[Jewelry making - Article 00929] - Re: [Orchid] PMC in general

[Katherine Palochak]

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    I used to be a pooh-pooher of PMC too. I'm a traditional metalsmith
    and I've worked very hard to build up my skill sets in traditional
    areas of fabrication, casting, repousse, granulation, reticulation,
    etc. Most of what I saw initially in PMC was in the hands of
    amateurs, both in the area of design and execution. However,
    wonderfully talented artists have taken the medium to new levels,
    and as such, has earned a new sense of respect from me. 

    Now I begin to see the possibilities of PMC for production work. I
    can use a mold made from a master model of reticulated silver and
    use it to make reproductions. I can cut away the bits I don't need
    for a design, and not waste precious materials. I can make a master
    model and mold from an etching, put the PMC in the mold and make
    multiples. Instead of piece costing $100 or more because of labor
    costs, it can now cost 1/2 of that. PMC has the same properties of
    clay, so I can make things I that are not feasible with traditional
    methods, or that I don't have the equipment for. 

    Is it cheating, or is it being a smart business person? I'm an
    artist, but I don't particularly care for the starving artist role
    model. I have to compete. Whether I set stones faster and better
    than 90% of others doesn't much matter if I can't get the price of
    the labor. I look at it as another tool, and embrace it as such. It
    hasn't diminished my creativity or my design purpose, and each piece
    is still made one at a time. By addition or subtraction of details,
    I change the look of a basic piece. 

Now I GET it!

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