The primary objective of this creative project was the exploration of the traditional metalsmithing technique referred to as forging in relation to the primary goal of jewelry, which is body ornamentation. Forging is the hammering of metal with a highly polished hammer upon an anvil with varying blows to create thick and thin sections in the metal. The secondary objective was to implement these forging techniques within nine pieces of jewelry designed to accent various parts of the female body. These jewelry pieces include a wrist cuff, foot and hand pieces, a hip piece, a back piece, a neckpiece, and a pair of earrings. In addition to the production of these forged jewelry pieces, this creative project also included the creation of a number of large human figure fragments based on the female body in which to display the jewelry. This body of work also required the use of lost-wax casting, soldering, patination, and complex construction. / Department of Art

Thesis (MEd)--University of South Australia, 1999

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (MFA)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1988. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 51).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1984. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 49).

The primary objective of this creative project was to develop an imagery source through the observation and analysis of historical and contemporary clothing. The secondary objective was to produce both jewelry and functional objects in metal that reflected the author's personal interpretation of such garment forms. This body of work employed a variety of traditional metalsmithing techniques. / Department of Art

The lustre and luminous qualities inherent in lacquer objects speak of a revered historic technology chronicled by remarkable achievements. Sophisticated lacquer objects from East Asia and Vietnam are products of the integrated histories, technologies, and cultural expressions of these territories. The application of lacquer as a decorative medium originally developed in China. Through exchange and trade, the material was transmitted to neighbouring countries where each region explored the material and developed distinctive styles and techniques. Although lacquer from East Asia and Vietnam share similar material natures, the cultural attributes of lacquer, it's aesthetics, design, form, and symbolism provide for marked distinctions across the zone. Vietnamese lacquer contributes surface techniques and motifs to the lacquer repertoire. The aim of this research is to investigate the materiality and processes of Vietnamese lacquer as a surface ornamentation integral to the design and making of objects. The published material is dominated by descriptions of the aesthetic achievements of lacquer objects with little coverage of the technology, techniques, and practices employed. There is a scarcity of contemporary research on Vietnamese lacquering processes written in the English language. This research was fuelled by a research field trip to Vietnam during 2004 workil,1g with Vietnamese lacquer artists on traditional lacquering techniques. During a residency at Hue the lacquer working processes were observed, documented and techniques sampled. This traineeship incorporated the preparation of traditional tools, of the substrate, and the application of lacquer painting techniques. Preparatory samples and templates were made in Australia for later experimentation in Vietnam. These samples were treated with lacquer and illustrate the possible exploration of Vietnamese lacquering techniques in a contemporary context. The research is a material investigation of traditional Vietnamese lacquering processes applied to jewellery and object making. The studio practice aims to reinterpret the traditional material language of lacquer by allying it with contemporary methods and techniques. This synthesis combining traditional art methods and digital technology is expressed as a series of objects inspired by floral motifs. The seasonal floral images are significant, evoking concepts of creation and renewal. The interpretation of these graphic florals provides a contemporary representation, aesthetic, and cultural reading for the material, maker, and motif.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1990. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 26-27).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1993. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf [30]).

This manuscript records an adventure in exploring the inherent possibilities of organic forms for use in the designing of jewelry.