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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

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




Wednesday, November 9, 2011

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.