This year I made a point to do fewer arts and crafts shows to focus on learning and to find out what technique or techniques are a good fit. It's been a year and half since I took my first class in metal fabrication at Pullen Arts Center in Raleigh.
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| My first fabricated pendant |
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| Back of pendant |
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| My first pair of earrings |
Since then I have learned:
- how to use of the torch, solder, sawing, filing, and bezel setting with Megan Clark at Pullen Arts
- how to use the hydraulic press to create dimensional forms with Betty McKim - made a locket with rivets
- how to embellishment metals with Kathryn Osgood - etching on brass to make embossing plates to transfer designs to metal and using keum boo to add a pop of gold to silver
- about various casting techniques (broom stick, water, rock salt, cuttlebone) from a group of wonderful women at the Jewelry Artists Retreat (JAR) @ Lake Gaston, NC
- how to flush set faceted stones, again with Megan Clark
- how to make rings with tim lazure - completed 2 rings that I really, really love
- how to add alternate colors on metal with Kathryn Osgood - including patinas and colored resin
- how to tube set a faceted stone and fold form copper at a spring mini-retreat in the NC mountains with Debora (member of JAR) and Kimberly
- how to chase & repousse on copper and silver with the Italian artist Davide Bigazzi, Menlo Park, CA
- how to fuse enameling to copper with Julie Brooks
Next week I will be at William Holland School of Lapidary to learn how to make lampwork glass beads. It was actually my 3rd choice since my 1st (Silver II: Forging) and 2nd (Enameling) choices were at maximum! Four other members of JAR will be there, too - we are going to have a blast!
