About

I’m Laura Robson, I create unique, interesting, conversational spoons!  I believe the art you  select for your home should reflect your inner self and feed your soul.

- Art that delights your free spirit
- Art that makes you feel independent not constrained by convention
- Art that shows you’re a free thinker and live your life according to your own beliefs and dreams

Here you will find art that is intriguing, colorful and fun to show the world your uniqueness.

More about Laura

I create because it is in my soul to do so.  I am know to dabble in many mediums which for now expresses itself in mixed media spoons, functional or decorative, you decide.  (see my blog post, 12/17/18)

I live and work in a rustic A-frame cabin in a charming small town in the high desert of central Oregon. I love riding my horses along the Deschutes River into the nearby national forest. I like to pretend I'm on vacation every day.

The TEchy Stuff

Spoons formed using a technique called raising.   Raising is the shaping of metal from a flat sheet into a hollow form by using certain designed hammers, stakes, and proper placement of the hammer blows.  After spoons are formed they are shaped and handles are attached.  

Some of my spoons are enameled.  Enameling is glass fused to metal at high heat. I sift powdered glass on both the front and backside of each copper piece and fire multiple times to achieve the layers I desire. Before the last layer is fired I scratch a design such as a flower or simple circles into the powered enamel exposing the layer underneath in a technique called sgraffito then fired to a high gloss. Enamel is not considered food safe.  

The Enameling Process

Powdered glass enamel is sifted on copper then fired in a kiln, 1500 degrees

Enamel is glassy smooth after kiln firing and is ready for the next step.

A liquid glass enamel is painted on the front of the piece and while still wet...

Powedered glass is sifted on the liquid enamel, which helps hold it in place. The beginning of the design starts to show.

Using a scribe the powdered enamel is scratched off showing the black layer underneath. This technique is called sgraffito.

The piece is fired again in a kiln at about 1500 degrees. Most pieces are fired at least 3 times, one layer on the backside and two layers on the front.

 Care

 

Decorative spoons are not meant to be used for food.  Placing on a shelf or hanging on the wall is the intention of the spoon, a symbol of a reminder to ask yourself what feeds your soul.  Clean spoons by wiping with a moist cloth or by vacuuming them.  The metals may be cleaned with a polishing cloth to bring back luster lost to tarnishing if you like or by all means enjoy the natural patina!   

functional vs. non-functional

Brass and copper utensils have been around for a long time and with that there has been many opinions to whether the use of these metals in functional food use are safe to use or not.  Through research on Google I have found that some cultures such as Ayurveda says that these metals can be beneficial to our bodies and other scientific research says otherwise.  What I have found out that most agree on is to avoid using copper and brass utensils and cookware with foods containing vinegar, tomatoes or citrus fruits.  Brass easily reacts with salt and acidic foods, when it is heated so probably best to avoid that as well.  

Most importantly if your copper or brass cookware shows any signs of verdigris, a greenish or bluish deposit especially of copper carbonates formed on copper, brass or bronze surfaces and is poisonous, it is not food safe until it is cleaned. Once all the verdigris is scrubbed off, your cookware is food safe again.

So, with that information I will let you decide whether your utensil is food safe or not for you!  

Handmade

I do my best to create art as featured in the product photographs. As these pieces are handcrafted, please allow for slight variations in shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. I aim to be as accurate as possible in accordance to the design, aesthetic, and provided descriptions.