The Most Amazing Workshop

It’s already Summer Solstice.  It’s amazing how quickly time passes.  I was afraid when I “retired” from my archaeology days, and decided to do jewelry full time, that I would sit around with time on my hands and just stare at my bench pin.  Well, not exactly.  My days are packed with discussions with my friends about techniques, stones, and preparing for art shows.  I don’t have time to do anything else, (and have been so tardy about updating my blog)  and though it gets frantic at times, I’m extremely grateful to be able to pursue my passion.  I think my life is very blessed.

This past week end, I took one of the most amazing workshops I’ve ever taken, in fact, my  first workshop in 3 years.  I took this eagerly awaited workshop because I have long been a fan of master metalsmith, David Huang.  He makes those fabulous  chased and repoussed vessels, with those “out of this world” patinas.  Then they are  lined in gold.  They positively glow from within.  I first saw them several years ago in Metalsmith magazine,  and have longed to see one in person.  His pieces are truly the kind of art that you just stare at with your mouth open and say “How does he do that?” I knew two days of chasing and repousse would tax my dyslexia, not to mention my shoulder, but I really wanted to know how he got those fabulous patinas.

David Huang making patinas

I must be doing something right because  The Denver School of Metal Arts, where I also teach, hosted the first ever  patina workshop that (gasp!) the real David Huang presented. I had met David last year at the Colorado Metalsmith Assoc Salida Conference , which takes place in mid-July each year.  David and I were sitting close together in one of the presentations, and (embarrassingly)  I just had to  gush.  I mean, he’s truly an unbelieveable artist.   He was so gracious, (not to mention, very good looking, too),  much too young to be such a master metalsmith, and one of the nicest guys in the field.  But I digress.

The first few minutes of any workshop are rather awkward, with people not knowing each other, or the instructor.  David put us at ease immediately with his self-deprecating humor, and talking about his work.  He’s very humble and allowed all questions.  As he started to talk about the chemicals I tried to remember chemistry class of….hmmmm, say  “several”  years ago, but he speaks like a real person, not “chemical engineer speak”. Also,  I was expecting a massive Bible of technical recipes as hand-outs, kind of like that patina book that I own, which I either (a) can’t afford or (b) can’t pronounce the ingredients, but no.  We started out with basic ingredients that all of us had already had heard of, and, I was fairly sure, would not accelerate the growth of a 2nd head.  David fired up the torch, applied the patina, and we all stood around and “oohed” and “ahhed”  as the metal turned a juicy turquoisey-greenish blue.  But the master of any technique can make it look simple, right?

Then was our “hands on” time.  I cut my metal, got my little jar of chemicals and was at last “one with the torch”.  I eagerly fired up the torch to  a soft annealing flame,  heated the metal, reached for a paint brush and cautiously applied the chemical and waited.  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing  No color. Nada. Zilch.  David looked over my shoulder and said “More heat”.  “More?”  He reached over and cranked up the heat.  I applied more chemical.  There was a tiny bit of green, but only if you looked at it under a 4000X power microscope.  “More stuff”,  I heard, as the master was standing right there.  So I slathered the “stuff ” on, and there it was, just baby steps, but there was a green.  It didn’t look like his, but there it was.  So I stood there adding more “stuff”  and more heat.  Suddenly, there appeared this luscious turquoisey-green. “Oh Wow!”  escaped from my lips, and I gazed upon my first tile as if it were my first newborn child. Around the room my classmates experienced their own color-induced euphorias.

Patina Samples

Soon we were all comparing our sample tiles, and eagerly reaching for another.  David showed us more patinas, we practiced and experimented,  and suddenly someone announced it was lunch time.  No way!   I had about 7 tiles with different patinas….a rich green, an olive green, a forest-y looking green, and a deeply polished leather brown, something that looked like my old saddle for my childhood horse.  That quickly became my favorite patina. Not one “failure”.  By now we were all friends, sharing patinas and how we did this or that,  “oohing and ahhing” over each others test tiles.  All too soon the day was over. I had 13 fabulous tiles.

That night I was exhausted and fell asleep in my chair at 9:30. I was eager to get to back up to the school the next day and buy more metal at The Naja, and some little copper bowls, too.  I wanted to get there early to look at the vessels he brought, and actually get to touch one.   That day David showed us a deep velvety black patina, so much richer and deeper than Liver of Sulfur.  As he encouraged experimenting, he was just as excited and surprised as we were with some unexpected results.  He was very honest if we asked about putting this chemical with that, and he’d say “I never tried that. Go for it.” How refreshing.  David is a very giving teacher.  He shared every secret, every possibility and even talked of chemicals he wished to try in the future.  I also try to teach that way and really appreciate when someone who I consider a true master is so giving.  My philosophy is “Why make students re-invent the wheel?” My last patina was  a real surprise….a rich, elegant pinky-red-salmon, and a pattern that could be an O’Keeffe painting.  On the back of the tile, by happy accident, were colors that looked something like a Rothko painting with rich purples. That I will just put on a mini-easel and just look at.

It had been one of the most wonderful workshops I’d ever attended.  I’d like to thank Darlene Armstrong and Travis Ogden and everyone at The Naja and Denver School of Metal Arts for bringing in an artist of David Huang’s caliber. Though my styles of jewelry will not change,  you will be seeing a lot more color.  “Knock your socks off” color.  Thank you, everyone, and a very special Thank You to David for sharing.

The Vessel

As we packed up, I was able to purchase the vessel which I loved with all my heart.  It fit perfectly as I cupped it in my two hands.  Have you ever wanted something so much that when you got it, the only thing you could do was stand there and grin at it?  Well, that was my  feeling as I chose and packed my beloved new treasure.  I have looked at this piece, dreamed of it, and longed for it for at least 3+ years.  It’s that magnificent turquoisey green that I love, and the gold interior just glows. It smiles back at me.   David graciously let each of us pick out and have some of his tiles, and I’m honored to have my favorite 4.   Those, and my test tiles are all on the dining room table, with my gorgeous vessel.  I just go down and stare at them and grin. Yes, my life is very blessed.

Galleries vs Festivals and our Future

I’ve been doing a lot of really Deep Thinking.

