Jenny Reeves
San Francisco, Ca
Website
Tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in Levittown, PA, a former steel town outside of Philadelphia. My grandma was an accomplished seamstress, needleworker and cook and she taught me many skills as a child. Thanks to her I learned to work with my hands at a young age while developing an eye for detail and fine craftsmanship.
What is your favorite tool and why?
Digital caliper. Precise measurements lead to consistent quality work, even if your aesthetic is organic.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
I use Argentium sterling silver, 18K and 23K gold. I love Argentium for it’s ability to fuse (joining metal using only heat,) which makes it perfect for granulation and creating the layered textures I use in my work. It also allows me to do a lot of fabrication without using solder and it’s tarnish-resistant, so bright-finish pieces stay bright longer.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
The Bay Area landscape. It’s such an interesting intersection of the man-made and natural worlds. There’s the wild, natural beauty of the windswept coast contrasted with ornate Victorian and sleek modern architecture, the cool color palette of blue skies and water and green hills contrasted with a dark, rocky coast and the bright orange engineering marvel of the Golden Gate Bridge. In my work I like juxtaposing earthy textures with geometric lines, mixing bright and oxidized silver with high karat gold for strong contrast, and use a lot of blue, green and orange/red stones. Maybe I like the Bay Area so much because I like those colors.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
I took my first Metal Arts class at CCSF in 2003. I was working as a bartender, wanted to do something creative and decided to take an art class. After six semesters at City College I decided to pursue a career in jewelry making, and enrolled at the Revere Academy in 2007 to learn a full vocabulary of skills.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Experiment, explore and learn what the material can do. And get lots of practice!
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
The biggest challenge has been developing a body of work that is both artistically satisfying and commercially viable. It’s an ongoing process of refinement that merges what you like to make with understanding who your customer is and what they’re willing to pay for your work. That said, challenge was a big motivator for pursuing this career because it offers so much opportunity for growth and great potential for satisfaction.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
I’m a big fan of Hoover and Strong. They were the first manufacturer to use 100% recycled metals, their refinery uses 80% less chemicals & produces zero-waste discharge (they’re a third-party certified Responsible Source manufacturer,) they also offer Fair-Mined metals, recycled and Canadian-mined diamonds and their website has a wealth of educational information.
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Cynthia Clearwater
Pleasant Hill, Ca
Tell us a little about yourself.
I have always been creative and feel compelled to make things with my hands. Ceramics, fiber arts, and metalsmithing have all occupied my attention at various times in my life. I have a BA in Fine Arts from San Francisco State University and an MA in Museum Administration. I have also had hands-on instruction in various metals techniques from the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. I count myself a hobbyist because I have never tried to make a living from my art. My professional career was at the University of California Berkeley as a college and museum administrator.
What is your favorite tool and why?
I love tools and have so many favorites. If I had to pick one, it would be the 90 and 45 degree jig. My design aesthetic is minimalist so any little deviation from true is noticeable in my work (at least to me). The jig will put a flat plane on the end of a wire or small piece of sheet or a 45-degree angle. This really helps with butting up a solder joint.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
As most metalsmiths do, I started out working in sterling silver and using cabochons. It finally dawned on me that the amount of time I put in a piece made out of sterling silver is equal to the time I could make that same piece in gold. However, the gold piece could sell for a lot more money. So I am now working mostly in 14 and 18 karat gold. Love 18K for its silky quality versus stubborn 14K. I have also fallen hard for faceted gems so most of my work includes gemstones.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I usually start with the stone(s) and work out from there in my designs.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
I started metalsmithing in the year 2000 while still working full time at UCB. However, I had worked with ceramics (my BA emphasis) for many years before I took up metal. I wanted the same sculptural qualities in my work but without all the large equipment and muddy mess necessary in a ceramics studio.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Join the Metal Arts Guild, naturally! You need to be with other people who share your passion for metals. You will learn so much and find great mentors in the guild. It can be very isolating working alone at your bench.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
I will never make the perfect piece. I do not make multiples of my work so each piece presents new challenges. I tell myself every time I start a piece to map it all out step-by-step before I start but I never do. So somewhere in the middle of the piece, I will run up against a roadblock. Creative solutions are usually found but just once it would feel so good if everything went right from start to finish. Sigh. I may never achieve practice making perfect.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
I am a fan of Otto Frei and Rio Grande for my tools and metal. I have purchased two beautifully cut gemstones from John Dyer.
