[Jewelry making - Article 00139] - Re: [Orchid] Teaching techniques

[David L. Huffman]

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Well said, Richard;

    I've done a lot of teaching, and during the early years, mostly
    taught the way a lot on this forum have. Teach techniques, let them
    copy the work of others. In art school, it's about "self expression"
    and "content" and design belongs to that other department where they
    work with the computers making new cool kinds of can-openers. If you
    look at Oppi Untracht's book, Metal Techniques for the Craftsman,
    you'll notice something. It seems to be about techniques, but every
    time he introduces a technique, there are examples of pieces that
    really explore the design potential of that technique, some modern,
    some historical. There is something we haven't mentioned in this
    thread directly. That is, there is a relationship between technique
    and style (different essentially than design). 

    Now when I teach, which is rare, I work with only one student at a
    time, through a number of classic projects, a fishtail mounting, a
    split shank with basket head, a carved signet ring wax, etc., no
    design other than the choice of proportions and the style of various
    elements. This teaches technique, but keeps the focus on the
    engineering, not the embellishment. All the while, I'm explaining why
    things like this have come to be, why they are made the way they are.
    Next, we build our projects within guidelines which limit the choices
    of what to make and how to make it, but require the student to vary
    the elements of construction to make it individualistic, but we are
    editing everything along the way, talking about each choice, why
    this width here? What will happen when we get to the next step after
    this, etc. This is blow-by-blow design. The goal is to have the
    student learn that any technique requires you to take that technique
    out to new and personal limits and expression. Exploit it, elaborate
    on it, but do it within sound design constraints. I think of that
    movie, Million Dollar Baby. It's a great example of teaching. And
    like that movie, while I'm teaching people how to make jewelry, I'm
    also teaching them what they can expect from this trade, where they
    can take it, how they can survive it. I fear most students think that
    is just an old man taking advantage of a captive audience, but in
    the long run, that part of the lessons is the most important part of
    all. 

David L. Huffman


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