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

MU 2.0

Facebook decided to re-format it's group pages and in all the shuffle (trying to figure out how we could protect our group from being permanently archived) I went ahead and opened a new group, which is called Metalsmiths Unite 2.0.

Here are a few links that you may find helpful:

There is a long explanation of how this all happened at my "Cosmo's Moon" blog HERE
and a tutorial on how to avoid getting your email inbox flooded with group notifications HERE

The original group still exists, but I have closed the wall for posting by anyone other than the administration of the page- I did this to encourage people to use the new group page (at MU 2.0 HERE) However, I will continue to keep the original Metalsmiths Unite (HERE) available as a reference page- there are a bunch of incredible images of outstanding metalwork and helpful posts in the discussions area (which is now called "documents") You can still go there- but you cannot do much more than browse.
If you want to post and comment and interact the place to go is MU 2.0! It remains the place to go for interaction between a vast array of today's working metalsmiths/blacksmiths/knifemakers/jewelers etc.
Free respectful participation is encouraged - snobbery is not welcome :-) (there are many other groups for that online!)

I hope to see you join the community! 
May the flux be with you-
Maureen BZ, Metalsmiths Unite founder

ps- if you are confused about which group is which- the active one is the one that has the original avatar of the beaten up bench pin on a blue background - if you see that familiar image, you are where it's at!

Beth Wicker

Here's an interview with Metalsmiths Unite member, Beth Wicker -

How would you describe what you do as an artist? Currently my main focus is as a metalsmith. I work primarily in silver, with some copper, brass, and gold. I use gemstones, pearls, found objects, and interesting beads I find on my travels. I create primarily jewelry designed to be worn. I also make hand made paper, do fiber art, printmaking, a bit of sculpture, draw and paint.

what inspires your designs?  I have always been interested in pattern, texture and color - no matter what media I am working in. Much of my inspiration comes from the world around me - I am an avid gardener and traveler, and store images in my head and sketchbook.

how long have you been involved in this type of making? (how did you start?) I have been in involved in one form of art or another all my life. I started making jewelry as a child, probably about 10, getting purchased components from the local hobby shop. I moved into other media, and got a BA in art from Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Then I took graduate courses in art at UNC-Chapel Hill, NC, did a year of graduate work in printmaking at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI, then finished my MFA in printmaking at USC-Columbia, SC. Then when my daughter was about 10 she asked me to show her how to make jewelry, and that started me back into metals - and took me way farther into that than I had ever done as a child. So I have been a practicing artist for over 30 years, and a metalsmith for about 10 this time around. 

where are you located?

 I live in the country outside of Cheraw, SC in the US. Cheraw has less than 6,500 people, and the entire county (Chesterfield County) has less than 30,000, so a very rural area. I live on a farm with Santa Gertrudis cattle, pine trees, and we planted a stand of hardwoods a few years ago. Cheraw was founded in the 1700's, and had battles fought here in both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, and still has many of the old historic homes and churches.

do you have a website or etsy/artfire/1000market etc store? http://www.bethwicker.com - website
http://www.bethwicker.etsy.com
http://bethwicker.ganoksin.com/blogs/
http://twitter.com/bethwicker
http://www.facebook.com/ThreeCatsandaDog

what other ways do you market your work?(shows, galleries, brick + mortar stores)
I have work in galleries and gift shops throughout SC, including the Drayton Hall Museum Store outside of Charleston, SC, and in Ohio. I also do craft and art shows in the South.

do you teach? if so, where-  www.bethwicker.com
I teach at my workshop/gallery space, which is across the pond from my house outside of Cheraw, SC on our farm. It is a delightful small building that my in-laws built as a guest house for their daughter from Massachusetts to stay in when she visited. I have converted it into a small gallery featuring local artists, and a teaching space where I teach metalsmithing and a range of other media to adults and children. I also teach a Monthly Metals class at Black Creek Arts Council in Hartsville, SC about 30 minutes away to children and adults. I have taught classes for the Cheraw Arts Commission also. In addition, I am on the SC Approved Artist Roster, and have been for over 30 years. I have done residencies in schools and communities throughout SC for over 30 years.

any sage advice for newcomers that you would like to share?
Join multiple internet jewelry groups - most folks are more than willing to share tips and how to's. Don't be afraid to ask questions - that is how you learn! If you are interested in jewelry, be sure to check out www.ganoksin.com, the world's biggest internet jewelry site. It is chock full of great information, a wonderful daily e-mail list, and very helpful links and people. Do NOT expect to make a living making jewelry right away - that will take time!

