I have a big show opening next week!  The show is titled eleMEnTAL and features the work of Tedd McDonah, Becky McDonah, and myself.
I hope to see you all at the reception next Friday, but if you can't make it, the show will be up through August 12th!  Details below!

eleMEnTAL

Featuring Arizona Artists Becky Chader McDonah, Tedd R. McDonah, & Lynette Andreasen

When:

Friday, May 25 - Sunday, August 12, 2012

Where: 

North Gallery: Mesa Art Center, (480) 644.6500

One East Main Street

Mesa, Arizona 85201

This exhibition brings together three Arizona metalsmiths, whose aesthetics complement each other but retain their individual forms of expression. With precious and semiprecious metals and stones, these artists create reliquaries and containers, fishing lures, jewelry and other intimate art objects that beacon closer examination. Beyond the elegant surfaces, the work provides a deeper conversation on relationships, attraction, heritage, status and other implications of society.

Opening Reception: Friday, May 25, 2012 (7-10pm)

FREE and Open to the Public
• Musical Entertainment by JT’s Island Steel
• Artists in Attendance
• Benefit Raffle Drawing (Raffle items on display and tickets available for purchase starting Friday, May 18. Contact Betty at 480-644-6567 for more information or visit Mesa Contemporary Arts’ front desk.)
• Light Refreshments and Cash Bar

Rosette Collar

This is one of the new pieces I just finished for my upcoming show at mesa art center.  

Rosette Collar

silver plated copper, sterling silver, fine silver, freshwater pearls, antique chandelier crystals

I outlined most of the process of making this piece below-with pictures!

 I had the parts waterjet cut from copper sheet metal.  To give you a sense of scale, the copper piece below is 36"x36".  The parts for this necklace are towards the bottom-they look like flowers but have little tabs sticking out all around the petals.  I had several other pieces cut for other projects as well.  Normally I do all my piercing by hand, but I ran out of time and had things I wanted to get done for the show and this saved a TON of time. 

 These are the parts once cut.  The waterjet cutting also makes finishing super easy because they are cut perfect-no need for filing, just a little bit of sanding!

As you can see, the longer tabs on these are bent around the back and soldered, to form links for the jumprings to join each piece. 

 

 Here they are all set up for soldering.

This is after they have been soldered, connected with jumprings, and the jumprings soldered closed.

After that I took it to a silverplating company and had a really thick plating put on the whole chain.

This is after the patina was put on, and the crystals were set.  I just used a wood dowel and a bezel pusher to push the prongs over the edge of the crystal and into place.

 

And this is the finished piece.  I forgot to take pictures while I was adding the pearls.  They are just attached with a fine silver pin, balled on both sides of the crystal.

I really want to keep this one!

Going Presidential

The Society of North American Goldsmiths is having a fundraiser!! The fundraiser is an auction of work donated by a prominent group of artists, all former and current presidents of SNAG. Check it out here. Bidding ends tomorrow at midnight!

The Heat is ON!

In the last month since I have been out of school I have been managing to stay really, really busy. I don't think I have officially announced something really big I am involved in yet, so I'm doing it now! The Society of North American Goldsmiths has an annual conference every year, and in 2012 it will be coming to Phoenix. I am Co-Chairing the conference along with Tedd and Becky McDonah and we have already had tons of work to do.
The conference usually has about 800 attendees, and SNAG has an overall membership of over 3000.
The hotel has been confirmed, our conference will take place at the Westin Kierland Hotel in Scottsdale. Mostly what we have been really busy with is securing exhibition venues. We are still in negotiations with several exhibition spaces in town, but have already secured spaces at Mesa Contemporary Arts, and the Heard North Museum. Exciting!
We also have a conference theme which is, "The Heat is On!", because the conference is in Phoenix in May. Its going to be hot! Also because of all the ways that theme can apply to the field of metalsmithing. We also secured an awesome graphic designer to brand the conference, Melissa McGurgan.
Phoenix 2012, its going to be HOT! I'm sure I'll post updates on how the conference planning is coming along, but that is all for now.