Hand Fabricated Chains Workshop

This weekend I taught a Hand Fabricated Chains Workshop at Mesa Art Center. This is a class I have been teaching and developing for a couple of years now and each time I teach it it gets better. It may be my favorite class to teach. The possibilities are just endless with chain, which I guess is what makes it so much fun. Some people don't like the detailed monotony of it, but I love chain making.
I start the students out with a discussion of their backgrounds and goals, and then I show them a powerpoint with about 200 slides of historical and contemporary chains. We discuss chains in depth from historical, industrial, and adornment viewpoints. It really helps to get their creative juices flowing.
After the discussion, I move on to talking about wire, different shapes, metals, gauges, hardnesses, etc. I talk about how to choose each of these before getting to work on their designs. Then we go in to making and cutting jump rings, soldering, and assembling.
The format of this workshop is two 8 hour Saturdays. I've taught the class in an 8, 6, and 4 week format, but never 2 days. I like the weekend time frame but there is so much to cover!! The students learned how to make round and shaped jump rings, solder, and texture. I demonstrated traditional chains like the loop in loop and sailors knot, and also a dozen or more cold connected chains with NO soldering. We briefly touched on forging and twisting as well. Whew, it was one packed Saturday! Next week we go in to using the Smith Little Torch and working with sheet metal for linkage. I hope the students are having as good a time as I am!

Report: Hand Fabricated Chains Class

Just finished up 4 weeks of one of the most fun classes I have ever taught, Hand Fabricated Chains at Phoenix Art Center! I had a great group and they worked hard in what little time they had and finished with some great stuff. The first few images are chains I made as samples for the class, and the rest are a few images of some of the student work (I didn't get pics of everything unfortunately) . Ill be teaching this class again in the fall, but in an 8 week format as opposed to 4 weeks, and it will be at Mesa Art Center...stay tuned for details!samples

More samples. I made a bunch of copper samples too but forgot to take pics of them so I guess I'll post them later.

samples
Sandy Halka

Paula Ellis

Paula Ellis
Kay Cummins

Cole Allen
Nina Jeffre
Nina Jeffre


Nina JeffreNina JeffreNina JeffreNina Jeffre

Hand Fabricated Chains Class at Phoenix Center for the Arts

This summer I am teaching a hand fabricated chain class at Phoenix Center for the Arts. There are a few pictures of the types of chains I will be teaching at the bottom of this post.
Here is the info:
Sign up here if you are interested!!!
Description:
Ages: 18 Yrs. and over
Fees:- Course Fee $70.00Description:
This class focuses on the methods used to make hand made chains and findings from silver wire and sheet metal. Students will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of chain making techniques using soldering, piercing, forging, texturing and various fabrication methods. The Instructor will work closely with the students to refine skills needed to create beautiful chains for necklaces or bracelets. Students should expect to spend a minimum of $30 for materials depending on project choice. Open to all levels. Materials list will be announced on the first day of class.
Registration End Date: 06-27-2010Meets:
Friday 07-09-2010 2:00PM - 5:00PMFriday 07-16-2010 2:00PM - 5:00PM
Friday 07-23-2010 2:00PM - 5:00PM
Friday 07-30-2010 2:00PM - 5:00PM

The Fabricated Ring with C. James Meyer

While at Arrowmont this summer I had the opportunity to take a ring fabrication class with Jim Meyer. Jim was the metals dept. head at Virginia Commonwealth University for 25 years (I think) and is now the professor for the jewelry study abroad program in Cortona Italy. He was a wonderful teacher and I had a great time with all the other ladies in the class!

Here is some of Jim's work, these are two brooches.

This is from a series Jim makes of jewelry with little box environments that go with them. The picture above shows the ring in its place in the box. Below you see the ring outside of the box.

Here is what I made during the class...a few rings and a few random other things!This ring was a trade I did with one of the other studio assistant girls. I got an awesome encaustic painting from her and made her this ring with a rock she found at Arrowmont.Simple band with larimar.Finally did a forged ring...it was actually a lot of fun!I loved this embroidered one...I did it with a celadon colored silk embroidery ribbon. I traded this it away for a necklace from Jessica Calderwood (Ill post pics soon!) but I totally need to make another one because I wanted to keep it!This was a funny little experiment...not sure I like how it turned out...it looks too much like a flower!And I traded this one for some plates from Martina Lantin, one of the ceramics residents. Ill post pics of those soon too.Two little embroidered pins.And something I am actually pretty excited about...spoons! I found these at the flea market there in sevierville. They were pretty thick steel and a pain in the butt to embroider but I like how they turned out and cant wait to make more!

I still have a few more arrowmont posts coming...stay tuned and thanks for reading!