MU Future development and plans

Metalsmiths Unite has reached a milestone today- 4 years of being one of the most interactive and dynamic metalsmithing organizations on the web! Happy 4th Anniversary Metalsmiths Unite!

As the founder of Metalsmiths Unite I have endeavored to create a friendly community forum that serves all levels of metalsmithing, from people who are just beginning to get their hands on metals to master craftspeople who have reached the highest points of the craft.

I want to make Metalsmiths Unite an essential tool for the working metalsmith. One of the ways that I see this happening is through the many lively discussions on theory and technique that already happen on MU's wall every day. another goal is to have MU be the destination to find opportunities that are available for working artists- from calls to enter shows and books, to job opportunities, tools and equipment for sale, and great coverage of workshops, classes and conferences that are available to our craft. I also have a real possibility of a Metalsmiths Unite show here in Tucson during the February Gem Show. (exciting!)

There are many ways that MU can serve the community- and I'm very interested in developing the site and this blog for the future of our community. However, I cannot continue to take on these tasks and expand MU's functions without having some monetary support from the membership. Therefore, as of today I am requesting that members participate in this development by  a suggested donation of between $10-20 a year.  

There is now a "Donate" button on the top of the sidebar of our blog; this is where members can pay their annual donation.This is a new thing for me, so bear with me as I set it up. I will do my best to be transparent about the funds raised.  The more donations I receive, the more time I will be able to commit to the development of our community.
And, in the continuing commitment to serve our entire community, one dollar of each donation fifteen dollars and higher will be set aside for donation to Made By Survivors, an organization working to empower and educate victims of trafficking and exploitation. (More about Made By Survivors can be found at http://madebysurvivors.com )

By having a small amount of money to work with I can justify my many hours of work in the development of Metalsmiths Unite and I can hopefully raise enough donations so that I can continue to develop MU to be one of our most used and beloved tools...
by metalsmiths for metalsmiths.
thank you-
Maureen BZ

Metalsmiths Unite on the (internet) radio!

I'm going to be interviewed by Jay Whaley on Blogtalk radio Metalsmithing Benchtalk http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whaleystudios THIS THURSDAY at 3pm pacific time.
(I think this will be my 4th full interview- the other ones are archived in the Whaley studio channel on Blogtalk radio.)

This time I'll be talking about my metalsmithing Facebook group " Metalsmiths Unite" and how it has developed over the past 3+ years.

 I'd really love it if MU members phoned in during the interview- to talk about Metalsmiths Unite/ Metalsmithing or if they just want to say "Hi." 

 This is the official call in phone # (646) 716-5718 for the show-
Also- If you are having trouble getting through you can always use the chat room (provided on the link)that you can type in questions or comments during the show-

The link to my interview is
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whaleystudios/2012/06/21/metalsmith-benchtalk-with-maureen-bz-brusa-zappellini  

Don't be shy- make a short call!  It's a lot of fun and a great way to connect - there are some members I've known for YEARS and have never even heard their voice!

Ciao for now- MaureenCosmo's Moon jewelry: Metalsmiths Unite on the (internet) radio!

Mimi Favre ~ Artist Interview

A big thank you today, to Mimi for sharing with us in today's Artist Interview :)

How would you describe what you do as an artist?

Primarily, I make one of a kind and limited production fine jewelry. Color relationships interest me so I try to find unusual stones and pearls to use in my work. I prefer to work in gold and platinum although I do love the color of pink and green gold, oxidized silver, bronze and copper and sometimes combine them in a piece. 

Classic Quatrefoil Earring in two sizes and in several color combinations. All 18K gold with tourmalines and sapphires (green, blue and pink). Oxidized silver and 18K gold with yellow beryl and mali garnets.
©Mimi Favre

 
What inspires your designs?

I keep a sketchbook for all of the random designs that pop into my head! I’m an avid gardener so I do like to adapt floral forms in wax. I have a large collection of seashells, pods and various organic 'shapes'. I take lots of photos. I buy natural colored pearls and stones that I like and prefer to design around them.

 Dogwood Ring
©Mimi Favre

 

 
How long have you been involved in this type of making?

The metalsmith spark was ignited when, as a young teenager, I visited Historic Williamsburg, Virginia and was mesmerized by the 'colonial silversmiths' who were making beautiful objects. I decided that I wanted to study metalsmithing in college even though I had not had any instruction and therefore no portfolio. I enrolled at RIT as an Art major then transferred the following year into the Metals program. However, once I completed my BFA in what was then The School for American Craftsman, I realized that I wanted to apply my design skills to fine jewelry. I moved to New York City where I worked for German master jewelers for six years and later worked at Carvin French which is a highly specialized fine jewelry trade shop. For more than twenty years I have worked on my own while also raising a family.
 

Where are you located? 

