Behind the Bench: Upleveling and Experimenting with New Techniques
Last week, I had two creative experiences that developed my skills as a designer. First, I spent a day behind the bench at Melody Jean studios. Next, I spent two days at Chimera Maker's Space for a class in Cloisonné enameling. This post gives you a behind-the-scenes look at these beautiful processes!
Last week, I had two creative experiences that developed my skills as a designer. First, I spent a day behind the bench at Melody Jean studios. Next, I spent two days at Chimera Maker's Space for a class in Cloisonné enameling. This post gives you a behind-the-scenes look at these beautiful processes!
First stop: Metalsmithing in Oakland, CA
Last week, I spent a day working with my friend Melody in her jewelry studio. I really admire her skills in metal work and stone setting, so I asked her to help me execute a design I had sketched out. It was the perfect opportunity for us to get creative together and exchange knowledge. As I walked up to Melody's studio, I was surrounded by quaint houses sprinkled with colorful murals. Art grows in every nook and cranny of Oakland. Melody Jean works in an artist's space that houses numerous other makers, so walking inside you can find inspiration at every turn.
I arrived with a design I had sketched for statement earrings featuring one of my favorite stones: Buffalo Turquoise. I needed some help with the techniques to execute the design, and I also don't own all the right equipment yet. Melody has her own line of amazing handmade jewelry that features metalsmithing with organic textures and shapes, plus big, beautiful stones. I knew she was the perfect person I wanted to learn from to bring my design to life. Here's a look at what we worked on:
The finished product -
I couldn't be happier with how these turned out!
Cloisonné Enameling in Sebastopol
I've been wanting to learn enameling for a while now, so when I saw that Chimera was offering a class in Cloisonné enameling, I signed up immediately. I actually didn't know what Cloisonné meant, but I was really excited to learn! It turns out, Cloisonné is a type of enameling on metal surfaces that involves using wire to section surface and separate the colors. Our teacher, Anita Selinger has been producing her own jewelry designs for over 40 years and is a master of her craft. To my delight, Anita was an excellent teacher, and I left with so much knowledge!
These are some examples of Anita's pieces using cloisonné. She uses bright enamel colors and impeccable technique to create her colorful pendants. She also uses wax carving and casting techniques to create her custom settings, and finishes with beautiful, precious gems. Anita's jewelry is full of creativity, color, and attention to detail.
We each got a silver disc to work on, and we sketched out our designs for how we would divide our disc into sections to fill with color. I decided I would make a desert landscape. Here's the progression of my piece through every step:
Enamel & Color
One of the reasons I'm so interested in enamel is the endless color possibilities! We learned about the difference between leaded and unleaded enamels, and why it's important to sift enamels before applying to get the best results.
Sam kept us company in the jewelry studio.
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