![Spring in the Country V2 Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Spring-in-the-Country-V2.jpg)
![Spring in the country inside bottom detail Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Spring-in-the-country-inside-bottom-detail-1.jpg)
Pendant
2.5in (high) x 2.5in (wide) x 0.5in (deep)
Inspiration
This piece is my ode to spring. After a long cold winter, I love the spring and countryside walks! I can’t wait to see the flowers bloom, the bees buzz and the butterflies arrive.
The pendant is an open lentil bead with a detailed hillside scene in the middle. Flowers, leaves, a bee and butterfly complete the springtime theme. I want the viewer to feel as if they are looking past the flowers to the scene beyond.
I like the idea of grabbing the viewers attention and then surprising them with more detail as their eye roves around the piece.
I am teaching my open lentil pendant workshop at SINTER 24 and this piece came about from my desire to see how far I could push the technique. I wanted to create a statement piece using the same techniques to show the extent to which the techniques can be used.
Techniques
The main frame is a huge lentil bead with the centre cut out. I make the lentil with the centre removed from the start so I don’t waste clay.
The back piece of the lentil has the cut out part off centre, so if seen from the side, the bottom of the pendant is thicker than the top. This gave me more room to create the scene.
The scene is modelled with wet lump clay over a papermache armature. The left hill has a fence line and texture carved in after the piece is dry. I also used paste to make the groups of trees that you see on the hills on the back and right sides.
I wanted the back to be finished nicely as well, so there are more trees and texture added to the back of the hills.
All the leaves, flowers, bees and butterfly are pieces made from commercial moulds. I layer the pieces to create a deeper 3D effect, often carve into them to get a better relief and shape them so the flowers are not flat or cut them up to make different shapes.
The butterfly was particularly tricky as I wanted it as delicate as I could make it. Commercial butterfly moulds are not delicate! So I moulded a butterfly then carved away some of the weight, which was very tricky on a tiny shape. The butterfly broke twice as it overhangs the centre so I backed it with a leaf for strength.
The bail is an integral part of the design with a single coiled strand of clay wrapping from one side around into two loops at the top and back down the other side.
The patina is Liver of Sulphur, the petrol blue is a beautiful, lucky finish that I find I’m able to achieve with XL Gel and hot tap water.
Materials
Fine silver clay
Juror’s Comments:
The excellent design concept and execution of this pendant clearly shows the modeling possibilities of metal clay. The sculptual quality of the landscape is compelling and effective with skillfully made embellishments. The patina color is a perfect contribution to the work.
![Sian Hamilton 2022 Julia Rai headshot](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sian-July-2022.jpg)
About the Artist – Sian Hamilton, UK
Sian is a web and graphic designer, illustrator, author and metal clay teacher.
She has a BA in 3D Design, specializing in silver and ceramics, and has been in the design industry for over 30 years. Sian was the Editor of Making Jewellery magazine in the UK for 9 years until it closed in April 2019. She has also written 15 ‘how to’ jewellery and craft books.
Sian has been a volunteer with AMCAW since 2018, involved in the Curating, Education, SINTER 24 teams, and leads the Web & Tech team. As a volunteer, she built the AMCAW website and is its webmaster. Sian runs a web design business specialising in helping small e-commerce businesses launch their products online.
She was introduced to silver clay in the mid-90s’ and has worked with it for over 20 years. Sian is passionate about metal clay and her mission is to spread the love as far as she can. Her favourite tool is scratch foam and she loves to create her own unique textures.
![Spring in the country inside detai Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Spring-in-the-country-inside-detai.jpg)
![Spring in the country bottom detail Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Spring-in-the-country-bottom-detail.jpg)
![Spring in the country back Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Spring-in-the-country-back.jpg)
![Spring in the country clasp Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Spring-in-the-country-clasp.jpg)
![Spring in the country bottom front Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Spring-in-the-country-bottom-front.jpg)
![Spring in the country clasp 2 Julia Rai spiral pendant](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Spring-in-the-country-clasp-2-scaled.jpg)
Superbly Sintered 2024: Masterful Designs in Metal Clay celebrating the very best designs from metal clay artists around the world.
22 pieces of exceptional work were chosen by a distinguished jury. The exhibition will be shown at SINTER 24 in Bradford, UK, May 2024
Jurors
![Michael David Sturlin 23](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Michael-David-Sturlin-23.jpg)
Michael David Sturlin
Michael is a renowned educator, writer, and Master Goldsmith, celebrating his 50th year at the bench in 2023.
Read more about him here...
![Noortje Meijerink](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Noortje-Meijerink.jpg)
Noortje Meijerink
Noortje, is a Dutch ceramist working with porcelain and metal clay.
Read more about Noortje here...
![Christopher Darway](https://amcaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Christopher-Darway.jpg)
Christopher C. Darway
Christopher has been working in metals for over 45 years as a designer, teacher and artisan.
Read more about Christopher here...