Please join your fellow Guild members on June 19th for the 2010 SMG Studio Tour, where we’ll take a journey into the industrial underbelly of the Seattle studio scene. And who better to torch-light the way than a set of nice young ladies?*

We will begin Saturday morning on South First Ave at the studio of Sarah Loertscher, and then head mere minutes by horseless carriage into the G-spot of Seattle: Georgetown. There we will have the opportunity to ogle the buckles of Erica Gordon at Steel Toe Studios, and then pound our way to see Lisa Geertsen and Andy Blakney at Firelight Forge. All of these metallic delights will surely whet our appetites, which then must be satiated by a cumulative communal noshing.

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for additional information and a cool treasure map!

Lisa Geertsen makes even the fabulous Rosie the Riveter look like a homely housewife on Valium. Her partner in flame is Andy Blakney and together they are Firelight Forge. They work full-time on custom metalwork and one-of-a-kind art, and have participated in projects such as the rejuvenation of Timberline Lodge. Their work is always available for viewing above the bar at Snoose Part Dieu, and in the form of glorious gates and railings at Norm’s Eatery and the Legacy at Pratt Park Apartments.

http://www.firelightforge.com/

*Please note: Andy Blakney is not a nice young lady. He is a reincarnation of both Hephaestus and Thor, and as such, wields hot flame and hammer simultaneously while creating great works of art.

For more information on our gracious studio hosts go to page 9

May/June 2010

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Fresh Hot Flame-Wielding Babes at the Seattle Metals Guild Studio Tour!Saturday, June 19th 10:00am - 3:00pm

Lisa Geertsen Antler Heart Rack II

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SMG EventsDate /Event PageJune 19: Studio Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Aug. 8: Summer Picnic, Sunday, Carkeek Park . . . . . . . . 12

Aug. 26 -29: Helen Shirk lecture and Workshop. . . . . . . 12

Oct. 16: Northwest Jewelry and Metal Symposium . . . . . 7

ContentsBoard News:

Studio Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

President’s Letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Don’t Take This for Granted - Two New Grants . . . . . . . . . 3

Introducing a New Newsletter Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Member News:

Internet Flux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Library Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Artist Trust Edge Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Linda Darty Master Enameling Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Meet the Metalsmith: Megan Corwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Events and Reviews:

2010 Symposium Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Passing the Torch Follow Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Gold Standard and More on Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Glass in Steel: The Mimi Riley Lecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Mark Drain’s Cowboy Way. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Thumbnail Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Just for Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The Dilemma of Paper Newsletters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Membership Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Board News

President’s Letter March 2010March was a month of travel for me. I began in Yuma, Arizona, attending the Annual Yuma Symposium. What a delightful and stimulating event! I have been two years in a row now and was not disappointed the second time around. Old downtown Yuma is a laidback, frankly somewhat desolate, place. Clearly, much like my home town, the downtown used to be a bustling center of commerce. Now it is mostly antique shops and a few tourist stops. However highlights include the Yuma Arts Center and Lutes Casino, both of which play a roll in the Yuma Symposium. Downtown Yuma comes to life with this event, as eager artists weave the streets from one venue to the next and back again, depending on the subject being discussed and the people they hope to meet up with. Conversations erupt everywhere in the warm, sunlit airy main street as new and old friends find one another.

After a week home I found myself heading to Houston for the Society of North American Goldsmiths conference. This was my first ever SNAG. Since SNAG is coming to our city next year, Memorial Day weekend 2011, I felt it was important to attend so I could better support the event here and those organizing it. Wow, it was a great experience! What I came away with most importantly is that no jeweler or metal artist living within easy driving distance from Seattle should miss this conference.

The conference was in Seattle just about 12 years ago. I was a fairly new metalsmith then, just starting out teaching at North Seattle Community College. How on earth I missed out on the opportunity to attend is beyond my recollection. I’m sure I felt it was very expensive. But more likely I probably felt the Society of North American Goldsmiths was out of my league. Well of course it was! However that really isn’t the point. I suspect attending the SNAG conference in1998 might have changed my life (not that I’m complaining, I’ve got a pretty sweet life!). Really I just mean to emphasize the significance of this opportunity. To partake in an international coming together of metal artists, jewelers, teachers and dealers is a fantastic experience. In your own city must be even better.

I interviewed probably 100 people, questioning them about their experience at this conference - were they getting what they wanted from it, what was working for them, in what way has it been better in the past. That’s generally what I do when I meet strangers, interview them… Anyhow, one after the other recalled Seattle as one of the best SNAG conferences they had ever attended! They cited the speakers, the shows, the entertainment (drag queens, apparently) as reasons. Carmen and Joan have quite some shoes to fill. We couldn’t ask for a better couple of people at the helm.

What did I love so much about SNAG at Houston? Well, the speakers were compelling, the shows were great, the dancing on closing night was incredible (if that happens in Seattle I will be shocked!) but more than anything it was the hotel bar. Okay, of course I know what you are thinking, lush, but no it wasn’t the beer (Houston really lacks imagination when it comes to beer). The bar was smack in the middle of the lobby of our fancy hotel, like a comfortable sunken living room inviting us to linger and visit. No matter the time of night, the bar lured us in with a continuous flow of someone interesting to talk to. I had the best conversations with speakers, teachers, students, and friends from Seattle, all wearing their little SNAG tags, in the bar.