Galleries vs. Shows is a big question in my mind right now.  Do I REALLY want to be in more galleries?  The galleries do all the work, display my work, maybe advertise it, and they are taking all the risks. They have a lot invested in me and a number of other artists.  For that I get 50%, or in the case of my most recent check, 30% because the buyer bought “more than one piece.”  I was not contacted on this, and I took the entire “hit”.    (RANT ALERT!  It was an out of state gallery.  They no longer represent me, as of 30 minutes after the arrival of my check.   So I didn’t even cover the cost of my supplies in this one.  I guess you win some and you lose some.  After checking my contract, discounts were addressed, “with the permission of the artist”, which they never got my permission on this.   I understand they have all the bills, but it didn’t seem fair, whereas most galleries are very fair.)  There are some galleries who are really feeling the pinch, and just scraping by, and doing what they have to do to keep the doors open for all of us.  I understand and appreciate that.   The economy has played a huge part in the art jewelry market, and I’m sad that my friends with galleries are hurting.  But it seems like the check is never really what I am expecting.  Sure, it’s an ego thing that lasts for a few minutes when I get asked into some well known gallery, but in this case, that feeling didn’t replace the price of my materials.

On the other hand:  I apply to a show,  have photos made, (they aren’t cheap) pay the jury fee, ($25-50.00),  pay the fee to be in the show, ($300-700.00), buy a tent,  (not the $199.00 one that won’t stand up to the Colorado winds, but the EZ Up Express II, the $359.99.00 one with the sides and a roller bag,   http://www.EZUpdirect.com),  spend $200.00 for  mammoth sized weights to keep my “stuff” from blowing away,  buy display materials  (the shows are getting so uppity that the jewelery booths are looking like some portable mall store and you look like one of the Beverly Hillbillies if you don’t have all the glitz, halogon lights, pro panels etc), have postcards and business cards made, travel to the show, and either get a motel room or buy a 5th wheel ($48,000.00, or $85,000.00 if you have to buy the big truck, too!)  set up, stand there in the heat, cold, rain, snow, wind, dust (pick one) and smile while I’m dying to take a break, put up with hoards of people in your booth, or stand there wondering why no one is stopping, then take down everything when I’m dog-tired,  (sometimes in the aforementioned rain, snow, wind, etc), lug the mammoth weights, tent, and pricy display cases to the car,  repack, drive home, and I get 100% of the money.

It seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?  Galleries win hands down.  Still, all that said, I do get really excited when I get into a dynamo show.

I like doing shows for the first 6 hours.  I don’t like having no customer contact through the gallery.  It’s a real toss-up.  Sometimes I really miss the old days of the hippie art festivals, the Rhinebeck Craft Shows of the 1970s, everyone  in tie-dyed t-shirts and their treasures spread out on a wobbly card table for the world to see.  Not that I was into jewelry or art at that time… I was off digging square holes somewhere in the world then.  But  it’s my idealized version, a nostalgic look back and maybe a sanitized version,  of what really went on.

But now that back to basics really appeals to me.  Am I the only one who feels this way?  Bruce Metcalf wrote about so many of the shows looking so glitzy and so much the same. Is that true?   The big shows like the Buyers Market of American Craft  was just not a good fit for me, though they are for some of my closest friends. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a show where a bunch of friends just get together, and put on a nice art show?  I’m  thinking this indie-craft  (independent-craft)  market really has some valid points.

But what has become glaringly apparent in the last few months is how much I make my jewelry just for the pure joy of the process.  I’m at the point that I don’t do it for money, though I do feel the need to sell something to justify my rabid purchases of Gary B. and Clamshell stones. And metal.  OK, more tools, too.    If it sells, hey, that’s really great but I’m not beating myself up anymore if something doesn’t sell.   I enjoy the process. Many of my friends buy my pieces, and I am in a co-op gallery where I get a very fair per-centage of the sale price.  I like this grass-roots feeling of all this.  I am the one maker, only one person,  I own my own multi-dollar company, and I am the premier, outstanding jeweler on my block.  And I like it that way.    I don’t know if I still have that need to set the world on fire, jewelry-wise.   I am enjoying my teaching and writing so much, but I do want to share what I make with the world, just for the joy of being out there with the artists. It makes me feel creative, a part of something really cool.  If I’m successful at a show, Ok, if not, well, it wasn’t the right fit for me.   So I have mixed feelings.  All of life is a trade-off , and I dont know which way to go, thought I have some strong leanings.  Does anyone else feel these confusing feelings? I can’t be the only one who feels this.

So what do you think?.

An Interview with “Jewelry Report”

Hi Everyone–I was very honored to be interviewed by Jewelry Report. If you are interested, please read the following interview.  My friend Kathleen Krucoff said I really needed to put it on my blog, so here it is.    I was thrilled to be included in this list of  some  really outstanding artists who have been a part of this site.  I hope you enjoy it. –Lexi

http://jewelryreport.com/news/interview-lexi-erickson

http://jewelryreport.com/news/interview-lexi-erickson-part-two

How to Get a High Polish on Silver

HI Everyone–It seems like I’m always getting this question from students, so I decided to write this to answer the questions.  Please feel free to print it out for your notes or easy reference.  It’s very handy, and if you like high polish, this technique will work every time.  The most important thing to remember:  “You must put scratches in to take scratches out.”  This means you must make the piece’s finish look consistent and then start your finishing process.  Good luck. -Lexi

FINISHING TECHNIQUES

Lexi Erickson

The Lowdown on a High Polish

You have worked hard on your piece of jewelry, designing it, cutting, and filing and soldering. Now you are ready to “start finishing” your jewelry. You have a few more decisions. How should it be finished?

Give a lot of consideration to your finishing process. When deciding what texture to use on a piece, a mirror finish may not be the most appropriate. It’s beautiful, shiny and elegant. However, it is difficult to achieve and almost impossible for your client to maintain. Nevertheless, sometimes it’s the only finish that will do, so now you need to know how to achieve that sought after look. Pieces with large bold designs work best, not too much texture or detail.  To achieve a mirror finish on a piece takes lots of work, and that work starts the moment you purchase your piece of silver sheet from the supplier.

