Carly Burke wears her new creations with delight.
Yesterday was my travel day back from Floyd, VA, home of the Jacksonville Center for the Arts. My five day Basic Jewelry Fabrication class went over very well. With a full enrollment of 5 creative women, we transformed the glass studio into a metalsmithing mecca. I was impressed and inspired by the original designs each of these students finished.
I’ve enjoyed teaching in the past, but this class really energized me as much as the students. Once they got started I couldn’t wait to see how they would finish. During the process of explaining the techniques and helping the students to learn them, I realized that it’s really fun to teach something that I so love doing.
Chris Cox made this piece to give as a gift.
Bronze Links Bracelet by Heather Carter
Part of what I love about repairs and custom work is design. Decisions about design and fabrication methods go hand in hand. Challenging a student, but not over reaching their new skills was a fine line. Helping the students design the pieces while learning the techniques was, surprisingly, a lot of fun. It’s where art meets craft.
But I must say, I was extremely impressed with their final pieces. And for these five ladies, it’s just the beginning.
Designed and created by Deborah Carter, this pendant can be worn three different ways.