It is expensive. So start saving your dollars today. A dollar a day should just about get you there. There are also many volunteer opportunities for students and artists new to the field. This can be an excellent way to meet new people and get in the know. No hotel, no airfare and it could change your life? I think it is worth every penny.

If you would like to get more involved with the Seattle conference, contact the SNAG volunteer coordinator at: 2011Volunteers@seattlemetalsguild.org. For more information about the conference, see the SNAG website: www.snagmetalsmith.org. And plan to be in Seattle Memorial Day weekend next year with all the other cool people.

Dana CassaraPresident, SMG

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Board News

The SMG Grants and Scholarships committee would like to announce two Seattle Metals Guild grants, each up to $500. If you know anyone who fits in either of the categories described below please encourage them to apply!

The Sharon Boardway scholarship grant is intended to help a student in a metal-related degree program. Applicants for this grant must be members of the Seattle Metals Guild and already enrolled in their degree program.

The George McLean grant is intended to help an artist accomplish a specific metal-related project already in progress. Applicants for this grant need not be members of the Seattle Metals Guild.

The deadline to apply for grant is May 15th. Applicants must be from the Pacific Northwest (AK, ID, OR, or WA.)

You can find out much more about our grants by visiting http://seattlemetalsguild.org/scholarships.

It is with a great deal of thanks to the fabulous Cynthia Wood that I now take from her the mantle of Seattle Metals Guild newsletter editor. Cynthia’s tireless efforts have produced an informative and well-organized newsletter that is a great resource for the entire Guild. I wish her great luck as she takes her writing skills back to Microsoft.

Stepping into the editor role was, I admit, intimidating at first. However, the team working on this publication makes the job fun, and I’m excited by the number of people I’ve already been able to meet while putting together this issue.

Going forward, in addition to keeping you informed about upcoming Guild events and artist opportunities, the newsletter

will bring you several regular features offering technical advice (Tips from the Jeweler’s Bench), social media lessons (Internet Flux), Guild library offerings (Library Corner) and audience participation fun (Just for Fun). In addition, we will continue to introduce you to fellow Guilders, with a particular emphasis on new members and emerging artists.

I welcome any feedback or article suggestions you may have, so please feel free to contact me (editor@seattlemetalsguild.com). This is a publication by the membership, for the membership so make it work for you! Thank you to all the awesome contributors - I’m looking forward to the next issue!

Tegan

Don’t Take This for Granted - Help Get the Word Out

Introducing a New Newsletter Editor

Member News

Internet Fluxby Aran Galligan

Welcome to Internet Flux – a new column to help you navigate the myriad Internet resources available to promote and further yourself as an artist. Internet Flux will cover things such as self promotion through social networks, easy and inexpensive ways to establish a website, tips for building an online storefront, setting up online bookkeeping, etc.

This month I’d like to talk about Flickr. SMG now has a Flickr group you can join – http://www.flickr.com/groups/seattlemetalsguild/. If you aren’t on Flickr this probably doesn’t mean much to you, so let me fill you in on the benefits of this site.

Flickr is an image-hosting website and social community. It’s a great way to establish a web presence quickly and easily. You can upload images to Flickr as storage, freeing up space on your computer. You can create backup files, host pictures to use on your blog, or just share with others. You can set your images

as private or public and apply a copyright license to them – creative commons or all rights reserved (I suggest “all rights reserved”). You can also edit your images on Flickr, which is handy if you don’t have image editing software. You can organize photos you’ve uploaded (Flickr calls this your “photostream”) into sets (a group of pictures) and collections (a group of sets).

Flickr has two different types of accounts - free and pro. With the Flickr free account you can upload 100MB worth of photos each month. For $24.95 a year, you can upgrade to Flickr Pro, where you get unlimited photo uploads and archiving of high-resolution original images.

Flickr is partnered with Snapfish, which allows you to have cards, books, photo canvases and posters made from your stored pictures. Having a book made with images of your metalwork is a wonderful way to represent yourself as an artist. They start at $5.99.

Now that you have a Flickr account, it’s time to join the SMG Flickr group! Many people look on Flickr for jewelry and metalwork. The SMG is a wonderful and vibrant metalworking community and our Flickr group is a great way for us to show the world.

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Member News

Artist Trust Edge Program: A Major Turning Pointby Jane Penmanwww.janepenmanjewelrydesigns.com

Becoming a metalsmith and lapidary artist was never in my plans. Professionally, I was a kitchen designer. Opportunities arose, and I ended up in a metalsmithing workshop five years ago and a lapidary class a year and a half after that. The next major happening resulted from an e-mail I received about the Artist Trust EDGE Program, a professional development program for artists. Two days later I was sitting in class and committed to fifty hours of class time, along with prep time. At this point, I had no idea this course would change my life.

The EDGE Program was a majoring turning point in my artistic journey. Along with developing a professional portfolio, EDGE helps artists set direction and learn of opportunities and resources. Networking and involvement with artists groups is also emphasized.

At the outset of EDGE, I received a three-inch binder with a well-organized, professional program. The readings, speakers, individual exercises, and large and small group discussions were expressive and thought provoking. We developed professional

portfolios with the help of feedback from the group, the artist instructor, and also from a gallery owner. We explored funding and grants, communication, marketing, and business concerns for artists. Each student gave a presentation of their work at the beginning of the course, and another at the end. We also spent a month working with Bellingham’s Blue Horse Gallery to organize and hang a show.

