Sculptural Metal Clay

Have you seen Kate McKinnon's latest book, Sculptural Metal Clay?

You know...whether you're a metal clay aficionado or not, this one's worth picking up, if only for Kate's extraordinarily inspirational pieces. I was lucky enough to edit this book, so was able to fondle the real pieces as I was editing. I'm not usually one to gush, but trust me...these are fantastic pieces. Kate is, quite possibly, the best jewelry engineer I have ever met. Her work is not only structurally sound--built to last and comfortable--but it has just that right edgy *snap!* to make it truly artful.

Take, for example, my favorite piece from the book, the Skyscraper Ring.

This image, which I pulled from the gallery on Kate's site, contains rings that are similar, but not exactly the same as the ring I'm talking about...when you pick up the book you'll see the real deal.

This seemingly unwearable ring is actually quite comfortable to wear. The way Kate worked as an architect to not only construct the lovely building, but also to integrate the building's base into the body of the ring so that the shape prevents the building from teetering back and forth is sheer genius. Bravo, Ms. Kate!

The beauty of this book is that Kate shares, in great detail, how she constructs all these pieces by starting with several pat "Elements" (a whole section in the book) that she's developed, many combining metal clay with fine silver wire. Her knack for creating simple findings like rings, simple clasps, ring bands, head pins, chain, and more, brings both metal clay and metalsmithing to a new level. Kate considers herself primarily a maker of elements, so this is truly where her creative light shines.

Another fantastic part of this book is Kate's very clear and concise discussion of metal clay and fine silver basics. Not only how to work with them, but also safety concerns, which Kate is quite versed on.

The book wraps up with several very lovely projects that combine the Elements Kate discusses throughout the rest of the book. Again, these are beautifully designed, all very clear, and each is worthy of any fine arts/crafts gallery. There's another bonus in this book, too--a DVD where Kate discusses the finer points of some of the techniques listed within the pages.

So yes, add this one to your collection! And congratulations, Kate, for another great addition to the metal clay/metalsmithing canon.