I love designing pendants because most of the ones I do are larger than rings and it allows more space for the design elements. Lately my favorite shape has been the round medallion pendant shapes. I have a few in the works and lots already done. I know they are big and heavy and not everyone likes that. I will try and design a few smaller and thinner ones in the future so that there is a pendant weight for everyone to choose from. My personal favorite is the “Paradise Pendant”. That’s the one I wear most often because it has to much significance to me. I like adding a thick leather cord to them because it is strong and will wear well with the pendants. Of course you can also put them on a thick silver chain, but they will wear out faster than the leather cord would.

Pendants can be so creative. There are so many shapes that can be used. For me I like to find what I feel is a cool shape in the moment and then start the design or idea for the middle. As I develop it I push and pull things around until I like it. I’m a very visual person so I usually can tell what will work and can see it in the metal as I design on paper or in CAD. Most of my design I start with and design totally in CAD. I think that’s funny because when I went to college I took many art classes. They always taught to design on paper first because you have more freedom to do anything you want. You mind can open up and be creative. That may be true, but for me I am able to be free even though I’m limited to the tools and my knowledge of the CAD program. I’ve used CAD for a long time and the tools are not really a hindrance anymore. If anything I can do things and be creative in ways I could not if I were to just use pen and paper. We all work different and have different skills and this is just how I’ve developed mine. I enjoy doing it in this way. I’ve also learned that I am not the best 2D artist. I love to draw and love to design on paper so don’t get me wrong. I just don’t feel I’m great at it even after all these years. I’m not a natural at it like some people. When I discovered CAD and started to learn sculpting in the computer, I fell in love. I’ve never sculpted clay other than making pots, but in CAD I love the ability to sculpt and save your file, then continue with it at any other time. I feel I’m a better 3D artist than a 2D one. It just makes more sense to me and 3D shapes are like real life so it comes easier to me. I’m still not perfect at it, but enjoy doing it.

So back to the pendants. This is why I design my pendants in CAD. The 3d environment make sense to me and it’s easier to do than draw my awkward 2D drawings. It’s interesting how we develop our skills though life. Everyone different with different paths. We do what works best for us and our families.

I hope yo enjoy my ideas coming to life in the form of pendants. I sure do. I get excited each time I’m able to spend some time building a new one. If you ever have a request for one let me know. I’d love to explore the idea and you will have had an influence on the design process. Thank you all those who actually follow me on social media or even read this blog. I doubt there are many, but everyone is important to me. As I try and grow my business please help out by sharing my posts with your friends. I just recently did a giveaway for a silver ring. I will be doing more in the future. Stay up to date and follow me on Instagram. @danaarts

What is lost wax casting? I’m glad you asked because I’d love to explain what this is. It’s a process in which you take a wax, invest it and then cast metal into where the wax was. This is the most simple explanation. I’ll go into more depth in just a minute.

So I’ve been casting my own silver for a long time now. I enjoy it very much. I feel it helps me fell more complete as an artist. This is because I am able to do the whole process myself. I design something in my head or on paper and then can build it in CAD without having to rely on someone else’s ideas or influence the design. I also don’t have to micromanage a designer to pull out what’s in my head. I can then get a precision wax made of what I built in CAD. From there the wax is sprued up into a wax tree. This tree can then be weighed and covered in a metal flask. The investment is then mixed and poured into the flask. Once dried the rubber bottom is then removed and you’ll see the wax sitting there. You put that part face down inside the kiln. During this process the wax melts out and leaved the impression of the art piece. Once it finishes an 8 hour cycle and brought down to the proper temperature, the flask is removed and placed on the vacuum cast machine. There are other types of casting machines, but vacuum casting is the method I use. I then take silver and heat it up to the proper temperature and then pour it into the flask where the wax once was. The silver solidifies and cools off. I can then quench it in a bucket of water and remove the silver casting. If everything worked as it should, the jewelry item is with all the details the wax had. Then the sprues (which are the wax rods that connect the opening where the silver is poured in to the jewelry item) are cut off and the jewelry item can be cleaned up and finished. It’s a lengthy process that is very rewarding as an artist. I do not cast gold even though I could and have before. This is because it’s a bit costly for me right now. Maybe in the future I can. Anyway, that is the process of the lost wax casting. I hope you enjoy the process.