The metal will usually be stored in some type of vertical storage arrangement while at the supplier and will come to you fairly scratch free. Inspect the metal before you purchase it and make sure it’s free from major blemishes. Don’t be afraid to ask for a different piece if it’s badly scratched. At that time, have the seller seal your metal in a zip lock bag; and do not put it in the same shopping bag with tools. When you get home, if you’re not planning on using it immediately, store your silver vertically, still in a zip lock bag, in a letter holder, such as is sold at Office Max or Staples. These are great for holding all your metals according to gauge. Sometimes I stick clear contact paper on both sides of my metal to protect it from scratches. Just remember to pull the paper off before soldering.

There are 2 steps to achieving a high polish—-polishing, which is removing the highs and lows in the metals, and buffing, which is basically melting the top layer of the metal to achieve a mirror finish, actually moving the molecules of metal.

You will start your finishing process after all soldering is done. No matter how careful you have been, you will have some scratches on your metal. To take scratches out, you must put scratches in. Start by polishing the piece all over with fine sandpaper, and gradually use finer and finer sandpapers. 3M makes some dynamite finishing papers. My favorite is called Imperial Micro-finishing film. It is long lasting and can be used with water or without. This wonderful sandpaper is excellent at removing firescale also. The papers are screen-graded in microns, each grain of “sand” is uniform, thus giving a more consistent finish. If I have some deep scratches, I start with 40 micron, then move to 30, 15 and finally 9 micron. Another favorite is the 3M wet or dry Tri-M-Ite polishing papers. By using these cloth-like papers it is possible to keep fine-tuning your work to almost a mirror finish. Please remember, I love doing the final hand work, and since I’m not a production jeweler, I have the luxury of languishing over a piece for some time  I usually just finish my pieces with sandpaper, and never do the polish wheels.  But I regress.  Both sets of polishing papers are available from most jewelry supply stores.

If you wish, you can use regular sandpaper, starting with a 320, then 400 grit and finer.   Finish with an extra-fine crocus (emery) cloth. Crocus cloth can be purchased from an auto supply store and can be torn into strips for getting into tight spots.

To finish this pre-prep process, use a pumice and water paste rubbed on with your fingers and rub the piece of jewelry until the water sheets evenly on it.  Barkeeper’s Friend, found in the household cleaning section of your local grocery makes a fine pumice paste.

Now you are ready to start working on a wheel, either a larger 6″ buffing machine wheel or the flex shaft wheel. If you are working with wide flat pieces, such as a cuff bracelet, or a large flat piece, use the 6″ wheel. You do not want to create grooves in your piece, which when finished will make a wavy surface, which reflects light unevenly. If working with small pieces, your flex shaft will be the appropriate tool. Use the flex-shaft wheel that will work best with your piece of jewelry, probably a 1-inch wheel. Also, don’t forget to wear goggles and a particulate respirator. 3M makes several very good masks.

TIP: The piece may get very hot. It’s fine to have a small bowl of water close by to dip your piece in to cool it. It doesn’t have to be dried to continue polishing.

When working on the 6 inch wheel, you will use the lower front quadrant of the wheel.  On a clock face it would be the space between 6:00 to 9:00. The wheel is going approximately 50+ mph, so hold on to your pieces carefully and with both hands. Hold the piece in what is called a “break away grip”, which means do not wrap your fingers into the piece. Do not wear long necklaces, loose clothing or gloves, and tie back long hair. Do not take your eyes off the wheel or carry on conversations while working at the wheel. This potentially is one the most dangerous machines in the studio, and must be treated with caution at all times. Always wear goggles or safety glasses.

The term for loading compound on a wheel is to “charge” it. To “charge” the wheel, you hold the polishing compound lightly against the wheel. If you have a new wheel, it’s best to hold an old hacksaw blade with both hands, to the wheel first and get rid of the lint on the wheel. You only have to hold the polishing compound on the wheel a few seconds to coat the wheel. Too much compound will build up on your piece and the wheel cannot do its job.  Re-charge as needed.  Experience will tell you when.

IMPORTANT: There is no need to push your piece of jewelry hard against the wheel. It’s the speed of the wheel doing the polishing, not the pressure. Too much pressure will cause the piece to rip out of your hands. The piece can be slung with maximum force against the back of the machine or across the room. This is then called “redesign by buffing machine,” and can lead to some exciting new design possibilities, but probably not what you originally had in mind.

DO NOT mix compounds on the wheel, which means do not charge the crocus wheel with tripoli or the rouge wheel with crocus. The tripoli wheel is only for tripoli, the crocus wheel is only for crocus; the rouge wheel is only for rouge. If you go from one polishing wheel (tripoli or crocus) directly to the buffing wheel (rouge) without cleaning in between, you are contaminating the buffing wheel. You are putting a cutting compound on a buffing wheel and you will never get a scratch-free polish if that happens.

TIP: I like to put the polishing compounds on treated, colored wheels. Tripoli is always on the yellow wheel, while crocus is always on the pink wheel. Those wheels are specially treated and are a little harder, so they are better for holding the cutting compounds. The white cotton muslin buff is softer and is always for rouge. That way I never get them confused. Also, use a Sharpie to mark the sides of the wheels with the type of compound if you don’t use colored wheels.

It will be fine to use the different metals on the same wheel. You can polish silver, copper, bronze, brass and gold with the same wheel if using the same compound. If you are using platinum or white gold, you will need to use a different set of wheels just for those metals.

Polish in different directions. Do not keep the piece of jewelry in one position. Turn it constantly, and don’t forget to polish the edges and back. For good craftsmanship, the back of the piece should look as nice as the front.

Polish first with tripoli.  Tripoli is a cutting compound and will round off sharp edges and can remove or blend details, like roller printed textures.  Pay close attention to what’s happening on the wheel.  The piece will get very hot, also, and you will get the compound on your fingers. Clean the piece, and your fingers in water, with an ammonia/Liquid Dawn solution and an old, soft toothbrush. Liquid Dawn has a great de-greaser in it, so it cleans the greasy compounds quickly. Take extra care to clean difficult hard to reach areas.  To leave any compound on your piece means it will transfer to the next wheel, which will then contaminate that wheel

Next, use the crocus wheel. This is a step many jewelers leave out, but if you want to have a truly high mirror finish, crocus is essential.  Polish the piece evenly, and look for a consistent finish. Again, clean carefully with the water, and ammonia/Dawn soap solution and a soft toothbrush.

