[Jewelry making - Article 01108] - Re: [Orchid] Non-jeweler designers at shows

[M'lou Brubaker]

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    I am a caster and a fabricator. They are different ways of making
    art or craft. Casting is just a legitimate as fabrication. Production
    casting is, of course, another question. I have attempted to solve my
    problem of how to approach being in shows with makers of only
    one-of-a-kind jewelry by writing an artist statement that clearly
    tells anyone willing to take the time to read it that I do both
    one-offs and production work. I do not send this to the show
    organizers or call their attention to it, but it is displayed at the
    show for them to see. Some patrons/customers/lookers read the
    statement with apparent interest, and ask me further questions. Most
    just look at the work, apparantly deciding whether there is anything
    in my cases that they want to buy. They just seem to care about the
    look of it, and the price. I feel that it is obvious that my $30-$65
    pendants, for instance, must be production work to be priced so
    righteously. But I suspect that most consumers of low-end precious
    metal jewelry just don't care. 

    I get my personal thrills by creating a good, effective design and
    knowing how to make it work all through the production processes,
    and by making special one-off pieces, of a more expensive nature. It
    all works for me. 

    The following is my Artist Statement , displayed at shows: 

    M'lou Brubaker, Jeweler 

    ARTIST STATEMENT 

    We look for meaning and a way to relate to things around us so that
    we can have a context in which to relate to other people and the rest
    of the world. Humans have been doing this for ages, and much of my
    work contains symbolic meanings and connections as a part of this
    process. Ancient myths and stories are rich with symbolism, and have
    provided material with which I have forged new meanings and ways to
    connect with our past, with each other, and with our hopes for the
    future. My studies have included Goddess lore from ancient Greece,
    the Near East, and old Europe, and an extensive look at the Viking
    culture. Nordic myths and historical craft or art forms have provided
    images and ornamental styles on which I base my Viking Collection of
    jewelry. 

    My jewelry is often highly ornamented with patterns, symbols, or
    drawings. I draw with pen and ink, and then make an etching from the
    drawing into which I can emboss sheets of pliable wax. Thus I get a
    reverse of the original drawing, in low-relief, which can be formed 
    with  more conventional wax-working techniques to make models for
    lost-wax casting. The models are invested in plaster, the wax is
    burned out, and metal is cast into the space once occupied by the
    wax. Once the design has been transformed to metal, it is further
    refined, and other touches such as stones or engraving are added.
    Often I will make a rubber mold of the piece into which I can inject
    molten wax to make reproductions of it. These waxes, in turn, must
    each be invested, cast , filed, sanded and polished. 

    I also do fabricated forms which are joined by soldering or fusing
    pieces of metal together. These one of a kind, original designs can
    also sometimes have molds made from them if I have allowed for that
    technically as I designed the piece. 

    The many steps required to create a finished mold ready for
    production casting involve  a lot of work, but when done properly the
    process allows me to let someone else take over the job of
    reproducing my production cast pieces, which I do to facilitate work
    flow and to keep designs available at appropriate prices. All is done
    according to my specifications and from my original models and molds
    that I have created in my studio. 

    Most of my jewelry is Sterling silver. I also work in 14K and higher
    gold alloys, and some pieces I have gold-plated over either Sterling
    (known as Vermeil) or brass.  Many designs incorporate gemstones or
    other materials as accents to the metal, or to highlight the beauty
    of the materials. 

    I hope this might help someone else. I hope it does not start an
    unpleasant, accusatory thread. I mean ;to put it out there in a good
    way. Peace, 

M'lou Brubaker, Jeweler
Goodland, MN
www.craftswomen.com

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