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Ed Lay
El Cerrito, Ca
Tell us a little about yourself.
I have a lifelong interest in education. For 30 years, I wrote programming languages for kids and teachers at the School of Education at UC Berkeley. Now I teach metalsmithing, stone setting and enameling at the Richmond Art Center in the East Bay.
What is your favorite tool and why?
The hammer. I find it the most expressive tool. I think of a lot of my work as a conversation with the metal and hammers are my voice. From rhythmic heavy forging to shape and form to the light caress as I refine an edge, the vocabulary of a hammer is enormous.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
I work mostly in copper and enamel. My initial attraction to both was that there seem to be so much to learn that I would never get to the end of it. Currently, I also like the interplay between the metal and the glass. The color of the glass can change depending on the condition of the metal and the color of the enamel. One particular advantage is that copper firescale can act as a pigment. This allows me to capture marks of the metalsmithing process in the glass.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Everywhere. Nature of course, but looking at nature, I try to discern underlying patterns and processes which might be appropriated into my work. There are patterns all around us, both natural and man made. I have (or will) made pieces inspired by sources like the changing moire patterns of chain link fences on a pedestrian overpass as I drive underneath it or the miniaturization of architectural metalwork. A wonderful book which captures this attitude is: “How to Use Your Eyes” by James Elkins
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
I have been working in metal for 16 years. I fell into it by accident. After years of taking by daughter to art classes and dropping her off, I thought I might take a class myself. The metal studio is next to the kids studio and the rest is history.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Patience. Take the time to master basic skills. It will be longer than you think because you are not just training the mind, but the eye and hand as well. Even if you intend to 3D print everything, hand fabrication will provide you with an intuition as to what is possible. Embrace mistakes, they appear at the edge of knowledge and show that you are learning. Over time, they can lead you to your own style. Never stop learning.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
Time. I addressed the issue in 2 ways. Many of my demos for my classes are dual use. With some extra finishing, many of them end up for sale at the gallery that carries my work. Also, explicitly scheduling studio time is important.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
Favorite Vendor: McMaster-Karr – Great place for obscure needs like specialty steels.
Favorite Website: ganoksin.com and the Orchid mailing list is the largest most comprehensive jewelry resource on the internet.
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Bo Li
August 2016
Millbrae, Ca
Website
Tell us a little about yourself.
I had a Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine and had worked in that field for several years. But I couldn’t give up the dream of art from childhood and became a painter. In 2016, I graduated from Academy of Art University major in Jewelry and Metal Art with outstanding records.
I love literature, traditional culture, and nature. I am good at extracting those elements and combining them with enthusiasm to my jewelry. My understanding and passion for life and my love of nature are resources of my endless great ideas and designs. When I was making jewelry or painting, I devoted my whole heart and soul to pursue the pure beauty.
By calm, elegant, and abstract design, my jewelry expresses beauty, pure, peace, and goodness of life.
What is your favorite tool and why?
