Casting small objects in Bronze and Silver with Kathryn Wardill

Create your own sculptural or cast jewellery objects in a hands-on casting workshop

Join expert jeweller and metalsmith Kathryn Wardill for an immersive workshop exploring the art of small-scale metal casting. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced maker, this class will guide you through traditional and contemporary casting techniques to create your own unique jewellery-sized sculptures in silver and bronze.

This workshop is designed to be both structured and exploratory, allowing students to develop a strong foundation in metal casting while experimenting with different approaches. You will learn how to shape and carve forms, work with molten metals, and refine your finished pieces to a professional standard.

By the end of the workshop, you will have created:
One silver casting – sculpted in wax and cast professionally at an external casting company.
One bronze (or silver) casting – created in-house using a direct metal pouring technique.

What You’ll Learn & Do:

Silver Casting – Wax Sculpting & Professional Casting

In this part of the course, students will work with specialist jeweller’s waxes to model intricate shapes and textures. Wax sculpting is a versatile technique used in lost-wax casting, allowing for precise detail and creative expression. Some of the key topics include:

• Considering design possibilities when working with wax.
• Wax Model Creation: Develop the skills to craft wax models primed for casting.
• Wax Working Demonstrations:  Hands-on demonstrations covering both soft and hard wax techniques.
• Understand different wax types and their uses in casting.
• Create detailed pieces such as rings, pendants, charms, or miniature sculptures.
• Equipment and Supplies. Gain insight into the tools and materials essential for successful casting and sculpting
• Basic Casting Principles.  Explore the foundational principles governing casting techniques.
• Your wax model will be sent to a professional casting studio, where it will be transformed into solid silver.
• Once castings are returned, you’ll learn finishing techniques, including filing, sanding, polishing, and refining details.
• This process offers a professional approach to jewellery casting, ensuring high-quality results with fine detail.

Direct Metal Pouring & Mould Carving

The second part of the workshop focuses on hands-on metal casting, where you’ll experience the exciting process of melting and pouring molten bronze/silver into hand-carved moulds.

• Learn to carve a negative design into cuttlefish bone to create a two-part mould.
• Work directly with molten bronze/silver and pour metal into freeform or structured moulds.
• Learn how to melt metal safely, using a crucible and torch.
• Watch your design take shape as molten metal fills the cavity and solidifies.
• Once cast, you’ll refine your work by learning post-casting finishing techniques, including filing, sanding, polishing, and oxidizing.

This method allows for a more immediate and organic casting experience, with beautiful textures and effects unique to the cuttlefish bone and other organic materials.

Additional Techniques Covered:

Metalworking Basics: Learn how to prepare for casting

Soldering Skills: Join metal components using soldering techniques.
Polishing & Finishing: Achieve a professional surface on your silver and bronze pieces.
Safety & Handling (OH&S): Learn best practices for working with molten metal, casting equipment, and hand tools.

Class Details & Important Notes:

• Class Size: Small group setting for individual guidance.
• Experience Level: No prior experience is required – beginners and experienced makers are welcome!
• Materials: All wax and casting tools are supplied, students will need to cover the cost of bronze and silver, which will be calculated at market rate.
• Project Size Limit: Due to time constraints, cast pieces will be no larger than a walnut.

Allergy Warning: This workshop involves the use of cuttlefish bone for mould-making. If you have a shellfish allergy, please contact us before enrolling to discuss alternatives.

Scheduled class times are highly structured with a balance between demonstrations and students practicing techniques and creating their own creations. Upon completion of the workshop, students will have the knowledge to continue to make their own wax and cast objects.

Class runs from Tuesday 18th to Friday 21st November 10am – 4pm

About Kathryn:

​Kathryn Wardill is a distinguished contemporary jeweller and glass artist based in Melbourne, Australia. She earned her Bachelor of Visual Art in Gold and Silversmithing from Griffith University in 1994, followed by a First Class Honours Bachelor of Fine Art from RMIT University in 1995. In 1998, she completed both a Graduate Diploma of Tertiary Teaching & Learning and a Master of Arts in Fine Art by Research at RMIT University. ​

For over three decades, Wardill has been at the forefront of integrating metal and glass in jewellery design. Her innovative approach has been showcased in ten solo exhibitions and more than 100 group exhibitions across the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Her creations are part of esteemed collections, including the Swiss National Museum and the National Art Glass Gallery in New South Wales. ​

In addition to her artistic practice, Wardill is a dedicated educator. She has served as a casual academic and research assistant at RMIT University, taught for 13 years at Box Hill TAFE, and conducted over 150 workshops in metal and glass techniques in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Her expertise has led her to present at various conferences and have her work featured in over 70 publications. ​

Wardill’s jewellery is characterized by the harmonious fusion of metal and glass, resulting in tactile and kinetic pieces that are both colourful and whimsical. Her work is available through Studio Ingot and online via Klimt02. ​

To learn more about Kathryn Wardill and her artistic journey, visit her website at www.wardill.com