{"id":1379,"date":"2014-03-25T15:35:53","date_gmt":"2014-03-25T15:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/?p=1379"},"modified":"2014-03-27T14:16:41","modified_gmt":"2014-03-27T14:16:41","slug":"terry-kovalcik-dimensional-painting-metal-clay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/2014\/03\/25\/terry-kovalcik-dimensional-painting-metal-clay\/","title":{"rendered":"Terry Kovalcik: Dimensional Painting with Metal Clay"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than two decades into a successful career as a visual artist, Terry Kovalcik<\/a> experimented with precious metal clay. The fork in the road became a two-lane highway when he developed a slip painting technique that has gained him recognition the world over.<\/p>\n

He first heard about PMC from his wife in 1999. Within a year he was certified by the PMC Guild<\/a> after completing an intense, three-day course in which one must demonstrate expertise in a variety of fabrication and firing techniques. He was hired in 2005 as a Senior Instructor for PMC Certification classes held at the Rio Grande Jewelry Supply<\/a> company in Albuquerque, New Mexico.<\/p>\n

Terry\u2019s many years of drawing and painting led to him using a brush to add layers of depth for dramatic depictions in his metal clay jewelry. He has made objects with images using from ten to hundreds of layers in depths. It became known as “viscosity painting” when the technique was published in the PMC Technic<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe objective is to create dramatic depth and to paint something that is from your soul and uniquely yours,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to create something out of nothing, just using paste.\u201d This method allows him to bring form and movement to his pieces\u2014and a little bit of whimsy. His jewelry has been featured in numerous editions of the PMC Annual as well as in many magazines and books.<\/p>\n

Terry took beginning metalsmithing courses at William Paterson College. The classes came in handy when he took up jewelry making, but he learned much of this craft on his own, or by observing others. He soon found his work accepted into national juried art shows and winning prestigious awards, including first prize at the 2010 PMC Conference\u2019s \u201cCultural Symbolism\u201d show, for his \u201cFood Chain\u201d necklace. His viscosity painting technique is also included in PMC Technic<\/em>, published by Tim McCreight\u2019s Brynmorgen Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Terry prefers using PMC3 for his slip painting. He says it is stronger, smoother, and comes in a nicely designed receptacle. Other paste jars are too big for the amount of paste within, creating what he calls the \u201cMayonnaise Jar Syndrome\u201d: when you try to scoop the paste out it gets all over the brush and can never be fully cleaned. He emphatically claims he hates<\/em> the other jars and loves the \u201ctactile feel of working with a brush. It\u2019s like second nature to me!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Terry Kovalcik illustration King and Queen<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Terry now incorporates complex components that include moving parts, some of which will be included when he teaches \u201cHinged Lockets and Paste Techniques in Metal Clay,\u201d<\/a> April 4-6, at Metalwerx<\/a>. The workshop will explore making a box locket with a hook\/hasp closure integrated into the lid. Participants will design paper templates to make patterns and, working with 1 and 2-ply sheet clay, will practice dry construction, sawing, drilling, riveting, wire bending and finishing, to make hollow forms, sheet clay hinges, and closures. And, of course, the workshop includes Terry\u2019s unique method of viscosity painting to give the locket decorative bas-relief effects.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLockets have been my biggest muse for metal clay. I\u2019m intrigued by the mechanisms, structure, and mystery that can be contained within,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Although his illustrating days are far from over, Terry now spends most of his time on jewelry, both making and teaching. In addition to giving private lessons and holding workshops across the US, he returns to England this summer to teach a metal clay carving class and master level locket classes. His exploration of metalworking is constant, as his \u201cbucket list\u201d includes learning enameling and wax carving.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever I think about developing a new project, I\u2019m drawn to the locket form,\u201d he said. And every project begins with pencil and paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearn to draw,\u201d he tells all his students. \u201cIt\u2019s the basis for all art and the language of seeing. Even if they say they can\u2019t draw, I tell them to just draw something using basic shapes\u2014rectangles, circles, triangles, to get an idea down on paper. [It] helps work out problems that may come up as they start working with metal clay.\u201d To get the most out of his workshops he encourages participants to research \u201cwhat others are doing with metal clay, not to copy, but to spark ideas. And remember to push the envelope.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Terry\u2019s jewelry and artwork can be seen online on his website<\/a>, his Etsy shop \u201cVisual Twists\u201d<\/a>, and his Facebook<\/a> page. There are still seats available for his class. To register, click here <\/a>or call Metalwerx at 781-891-3854.<\/p>\n

–by Yleana Martinez<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than two decades into a successful career as a visual artist, Terry Kovalcik experimented with precious metal clay. The fork in the road became a two-lane highway when he developed a slip painting technique that has gained him recognition the world over. He first heard about PMC from his wife in 1999. Within a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/metalwerx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}