My favorite tool is 3D design and printing, because through 3D design and printing, I can make design that can’t made by hand, I can make almost any jewelry in my imagination. For example, my scrolls jewelry set is hollow and is almost impossible to make by hand, but is easily made by 3D design and printing.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
I use sterling silver the most. I love the color, brightness, patina of sterling silver, and it is easy to work with.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I was inspired by the beauty of nature, passion of life, legend and stories, I like to abstract them into smooth lines and 3 dimensional art works, to express the love and peace in my heart.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
I’ve been working in metals for three years. I had a Master’s degree in Veterinary Medicine and had worked in that field for several years. But I couldn’t give up the dream of art from my childhood and became a painter. I attended a few jewelry shows, and the amazing jewelry world attracted me deeply, so I studied Jewelry and Metal Art in Academy of Art University for three years. I love making jewelry, and I can combine my love of culture, nature, and life into my works.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Safety first, always follow those rules, and enjoy.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
I have a lot of ideas and imagination, but I was limited by the techniques sometimes, once I learnt 3D design and 3D printing, I was so happy that most of my imagination can become true. I still need to learn more about 3D software, so I can express my design even more freely.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
My inspiration comes from various fields, maybe from an ancient poem, a legend, a painting, etc., therefore, my favorite website is Google.
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David Olson
San Francisco, Ca
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am an engineer by day. I grew up in San Francisco. After a stint as a Navy submariner, I lived Albuquerque and then Phoenix and have just moved back to San Francisco. I have two fantastic adult sons who were raised around all of the art, science and creativity I could cram into them.
What is your favorite tool and why?
I love my graver. I was reluctant for years to try something that was at once free-form and precise. Once I finally caved to the persistent pressure from a number of mentors, I have joined the converted. My graver is my friend.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
I work almost exclusively in sterling silver. It has nearly limitless possibilities for shaping, joining and surface finishes and the cost is manageable (cheaper than golf). I include natural stones in nearly all designs, but I rarely cut my own.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Inspiration for me runs the range from natural forms such as animals or flowers to geometrics like triangles, spirals or swirls and sometimes even everyday iconic items like a princess phone or a musical staff.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
I got my start in a high school jewelry class 30 years ago. At the first suggestion, I said I couldn’t do it – I couldn’t cut a straight line even in wood. The teacher said that kind of skill is learned and not instinctual and it was the most powerful piece of inspiration I’ve ever been given. I pass it on at every opportunity.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Complete a lot of pieces and give them away. Don’t get stuck on one skill or step or one troublesome piece. Make, make, make. If a piece comes out wonky, give it to your niece, get back to the bench and make the next one a little better. Don’t be too quick to expect to sell anything.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
I struggle with my skill level as a hobbyist. Fussing and doubting because my results are unpredictable, I melt a piece while soldering or snap off a prong while setting the last stone. I gain inspiration from full-time artists and professionals, but it is really my fellow hobbyists who keep my motivation up in the face of all the minor blunders along the way.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
Southwest Gems and Minerals in Albuquerque. They have great pricing and a phenomenal variety of stones, all on display and clearly marked and you can browse all day without pressure or get very knowledgeable advice at any time. Worth the trip down Route 66.
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Carolyn Tillie
Montara, Ca
Website
Tell us a little about yourself.
Middle aged, I’ve been juggling jewelry work with culinary work for over thirty years. Much of my bachelor’s in metals was done at San Diego State University under Arline Fisch and Helen Shirk. I obtained an MFA in 1998 at Cal State Long Beach under the tutelage of Dieter Müller-Stach and Al Pine. I am also a Certified Master Chef and obtained advanced certification under the Wine Spirit Education Trust (one of those steps towards becoming a sommelier). In the beginning, the jewelry work started in my early twenties with dragons, faeries, and Celtic knotwork designs that I sold Renaissance and street fairs.
Privately, I create occult- and alchemical-themed regalia and jewelry for several fraternal organizations with my Master’s Thesis work all based on the Kabbalah, occult-based Judaic mysticism. The past decade has been spent combining my great love of food in several jewelry lines that utilize miniature plastic and polymer clay food. I have worked as a food-and-wine author, with my first published book coming out next year, “Oysters, A Global History.” I am currently working on developing a project that will research and present the history food and ingredients as art forms: www.foodasartbook.com.
What is your favorite tool and why?
