Lorena Angulo

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Mixed metals cross

I have always mentioned my love for folk art and my passion for collecting it. One of my collections is my "Milagro" crosses from Mexico and local artisans. Most of my walls have some of them and I enjoy every time I see them.

They are very spiritual for me, crosses have a soulful and peaceful meaning.
Its been a long time since I created a cross and I was very happy to found a wood cross cut-out the other day at a craft store. I wanted to transformed it into a new piece of art representing my style and passion for folk art.

I metal embossed with aluminum the wood cross (which was painted in red) and draw a frame into a copper sheet. After I sawed the frame I used my chasing stamps and textured the frame.The metal embossed cross was riveted to the frame with brass rivets and I added a bronze clay piece in the center of the cross with a brass rivet.

All it needs now is a fabricated chain or rosary style chain. I am moving more into the rosary style chain.

Now I need to think about a name for this new piece.

Do you have any suggestions ?

Love, Lorena

Friday, May 13, 2011

I am featured in the Metal Clay Academy's Newsletter

I have been honored to be featured with Lora Hart in the Metal Clay Academy's Newsletter this month.
I was interviewed by Emma Gordon and it was a pleasured !

Here is her article:

What's your Inspiration?

LORENA ANGULO

I think for most people in the Metal Clay community, Lorena Angulo needs no introduction; her style is distinctive and instantly recognisable. Lorena is based in the U.S. but originally comes from Mexico which she tells us is her biggest inspiration and no wonder given that it is such a vibrant country with a wealth of culture and traditions. She is a metal clay artist who works primarily with fine silver and bronze and copper clay. She has joined the Southwest School of Art where she takes the occasional class to perfect her skills in metal smithing but is more known for teaching Metal Clay there.

The piece which Lorena has chosen for this article is her 'Arbol de Vida' or Tree of Life which has to be one of her most iconic pieces. She says that this was one of the first pieces she ever made with metal clay, creating it initially in silver but admits that she was not totally happy with the piece until she remade it in bronze clay. Since then, she has gone on to create it in copper, bronze and silver enjoying the different looks that each type of clay can bring to the piece. The silver pieces are typically 'antiqued' with Liver of Sulphur but the copper and bronze pieces are left without patina since these clays have a warmth after firing that needs no enhancement.

The Arbol de Vida in mixed metals

Although Lorena now lives in the United States, Mexico quite clearly continues to be an everyday influence and inspiration. She says that it became so apparent, just how important her heritage was to her when she moved away from her homeland to live in the US. In fact, she states, most of her designs are inspired by her country; its folk art and traditions. However, she does look to other cultures and folk art for inspiration too telling us that she often goes to museums and immerses herself in great pieces, which she claims can be found anywhere and everywhere. She also loves using the internet to explore other places which she might never be able to go and says that she is inspired by 'mythical cities and cultures from around the world'. Her pieces are her interpretation of these things that she admires and respects.

When we ask her about who inspires her, she tells us that she has a great deal of admiration and respect for those folk artists who create with

The Arbol de Vida in Creative Paper Clay

love and passion. However, she does name one specific artist who she tells us, gave her a different perspective on how to create her art when she was lucky enough to take a class with him. Robert Ebendorf, she tells us is a big inspiration because he has enormous love and passion for his art

and for teaching and taking his class was a wonderful experience.

It is quite clear to see when communicating with Lorena that her art has enormous significance in her life but it seems that how you approach it, that is with love and passion, is equally as important as creating something beautiful. Perhaps that's why her work is so unique and special.

Thank You Emma and Metal Clay Academy for this great article !

Love,

Lorena

Monday, May 9, 2011

Maria's Gift from Portugal

I have been blessed and lucky to have met so many wonderful people and artists from around the world thanks to my blog. I have always loved to meet people and make friends and thanks to the technology and my blog I had the best journey.
Today I got a package from Portugal and inside the package was.....

This GORGEOUS hand made clay heart made by Maria Da Nazare from Portugal.

I am overwhelm by such gorgeous present. I love hearts and I will have this heart very close to mine all the time.

THANK YOU MARIA !!!!! I LOVE IT !!

Obrigado Maria!

