[Jewelry making - Article 00092] - Re: [Orchid] Teaching techniques

[Karen Christians]

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Ive,

>     How do you handle the occasional student who asks outright if they
>     may copy your design? 

    I think this depends on what they will do with the design. On this
    one I have to disagree in part. 

    When I started out in working with resin inlay, many of the designs
    looked just like my instructors. It was done so well, that when
    people picked up a piece they would state, "oh, this must be
    Claire's." I didn't mean to copy her directly, but because I was new
    at the process and it was her instruction, they all had the "Claire"
    look. 

    Looking at BFA grads from particular art schools, I can tell which
    students are from which programs and with which instructors. You
    can't help it in the beginning because this is the only foundation
    you know. However, you do develop your own style eventually and that
    is the evolution of branding your own work. 

    For my granulation class at Revere Academy East from Ronda Corywell,
    we all started out with the same Greek rosette. However, everyone's
    was a little different. With the same granules, the same wire, the
    same little scraps of silver and gold, no two were alike. 

    The world is such a big place and it is hard to get started on your
    own idea. Students who come up against this stumbling block is when I
    pick up a book of somebody's work and say, "here, copy this pendant."
    They do, because it teaches them about fabrication methods, soldering
    considerations, weight, placement, design line and they don't get as
    frustrated because it is not their design. Sort of like copying old
    masterworks in a museum. 

    Copying designs for EDUCATIONAL purposes is fine. SELLING copies of
    designs as your own is wrong. 

    How about cooking? Recipes in a book are all about copying the
    process and making the food exactly to what is in the book. They even
    provide nice glossy pictures because your meatloaf surprise is
    supposed to match the pretty picture in the book, right down to the
    garnish and table setting options. It doesn't mean that everyone is
    going to go out into the world and open restaurants based on your
    recipes. 

    Open the process, encourage practice and refinement and then assist
    the students in developing their own personal style. 

-k

Karen Christians
M E T A L W E R X
50 Guinan St.
Waltham, MA  02451
Ph. 781/891-3854 Fax 3857
http://www.metalwerx.com/
Jewelry/Metalarts School & Cooperative Studio


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