Finally, use the rouge wheel to buff the piece, remembering to constantly keep the piece moving. Personally, I like to finish the polishing with a chamois wheel and red rouge, but chamois wheels are very pricey and get eaten up quickly. I can’t afford to use many chamois wheels! When you have finished with the wheel, do not use a toothbrush to scrub off the stubborn rouge.  Clean under running water with ammonia and Dawn detergent. To get the buffing compound out of crevices, use a cotton swab or toothpicks dipped in the ammonia/soap solution.

There are different colored rouges which may impart different finishes on your work. Some are available under a variety of trade names, such as Golden Glo, used for bronze, brass and copper.  It will make Nu-gold look similar to 18K gold! Use a black rouge for a darker silver look, and blue rouge (sometimes called Picasso)  for an almost pure silver-white finish. White rouge is usually for harder metals like platinum.

Experimenting by using the polishing and buffing compounds is fun. Each one gives you a different look. If you have done your homework, and taken care of your metal all along, you will have a minimum of finishing. If not, you may have more hand polishing to do. To do too much polishing with the machines will lead to loss of detail on your piece and possibly some smoothing out of edges and blending of surface textures. In some cases it will thin the metals when overused.

So, the final finishing processes should be:

1. the hand finishing

2. tripoli (the brown compound)

3. clean

4. crocus, (the green compound)

5. clean

6. rouge (the red compound) on a soft white muslin or wool wheel

7. final cleaning

TIP: As an alternative, you can use Zam as a final polish. It is a greaseless formula, which yields a high polish.

Wash with clean water and blow dry with a hairdryer. Use care if using a polishing cloth as this will leave scratches on your piece and you may have to go back to the rouge wheel again for a spotless finish.  The microfiber cloths will also dry your pieces, but do not rub the cloth on the piece, just let the cloth absorb any water. (Sometimes Flitz or semichrome may be used for a final “glow”. Put it on with your fingers, and wash off with your fingers and then, blow dry.

IMPORTANT: NEVER, EVER polish or buff a chain on the wheel, even if you have those wooden “chain holders”.   Polish chains in a tumbler or by hand. High speeds and loose chains are a dangerous combination and can cause bodily damage.

This is an arguing point among jewelers–I finish all the way up to a crocus finish, even if I’m putting a patina or a distressed finish on my piece.  Nothing is uglier than to have a light patina on a piece, and 3 months later finding firescale showing its ugly purple head and peeking thru a patina. So I “take it up” and then “bring it back down”.  Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

TIP: Ever get “lines” on a highly buffed piece?  Well, then, Check your buffing wheels. If you see strings hanging from the wheels, even short ones, cut the strings. They are cutting grooves into your metal. I keep my personal wheels clipped of all long strings and “fuzzies” and they feel like velvet.

By doing these steps in the correct order, you can achieve the ultimate high mirror finish. All your hard work will payoff with an elegant and sleek contemporary look. Take care, use common sense and good luck.

You may share this info with your classes or friends.  Please give me credit for writing it.  Thanks.

Copyright–Lexi Erickson, 2010

BeadFest..Final Thoughts

Hi Everyone–I believe my life is so blessed.  I have the joy of doing my jewelry, teaching and traveling with friends.  Not saying everything is perfect, if it were,  my studio would be completely tricked out and I’d have a maid and an assistant.  But Santa forgot to bring those for Christmas.  But my life is pretty wonderful.  Beadfest brought me new friends (Hi to all the girls from Texas!)  and wonderful students.  But first, I have to give a huge thank you to my to two of my  best buddies, Heather Kautz and Deb Hobgood.  Without these two, I could not have pulled this off  by myself.  They unloaded and loaded through the rain and snow, thunder and cold.  We were just waiting for the plague of locusts.  To say the weather didn’t fully co-operate would be an understatement, but like I said in a previous post, Santa Fe in the snow is enchanting.

We had a great road trip down, taking Hwy 285 down from Denver through the beautiful San Luis Valley,  across the awe-inspiring Rio Grande Gorge and into Taos, where we just did a quick drive by with a promise to return soon.  We took the “low road”  down through Valarde and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo.  The  pueblo was known as San Juan Pueblo, and like many in New Mexico, is returning to it’s former name, which is Tewa for “place of the strong people”.  It was  named the first territorial capital of  Nuevo Mexico in 1598, though the pueblo was founded with it’s original name in the early 1200’s.  (Sorry, the Southwestern pueblos are one of my areas of specialization as an archaeologist, and I think everyone is as interested in them as I am.)  Then we arrived in Santa Fe, one of my favorite places. We checked out LaFonda, where Beadfest was centered, and met with some of the other teachers for a Meet and Greet.

Then we headed off for dinner at Tortilla Flats, which is one of Heathyrre’s favorite places for dinner.  We were tired, so we got to the motel about 11:00 and crashed.  The next morning was breakfast at one of my favorite haunts, which no one has ever heard of unless you are a local in Santa Fe.  One of my professors at UNM introduced me to it years ago, and what it’s lacking in decor, it makes up for in green chile!!! Believe me on this one.  Horseman’s Haven is run by the Romero family, and used to be attached to the Phillips 66 on Cerillos Road.  Now it’s a free standing place, still next to the Philips 66.  I think my buddies had to really put some faith in we as we pulled up there  for brunch, but afterwards, there was not a dribble of food left on any of the plates, and we talked about getting some green chile to take back to Denver.