I have lived outside of Philadelphia for most of my life. This region of Pennsylvania has a rich history of Horticulture evidenced by numerous public and private gardens where we enjoy four distinct seasons.

Botanical Group. Embossed bracelet 18K gold. Ginkgo Earrings in 18K gold (available on Etsy ) and Embossed 18K Fern pendant on handmade 18K chain.
©Mimi Favre

Do you have a website or etsy store? 

Website: http://www.MimiFavre.com
Blog- Studio Jeweler: http://mimifavre.blogspot.com/ 
Etsy- FavreBijoux http://www.etsy.com/shop/FavreBijoux
CustomMade website- http://www.custommade.com/by/mimi-favre-studio
 
What other ways do you market your work? 

 I have sold work in several galleries in the past however with rising gold prices and most Galleries wanting only to consign, I am concentrating my efforts on the Internet with shops on ETSY and CustomMade. I do a few selective local trunk shows and custom work. 

Recent design. Group of Pyramid Earrings. 18K yellow and pink gold with natural colored 11mm pearls. Yellow and white South Sea and Gray/Blue Tahitian pearls.
©Mimi Favre

 
Any sage advice for newcomers that you would like to share?

I don't consider myself a Sage but here goes.....Seek out good teachers to learn proper technique. There are no shortcuts to good craftsmanship- only practice. Use the best materials that you can afford. Make what you love and follow your own design instincts. Don't underestimate your talent nor undervalue your work. Never compromise your integrity.
 

Where do you envision your work going in the next year?

I'm thinking about working on a bigger scale and doing some decorative objects. I plan to learn 3Design. 

Anything else?

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/MimiFavreStudio
Twitter @favrebijoux

Geometric Briolet Earrings
©Mimi Favre

Call to Enter- Necklace show for SNAG Phoenix 2012

The following is the prospectus for a show that is part of the 2012 SNAG conference in Phoenix AZ this coming May-

Hot Under the Collar: A Survey of Contemporary Necklaces

Choker, collar, lariat, torque, pendant, the necklace is one of the most diverse formats available to metalsmiths today. Whether cascading down the front, or draped down the back, the possibilities are nearly endless. The human torso provides us with one of our largest canvases, while still keeping body as site.

From comments on the classic strand of pearls to contemporary takes on armor, this juried exhibition seeks to showcase how metalsmiths today interpret this incredibly versatile object.

Jurors

Bob Ebendorf
    Robert Ebendorf is the Belk Distinguished Professor at the East Carolina University Metal Design program. He has also taught at the University of Georgia and the State University of New York at New Paltz, as well as conducted workshops all over the country. Ebendorf has received numerous grants and awards, including a Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant, an American Crafts Council Award, and most recently the North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor awarded by the state of North Carolina. He has exhibited work extensively both nationally and internationally. Ebendorf has works in the permanent collections of the Museum of Art and Design,  the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.



Amy Tavern    
    Amy Tavern received a BFA in Metal Design from the University of Washington and a BA in Arts Administration from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia. In addition to being a studio artist, Tavern has taught at the Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and the Pratt Fine Arts Center. Tavern has lectured at the 2008 Society of North American Goldsmiths Conference, East Carolina University, and Winthrop University. She has exhibited at Sienna Gallery, Aaron Faber Gallery, and Heidi Lowe Gallery, among others. Tavern’s work has been published in numerous publications, most recently in SNAG’s 2011 Exhibition in Print. Tavern is currently a resident artist at the Penland School of Crafts. Her work can be found in galleries around the U.S. and abroad.
 
   
   




Hot Under the Collar Application


Last Name                First Name                Middle Initial


Address                       


City                        State                Zip Code


Phone Number                            Email

Entry 1

Title:________________________________________________

Materials:___________________________________________

Dimensions:________________________________________

Year:________________________________________________


Entry 1 (detail)

Title:________________________________________________

Materials:___________________________________________

Dimensions:________________________________________

Year:________________________________________________


Entry 2

Title:________________________________________________

Materials:___________________________________________

Dimensions:________________________________________

Year:________________________________________________


Entry 2 (detail)

Title:________________________________________________

Materials:___________________________________________

Dimensions:________________________________________

Year:________________________________________________


Entry 3

Title:________________________________________________

Materials:___________________________________________

Dimensions:________________________________________

Year:________________________________________________


Entry 3 (detail)

Title:________________________________________________

Materials:___________________________________________

Dimensions:________________________________________

Year:________________________________________________


Hot Under the Collar will be shown May 24-27, in conjunction with the 2012 SNAG Conference. The exhibition will take place at the Scottsdale Museum of art, in a large atrium. Please note that while the exhibition space is secure, the museum will not be providing insurance. Accepted works must arrive at SMOCA on or before May 23, 2012. Return shipping costs must be covered by the artist either by pre-paid shipping label or by credit card. Work may also be picked up from SMOCA at the end of the conference.

