Jeweler's Journey

Service Description

You’ve probably taken a ton of classes. You learned how to make a project, often replicating the teacher's work. You may find this fun but ultimately unfulfilling. This class is not project based, it's about what is personal to you. All art begins with inspiration. In this class we will begin by looking at how what you see and how you feel influences your work and how to use design principles to create jewelry that is your voice not someone else's. You will be encouraged to push yourself and design a piece outside your comfort zone. You will be guided to explore techniques you have not used before. This course is designed to delve deep into who you are as an artist so you can approach your process holistically. What you will Learn: * How to access your creativity and develop skills that will form the foundation of your artistic practice. * How to use drawing to cement your ideas and plan fabrication that will avoid mistakes. * Each student will receive personal guidance through design, materials, fabrication techniques. * Live demos will be specifically designed to fit the needs of each student’s design. Day 1: Opening with an introduction to design. A lecture and slideshow presentation outlining design principles and how they relate to jewelry design. Guidance on how to access your creativity. Each student will then use these principles to begin to design their piece. Together we will take a look at each student's work and discuss each person's needs and plan the fabrication process of each design. Day 2: Group discussion of each design and setting up of order of fabrication operations. Finalize drawing and begin construction of pieces. Day 3 and 4: We will continue with demos and discuss individual challenges in each design. Focus will be on complete understanding of creative process techniques and hopefully completing a piece! You will most likely finish a piece in this class, but be aware this is not about completion, it is about process! Fabrication instruction and demos will include selection of material, character of the stones, stone setting approaches, metal shaping techniques (shell-forming, reticulation, fold forming, hollow forms and more), texture techniques, soldering approaches, lapidary, finishing, patination and bench tips. Kit Fee: There is no kit fee for this course. Students will be be given "homework" upon registration and a suggested tools and supply list. *Please see cancellation policy.