Since the course, many in our group have stayed in touch to network and show together, organizing a juried show in January. I have also had a number of opportunities. In February, I was invited to be part of another show at Blue Horse Gallery, and am now represented by them; I also have a trunk show there in May. What I learned from EDGE has helped me find exhibition opportunities elsewhere, as well. I am now also active in Skagit Artists Together and recently joined their Board. Thanks to the Artist Trust EDGE Program, I have the professional skills I need for continued success. For more information, please visit artisttrust.org.

Library Cornerby Bon Vernareli

Did you know the Seattle Metals Guild owns nearly 100 books on jewelry, its history and its making? From vintage tomes to slick new releases, the SMG library collection is a great and under-utilized resource for members. We are now privileged to have it all conveniently housed at Danaca Design (5619 University Way NE) in a quiet room with accessible shelves, chairs and, a table for spreading out to study.

In addition to the books, we have magazines, show catalogs from around the world, and videos of past Guild workshops and lectures by masters in the field. A special Guild thank you goes to member Kitti deLong, hailing from Port Townsend, for answering the call to put our tattered VHS tapes onto DVD for easier viewing and to preserve the life of these treasures. Here at V&O Lapidary the most frequently asked question we field is

“Will you drill a hole in this stone for me?” The answer is, “No, but you can do it yourself. Check out the David Horst video in the SMG Library for a detailed ‘how-to’ using your Foredom.”

The library recently acquired about 40 jewelry history books from the collection of jewelry historian, collector, and SMG supporter, Ruth Eller. Included are volumes on the jewelry of the Medici, Victorian mourning jewelry, Art Deco and Art Nouveau

jewelry, amulets, antique paste jewelry, and more. The oldest book is over 100 years old, the biggest, 11” x 14”, has photos of ancient jewelry so detailed as to show construction techniques down to the file strokes! These books are now shelved and available for check-out.

Until now we have had a very open policy for lending: bring it back when you’re done. The result is that a significant number of books are now missing without any record (see the list below). So please, get up right now, and go scan your studio shelves for the following books, each with a neon orange sticker on the binding:010 LAP Jewelry Metalwork, 1991 Survey, by LaPlantz,

David ed.011 LAP.3 Jewelry Metalwork Survey #3, 1993018 REV Professional Goldsmithing, by Revere, Alan022 BOV Silversmithing and Art Metal, by Bovin, Murray 023 FIS Textile Techniques in Metal, by Fisch, Arline027 MCC The Metalsmith’s book of Boxes & Lockets, by

McCreight, Tim029 LEW Hinges and Hinge-Based Catches for Jewelers and

Goldsmiths, by Lewton-Brain, Charles 031 LAM The Ring, by Lambert, Sylvie032 DRU Jewelry of Our Time, by Drutt English, Helen &

Peter Dormer042 SEP Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths, by Seppa, Heikki 045 HAR The Jewelry Repair Manual, by Hardy, R. Allen 048 WIL Silverwork and Jewellery ,by Wilson, H. 049 LEV 1000 Rings, by Le Van, Marthe ed.

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Member News

At the end of February, some of your fellow Guild members participated in a master workshop with enamelist Linda Darty at the Pratt Fine Art Center. What a fabulous experience it was!

Darty heads the Metals Department at Eastern Carolina University. She is also the author of The Art of Enameling, which is quickly becoming a definitive reference in enameling techniques. Understandably, this class filled up almost as soon as it was posted. We all felt very lucky to be there, and certainly were not disappointed.

The first morning, Darty spread the large demonstration table with an array of dazzling samples: projects and examples from her book, recent work, teaching aids; we could hardly tear our eyes away. She then presented a rapid-pace slide lecture that covered virtually every aspect of enameling. Because we all had previous enamel experience, the presentation was a great review, as it gave us the chance to ask in-depth technical questions on things we had encountered on our own.

A key component of this class was the opportunity to work with leaded enamels, which are generally not used in the Pratt studio. At the outset Darty explained her views about lead-bearing enamels: “All enamels are hazardous – in the first place they are glass (silica), which is not good to breathe. But even the ones that don’t contain lead have other things: cadmium, beryllium, selenium… we know that these are bad for us, but there haven’t been exhaustive tests done to show just how bad.” She joked, “Lead is just the one that OSHA got to first! So really, all enamels need to be treated with equal precaution.”

Darty went on to add, “The leaded transparent colors are just so much more beautiful than the unleaded; with lead-bearing enamels, you get all the reds and oranges and pinks and browns. You have a much wider palette to work with. And the glass itself has much greater clarity.” Galvanized by this advice, we set to work exploring what leaded enamels had to offer.

Though the class touched on every topic in Darty’s book, cloisonné became our main focus, as it offered the best opportunity to learn about transparent leaded colors. Darty’s teaching style was wonderfully encouraging, and she gently guided everyone through the laborious cloisonné process. We had a wide variety of questions, and she was very accommodating to offer as much help as she could.

If there was a downside to this workshop it was that we had just three days to learn as much as we could from Darty. But because everyone was keenly aware of how short our time was, how busy we were! Most of us were so focused on our projects that we worked through lunch each day. By the end of the weekend, we each had at least one finished sample and a new appreciation of the richness and depth of color offered by leaded enamels! Hopefully Linda will be back to Seattle again soon – if you have the opportunity to take a class with her, I would absolutely recommend it.