Artists may submit up to 3 artworks for consideration for a $30 fee. Payment must be made via PayPal to hotunderthecollarshow@gmail.com.  If you have a PayPal account, you can use the Send Money option. You do not need a PayPal Account to submit payment, you may pay with a credit card through PayPal using the Send Money Option to submit payment to hotunderthecollarshow@gmail.com.

Only works completed in the past 3 years will be considered. Entries must be submitted as digital images in JPEG. Image resolution must be 300 dpi, with 6” as the longest dimension.  Digital images should be named as follows:

LastName.EntryNumber.jpg  (EX: Doe.1.jpg) Detail shots may be included and should be labeled as follows: LastName.EntryNumber a.jpg (EX: Doe1a.jpg) Please limit detail shots to 1 per piece.

Email entries by January, 15th 2012 to Liz Steiner at:
hotunderthecollarshow@gmail.com subject Necklace Show.

Aritst Interview ~ Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Special thanks to Kest for sharing with us! 

Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

How would you describe what you do as an artist?
My work is all about being one of a kind, affordable, and easy to wear. I use metal to evoke the natural landscape from which the ore emerged. Some pieces are very bold, shouting of earthquakes, while others whisper of quiet fields of rustling grass, or paths through autumn woods.  Like any good traveling companion, my pieces are a bit eccentric- each is entirely different from every other piece I've ever created. Each has their own personality, as organic and hard to define as each of your friends. The masks provide a different kind of freedom; by letting you pretend to be something else, they allow you to truly be yourself. They are wearable, yet function as sculpture off the head.

Ghost ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

What inspires your designs?
Mostly the copper itself- also the world. Trees and streams and acorn caps caught in whirlpools. Folktales and fairytales and overheard stories. Sometimes big thoughts, but mostly small ones. Recently I've been making masks for all the critters in Borges "The Book of Imaginary Beings", and this has challenged me tremendously- some of the creatures I know, but others I have to invent from a small bit of text.

Triceratops worn ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

How long have you been involved in this type of making?
I've been making masks for over a decade. I've been forging copper for about 8 years. I've been inventing odd critters for just under 30 years. 

Cassawary ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Where are you located?
Currently in Nashville, TN. I move around a lot, and travel even more, so you never know where I'll turn up. Next on the list: Bicycling the Mediterranean coast (not all of it). 

Hummingbird ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Mosquito from Elow ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Do you have a website or etsy store?
I primarily list my work at www.vagabondjewelry.com
I do also have an etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/VagabondMetal
Right now the Imaginary Beings only exist on my blog http://thebookofimaginarybeings.blogspot.com 

 

Guillotine Ring front ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

What other ways do you market your work?
I've recently gotten into wholesale, so now my stuff is available in several boutiques and museum stores, mostly in the northeast, and right around Nashville. Occasionally I do participate in a gallery show, but not so often.
 

Falling Waters ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Any sage advice for newcomers that you would like to share?
Sage advice? I don't know about that! I think that the one real solid thing I have to share is that it's worth trying with that thing you really want to be doing that everyone says will be impossible. I started my business with my jewelry- I enjoyed making the masks, but didn't think they would be commercially viable. It was years before I put the time into making them sellable. Now I have trouble making them fast enough to keep them in stock. The other, related, thing is to go ahead and make that big thing that you really KNOW will never sell. It'll get attention, or, in other words, free advertising. 

Flora ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Where do you envision your work going in the next year?
Well, there's still 120 critters left in the book of imaginary beings. That'll be most of the next year. After that? Maybe I'll extend the book from my own folkloric studies.

Bermuda Triangle ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Anything else you would like to share?
MY FaceBook Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/vagabondjewelry
My photos on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vagabondjewelry 

And if you're looking for funny stories, I've been writing them up on my personal blog, here: http://uneditedstorys.blogspot.com/  

Backbone with bone ©Kest Schwartzman of Vagabond Jewelry

Black on Brass

Black on brass- my sample from the following recipe

 recently we have had a thread about getting patina on brass- it is possible- just a little different recipe than black on copper or sterling- here is the best black on brass notes that I have found-


This is a handout that I got from the fabulous Claire Sanford (@top dog studios) a few years ago when I took a patina workshop that she taught here in Tucson. If you ever get a chance to take a class with Claire I highly recommend it- she is a lovely person and an excellent instructor that really knows her way around the metals studio.

The Copper show

The Copper show! (call to enter)

Hi everyone-
About a month ago I was asking for people to come up with a list of artists who work primarily in copper- Here's the reason why! I wanted to get people to start thinking about this upcoming show.
It will be one of the SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) sponsored shows that will be held in Phoenix next May during the SNAG conference.