Then we headed off to  shop at Jackalope, to buy some last minute supplies at Santa Fe Jewelry Supply, and off to our hotel  to get tools, torches, etc  re-packed into our truck.  Bless Deb’s heart. She road the entire way with “stuff” packed  into the back seat along side of her, and never complained once.  But suddenly, the sky darkened, the wind kicked up and the thunder rolled.  It rained for a whole 45 seconds, until it started hailing, and then ice and finally five minutes later, snow!  Tons of it just dumped.  We were lucky to find a loading zone and stated uloading in the snow. The Convention Center is gorgeous, and we got all set up and were finishing just as the first students started arriving.  Because of the restrictions, I had to use the EZ torch, which is pure propane, and runs a lot cooler than my Smith ambient air/acetylene, and lights differently.   But after a bit of fooling with it, I got it to light and it worked just fine.  I had the students that every teacher dreams of.  There is a lot of beginning lecture about “the how and why” soldering works, and new vocabulary words we must go over when teaching people who are just learning to solder.  They were so patient as I droned on and on, and they took notes and asked really intelligent questions.  Finally they got to work with the torch, and they soldered a ring closed, and learned some tips and tricks along the way.   Its a beautiful thing when a class works like mine did.  I think everyone left with a lot more knowledge and a quest for more advanced info.  It was a successful class.  No one burned down the Convention Center!

My traveling companions and I celebrated that night with BBQ and margaritas at the Cowgirl BBQ, the restaurant who catered the meals at the Convention Center.  We highly recommend it next time you are in Santa Fe.  Then back to the hotel.  Three hot mamas in Santa Fe, and we were in bed by 11:00, again.  I guess we’re not real party people.  The next day we repeated the same drill, with breakfast at Tecolate and visiting a cowgirl antique store on Guadalupe St.   EXCEPT, as Heathyrre an I were setting up and putting out everyones handouts, I suddenly remembered their packets of silver and supplies were back in the hotel room, and Deb had the truck.  Well, I caught her just as she was getting ready to go to a movie and wait for us, and she had to rush back to our hotel and get the packets and get them to us at the Convention Center.  WHEW!  But she got them there in record speed and no one was the wiser.   I was a bit frazzled at forgetting them,  for everything had gone so smoothly, but it all worked out.  Again, it was a great class, full of the most wonderful students.  I know what I’m teaching is difficult for most people to truly comprehend, especially the first time, but we didn’t have the resources to have 15 soldering stations set up at once, and everyone was very patient. They all lit the torches like pros, and got their rings to solder   I am so proud of all my students.  Again, a successful class.

I learned that it is so rewarding to teach at Beadfest.  Not everyone has the opportunity to study at a college or jewelry school. The teachers are all knowledgeable in their field, and are all pros.  It was great to be with such people.   The students were so excited and so sweet to me.  I am truly touched by their willingness to try something new, and a bit scary.  Helen Driggs, the editor of Lapidary Journal and I will be team teaching at Beadfest in Dallas, Oct 1-3.  We will be teaching Intro to Metalsmithing, Intro to Tools, and Intro to Soldering, again, if our classes are all approved by the fire marshall!  Thank you for all of you who were in my classes and are reading this.  I learned so much from you all.  Please keep in touch and remember, if you have any questions, once you are my student, you are always my student.  And Beadfest is great.  If the teachers are having fun, I’ve been told that means the students are enjoying themselves.  I know I had a blast.  Hope to see you again in Dallas.  October is a beautiful time to visit Texas.

Life is beautiful, and even better when your solder flows!

Lexi

Getting Ready for Beadfest Santa Fe

Here it is Sunday afternoon, and it’s rainy/snowy and messy outside.  I’m glad to be inside, and putting the final touches on my class packets for Beadfest in Santa Fe.  This is my first time to teach at Beadfest, and I’m really excited about it.  I can’t think it will be very different from teaching my adult beginning jewelry classes at the college, but one never knows.  The class is called “Soldering With Success”, and I don’t know what level of students I will be getting.   Some  will be beginning, I know, but some may be fairly accomplished, just with specific soldering problems.  I have promised them I can solve their soldering problems, whatever they may be.  I sure hope I haven’t let my mouth overload my rear end!

Being a teacher is a tremendous responsibility.  I want to make sure I am giving my students reliable information, so I continue to research every new technique that is out there.  Tevel Herbstman at Allcraft Tools recently made a new wire solder for me. It comes in a rod, like a piece of 16 gauge wire, so I will debut that.  It’s great for “soldering from the stick” or “stick soldering”.  Also I’ll be teaching pick soldering, sweat soldering and my own  way of soldering rings and jumprings.  What constantly amazes me is that something I think is “old hat”, is brand new to so many people, and that’s the fun of teaching.  I teach all the tricks and bench tips, and hold nothing back.  Why have students re-invent the wheel?  They can take where I leave off and maybe invent a better wheel.

But being a teacher is, like I said, an awesome responsibility.  I have a 30 page hand-out for them.  So there is writing the handout (mine is a compilation of my writings for the last 3 years plus some new stuff), colating, exroxing, and putting them in their orange folders (the color of a solder flame).  Yes, I even think about the color of their folders.  Then I have to order their supplies, like solder, silver, flux, solder picks, everything that will be in their supply bags, and don’t forget to order the zip lock bags, too.  Then putting everything together,  cutting the solder, silver, making sure you leave nothing out of someone’s bag. Its harder than you think, and takes a lot of organization.   Then after that’s done, I have to put together my classroom sets of pliers, files,  etc., clean and pack my pickle pot, check the torches,  and at the last minute, find out that I cannot take my acetylene tanks!!!  So we will be soldering with something that runs cooler than I’m used to.   But that’s OK, I am used to the torch we will be using, since that’s what I used in Chile for 3 years.  In fact, it’s the torch most of the world uses.  But I will miss my trusty Smith torch!

But I do this because I love teaching. Doing all these things are what I love.  I mean, its not like taking the dishes out of the dishwasher or folding clothes. (Gag)   I love writing and making packets and organizing.  I know that at the end of my last class I will have the satisfaction, that really good feeling, from sharing with my students the techniques and information that will help them become a better jeweler.  Teaching is a tremendous high for me. I make so many new friends from students, and to me, that’s what life is about.

