Brazing Ballet

THE INSPIRATION?

... these pointe shoes (literally these exact ones, they were my template).

THE TASK?

... to take this raw material, mold it, shape it, and form it into these.

HOW?

... here's how Wikipedia explains it.

TRANSLATION?

Wear some sweet goggles and bulky gloves, bend and shape your metal, get your torch going (yeah, FIRE!), place filler material at the joints you want to connect, and melt the filler material. Keep it going and watch and see what you can create.

HERE'S THE CREATED FRAME

FINAL PRODUCT

I used newspaper to create the "skin" of the slipper (good 'ole paper mache) with one layer of white tissue paper over that to achieve the delicate look. I then took the exact ribbon and string from my inspirational pointe shoes and attached them to the sculpture. I sewed the ribbon on just the way you would on real pointe shoes.