I guess I like my flex-shaft. When I was in school – and struggling with hand filing and polishing a piece – I had a teacher who was emphatic with only using one’s hands and no electronic tools. In retrospect, I think it was very silly for the hours I wasted hand-sanding a piece with sandpaper when a few minutes with a flex-shaft would have done the trick.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
I have always been drawn to the concept of repurposing so while I am mostly known now for making “food jewelry” from Japanese gumball machine toys and miniature food from the dollhouse industry, I am currently developing new designs with repurposed antique Edwardian guilloche cufflinks and other vintage jewelry.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I go to a lot of art museums to soak in other visual stimuli. I am drawn to forms that utilize repetition but, conversely, I am also obsessed with vintage jewelry so I also peruse a lot of antique stores, eBay, and auction catalogues.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
Like many, I started making jewelry at a very young age – I remember wanting for Christmas a kit called “Rings and Things” when I was five or six years old. In my teens I bought beading kits until I was able to take my first jewelry class at a local junior college. I always had to work corporate jobs to survive, so getting a bachelor’s in Art took me twelve years since I could only ever take one or two classes a semester. During that time, a love of food and gastronomy also became a driving force in my life. I had the misguided belief that an MFA would provide a natural career path in the art industry and it was only during my last semester of working on my MFA that I realized the degree would not open any doors within the art or crafts world. Having a somewhat bitter taste towards the educational system, a week after graduation (in 1998), I enrolled in cooking school and all but walked away from doing any metalwork for several years.
Instead, I threw myself into the food-and-wine industry, working as a caterer, writing magazine articles about women in the wine industry, and ghostwriting and editing cookbooks. It was almost a decade later that I returned to jewelry when a friend returning from a Tokyo vacation brought me some “gashopon” (Japanese gumball machine toys) fashioned after sushi, that I actually set them as other jewelers would set gemstones. I submitted the first piece made and was accepted to Lark’s “500 Plastic Jewelry.” That encouraged me to throw myself back into jewelry production; working street fairs, craft shows, and the internet.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Learn and perfect as many techniques as possible. Like exercise (as though I’m one to talk), keep it up and stay in practice. Those long breaks in not working on the bench has taken its toll in that there are skills I acquired that I no longer have.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
Part of me greatly regrets the time spent in the university system for what are now useless degrees. I had good, classically-trained German-trained metalsmiths for instructors, but they knew little in the ways of formal bench work. With their emphasis on large-scale hollow-forms, I think they only showed bezel setting once and never any other form of stone-setting. The other challenge that came with the university system included the entire lack of any business preparation or professional development on any scale. There was NO guidance on self-promotion, accounting, exhibitions, gallery submissions, etc. Perhaps it is different now, but in 1998, it was very frustrating to be given a diploma, but be thrown to the wolves in trying to figure out how to make a living. How I overcame it was through organizations like the Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment and the Metal Arts Guild (at one point, several members and I started a business mentorship group to share our information and experience – I don’t know if that still exists).
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
eBay. I love sourcing the unexpected like the miniature food or someone else’s broken scrap. There is so much old broken jewelry available so inexpensively that can be redesigned into new and modern work.
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Owen McInerney
San Francisco, Ca
Website
Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in SF but grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where it rains all the time and the skies are always gray! I love the warm weather here (for the most part!) and the blue skies. I’ve had several careers on the way to being a full time metalworker but as they say, life is about the Journey…
What is your favorite tool and why?
Don’t really have a favorite but do love a few: my miter cutting vice is a godsend! and I have a few tiny Riffler files that get me out of trouble!
