Metalsmith+and+Jewelry+Workshop,+Summer+2009

In an effort to expand upon the curriculum of Introduction to Sculpture, and to consider re-designing the course with an emphasis on metalsmithing and jewelrymaking, this summer I participated in a couple of workshops at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen in Hanover, New Hampshire. The League is an extremely well regarded arts organization in the state, serving as both gallery representative and resource for artisans and residents in Vermont and New Hampshire. During a three week period of time I spent a total of five days attending **Welding Steel for Jewelry and Small Sculpture** and **Rings with Stones** workshops. In addition to these two workshops, I spent another two evenings in the **Open Metals Studio**, working independently with a jewelry instructor.

The **Rings with Stones** instructor, Kerstin Nichols, is a veteran craftsperson and long-time League member who designs, creates and sells a wide range of jewelry. She instructed our group of seven students; guiding us through the steps of making a ring shank, creating a bezel, and finally, setting a stone. The process was both exciting and frustrating. It was exciting because we were introduced to soldering with a torch (something I hadn't done since my undergraduate days!), hammering with tools specific to the craft, and polishing silver and stones. It was frustrating because the instructor made it look easy! The soldering torch was particularly sensitive and could instantly overheat and melt a particular seam. A split second was all it took to over-do it and have to begin again. The participants in the class were from various backgrounds, ranging from baker to college student to artisan.

The **Welding Steel** workshop was instructed by a local artisan, Joy Raskin, who came from a long line of welders. She had us working with stainless steel nails, attaching them in a variety of ways to create a three-dimensional structure. This workshop was a completely different experience for me as the steel required prolonged "blasts" of the torch. In other words, the more the better! This was much better suited to my personality, allowing for more spontaneity and a heavy hand. It was a particularly anxiety-producing experience for me at first, as the last time I had welded I caught my clothing on fire and came close to really injuring myself. This was a sort of "fall off the horse....get right back on" moment. Of course, there had been a 29 year delay in my getting back in the proverbial "saddle". Joy was a lively and energetic instructor. She encouraged experimentation and basically told the group to take chances and explore the medium. It was also the first time I had a teacher who is deaf. It made me re-examine my role as a student, as I needed to engage her, make eye contact when speaking and ask her to repeat something when I didn't understand. In addition, my fellow welders-to-be assisted in the process and it became a sort of group-teaching experience. While I hesitated more than others when the sparks flew, we all looked like veteran welders by the end of the 7 hour workshop.

Having now begun the process of exploring the jewelry and metals medium this summer, I hope to continue to take more jewelry and welding workshops locally in the Miami area and plan to return to the League of NH Craftsman next summer. In the short term, I would like to incorporate some of the more fundamental, design and craft aspects of my experience into the Introduction to Sculpture course at the high school. In the long term, as I gain more experience with metals/jewelry, I would like to investigate what it would take to create a small-scale studio, and to look at the OSHA requirements for ventilation, storage and overall safety.

Ellen Grant September, 2009