Linda Darty Master Enameling Classby Peggy Foy

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Member News

Nancy Megan (“Megan”) Corwin is passionate about metalsmithing. You can see it in the work she produces, a finely-crafted collection of chased and repousséd jewelry and objects. You can see it in her newly-published book, Chasing and Repoussé, Methods Ancient and Modern, an illustrated text on methods and materials. You can also see it in the fact that she wants to share this passion with others – she spends nearly 50% of her time teaching. But with Corwin, you don’t have to

just see it, she freely admits it. “I’m a passionate metalworker,” she says. “And have been for the past 35 years.”

Originally from the East Coast, Corwin did her undergraduate work in Florida, receiving a BA in Art and Ethnomusicology, then earned an MFA from University of Wisconsin, in Madison, in 1983.

Her first exposure to metalsmithing was in college, where she was enrolled in a drawing class. She says the instructor told the students they were the worst class he’d ever had. He gave them a choice, Corwin recalls: change to ceramics or metals. “We chose metals,” she says. “And when I touched my first piece of silver it was instant recognition.”

Drawing’s loss, apparently, is the metals worlds’ gain. Since then, Corwin has earned worldwide recognition for both her metalsmithing and her teaching skills. From 1989 to 1994, she headed the jewelry and metals program at the University of Oregon, continuing a teaching career begun in 1971. Numerous classes and workshops, at schools ranging from Penland (NC), Haystack (Maine) and Monterey Peninsula College (CA) followed.

Listing influences as diverse as botanical illustrations, Japanese helmets, and “things that have longevity,” Corwin’s work shows a wide range of imagination and impeccable technique. Her work is included in collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and our own Tacoma Art Museum, and her exhibitions are too numerous to mention (you can find a partial listing on her website, www.nancymegancorwin.com).

About her work, Corwin writes, “I make my own chasing tools for specific forms and textures. In most cases, I will work on every part of the individual piece being chased, rather than isolating specific decorative and representational areas.”

Her most recent project is an exhibit at Velvet da Vinci gallery in San Francisco, which ended April 18. Corwin curated the exhibit, “Chased + Repousséd,” in conjunction with her book. In addition to a selection of her own work, she selected the work of several other artists who’ve mastered the art of chasing and repoussé.

“The work in that show was stunning, featuring an extraordinary level of craftsmanship,” she told me. She adds that one piece in particular, Liza Nechamkin’s “Snack Series,” which features a plate with Triscuit crackers and peanut butter was a particular favorite,

“with its tongue-in-cheek interpretation of the traditional application of the technique.”

Corwin’s book, a labor of love that took three years to write and photograph, is a natural extension of her desire to teach. “I wanted to fill that gap for a book that would help people learn the process,” she says. She adds that it took six months just to produce the process photographs in the book.

Another book could be on the horizon for Corwin. Expanding on a collection she completed a few years ago called “Inside/Out,” her newest project is to bring to life (on paper, at least) her sculptures and stories based on historically-correct fictional women. From “Chief Sealth’s Niece” to “Lady Lotus Flower,” Corwin has invented an assemblage of women represented by their hairstyles. This grew out of a previous collection of hairpieces and their containers, and not only

demonstrates her range of artistic skill, featuring ceramics, glazing and other techniques, but her storytelling skill as well. “I come from a family of storytellers,” she adds as an explanation.

Whether telling stories through her metal work, her teaching, her ceramics or on paper, Corwin seems to be in her element sharing these insights with us.

Meet the Metalsmith: Megan Corwinby Lisa Farin

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Events and Reviews

Dear SMG members,

The Symposium Committee is proud to announce the Fifthteenth Annual Northwest Jewelry and Metals Symposium: Saturday, October 16, 2010 at the Museum of History and Industry, Seattle, WA. This is sure to be an especially entertaining, dynamic and informational day.

This year’s presentations:

Endless ConundrumThe relationship between the small object and the large is one of comparative intimacies and formal echoes. Klaus Burgel produces installations, drawings, objects and jewelry that relate to each other across the broad terrain of scale, explore that region and comfortably live within it. Earning his MFA from the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich, Germany, he is the subject of the recently published monograph, “Endless Conundrum. Klaus Burgel, Drawings, Sculpture, Jewelry.” Speaking about his work, Burgel says: “I like to think of my jewelry as a secretion. Like a bee produces honey, the jewelry is what comes out of me.”

Beauty and Its Pursuit: The Aesthetics of PleasureTo paraphrase art historian James Trilling, “The use of ornamentation to enrich objects and environments is as old as humankind. Yet, in the wake of modernism, it has for most of the twentieth century been excluded from mainstream Western art making.” Kim Cridler, Assistant Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Wisconsin, Madison is on a mission to reestablish the importance of the decorative in our society and our culture. Cridler will

explore the recent resurgence of ornamentation in a variety of craft disciplines and how its legacy has influenced her studio practice and holds the promise to enrich our day-to-day lives.

Crafting in the Digital AgeKnown for his varied approach to both making and marketing, Arthur Hash produces work that defies easy categorization. Currently a Metals Lecturer in the Metals Department at SUNY, New Paltz, he teaches a catalog of classes that include Digital Design in Studio Arts and

Blogging, Packaging and Assembly, Processes and Techniques. Hash, who earned his MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design from Indiana University, will speak about how digital tools and technologies are changing art and design in the classroom and in the working craft studio.

