[Jewelry making - Article 00531] - Re: [Orchid] Article: Minimal Metalsmithing

[Linda Kaye-Moses/Evan Soldinger]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

Hello,

    Well...with all the thorough responses to the negativity that was so
    strongly expressed Re: PMC, it's almost redundant for me to respond
    as well. However, because I've been a studio jeweler since 1976 and,
    because I've been using PMC since 1996, because my name has been
    noted in several of the aforementioned responses (thank you very
    much for the positive reflection), and because I do love the Great
    Grey Goop, I feel compelled to share my thoughts. I hope you will
    forgive me if they do repeat some of the thoughts already expressed. 

    There are so many ways to approach the creation of
    beautifully-crafted jewelry, it is a little perplexing why the
    addition of one new method should be so abhorrent to many in our
    field. It is perhaps similar to, though not identical to, the old
    cliche about misery loving company (If, for example, one has been
    required to acquire traditional jewelry making skills, then one
    would expect that anyone else who wished to make jewelry should also
    work through that struggle.). 

    It may appear, to those who do work using those traditional methods,
    that working with metal clay permits one to skip those methods, all
    the time, in every way, for the rest of the life of any particular
    metal clay jeweler. This, of course, is only one possible outcome of
    using metal clay. There are those jewelers who will never use any
    other method of making their work. This is does not preclude their
    making beautiful jewels of unparalleled quality. Metal clay does
    lend itself to quality work, though the learning process for this
    material is complex and arduous...one cannot jump into this process
    and make gorgeous stuff right out of the gate, just as one would not
    expect to be able to do that using traditional metal techniques. The
    investigation of the material's capabilities, though use-friendly,
    still requires study, examination, creative stretching, in fact,
    everything that traditional jewelry making studies require. 

    I also must state that I encourage my students to investigate
    traditional jewelry making techniques, in an effort to expand the
    repertoire of their skills, giving themselves a wider range of
    skills to apply to their work. I must also state that, although I
    have been making my work for many years, I only teach PMC. It is a
    most rewarding experience. 

    It was mentioned on Orchid that I have referred to PMC as a
    technique or tool, as opposed to a material. Let me explain why. The
    'clay' is actually not a tool and is more of a technique or method;
    it is also not the finished jewelry. A piece of jewelry made using
    metal clay is NOT anything more or less than fine silver or 22k gold.
    It is NOT appropriate or necessary to describe it to a
    collector/customer as "sintered silver or gold" as suggested by
    another responder to this Subject. It would not be appropriate to
    describe a piece of jewelry made using rolled sheet, wire, etc. as
    Rolled Sheet/Wire Silver, etc. (what a lot of words to write on a
    jewelry tag or stamp on a piece of jewelry....). I mark my pieces,
    (which combine traditional techniques as well as metal clay
    techniques) since they are generally made using sterling silver, fine
    silver and 14k or 18k gold details, with those stamps, as well as my
    hallmark. 

    I hesitate to suggest two ways to become more informed, for those of
    our field who are not currently using metal clay, about the methods
    of using metal clay, as they will seem somewhat self-serving. So be
    it! First, get ahold ofthe book, "PMC Decade", and look carefully at
    the pieces. There are many pieces that could not have been produced
    as easily using any other techniques, and some that could not be
    produced at all using any other technique! If you missed the
    exhibition of the pieces in this book in Memphis, the exhibition
    will be traveling to Brookfield Craft Center, Brookfield, Connecticut
    (google them and check out their website or email them for
    information, dates, etc.). I do have two pieces in the
    book/exhibition...hence the self-serving part. Brookfield Craft
    Center mounted the first major exhibition of work made using PMC in
    the United States, Millenial Metal, which I curated and for which a
    cd was produced and is still available from BCC. 

    Second, take a workshop or class series in the use of PMC or other
    metal clay. Check out the PMC Guild website for a listing of
    workshop/classes offered all over this country (perhaps even
    internationally by now) Once again self-serving, I will be teaching a
    workshop at Brookfield Craft Center in October. You can find my
    classes and many, many others listed on the Guild website. Take a
    workshop, work with metal clay and then make an informed decision
    about it. It may delight you and offer you new ways to approach your
    work or you may find it does not suit your style of working. Either
    way, you will be making your choices based on solid information and
    experience, rather than on opinion, preconception and hearsay only. 

    I am excited for you, if you've never worked with metal clay,
    because I know that an unprejudiced approach to a new technique will,
    at the least, get your 'creative juices' flowing. 

    If you have questions about PMC, certainly e-mail me on Orchid. If I
    can't answer them, I can assuredly point you in the right direction
    for the answers. 

    Finally, Nanz and Art Jewelry. It is disappointing to find that such
    an experienced and knowledgeable jeweler was unable to understand
    the application and use of metal clay. I hope that Nanz will find a
    way to investigate metal clay without the interference of
    preconception. I commend Hazel Wheaton for her action as Editor and,
    I assume, share with her the sadness at losing such an accomplished
    and well-trained metalsmith from her staff. 

Yours,
Linda Kaye-Moses

 
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________