ended up in the scrap bucket. I pulled it out, carved and filed the feathery detail, folded it down the center to create the rib, and bent it into a cuff bracelet. I think it was a decent save. The shadowy remains of the botched etching give it greater depth.

Earrings are always a challenge for me because, well, you need two of them, and they need to be a matching pair. I made a few more leaves than I needed, in hopes of having some matches. I wound up with 4 pairs, and a handful of orphans that are waiting for a home.