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
Most of my work is in sterling silver but I love working with copper, especially when forging or forming. Often I’ll make a design/idea in copper first to see if it’s even feasible and whether I like it or not.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
A lot from plants/gardening I must say- which I love and am always looking for new plants with unusual shapes, colors and textures. I also try to draw as much as possible to iron out any kinks before I make something new and then add measurements and notes so I’ll remember how to make another in the future. Then, as I’m making something often an idea or variation will pop into my head, which I also draw in my sketch book – as these often lead to new designs. These drawings are a great resource at a later stage (when the inspirations juices are not flowing!) to look back over for ideas. I must say too though for me, it’s all about the metalwork, the technique. I’m actually not that interested in jewelry but jewelry sells well and I apply the current metal technique I’m working on to make jewelry.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
Well, full time as a jeweler I think its been 8 years. I took metalwork in High School where I learnt the basics and was making simple sterling jewelry back then too. Punk had just exploded in Dublin and my poor sister got to model my early creations – like it or not! Think she got expelled from school at some stage for wearing an earring I made out of a dried half bird! (bought from a fly-fishing supply store). I tried to get an apprenticeship at a silversmith but ended up doing an engineering degree. Years later as a software engineer here in the Bay I convinced my company to let me attend SF State once a week where I took classes with the wonderful Julia Turner. More recently I’ve been a regular at Scintillant Studios and software is long gone!
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Let’s see, I suppose a few things. Stick with it for one. 10,000 hours of practice will really help! Try to do your own thing and find your own path and not be too influenced by what others are making. Keep taking classes and learning new techniques and don’t keep making the same thing or you’re get really bored (and so will your audience).
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
I suppose one of my biggest challenges is when switching from making multiples at the end of the year for holiday sales to creating new pieces in the new year. Every year I fear I won’t be able to come up with anything! – but I’ve learned that you just have to stay at your bench and play and experiment and look over past drawings of ideas for inspiration.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
Tend to use Rio Grande just as it’s so convenient but I have noticed large jumps in their pricing from year to year since Berkshire Hathaway took over. So shop around especially on higher prices items.
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Wei La Poh
Oakland, Ca
Website
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Hong Kong, but raised with a multi-cultural state of mind. I have lived in Asia for sixteen years and moved abroad to finish her last two years of high school education in London. I then went to pursue the arts in Brooklyn, NY. I finally received her BFA in Jewelry/ Metal Arts with High Distinction at California College of the Arts in 2013. I then went to pursue my MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design in Jewelry + Metalsmithing. My current body of work is based on found enamelware. I am deeply fascinated with the history of enamelware and investigate this subject in the context of how it can be jewelry. It is an ongoing investigation on how these found objects can become adornments. This work can be found under the Handle series.
What is your favorite tool and why?
This is a tough one! I love my Fretz Goldsmithing hammer and the laser welder, but if I had to choose I’d say the laser welder because I don’t have that in my possession yet and would love to get my hands on one, one day! The usage of the laser welder has been a huge aspect of my current body of work and it works beautifully on steel.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
My current materials that I create most with are found enamelware and mild steel. I love found enamelware because of the history it brings to the table on the surface. You really have to be a keen observer and really follow where all the cracks and dents lead. I love mild steel simply for its vulnerability to rust. I live near the Bay and it rusts like crazy and I’m absolutely in love with it! Except it can get out of hand when it comes to my tools.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Found enamelware themselves and its relation to the body. There’s an unspoken dynamic between the two.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
Honestly, total accident. I took a Jewelry 1 intro class as an elective at CCA and got hooked! I have been studying metals since 2008.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Discover everything you need to know about your material through doing the Richard Serra Verb List.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
Before I had graduated from RISD, the challenge was surviving graduate school. Now that I am out in the “real” world, it has been a balancing act of finding time to make what I love, teaching what I love and finding a job to support what I am passionate about. There have been a few bumps in the road, but reminding myself to at the bigger picture is always important.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
My go to resource would be klimt02.net and vendor is the good old faithful, riogrande.com.
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Sam Woehrmann
San Francisco, Ca
Website
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am jewelry designer, gemologist, and custom goldsmith living and working out of my home studio in the Castro district of San Francisco. I am in my second year of doing both whole sale and retail trade shows and I work with a handful of galleries around the country that sell my work.
I came to San Francisco in 2001 to attend the Revere Academy. In 2004 I completed gemology training at GIA in Carlsbad California. I have been back in San Francisco since 2005 working as a bench jeweler for two different designers and developing my own line of jewelry.