where do you envision your work going in the next year? (artistic direction) I am becoming increasingly interested in kinetic jewelry, where things are designed to move as part of the piece. I am also exploring ways to incorporate pattern and texture into more areas of a given piece, and really trying to make the backs and sides of things more visually interesting.

anything else you would like to share? (favorite techniques? any good jokes? you can even put your flickr/twitter/blog links here too) Twitter link is above.
I have a one hour blog radio interview done by Jay Whaley at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/whaleystudios
I'm also on the Artisans of the SC Cotton Trail site at

http://www.sccottontrail.org/artisans/artisans.html 

thanks Beth! great info and interview-

always a pleasure to "meet" Metalsmiths Unite members!

ciao- Maureen

New Flickr pool!

Another one of those things on the "Why haven't I done this before?!" list...
Metalsmiths Unite now has a Flickr Group for photosharing.

 I will be keeping it a closed group for members of Metalsmiths Unite only-
(so please put your name in the group entry request.)

I've set the limit of images at 4 per week- and we'll see how that goes...
if the group page needs adjustments it will happen- but for now I just want to keep it simple
In the future I can envision events like "self portrait day" or "messy bench contest"...for now, let's just free form and put up some pics! (they need not always be metal either- if it is an image that inspires you go right ahead and post that too)

here is the link-
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1311938@N20/

Have fun- please remember to put your name on the membership request!
thanks- Maureen

David Huang- chasing forms

Today's Interview is with David Huang. I met David very briefly at the SNAG Savannah conference, and was struck by how gorgeous his work is, and by his unassuming nature. David's work is beautiful to look at and has a very warm and comforting feel to touch. I'm excited to see the progress on his big project this year (which he explains in this interview) and I hope to have the opportunity to chat again soon!

Name- David Huang

How would you describe what you do as an artist?
My short verbal description is that I make decorative holloware, or decorative vessels. However, I always keep several business cards with different images of my work on me to illustrate the verbal description. For other metalsmiths I can say that I work almost exclusively with raised vessels, often with chased surfaces.

what inspires your designs?
There is no one source for inspiration. Much of it develops from the interaction, or dialog, between the tools, materials, and myself. I watch what happens as a piece develops and each piece usually suggest other variations to explore on later work. I've also found inspiration in such varied things as crop circles, artwork of others, nature, intellectual studies, and viewer responses.

how long have you been involved in this type of making? (how did you start?)
I've been doing raised vessels since about 1996. I began working with metal in high school around 1986 which is when I first found the chasing and repousse technique.

Picture of David's Studio

where are you located?( email if you want to share, or city/town that you live in)
I live just outside of the tiny village of Sand Lake, Michigan (this is not too far from the bigger city of Grand Rapids). My email address is huang@davidhuang.org.

do you have a website ? My website is http://www.davidhuang.org
what other ways do you market your work?(shows, galleries, stores)
I sell the bulk of my work through galleries around the US. On rare occasion I sell a piece to someone contacting me through my website. Oddly, I also must admit I sell a fair amount of work directly to other metalsmiths at conferences or workshops. I was completely surprised by this when it started happening, and still feel deeply honored that others in my field value what I do that much.

do you teach? if so, where- I've started teaching workshops in the last few years for various groups around the US. While I enjoy this I think I am going to have to cut back as it's taking too much time away from the studio work I enjoy most.

any advice for newcomers that you would like to share?
For artistic growth I recommend drawing, and I don't mean drawing your metalwork designs. Personally I like figure drawing, but still life or landscape drawing should work fine too. This sharpens your ability to see, perceive the emotional expression of forms, and fine tune composition skills. In short, you can learn the very subtle details needed to make a work sing much quicker through drawing and then transfer this understanding to the laborious creation of metal objects.