From Here to There: Many Paths and Only Two FeetSome might consider a wide and varied list of acquired skills and seemingly unrelated accomplishments the mark of an unfocused person. But artist, designer, metalsmith, machinist, teacher and innovator Marvin Jensen would more accurately be characterized as a Renaissance Man. He is known not only for his exceptional mokume gane vessels, his furniture and stainless steel jewelry but also as an iconoclast who doesn’t cleave to the conventional notions of what it means to be an artist. Jensen has taught at venues such as Penland and RIT and his work is included in the permanent collection of the Art Museum of Rhode Island School of Design and the Mint Museum. Jensen will speak about the paths that he has chosen to walk as a maker.

Velvet daVinci: the Broad ViewIn a world of galleries that so often seems to be polarized in its aesthetic identities, Velvet da Vinci has become known for its refreshingly eclectic and global curatorial philosophy, featuring traditionally executed metalwork alongside pieces by artists who are utilizing radically new approaches and materials. Opened in San Francisco on a shoestring in 1991 by Elizabeth Shypertt and her business

partner Mike Holmes, the gallery has evolved from its humble beginnings into a must-visit destination for collectors, jewelry and small object enthusiasts, and artists. Shypertt will talk about her experiences as a gallerist and her observations of the field from her unique perspective.

If you are considering attending the Symposium and are traveling from outside the Seattle area, there will be a limited number of housing options available. Details will be posted on www.seattlemetalsguild.org soon.

2010 Symposium Preview

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Eleven schools and 56 students participated in the 8th annual Passing the Torch exhibition and competition. This Seattle Metals Guild public outreach event celebrates the high school metal arts programs in our state. Prizes were awarded in three categories this year: Jewelry, Sculpture and Icons of Washington. Many thanks to the students and teachers who participated, and to the hard-working primary committee members who made it possible: Hellyn Pawula, Bill Meinhart, Persephone Rizzuto, Wendy Woldenberg, Dorin Meinhart, and Gary Grossman. Special thanks to Nanz Aalund for being the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony. Her career path is an inspiration to us all!

Come see the show at the Washington State History Museum 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, Washington

The exhibition runs through May 22, 2010.

Jewelry

First Place Rachel White, “Starflower” Central Valley H. S., Spokane

Second Place Samuel D. Pollard, “Piecemaker” Auburn Riverside H. S., Auburn

Third Place Samantha Smithley, “Royal Frost” Lewis And Clark H. S., Spokane

Honorable Mention Benjamin Lieppman, “Twisted Of Fate” Woodinville H. S., WoodinvilleAnna Gage, “Flower Ring” auburn Mountainview H. S., AuburnCasey Babcock, “Colors Of The Wind” Garfield H. S., Seattle

Sculpture/Holloware

First Place Kristen Karr, “Hidden In Plain Sight” Auburn Riverside H. S., Auburn

Second Place Kirill Gurdumov, “Spider Nest (With Spider)” Joel E. Ferris H. S., Spokane

Third Place David Wakefield Jr., “Rickety Armoire” Port Townsend H. S., Port Townsend

Honorable Mention Kacy Trojcak, “Cake Server” Enumclaw H. S., EnumclawErica Howie, “Hidden Treasures” Lewis & Clark H. S., SpokaneVanessa Joy Rinker, “Fleur Curvé” Auburn Riverside H. S., Auburn

Icons of Washington

First Place Elisei Enache, “Johnny Apple Fish” Oliver Hazen H. S., Renton

Second Place Nathan Inks, “Emerald City” Oliver Hazen H. S., Renton

Third Place Cameron Ryan, “Columbia Sturgeon” Joel E. Ferris H. S., Spokane

Honorable Mention Davin Culp, “Washington Beauty” Auburn Riverside H. S., AuburnReece Henry, “Washington State Brooch” Woodinville H. S., Woodinville

Events and Reviews

Passing the Torch Follow Up

Kyle Rees demonstrating his 3-D riveting technique.

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Events and Reviews

Lisa Gralnick’s most recent body of work, spanning the last six years, is now on exhibit at the Bellevue Arts Museum. On the Wednesday before the opening, I had the pleasure of attending a tour of the show given by the artist.

Gralnick’s The Gold Standard investigates value through the juxtaposition of beautifully crafted objects and icons of historical and contemporary everyday items. The show is in three parts. The first is everyday objects from her life cast in white plaster with a section of the object fabricated in high-karat gold. Each gold section contains the exact value of its weight in gold on the day she received a quote for the item. Reflected in the scale of gold to plaster, this perspective on value provides a fascinating opportunity to examine perceptions of value in general. Gralnick explained that early on in the process she decided each gold fabrication in the show would also be a piece of jewelry. She described how a golden nose is a pin or pendant (and introduced us to her friend from whom the nose was cast!) and literally pulled the not-yet-secured faucet handle off a sink to show us a magnificently crafted finding.

The second section of Gralnick’s show is a series of plaster castings of the donated gold jewelry gathered for the third section of her project. Like fossil records, the slabs memorialize the gold objects, providing a detailed record of the items, including a written account.