I look forward to all of you who are coming to Beadfest in Santa Fe.  I hope to be teaching at the newly announced Beadfest Dallas, Oct 1-3.  Even if you are not taking my class in Santa Fe, if you are there, please make yourself known.  I know one of my favorite cutters, Gary B. Wilson, will be there with his glorious beads and cabs.  I’m eager to see who else is there with new and fun things.  And besides, it’s such fun to be in Santa Fe, with it’s budding Creamsicle-colored hollyhocks and adobe walls dappled with soft shadows of the bare tree branches.  I love Santa Fe in the winter.  The snow on the adobe walls makes all of Santa Fe  look like a giant carrot cake!   The pinon smoke fragrance of logs burning in fireplaces add so much to the ambience of the town.  It is wonderful, plus seeing the galleries, shops and restaurants.  I went to college in Albuquerque, so my love for all of New Mexico goes back a long way.  My soul lives in Santa  Fe and Taos.  This will be such a huge treat for me.  I’m excited.

So, See you in Santa Fe.  For those of you not going, I’ll post a full report after we return next week-end.

Lexi

Continued…Rules for Creativity

Hello Everyone–

The azaleas are probably blooming in Houston, but I still have a foot of snow in my front yard.  Springtime in the Rockies is not as romantic as the song makes it sound.  March is our snowiest month here in Colorado, but today I saw my first robin, so there is hope in my heart and lightness in my step.  Today I  finally organized my stones and beads from Tucson, and I had a rare, very special  treat. I got to talk with my friend Noel in Madagascar. We were in Chile together, and this week I am happy because all my Chilean friends have been accounted for after the tragic earthquake of Sunday morning. Our hearts and prayers go out for all the victims and their families.  Chile is an exquisitely beautiful country. Chileans are also very strong.

I have been so blessed this week.  My husband safely returned from Australia, I spent yesterday with 2 jewelry friends,  Maria Roditis and Heathyrre Kautz,  I heard from John in Arkansas (he liked the stones I picked out for him in Tucson) and I am getting ready to make my first piece of jewelry with my new stones.  Mary called from Albuquerque, it is such an inspiration when we talk,  and Kathleen will be here tomorrow. Life is good.

So now I’m sitting down to my bench.  I am surrounded with inspirational stones and gems  My space music is playing softly in the background, I have  pinon incense to remind me of Santa Fe.    I am totally BLANK.  Nothing comes to mind.  Nada.  Zilch. All dressed up and no where to go.   As I have bought my stones I have images in my mind of what they will become.  I should draw them out at that moment of inspiration.  So here I sit… contemplating my bench pin.  Nothing comes to mind.  Ok, I’ll sort my sand paper. That being done, I return to my bench.  Nothing.  OK, I’ll straighten my pliers drawer.  That should take some time!  Finished with that, I return to my bench.  Nope. Oh, I know, that new package of Girl Scout cookies will inspire me, so I traipse  off to the kitchen, and eat a box of Thin Mints (horrors!) and a glass of milk, and think of Chile and my best friends Maria, Noel, and Diana, and the hours we spent in Starbucks instead of making jewelry like we planned.  Some things never change.

Does this ever happen to you?  I should be getting ready for the summer festivals. I want really wonderful pieces, but nothing comes. No bolt of inspiration has hit me. But, I know The Answer.  I just have to do it.  That’s the hard part.  Doing it. But try.  I promise it works.

Here is The Secret: Nothing begats creativity like creativity.  I choose one stone, set a bezel on a  square sheet of sterling.  It’s a start.  From that I play with the shapes and soon I’m cutting out a shape, filing and sanding.   Keeping my hands and mind busy is Part I of  The Secret.  Part II  is “Don’t over think the process….just BEGIN and it will come to you”.  “Ask for the switch to be turned on”, as Julia Cameron says in “The Artist’s Way” .  I don’t know why I beat my head against my bench trying to force a design, when if I just start, it will come.   Procrastination is the biggest enemy of creativity, and we all procrastinate.  We give the excuses of  “I can’t make jewelry until I have (choose one) A. a new stone, sawblades, etc  B. a new bench,  C. a whole new studio.  We all have our procrastination demons.  If you just start, you don’t have to even know where you are going, but your creative side will overcome the procrastination demon.

Try it.  You have nothing to lose, and the world to gain once you conquer procrastination. Let me know how it works for you.

Sorry I have to go, I need to finish polishing my new piece.

Lexi

THE New Tucson Stone

Hi Everyone,

As I promised, I will share  what we think will be the hot new stone from Tucson this year.  I have heard that it’s the turquoise shot with bronze, which, while pretty,  I believe, (and I’m not positive about this since we have only talked to two people about it) but we think it is a reconstituted block of turquoise, with bronze shot into it.  I did not see any cut into stones, but did see lots blocks of it ready for cutting. Helen and I discovered this stone at The Clam Shell. (Sorry for the bad photo)  This was the stone which made Helen buy me that first margarita.  This was our first purchase and it had to be pretty spectacular to make Helen lose that bet!   It’s brand new and comes from China. It’s called Red Creek jasper, and the colors are breathtaking. It’s yellow, with green, orange and red, or some just have subtle tones of red and green. There is hematite infused through the pieces in straight lines, which gives the stone a bit of elegant sparkle without being overpowering.     Here I have paired it with my old favorites of a round petrified palm wood and an oblong red jasper from Gary B. Wilson.  It’s a work in progress, so the design may change, but I really do like this combination.  Since people like jewelry with movement, I will either do tube hinges or jump ring to give it some motion.

Look for this stone cut as cabochons at the Denver gem show in mid-September. I think it will greatly appeal to those who love a lot of movement and color in stones.  It’s impossible for your eye to go to just one place in this stone.  It promises to bring new excitement to your designs.  Lovers of Picasso marble and tiffany stone will really like this one.  I don’t know how large the find is, or how much will be out there on the market.  All I know is it is gorgeous, and  there was not a lot of rough in Tucson.  I can give you no specific info about it, except the importers say it’s “not quite a jasper”, whatever that means.