What is your favorite tool and why?
One of my favorite tools is the chasing tool i use to put my signature notched texture on the edge of many of my designs. I like to find different uses for tools. For instance the most use i get out of the miter jig, normally used for filing metal stock flat, is to use it for holding tubing while stone setting.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
I work with a lot of stones, both precious and semi precious. I love finding unusual stones and rough material to work with. As for metal, I love working with high karat gold. The bright yellow color and way it works has always captivated me. I also like to use a mix of different metals in my work to get different color combinations between the metal and stones.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw inspiration both from the materials i work with, such as the cuts of stones or the natural crystal structure of minerals, and from living in an urban landscape which gives my work an industrial feel.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
My first experience with metal was in high school jewelry classes. I had a rock collection as a kid that alway fascinated me. Learning to work with metal and incorporate stones into jewelry is what got me into this field.
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Advice i would give to anyone starting out in metals is don’t be afraid to experiment and push the limits of what you can do with metal. Don’t be afraid of the material either, if something doesn’t work out you haven’t lost any material. You might have to refine the material, but the value is still there.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
One of my biggest challenges as a metal artist is to figure out how to run a successful business and make a living doing this. That side of things does not come easy, you have to put a lot of work into this side of things too.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
I think the best resource is this great metals community. You can find a wealth of information from teachers, classmates, other artists, and metal friends. I have been fortunate to meet so many wonderful and sharing people in this community.
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Oakley Parsons
Concord, Ca
Website
Tell us a little about yourself.
I moved to California a couple of years ago, from Africa. I’m originally from Canada but have lived in the US off and on for many years. I came to metalwork and jewelry quite recently, beginning just two years ago at the Revere Academy in San Francisco. After a long and varied career I’m finally doing what I love – working with my hands, being creative and being my own boss. I love working in my studio where I can spend all day with my two dogs who are the joy of my life!
What is your favorite tool and why?
I love my Meiji EMZ-5 microscope. It allows me to really see all the detail of the work I’m doing. It’s like seeing into a different world, I get totally absorbed and forget about everything else. I also love working with my gravers. Engraving lets me be very expressive. It’s like drawing – endless possibilities.
Which materials do you create with most and what is your attraction to using them?
Gold, diamonds and rubies. Gold is a beautiful, buttery metal; diamonds have an unmatched sparkle and the rubies have such a beautiful richness of color. For me it’s primarily the visual attraction.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I’m typically very inspired by the beauty in the natural world around me, in the forms, shapes and movements. Right now I’m working a lot with geometric shapes and patterns and I’m also gaining inspiration for this from man-made articles like fabrics and architecture.
How long have you been working in metals and what brought you into this field?
I’ve worked with metals for just 2 years. At college I studied fine art and over the years have enjoyed painting and drawing. When I lived in Colorado I had friends who were jewelers and always felt like I wanted to try it. When I moved to California in 2013 I bit the bullet and committed. It’s the best life choice I ever made!
What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out in metals?
Take the JTI Program at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. It’s how I started and it gave me good solid knowledge and skills base in many metalworking and jewelry techniques. The teachers are really good and learning in a group is a good way to build a network of friends and business resources.
What has been the biggest challenge for you as a metal artist and have you overcome it, or how are you working to overcome it?
In terms of skills, soldering has been a big challenge for me. At the end of the day there is really no substitute for practice, though, and I am improving all the time. A jeweler friend recently taught me to use a German blowpipe that allows for really fine control and is massively improving my soldering capabilities and scope.
Favorite resource/vendor or website you would like to share?
Look for The Ganoksin Project online. They are an organization dedicated to the benefit of jewelers worldwide, free of charge! They host a wealth of information and inspiration in articles, videos, blogs, forums, technical papers and galleries. Check it out.
The Metal Arts Guild is truly a fantastic resource, especially for networking locally. I have made really good connections through MAG, both as friends and resources. This is especially important for me as I look for advice and guidance in turning my jewelry art into a business venture.
S
