[Jewelry making - Article 00142] - Re: [Orchid] "Retraining" help wanted

[Beth Wicker]

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    Sojourner - first, you have to understand that you are in an "art"
    department - that means the focus is on "the speak" (says she of the
    MFA) - to walk the "art" walk, you must talk the "art" talk. After
    you have your nifty degree in hand, you can then do as you wish, and
    if I want to make functional work and call it functional - I can! I
    don't have to say I am making a piece that examines the tension
    between surfaces, and explores the interaction between hues of
    various intensities, with a particular emphasis on the use of
    organically inspired forms and their contrast with geometrically
    inspired forms. Translation - a ring with texture, multiple stones of
    different types and colors, and some swirls of metal somewhere. The
    hardest thing for me in earning my MFA was learning to speak the
    speak, and what they expected and didn't. I very carefully matted and
    framed my prints for my first big studio critique - only to have the
    professors spend the entire time debating whether the work should or
    should not have been matted and framed! They did not say ONE thing
    about the work itself! As an adult student putting myself through
    grad school, I was most definitely NOT a happy camper! You can be
    sure I never matted or framed anything else for critiques! So you
    have to understand the whole environment this is coming out of. 

    I don't understand why the instructor misled you though - it doesn't
    sound as if they are hurting for students! 

    That said, you obviously are not interested in an art degree or in
    learning art speak (gee, why not? it is such a vocabulary builder
    <vbg>!), and you are probably NOT best served by staying in the
    class. The design major is both immature and obnoxious - although all
    design majors are not necessarily that way! 

    I don't know where you live, but in much of the US, at least, there
    are gem and mineral clubs that either offer classes/workshops
    themselves, or through the regional socities. I was supposed to
    attend one such in October, but have developed a schedule conflict.
    William Holland School of Lapidary Arts operates from late spring
    through early fall, and teaches a range of fabrication and gem
    cutting classes - they are in Georgia. 

    Try www.amfed.org if you are in the US for your closest mineral
    society. I belong to a club that is part of the Southeast Federation
    of Mineralogical Societies, www.amfed.org/sfms/index.html This site
    has links to the William Holland school showing the Federation's
    workshops. 

    The direct site for William Holland is www.lapidaryschool.org 

    The classes are week-long classes, the cost is low and includes room
    and board. You work all day every day, with one half day that may or
    may not be "off" - up to the instructor. Some have open studio time
    then.   You will learn an incredible amount in one week! I know a
    retired couple that went to William Holland for one week with their
    RV (there is a campground), and liked it so much they stayed for a
    month, then went back again, and wound up with new "careers"! 

    Good luck with both finding a class that does genuine hands-on, and
    with the deer/car thing - I had a deer "attack" my car this spring,
    and haven't found a time I can do without for long enough to get it
    fixed yet! It is incredible the amount of damage they can do. Lucky
    for me the deer attacked the side of my SUV, not the front - although
    it didn't help the deer any :( 

Best wishes.
Beth in SC who can speak the speak, but prefers not to

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