[Jewelry making - Article 00272] - Re: [Orchid] Anxious to Learn - but how do I begin?

[R . E . Rourke]

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    Art Jewelry magazine,and metalsmith the publication of SNAG,may be
    of interest to you. 

    The ganoksin archives are an excellent source of having qeustions
    answered- most questions you have as a beginner or novice have been
    asked and answered,some ad nauseum, some that need filtration, on
    Orchid. 

    As for jewelry schools//they are all so different, and choice
    depends on what youwant to learn,or direction you want to head..for
    example, William Holland lapidary schoool in Young Harris teasches
    basic, and in most cases antiquated techniques -though valuable, the
    school is far better a resource for lapidary arts specifically.
    Penland is an intensive, expensive proposition, arrowmont topic
    oriented an in an immersion context- a week or two at most in a
    specific discipline or rather,technique. J.C.Campbell Folkschool, is
    more akin to a destination vacation with a bit of topic specific
    class thrown in..due to the over-the-top rules on studio time and
    access which is far more liited than even william Holland- for
    example, in most cses if you want to stay up until midnight working
    at Wm. Holland int he silversmithing studio you' re allowed to and
    not treated as though you were six, and could not take the necessary
    precautions around gas tanks..at j.c.campbell you are forced to leave
    the studio for all mealtimes, whether you want them or not and the
    studio generally gets closed at 5:30 pm-6 if you're lucky..their
    rules allow for a person to remain if you can find a clssmate to
    remain with you -but no gas usage is supposed to occur (even though
    you are charged for gas usage at a premium seperate from the course
    fees, and other supplies on top of tuition and room and
    board..whether you are taking an advanced level goldsmithing course
    or are a complete beginner)so in the week long class and the
    "projects that are offered,and the time you are given to complete
    them you may only turn the torch on four times in a
    week..)..nonsensical if you ask me! Wildacres is the Southern
    Federation of Minerological Societies afiliated school, and exists
    somewhere in between the offerings at Wm. Holland and
    J.C.Campbell..though a bit more progressive than wm.holland...A
    Major Note Re:William Holland- the fee schedules are deceptive at
    best.. 

    For instance, in one course the fee may state on paper that it is
    $285.00 for the Sun-Friday week, with wed. afternoon's off..Then a
    "volunteer" instructor may tack on a fee for their time-which is
    unilaterally allowed to happen Though not mentioned anywhere in
    print.Supplies fees, regardless of whether you bring your own
    gold,silver and/or stones is another point for consideration:one is
    expected to not only buy from the instructors at VERY inflated
    prices, but your course that is estimated on paper to cost you
    $325.00 (before double occupancy room and board, if you don't opt to
    camp or use an rv hookup ) may turn into $700.000 if you are not
    astute and contact an instructor before the class to have her/him
    define the additional fees that the specific instructor will be
    charging.Equally, that conversation will indicate your compatibility
    with that instructor-I guarantee! Another alert at Wm. Holland is
    that there is one PMC instructor duo that elevates the hidden costs
    almost to an art form and the course that you read will cost 285.00
    plus materials estimated to cost 100.00 actually makes no mentionof
    the other 300.00 expected by the instructors for their
    fees..unethical- yes..but the group that generally attend Wm.Holand
    will not complain in any case on any level so it is allowed to
    continue.. 

    Arrowmont,Penland,Wm.Holland,J.C.Campbell,Wildacres,Bill Churlick's
    program in Asheville (Earthspeak Arts??), and Va Beach are the
    nearest to you in Raleigh ( about 6 hours drive to the furthest point
    -Arrowmont in Seveirville TN). 

    All except Wm.Holland offer financial assistance, work-study or
    internships - though it is ridiculous to profess to offer work-study
    or internships, or other financial assistance as Penland does, if
    you are a beginner as they require a minimum of 5 slides of your work
    and a statement of your background in jewelry -or any medium they
    offer classes in- to be considered...also it is not handicapped
    accessible in some disciplines so again, research and do your
    homework.Talk to students of various instructors at the various
    schools before sending in a single deposit..Many former students of
    the "Southern Highlands jewelry circuit" schools can be found on
    Orchid, and in most cases you'll get an honest answer,if off Orchid
    and more private.. 

    Tim McCreight's books,dvd's,cd's and videos are the best tools
    available to the person that wants to learn on one's own before
    taking a class in a specific topic area..Charles Lewton-Brain's
    "Cheap Thrills in the Tool Shop" was an indispensible book in my
    collection (before it floated away!) with a myriad of shortcuts,
    simple ways to save money and usefull information adjunct to the
    detailed instruction in McCreight's "Complete Metalsmith", any
    edition. 

    As for suppliers the highest priced is Rio Grande, the lowest overall
    is Rosenthal's in miami..and that is averaging the prices betwen
    those two and perhaps five more top suppliers. Metals suppliers are
    diffeent too. For customer service one cannot beat Hoover and Strong,
    while David H. Fell in general, fails to even answer email..Hoover
    and Strong has the overall lowest fabrication charges, and best perks
    for account holders, with Handy and Harmon a close second,and
    Thunderbird supply price-wise perhaps third however their metals
    inventory is limited and different from the others mentioned ( it's
    one of the only suppliers offering "silver filled" sheet). Stuller,
    even though a Louisiana company ( i'm a native) has the highest
    fabrication prices and the most independant jeweler unfriendly
    policies and one of the few firms that charges for a catalog.Reactive
    Metals is an excellent provider of both customer services, and
    non-tradional metals and I urge you to get a catalog from them to
    familiarize yourself with their excellent assortment of
    non-traditional stock ( precious metals and reactive metals) and
    unique alternative metal products....but there are so many that
    trial and error are how you will learn which company's suit your
    needs ( keep in mind that pooling your order with colleagues or
    friends garners the highest discounts for quantity price breaks from
    precious metals dealers and refiners).... 

    Don't be overwhelmed 

    educate yourself a to your options 

    don't rush into feeling as though you must take any class to lear
    basics Check out your community colleges as some do have decent
    metals offerings right there in Raleigh, and find out who has open
    studios/studio times and make appointments ( and keep them!) to
    unobtrusively observe..and visit Orchid often.. And as though this
    were not enough information, feel free to contact me off Orchid for
    more opinions,etc. 

R.E.Rourke.
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