A new cutter for me was Jason Penn, thought I have bought his designs from The ClamShell for several years.  I met Jason in Denver a couple of years ago, and what a nice man.  The ones I bought this year were long marquis cuts, a black onyx and a red jasper (I can’t seem to get away from that stone), and they were sandblasted, with elegant highlighted Oriental-influenced designs of un-sandblasted  area showing through. (There must be a word for this technique though it escapes me at the moment.)  I see some Oriental influence creeping into my my designs, and it must be from my friend, potter Mary Sharp Davis, who we had the privilege of staying with in New Mexico, and who joined us on our adventure.  Also, the day before we left for Tucson, Harold O’Connor brought some of his pieces over that had been on display in Japan.  They are  typical O’Connor’s, exquisite, so delicate and beautifully designed and executed.  A few of these pieces can be seen at Patina Gallery, in Santa Fe, NM.  Helen and I stopped by to view his new additions, and some other fabulous jewelry.  Check them out.  I love the excitement of a new idea, so I was awake most of last night, mind whirring with a new way to go.

I’m still recovering from Tucson.   The experience is both exhilarating and exhausting, but you get to talk to so many knowledgeable people, other jewelers and designers. I got to meet up with my old friend from Pennsylvania Society of Goldsmiths, and sister Lapidary Journal contributor, (and winner of one of their design awards) Maxine Rosenthal. We sat in a vendor’s RV and bought ammonite casts, laughed a lot and drank lot of water.   It will take me a while to process all this.  My stash of rocks on the dining room table needs to be categorized, which leads me to this subject.

How do you categorize your stones?  I have the glass topped Riker cases, and find those work better than the little trays with divisions, since my stones are all different shapes.  Some of my friends separate by shape or color or type of stone.  Now this sounds crazy, but I separate by vendor. That way, if I need another stone from a cutter to match a shape or finish of what I already have, I automatically know who I got it from.  Now to some people that will make no sense.  As an archaeologist, I learned to categorize  pottery shards by maker/Pueblo, so I guess that’s why I do it this way.  Sure, when making a multi-stonepiece I have to get out all my stones and look at them.  Oh darn!  It only inspires me more.

So let me know what you think of our pick for the hot new stone.  As soon as I find out who has it, I will let you know, but I do think  Mark Lasater will have cabs of it at the Holiday Inn show in Denver in Sept.

Off to categorize all my loot. More later…

Cheers,

Lexi

Live From Lexi In Tucson

Hi Everyone, Here we are in my last day at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, just generally known as “Tucson” to those of us who make jewelry.  The big question for the last 3 months among jewelry people  is “Are you going to Tucson?”  Everyone knows what that means. You aren’t going for the sunshine, spas or cuisine, though all are excellent.  To borrow, and modify, a current Olympic expression….”Go for the Rocks!”  And we did.

My buddy Helen and I started out in my husband’s big old 3/4 ton pickup, because with Helen, I didn’t know if I would be hauling back rock cutting equipment or  500 pounds of rough.  For me, I might find a T-Rex  fibula that I couldn’t live without.  We drove from Denver to Albuquerque and spent the night with my friend Mary, a fabulous potter, who is such an inspiration to me in so many ways. The next morning we all started out.  Mary was looking for unusual beads from Nepal for her unique spirit necklaces and goddess figures and urns, so she thought Tucson would be good for her.

We survived the boring drive from Hatch, NM to Deming, though Helen, being a Jersey girl, was fascinated with miles and miles of nothing but sage and yucca, without a tree in sight.  She kept her nose pressed against the window, with an occasional “Wow!” or “Cool!” or “Look at those rocks!” escaping from her lips.  After the awe inspiring ride through Texas Canyon, we came into Tucson, and got excited to see Zee Haag’s advertisement out on I-10 as soon as we arrived.  We were finally in TUCSON!!!

We stayed with our good buddy, Terri, in her beautiful Tucson styled home, along with her 2 dogs and cat, the Spawn of Satan.  Well, his name is Yote, but Helen calls him the Spawn of Satan because of his actions.  He just needs therapy. Then we were off to the show.  Our first stop was at AGTA where we got hugs from Todd Reed, who was finishing up his show that afternoon and flying to Philly for the Rosen Show. (How DO you do it, Todd?)  Then we were off to see the rock guys.  OK.  Helen and I had this margarita bet as to who would buy the first stone.   Well, 10 minutes into the show I spent the first money, but it was for my good Chile/Boulder buddy, jeweler Maria Roditis, who at the last minute couldn’t make it down for the show.  So TECHNICALLY,  that didn’t count.  The first money was spent with one of my favorite couples in the business, Mark and Christa Lasater, at The Clam Shell.  Again, I had to pick up 5 gorgeous amethyst sage stones that Kathleen Krucoff had ordered.  Then I had pre-ordered some equally fabulous amethyst sage, so that didn’t count, either. THEN IT HAPPENED!  Helen and I both spotted THE  new stone of the entire Tucson Show, and Helen pulled out her wallet and bought the stone on the spot.  I bought 7 pieces of the petrified sequoia stone, which was the Smokin’ Stone in the Feb issue of Lapidary Journal, (it’s very, very rare) and  I also bought THE stone.  Well, 2 of THE stones.  More on THE stone later.  Then we caught up with the editor of Lapidary Journal, Merle White, and solved the problems of the world, and were off again.  We rocketed through the place, stopping to see some fabulous new pink Oregon Sunstone from the Ponderosa site, and I could have easily dropped big buckage there, but didn’t.  I mean, it was only  30 minutes into the show and I’d already spent a lot of money.  I was already in deep coprolite!

We crossed the street to the GJX Show, and saw rubies, sapphires, diamonds, finished jewelry, ( ho-hum) but we were looking for cabs and rough.  The only thing I wanted was dino doo-doo and dino bone.  I have plenty of everything else, or at least my patient husband thinks so. Lo and behold…suddenly there was Gary B. Wilson’s booth,  my other favorite cutter.  I immediately picked out more things for Kathleen, and Gary had been holding some matt red jasper, the same stone that was on the cover of the Dec issue of Lapidary Journal.  I found a large round beauty called Hidden Valley Jasper.  It’s has gorgeous colors, looking like pinky gold Aurora Borealis lights.  And I finally got an “8 Ball”!  If you are familiar with Gary’s work, you know what that is.  I have waited years for an 8 ball slice. I bought more of my favorites, Chinese Writing Stone, and jaspers. But still no dino doo-doo.  And that was the only thing I came to Tucson for.