PUNCH Gallery- RAD (ring a day) Exhibition

Ring a Day

65 artists. 1 year. 365 rings.

Finally the opening night came and the RAD Exhibition is open for the public to see at PUNCH Gallery in Seattle, WA. The opening night was on May 5 and the exhibition will be open until May 29, 2011.

PUNCH is presenting this exhibition as a tie-in to the annual SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) conference. 365 rings are represented in the exhibition accompanied by wonderful photographs of some of the rings that were made during the whole year from artists around the world.

The jurors for this show were Collen Baran, Shannon Conrad, Nina Gibson, Kathryn Cole and Sara Westermark, they selected 365 rings from 16,000 rings submitted to the RAD group on FLICKR.

The exhibition features 65 international artists and I am honored to be one of them.

One of my rings is in this case.
Can you find it?
(click in the image to see it bigger.)

Here I have my "Alcatrazes" ring made with bronze.

Artists
Ashley Akers, Sabine Amtsberg, Lorena Angulo, Maria Apostolou, Erin Austin, Meg Auth,
Angela Baduel-Crispin, Colleen Baran, Inbar Barbaket, Laurie Brown, Kathleen Brughelli,
Maureen Brusa-Zappellini, Catherine Chandler, Kathryn Cole, Kerry Alice Collins,
Shannon Conrad, Jennifer Culp, Beth Cyr, Casey Daurio, Trudie Davies,
Lisa Dienst-Thomas, Nina Dinoff, Thomasin Durgin, Laura Flavin, Renee Ford, Nina Gibson,
Lynne Glazzard, Natalia Gomensoro, Heather Goodwin, Lora Hart, Sarah Hood, Chris Irick,
Alice Istanbul, Norsola Johnson, Sarah Loertscher, Marthe Le Van, Kate Jones, Maggie Joynt,
Evelyn Markasky, Bill Martin, Marta Miguel Martínez-Soria, Denise McCoy, Alisa Miller,
Danielle Miller, Carrie Nunes, Margaret O'Brien, Marta Sanchez Oms, Paul Phillips,
Calan Rea, Kathryn Rierchert, Andrea Ring, Lígia Rocha, Kathi Roussel, Kest Schwartzman,
Ponsawan Silas, Mike Stromberg, Rachelle Stromberg, Victoria Takahashi, Leslie Tinnaro,
Su Trindle, Mary Lu Wason, Emily Watson, Sara Westermark, Dee Wilder, Jaqki Withycombe.

Thank You to Lisa Geertsen and Shannon Conrad for letting me used their pictures for this post !

I wish I could have been there. Your pictures are a great gift for all of us that will not be able

to see it in person.

Congrats to all the artists and a BIG thank you to the jurors and Artist Trust, Crafthaus,
EtsyMetal, Etsy and SNAG for their sponsorship.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Mother's Day Market

Monday, May 2, 2011

The journey of my "Corazon Repujado"

I mentioned on another post about one technique I used to play with a while ago. This technique is called "Repujado" (metal embossing) and it is very fun to do. I decided I wanted to go back again and rescue my love for this craft by making a heart.

After I finished this heart I started to draw another heart design to use as a back piece for my heart. This time I chose to play with copper sheet, which later was textured with chasing tools.

This is the stage where I take a few moments before moving on with the piece. A lot of my designs are born this way, I started with an idea and I just let my heart take me where the piece wants to go.

Finally Today I got the good vibe to finished it and here it is !

Sunday, May 1, 2011

I found a new modeling clay !!!

I heard about this type of clay at school (SSA) talking with Jillian Palone. She works a lot with Creative paperclay and she knew about Craft Porcelain from another wonderful friend from school, Lois.
I was curious about this type of clay and finally I got some Yesterday at a craft store. The clay is white but they also sell the clay with color,this product is made by AMACO.
When I open the package and took some clay out I notice the smell and consistency of it and it reminded me about a type of clay we make in Mexico called "Migajon."
The name of the clay is Craft porcelain because when it is dry it looks like porcelain, I am sure this is not real porcelain ;o).
The clay it is not as easy to add texture or carved like the other types of clay I use. You can add color after it is dry.

Here is what I have made with this clay and I still have lots to learn.