When Julia announced that she was a Saul Bell finalist for the Metal Clay category, I just had to ask her about her inspiration for such a fantastic piece. I know she's part of the Metal Clay Academy, but sometimes the talent's right there on your doorstep and you just have to stop, look and learn!

Julia Rai's Saul Bell Design Award Piece

Julia's piece was specifically designed to be entered into the Saul Bell competition. She wanted to make something that had lots of design elements incorporating both construction and dimension into the design. The piece was made with PMC+ and has an Oregon sunstone embedded into it along with some tiny pearls.

Detail of Julia's Saul Bell Piece

The basic shape of the piece was inspired by something Julia saw on TV and she used a plastic tray on which pears are packaged as the basis for forming the shape. Julia says she loves to look at ordinary household items and think about how to use them in her work. She says that she is very influenced by the Fiction and Fantasy genres and reads these types of books and watches relevant TV and films regularly. She will often pause a film or TV programme if something catches her eye and whip out her sketchbook to capture the inspiration. In addition to this, she will occasionally get herself to the Victoria and Albert museum for a good look around their fabulous jewellery exhibits where she recently discovered the work of Rene Lalique. Julia says that Lalique's work is 'fantastical' which really appeals and that his use of colour  and his obvious imagination is truly inspirational.

Well, Julia we're all very proud of you and we wish you well in the competition!

• New projects for beginners to whet your appetite and for you to try. Click here to have a look.
• The 2011 Art Clay Festival Europe venue and dates have been announced along with a list of presenters who are to offer classes during the event. Visit the events page to see more details
   
• A new competition has been announced from Art Clay Silver - 2011 Silver Accesories, with two possible themes; If or Open Theme. Have a look at the competitions page for entry details.

Fine Silver piece set with peridot and diamonds

Lorrene has been involved with silver clay ever since she attended the first class held in the western U.S., held by Alan Revere at his Academy in January 1996.  An experienced hand at silver clay, she admits that this is by far her favourite medium to work in since her work is very labour intensive and she would not get a 'decent fare' for the base metal clays. This is a typically shrewd observation from a lady who says that metal clay is most definitely a business to her.

She runs the Sierra Foothills Studio based in Placerville, California where she refers to herself as a 'clay pusher' - i.e.  that it is one of her aims in life to get as many people addicted to either polymer or silver clay as she can! Lorrene runs a variety of polymer clay and Art Clay Silver classes from this studio as well as travelling around the US teaching. She also sells her work in galleries and to her own students. Taking commissions is not something she does very often, but will happily consider a potential project if it gets her creative juices flowing.

Lorrene's studio is most definitely a chaotic place when

This piece won an Award of Merit at the CA State Fair

When asked about her favourite piece, she says it's always changing and depends on the newest technique she's currently employing.

Lorrene's Legends Series

At the moment, she is working on a series of rings called Legends which incorporate gem stones, fused glass and clever uses of texture, making sure that the shank of the ring is the same as the sides. Lorrene is well known for her fantastic capability in metal clay stone setting which may come in part as a result of her formal jeweller's training. Indeed, she has published a book on the subject called Setting Gemstones in Metal Clay which is an excellent reference guide on the subject.

One of Lorrene's beautifully set Legend rings.

Lorrene is quite candid about her approach to working - she tells me that she loves to just jump right on in and enjoy the process of making. She always makes the jewellery as her muse guides her and if someone wants to buy it, then that's a fantastic by-product of the process which enables her to buy more clay.

Lorrene's Celebration piece

To see more of Lorrene's work or perhaps book a course with her, have a look at her website where you can  also  find her own  favourite tool, the FingerBRUSH  (pat pend) which she developed herself after identifying a need. Her book, Setting Gemstones in Metal Clay is currently sold out and out of print, but, she is in the planning stage for an updated, step by step, instructional issue.