The third section of the show is a group of masterfully fabricated “artifacts”, each fully conceived in Lisa’s imagination, drawing from specific historical contexts. Each piece is stunningly beautiful, rich with meaning and detail.

The Gold Standard is a beautiful and compelling artistic examination. We are lucky to have the opportunity to see it in

person. The show runs from March 18 – August 1 at Bellevue Arts Museum. For more details, visit www.bellevuearts.org.

Concurrent with Lisa Gralnick’s show at the Bellevue Arts Museum is an Anne Marie Hines lecture series on the subject of gold. In her April 14 lecture, Mary Lee Hu took her audience through 7,000 years of gold ornamentation with exquisite deftness. Beginning with flat forged objects, moving into hollow forms, granulation and the remarkable formation of wire and finally casting,

Mary captivated listeners with tasty details of gold-working processes and some speculation on the origins of them.

Two lectures remain in the series:

Wednesday, June 23Contemporary Issues with GoldAimee Boulanger6:30 – 7:30 pm

Wednesday, June 30Unique Properties of Gold – technical challenges and artists currently working with goldAndrew Cooperman6:30 – 7:30 pm

Lecture Series Cost: $5 members, students, and SMG Members!$15 non-members

RSVP recommended.

The Gold Standard and More on Gold…by Dana Cassara

Sarah Loertscher has naturally flame red hair and a winning smile. She loves soldering impossibly intricate crystalline structures at her SODO studio. Sarah received her BFA from Ball State University and was a student in the two-year intensive Core Student Program at Penland School of Crafts. She teaches metalsmithing at Pratt, and you can see her most current work at the Accumulation show at Fancy this month in Seattle.

http://sarahloertscher.com

Erica Gordon is a superhero that needed a day-job and thus decided to create Steel Toe Studios. Her distinctive line of hand-made buckles and colorful belts make sure people are staring at your pants as she flies away to fight crime. Erica began her metalsmithing career making jewelry, but was turned on to ‘the dark side’ of blacksmithing by Elizabeth Brim at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. This summer, it’s her turn to pass on some of her mad skills in a course at Penland. You can see her work locally at Fancy and the Seattle Art Museum Store.

http://www.steeltoestudios.com

http://penland.org/classes/summer/summer_iron.html

continued from page 1

Sarah Loertscher, Brooch

Erica Gordon, Buckles

10 www.seattlemetalsguild.org

Events and Reviews

Mimi Riley absolutely loves what she does. Presenting to a crowded room at Seattle Pacific University on March 11, Riley spoke enthusiastically about her large-scale glass and metal work, telling the audience that she wanted to give us information so we could all go home and start using glass in our own metal work right away. I came away from the lecture ready to buy a kiln and get to fusing!

Metalworking opened a whole new world to Riley, and was the perfect compliment to her glass creations. While working as a commercial and industrial electrician, she became fascinated by the iron workers with whom she shared job sites. Intrigued by the welding process, she collected scraps to practice on, telling anyone who asked that she was “building a fort in the backyard.”

It was this exposure to metal working that lead Riley to enter the South Seattle Community College welding and blacksmithing program when she was laid off in the wake of September 11. Since then, she has been creating large-scale glass and steel gates, railings and even a curved shower wall in her Georgetown studio. One prominent piece is the gate at the Boys & Girls Club on 45th in the Wallingford neighborhood.

By her own admission, Riley is “all about the quick and dirty” when it comes to fabrication, often using epoxy to assemble pipes that make up the branches or bamboo prevalent in her work. This allows her to spend more time on her favorite part – framing glass in steel.

Riley constructs her metal frames first, using 3/8” steel, then uses a tile cutter to cut glass to fit inside. Because much of her work is installed outdoors, she has to account for expansion and contraction of the metal to prevent the glass from getting crushed or fractured. Therefore, she always leaves 1/16”-1/8” between her glass and metal, filling in the gap with silicon-based caulk (though she couldn’t remember why, Riley emphasized the caulk MUST be silicon).

Through trial and error, Riley found that large syringes are far better for caulk application than traditional caulking guns. Along the same lines, she also discovered the importance of pushing the caulk out, not dragging the syringe tip along the glass. If she does happen to get a smear of the adhesive on her pane, Riley wipes it up immediately with rubbing alcohol and a cloth. Larger globs are left to dry and then cut off with a razor. She recommends Sealant Specialists and RS Hughes for supplies, saying they have an excellent selection of silicon caulks and applicators.

The glass shapes in Riley’s work are created in a kiln and textured while warm. Leaf and bark motifs being a particular favorite for her, a complement to the branch structures in her metal work. She imprints the glass with high-temperature felt or dabs it with thick globs of shelf primer (a kiln release agent). For curved pieces, she coats a stainless steel bowl in kiln wash and heats the glass over the top of it. Riley recommends that anyone new to glass work use Spectrum brand materials, as their finished colors are more consistent; Bullseye products have richer colors but they are harder to control.

Mimi Riley’s bright creative energy made for a very engaging lecture. She renewed my interest in glass work and I was very excited to learn she offers both metal and glass classes at her studio. For more information on Riley and her work, visit http://www.mimiriley.com/Site/Home.html.

