a new kind of palette

it's news for some, but i'm back in school again - with a slightly new direction: dental technology. i like it because we use very similar tools, methods, and materials as in jewellery, but this time with a more utilitarian function. compared to all the art forms i've dabbled in over the years, i've found jewellery to be the most exact and finicky.

but dental tech is worse - i didn't think it was possible. in jewellery, pieces that are supposed to be soldered have to be filed so they fit perfectly together with no gaps, little scratches are huge imperfections, and solder blobs drive you crazy and make you instinctively reach for a small hand file.

in dental tech, if something is off a tenth of a millimeter the whole piece may be useless, it may ruin the whole tooth setup or cause someone extreme pain. it's far more challenging than i thought it would be. though i've been told it will get easier in time, which is normally true, so i'm hopeful :p

so now i will also be a maker of dental appliances, and they'll pop up in here from time to time. i can already see how it's inspiring new jewellery work from me, we'll see where it goes from here.

some of you who have had retainers may recognize these acrylic palettes. i had to make orthodontic appliances while studying for my ortho exam. it's been hard transitioning back into study mode, but i'm getting back into it (i.e. i'm drinking coffee again). i like how from this angle, the first picture kind of looks like a trio of swans.