The next day was Electric park…and cold…and rain.  We met up with Mary and toured the tents.  Lots of Kwan Yin statues, Budda Heads, Kent’s Tools in the big tent, and I bought a splendid red and yellow African basket from a Denver guy! There were these wonderful things from Madagascar (Hi Noel!  I will be sending you a list, but get us some labradorite and those large tumbled carnelian stones.)  We talked to these cob-web encrusted grizzled old miners, and met Gator, who is Queen Elizabeth’s 16th cousin. (Aren’t we all?)   In other words, lots of characters.  And finally, doo-doo!  Biff Billings had the coolest stuff.  I got dino bone beads and a gastrolith, and very rare bone and doo-doo beads.  (OK, Mom, coprolite beads.)   He’s a retired archaeology professor, so no wonder I like him  We had lots of friends in common. I had a ball looking thru his stuff. I wanted to spend the rest of the day there, but the proverbial sun was setting in the west, and we had evening plans.

The next days flew by as we shopped The Holidome and  “The Strip”, seeing Anasazi pot shards, legally obtained, we were told, and trays of  repros of old religious objects, and tons of boxes of cabs and slabs, most just carelessly thrown in boxes, some that had been stored in people’s basements for decades. We saw lots of dealers buying from each other, and never once had to stand in line to purchase anything.  I don’t know how the dealers thought about this years show, economically wise.

Then it happened. And it brought tears to my eyes.   The thing that got to me was the scarcity of my favorite stones, Chinese Writing Stone, Picasso stone and palm wood.  There is a limited supply of good cutting material of any stone.  There were many cabs from China, cut there because it’s cheap.  So many cabs were crudely cut, or chipped from being thrown in a box. The words of Jeff Wise came to me so many times…”Who will speak for the stones?” To me, these are the gifts of our Earth Mother, who has cradled these treasures within her bosom for years. They deserve to be respected and honored.  They are the history of our home, our planet. To see people scruffing thru boxes of stone cabs, chipping or breaking them, marring their surface as they scratch against other harder stones touched me deeply.  Each stone deserves to be cut to it’s most beautiful shape and polished to bring out it’s natural beauty, and presented for your enjoyment, not tossed in some dirty old cardboard box.  I learned I don’t have to go to Tucson to see the most gorgeous stones.  I already buy from the best cutters out there, men who respect the stones and work hard to bring out each stones unique beauty.  And that’s why I continue to buy from Mark Lasater (The Clamshell) and Gary Wilson.  They are true artists, with the heart and spirit of the artist.  Their life and love is the stone, the backbone of The Earth Mother, our Madre Tierra.   I don’t mean it to sound snobbish or elitist, but the stone deserves this.  And when you make your piece of jewelry, present the stone to best best of your ability.  Make the stone proud of you.

Tomorrow I will reveal THE stone, what several of us have decided, in our unscientific poll, what was the new surprise this year.  And forgive me for my soap box stance. Just give it some thought. As jewelers, we have the power to stop what is happening.

From Tucson,

Lexi

Winter Thoughts

The Native American’s call it the “Quiet Time”, the time from Jan 1 through March.  It’s when the Earth Mother rests, getting ready for the new growth of the spring and summer.  This special time is a part of my yearly cycle, and I love it.  For me, it’s a time for allowing the ideas to come to fruitation in my mind, and a time to rest, to  just “Be”.  Those of us who live in the mountains are experiencing Deep Winter, and I love the long nights, though they are are getting shorter.  I curl up in my big chair, with the comforter over my legs, and sit with my sketch book and those colored brush/pens I love so much,  and watch the fire. I love the icyness of winter, and particularly love the clean coldness of -0 weather, IF I’m inside or step outside for a moment. If I’m outside for very long,  77 degrees is the perfect temperature.  Somehow that doesn’t compute, so I stay inside, now that I don’t ski anymore.

My earth shattering new revelation during my personal Quiet Time is that my favorite pieces I’ve done in the past are the ones without stones…the idea that the metal is enough.  I love the patinas and strange openings and crevices my work encompasses. I’m so glad I came to this conclusion before my annual pilgrimage to Tucson.  Maybe I’ll spend less money….or maybe I truly am a “stone collector”, like I tell my husband when I refuse to part with my treasures.  I’ll just keep them for myself.   But there are a few I really love and can’t stop buying.  If you read the article in the February issue of Lapidary Journal by Terri Haag, you found out I like using Dino poop, more delicately called coprolites. Some coprolites are spectacular and colorful.  I will be buying all I can find.  In fact, this is one of my latest Dino doo-doo pieces, called “Tastes Like Chicken”.  It’s coprolite and  Oregon sunstone, with little “nibbles” around the outside.  If you are a dino person, you’ll understand the title.  And the dino doo is pretty spectacular, isn’t it?

I really enjoy the history and palentological aspect of  using coprolites, so you will be seeing more of them, and fossils, in my jewelry.

My buddies (or my “entourage”, as Mark Lasater from The Clamshell calls it) will begin arriving next week, and we will eat lots of Mexican food, drink a margarita (OK, maybe 2), stay up all hours to talk and giggle, and then make the 16 hour “ROAD TRIP!” past the ancient volcanos in Northern New Mexico,  into the Sonoran desert, where we will continue to have Mexican food and our one margarita.  I’m staying with good buddy Terri.  We will catch up with friends, see new stuff, and I’ll blog from Electric Park.  I’m hoping we get to hang with our metalhead friends and our favorite stone cutters, and perhaps even get a trip out to see Gary B. Wilsons’s Tucson set up.  Helen and I have a margarita bet on who will make the first purchase, and we are both so stubborn that we may go the whole 10 days without a stone (or a margarita).  Don’t hold your breath, though.

So I will be in touch soon, finishing up the Suggestions for Creativity.   Also, I will be teaching The Artist’s Way at the Highland Ranch Rec Center Starting in March, and also will have a beginning metalsmith workshop at the Rec Center.  I’m very excited about these new classes. The metals classes are still going on at Coyote Creek in Fairplay,  but with Deb Hamm as the winter teacher.  That treacherous Hwy 285 through South Park is just too dangerous in the winter for me to make the weekly trip.  So stop by and say hi if you are in the area.  The gallery is open daily except Wednesdays.  Until next time–

Enjoy your personal Quiet Time–

Lexi