Glass in Steel: The Mimi Riley Lectureby Tegan Wallace

11 www.seattlemetalsguild.org

Events and Reviews

For the final lecture of the 2010 series, Guild members were treated to an absolutely wonderful talk by master craftsman and founding member of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association, Mark Drain. Friendly and very humble, Drain wowed the audience with a dazzling array of his work – sculptural belt buckles, three-piece buckle sets, and saddle ornaments - and took us on a video tour of his Shelton studio.

While a student at the University of Nevada, Drain studied leather stamping with saddle-maker Bill Malloy. It was there that he met internationally renowned metalsmith Al Pecetti, who would bring in ornate silver work to be mounted in the saddles. Intrigued, Drain began to study with him as well. After graduation, he went to work for master engraver Francis Harry, doing 10-hour days in his Reno workshop.

While working for Harry, Drain did many of what he called “projects to lose more money” – hundreds of intricately carved snooze can lids, belt buckles, and other repetitive work that cemented his engraving skills. This gave Drain the skills he needed to advance to making one-of-a-kind custom creations on objects with far less room for error, such as a $15000 shot gun.

Drain’s work primarily involves four types of cuts – lining, single point, bright cut, and sawing. Many of his buckles have a multi-dimensional relief created by cutting scroll shapes into the metal (leaving one part still attached), pushing them up, then soldering the edges to the next layer. The result is a graceful swirling motion across the piece.

Working from a base of sterling silver, Drain overlays gold of various colors to certain spots (which he then carves through for contrast), then domes and contours his metal. Next, he carves his design and adds sculptural elements – flowers, steer heads, broncos –made from 14 gauge gold. The buckle borders are created using half-round or beaded wire which Drain carves or daps to add texture.

Drain’s buckles are usually round (he does not like points!) and are becoming more and more sculptural. While still bringing in the traditional cowboy motifs, such as flowers, flowing leaves, and certain animals, his flora is becoming rounder and more frond-like, and he is adding more shading. As he told the audience, he’s

“introducing new techniques to this Western stuff!”

As incredible as Drain’s work is, his studio is also pretty amazing. The video tour he provided showed us a brightly-lit area that houses his bench, engraving equipment, and other small-scale tools. Big windows give him plenty of light. The adjoining room is, for all intents and purposes, a machine shop, with an impressive collection of presses, grinders, lathes and, perhaps the coolest thing ever, a striking die (which he demonstrated in the video). The collective “ooooh” from the audience at the sight of a 450 pound anvil in corner of the studio was the kind of reaction that could only come from a room full of metal enthusiasts.

I admit I didn’t know what to expect when I went to this lecture, but am so glad I attended. Mark Drain is an incredible artist and really nice person. Drain praised the Seattle Metals Guild for representing “all different types of metal craft,” and I second that sentiment. Kudos to Aaron Barr for bringing us Mark and another fantastic lecture line-up!

Mark Drain’s Cowboy Wayby Tegan Wallace

12 www.seattlemetalsguild.org

Going once, going twice……the Pratt auction is Saturday, May 15. This year the event will be held at Hangar 30 in Magnuson Park, and features energetic auctioneer John Curley. Even if you can’t attend the auction itself, come by for the preview on Friday evening and enjoy the art and festive atmosphere. Once again, SMG has donated a member-created necklace as an auction item so stop by and check it out.

GAP Grant Applications...…are due to Artist Trust by June 25. GAP (Grants for Artist Projects) awards are given to individual Washington State artists for the development, completion, or presentation of new work. Artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply, and may receive up to $1500 for their project. More information and an application are at artisttrust.org.

If you need help with the application process, attend Artist Trust’s How to Build a Strong Grant workshop at 6:30 on May 27 at the Northwest African American Museum Legacy Gallery, 2300 South Massachuset Street. The workshop requires pre-registration (call 206-467-8734, ext 10 or email monica@artisttrust.org) and a $5 donation is requested.

The Annual SMG Picnic……will be August 8 at Carkeek Park. This year we’ll say ‘Aloha!’ to fun with a festive luau theme. This event is potluck, and the Guild will provide the heat and the meat for grilling. Activities will include games and pewter casting. Don’t miss the party!

Show Us What You Can Do……during the Bellevue Arts Fair July 23-25. Eileen Herbert of Bellevue Arts Museum is looking for artists to demonstrate their media, and has 2-hour slots available on Friday the 23rd and Sunday the 25th. This is a great way to promote your own work and SMG.If you have any questions on how last year’s presentations went, contact Megan Corwin at nmegan@mindspring.com. If you are interested in participating, contact Eileen at eherbert@bellevuearts.org or (425) 519-0741.

PMC for You and Me......in a fantastic mixed-metal clay workshop taught by Hadar Jacobson August 20-22 at the Mountaineers Club, Tacoma Branch (2302 North 30th Street). For more information, and to register, contact Peg Gyldenege – peg@wildhairstudio.com or (253) 770-0544.

Color Your World...…or at least your metal, with an exciting workshop taught by Helen Shirk, happening the last weekend in August. More details and a registration form coming soon.

Got Books……from the SMG library? If you’ve borrowed books or videos from our Guild library, please be sure to return them to the collection, now housed at Danaca Design (5619 University Way N). All library books have a bright orange sticker on the spine, making them easy to identify as part of the SMG collection!

Did you know…SMG is online? Peg Gyldenege, our Membership Chair, has started a blog about SMG, our events, and other points of interest. If you have an event to share with the membership, provide the who, what, when, where, and a JPEG image (if possible) to Peg (peg@wildhairstudio.com) at least 1 week in advance and she will post it.