For financial stability needed to make a career as a metalsmith happen I suggest looking into the simple living movement to reduce living expenses while learning what brings fulfillment to YOUR life. (Maureen's note: I Love this comment! it's not about having what you want, it's wanting what you have)

where do you envision your work going in the next year? (artistic or business direction)
Plans for 2010 include an effort to solve the issues that still plague me with my raised and chased figurative vessels. Broadly I plan to push my chased designs into newer, and hopefully better territory. I'm working with another metalsmith, David Barnhill, to develop some raised and chased mokume gane vessels with the idealistic hope of doing something new in this area. However, I am scheduling the bulk of my time for 2010 to what will hopefully be one large masterwork, a vessel raised and heavily chased from a 48 inch disk of copper.

anything else you would like to share? (favorite techniques? any good jokes? you can even put your flickr/twitter/blog links here too)
I suspect times will be quite tough for us financially as metalsmiths in the coming years as societies deal with economic problems, compounded with (or perhaps a result of) the peaking of energy resources, and the "high grading" of raw materials. Personally I foresee a contraction back to more local economies and small scale manufacturing, at which time those of us with skills in "craft" based industries may very well find our abilities in demand. I think it would be wise to really study what may happen and be ready to creatively adapt. Where others may see only strife and collapse we may be able to see opportunities to sculpt a new and wonderful future for all.



www.davidhuang.org

Great interview- thanks David!

Bill Roberts- Ornamental Metalsmith

Hi everyone- I hope you all had a great holiday weekend- I've found some time today to post a new interview from one of our active Metalsmiths Unite! members- Bill Roberts. He represents another angle on metalsmithing that we are thrilled to have as part of out community - mostly doing Large scale pieces- with the refinement  of a trained jeweler-

Here is his interview- Enjoy!

How would you describe what you do as an artist?
I consider myself an ornamental metalsmith. Started as a jeweler in sterling and gold......using lost wax casting for the majority of my designs. And then learned to work with other metals and to create larger decorative metal work........that I like to call "house jewelry". The house jewelry is usually functional art.. One of a Kind metal work.....furniture, lighting, gates, railings, doors, fountains, sculpture and MORE.

what inspires your designs?
I get my inspiration from many sources. But I'd have to say......my personal favs are Art Nouveau, Nature and Marine themes. They seem to keep ......coming to the forefront.

how long have you been involved in this type of making? (how did you start?)
I started this wonderful journey with metals...in the summer of 1984, by learning the jeweler's trade. In 1989, I was introduced to Site Specific One of a Kind architechural metal work........and have been doing both.......plus many other metal arts ever since.
I started...........by desiring to do something that I would LOVE to do......as opposed to just another job. Found my "creative" side......and have never looked back. Proving......."when you blur the line between work and play.......you'll never work another day". Not sure who that quotes from.......but it FITS my artistic life to a T.

where are you located?
I live and work in Ocala, Florida.
Bill Roberts-Ornamental Metalsmith
3740 NE 40th PL Suite D
Ocala, FL. 34479

do you have a website or etsy/artfire/1000market etc store? (list url here)
I do have a website:
http://www.CustomDesignMetalArts.com

and I also have an Etsy store as well......but it's barely ready for prime time. (mbz note: lol- etsy is an art unto itself...I'd be happy to give you a few pointers)

what other ways do you market your work?(shows, galleries, stores)
In the early years......I used Juried Art Shows and Galleries to market my work. Both with varying degrees of sucess. And for the large scaled metalwork........intereior designers and Contractors.
The majority of my sales these days are via the WEB and word of mouth.

do you teach? if so, where- (I’ll link this to the website of teaching institution)
I do teach, a wide variety of metal arts.......usually One on One classes at my studio. Because I'm a "working studio" ............and I LOVE teaching......I schedule my commissions around my classes. One of the wonderful things about teaching so many different processes.....is that I never know ....from one class to another.........what Process I get to play with next. It's not uncommon for me to be teaching blacksmithing one day.......and lost wax casting or jewelry fabrication the next. For a PROCESS freak....it just doesn't get any better that that. :)

any advice for newcomers that you would like to share?
I'd suggest finding what you LOVE to do.....and have a passion for. Then persue it like your life depends upon it. Take classes or find someone that is doing the type of work you like........and hire on. To get paid to learn.....is great, if you are lucky enough to find that opportunity.

where do you envision your work going in the next year? (artistic or business direction)
I see it in a serious growth phase. Both the classes and the metal work. Sky's the limit. I'm livin a dream.

anything else you would like to share? (favorite techniques? any good jokes? you can even put your flickr/twitter/blog links here too)
I LOVE to forge metal.......it makes me feel more alive......when I'm forging.......and "breathing life into an otherwise ridgid material". Not metal..........but I've also found a passion for working with HOT GLASS recently. The similarities of manipulating hot glass and forging metal.......seem addictive.....and familiar.

Thanks Bill! looking forward to seeing more of your work this year!