I encourage you all to submit your amazing creations that feature copper as it's main (75%) material.
The SNAG shows are an excellent way to get exposure within our field and the surrounding community. Mesa arts center (where the show will be held) is already a hub of cultural activity in the greater Phoenix area, so we are thrilled that they will be a huge part of the conference- they will be holding multiple exhibitions at their beautiful venue- and they throw magnificent openings!

Here is the text of the Call to Enter: please feel free to share this with any copper artists/ groups that you think may be interested. We are thrilled to have master Vessel maker/copper smith David Huang as the juror, and we are looking forward to a magnificent show!
thanks in advance for your entries -
Maureen BZ (+ Danielle Embry and Charity Hall- exhibitions committee for SNAG Phoenix 2012)

CU|29: Contemporary Work in Copper
Call for Entries
In conjunction with the Society of North American Goldsmith's (SNAG) 2012 Conference in
Phoenix, Arizona, Mesa Art Center is presenting the exhibition, CU|29: Contemporary Work
in Copperfrom April 6 to August 12, 2012.  Copper, our 29th element, is prized for its excellent
malleability, conductivity, and ductility. Arizona is the leading copper-producing state in the
U.S.
This juried exhibition will feature contemporary artwork that is made primarily of copper. 
In addition to contemporary work, the exhibition will highlight exquisite copper vessels created
in Santa Clara, Mexico borrowed from several private collections throughout the region. Mesa
Contemporary Arts will be showcasing five exhibitions during SNAG and will be a destination
spot during the Friday night gallery crawl.

Juror: David Huang is a renowned metalsmith known for his raised copper vessels. Widely
exhibited throughout the U.S, David Huang’s work is in many private collections and museum
collections, including the Muskegon Museum of Art and the Kamm Teapot Collection. 
Publications include 500 Metal Vessels –Contemporary Explorations of Containmentby Lark
Books (2007) and “Inquire Within: The Holloware of David Huang” , published in Metalsmith
Magazine(2008). He currently lives and maintains a studio in western Michigan.

Eligibility: Open to any artist working in copper. Pieces submitted for consideration must be
original in design and composed of at least 75% copper. Artwork may include but is not limited
to jewelry, vessels, sculpture, and wall pieces.

Submissions: Artists may submit up to 3 artworks for consideration for a $25 fee. Entries must
be submitted as digital images in JPEG format on a CD. Image resolution must be 200 dpi, with
6” as the longest dimension.  Digital images should be named as follows:
LastName.EntryNumber.jpg  (EX: Doe.1.jpg) Detail shots should be labeled as follows.
LastName.EntryNumber a.jpg (EX: Doe1a.jpg) Limit detail shots to 1 per piece.  Also, include a
PDF document on the CD that contains Artist contact information (name, address, phone
number, email) AND the following information for each piece:
Artist Name
Entry Number
   29
Cu
      63.55
Title
Dimensions
Materials
Label this file as: LastName.pdf  (EX: Doe.pdf)
Submissions and the $25 entry fee, payable to Arizona Designer Craftsmen, must be
received by November 18, 2011.

Mail entries to:
SNAG Exhibitions Committee
c/o Charity Hall
P.O. Box 3615
Tucson, AZ 85722

Transportation/Shipping:Artists are responsible for transportation of work to Mesa
Contemporary Arts. Artworks may be hand-delivered to MCA or shipped to arrive on or before 5
pm March 16, 2012. Work being shipped must be packed in a re-usable shipping container.
Artists are responsible for checking with their shipper regarding insurance and correct packing
procedures. Mesa Contemporary Arts will not be responsible for breakage because of incorrect
packing or insufficient container. Artists will be notified of work that arrives in damaged
condition. Cost of shipping artwork to the exhibition is the artist’s responsibility; MCA will pay
for return shipping and insurance of artwork within the contiguous United States, via standard
UPS only. If any other carriers are requested for the return, the artist will be responsible for the
cost and scheduling.

Liability:Insurance will be carried by the City of Mesa on all works for the duration of the show
(April 6 to August 12, 2012).  The usual exclusions will apply for loss or damage which occur by
any event beyond the control of the City.

Agreement:The artist agrees to maintain entry for the duration of the exhibition. Submission of
an entry constitutes permission to photograph work for publicity and educational purposes. All
entries must be of original design and personal execution.  Artwork may be for sale atthe artist’s
discretion.  A 25% commission will be retained by MCA on all sales.

Calendar:
November 18, 2011 Submissions must be received
January 15, 2012Artists will be notified of acceptance/denial via email
March 16, 2012Work must arrive at the Mesa Contemporary Arts by 5 pm
May 25, 2012Member’sVIP Reception: 6-7 pm;Public Reception: 7-9 pm
April 6-August 12, 2012 Exhibition Dates. Work will be shipped out for return during
the week of August 27th, 2012.

Questionsmay be directed to SNAG2012exhibitions@gmail.com