And speaking of being online……SMG has a Flickr page (www.flickr.com/groups/seattlemetalsguild) where members may post up to 10 images of their work.

…SMG is on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SeattleMetalsGuild). Become a fan today, or, if you don’t have a Facebook account, just stop by and check it out.

…SMG has a Crafthaus page (crafthaus.ning.com/group/seattlemetalsguild). If you are already on Crafthaus, join the SMG group.

To network more information and future entries for this column, please contact

newsletter@seattlemetalsguild.org

metals events & information

13 www.seattlemetalsguild.org

Today’s Date ❑ New Member ❑ Renewing Member ❑ Check if contact info has changed

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Check if you do NOT want your ❑ address or ❑ phone published in the SMG directory

Check the box only if you want to receive a paper copy of the newsletter in addition to the electronic version ❑(Help the guild save money and resources by viewing your newsletter online. You will receive email notification when each newsletter is available.)

Enclosed is: ❑ $45 Individual membership (9/15/2009 – 12/31/2010) ❑ $20 Student w/copy of student ID

❑ $60 Membership for any number of adults at same address (1/1/2010– 12/31/2010)Memberships paid on or after September 15, 2009 will extend through December 31, 2010.

I can help with: ❑ Newsletter ❑ Mailings ❑ Bead Necklace ❑ Exhibits ❑ Workshops and Events

❑ Symposium ❑ Educational Outreach ❑ Misc. – Call me for specific tasks as needed

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Please make checks payable to: Shunpike/SMG, PO Box 70407, Seattle, WA 98127

Please allow up to four weeks for processing of your membership. If you have not received confirmation within four weeks, please contact membership @seattlemetalsguild.org.

MEMBERSHIP FORM

Just for Fun is a new column all about audience participation and sharing (short) anecdotes. We’ll cover a variety of topics, one of which will be posted here in each issue. Responses may not exceed 5 sentences, and can be submitted to editor@seattlemetalsguild.com. Deadline for responses is July 10. Please include your name if it is not obvious from your email address. Several responses will be chosen at random, and will

appear in the July/August issue.

In honor of the upcoming Seattle Metals Guild studio tour, our inaugural Just for Fun topic is:

What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever found in your studio (that you didn’t put there)?

We understand that for some of our members (including the current president) flipping through the pages of a newsletter is somehow more satisfying and maybe even more informative! However printing and mailing our newsletter has become increasingly expensive. Not only because of the increase in the cost of paper but because our newsletter has grown! While many publications are “going green” by becoming available only on

line we have instead decided to make our membership an offer: rather than eliminate the paper version we have decided, for an additional $5.00/year, members can continue to be mailed a printed newsletter. This nominal increase in membership dues will off-set the cost of printing and mailing your newsletter. Memberships forms for renewal in 2011 (lots of time still) will give you this option. Thanks for your understanding!

The Dilemma of Paper Newsletters

Just for Fun

P O Box 70407Seattle, WA 98127

May/June 2010

www.seattlemetalsGuild.org

The Seattle Metals Guild is a non-profit organization made up of people with vary-ing interests and involvement in traditional and contemporary jewelry and metal arts.

The Guild was founded in 1989 to provide for the exchange of ideas and information, as well as to offer affordable educational oppor-tunities to its members and the public.

Our activities include: a web site, bimonthly newsletter, exhibitions and a series of aes-thetic, technical and business workshops and lectures.

The skills, energy and enthusiasm of the Se-attle Metals Guild members promote and sustain its successful programs.

We welcome new members and encourage participation by everyone.

The Seattle Metals Guild Newsletter is published bimonthly. Comments, announcements and ads are welcome from all SMG members.

Please contribute to your NewsletterWe encourage participation and welcome information about upcoming shows and events, articles about safety and bench tips you would like to share.

If you have comments or something to contribute, please submit your information, generated in a word processing program, via e-mail. Include photos or logo artwork in JPEG format, if available. Remember to provide who, what, when, where, why and how.

Tegan Wallace: newsletter@seattlemetalsGuild.org

Deadline for July/Aug issue is June 10. Articles received after that date may be published in the following newsletter.

2010-2011 SMG Board of DirectorsAll addresses are suffixed with “@seattlemetalsGuild.org”

President . . . . . . . . . . . . Dana Cassara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . president@Past President: . . . . . . . John Caster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pastpresident@Vice President . . . . . . . . Tegan Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vicepresident@Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . Suz O’Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . secretary@Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Dingacci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . treasurer@Membership Chair: . . . . Peg Gyldenege . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . membership@Outreach Chair: . . . . . . . Reed Schilbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . outreach@Education Chair: . . . . . . Megan Corwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . education@General Board . . . . . . . . Petrus Korver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . board2@General Board: . . . . . . . Aran Galligan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . board3@General Board . . . . . . . . Kiraya Kestin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . board6@

SMG Services

Newsletter Editor . . . . . . . . . Tegan Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . newsletter@Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bon Vernarelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . librarian@Symposium Coordinator . . . . Candace Beardslee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . symposium@Workshop Coordinator . . . . . Megan Corwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . workshop@Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peg Gyldenege . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . membership@

The Seattle Metals Guild is an Associated Program of Shunpike.