Harder, better, faster, stronger. Work it.

It's my first day back after the PMC Conference. I wish I'd been able to write from there, because there is so much to report, however...writing an entire blogpost from an i phone is a lot less fun than it may sound. And at this point, I have a whole week worth of experiences! So, in order to not bore you, I will give you the highlights.

The first day of the conference, Linda Darty, a renowned enamelist, gave the key note speech. She does absolutely gorgeous work, and her life story was so fascinating and inspiring and full of art and learning. She and her husband met at the Penland School of Crafts, and later bought 20 some acres and built a little house there. The house was wonderful, with window and exposed wood throughout. That little house is now her studio (jealous) and they've built another house on the grounds. From the pictures she showed, it would be impossible NOT to be inspired there. I especially liked the photo of her husband circa 1974: the carpenter who never sketches a single idea, sitting in a tub en plein air, beer in hand, as he contemplated the tilt of the roof while looking at a few two by fours leaning together at different angles.

After Linda's speech, Tim McCreight announced that Mitsubishi had an announcement to make. The buzz had been building. We all knew the new Fast Fire Bronz was being released by Rio, so I think everyone was wondering what Mitsu might have to say. First, the PhD who came up with the whole concept of metal clay (in the jewelry world) spoke a few words to us. This was a big deal in and of itself, as he's never been to any of the conferences. Then a slide show began to play. I will try to paint this visual to give you the same impact, but it probably won't quite translate. Picture a dark room, day one of the conference, excitement and creativity in the air. The screen is white, a greeting in Japanese translated into English is simply "hi". Then we see the following flash up onto the screen every 5 seconds...

1994. PMC Standard

1999 PMC Plus

(ok, so now we're getting excited, because we can tell something big is coming)

2002 PMC Three...

Here's the pregnant pause...what could it be!! I had coffee with Chris Darway earlier that morning and he to had alluded to something really exciting. But what? It's not the bronze, so what is it?? ??

Introducing...PMC PRO, High Strength Clay!

I seriously felt near tears at this point. Really giddy. PMC has only been on the market since 1994 and it's already making a huge impact in the jewelry making world. It's been cool to be working with a product that is so new and innovative. There really isn't anything that compares to that. Sure, polymer clay, plastic and resin are relatively new to the scene. But this is metal. Metalsmithing has been around for centuries. Ancient works are found in tombs, under the sea and buried deep in the ground. To know that I am taking part in something while it's still in early inception...something that down the road will be dug up from tombs, collected, found in museums...and then on top of that, to be there at the release of a product that solves a lot of the problems that metal clay is currently being criticized for (not enough working time, weak end product) was just unbelievably exciting. So what is PMC Pro? It's a new silver alloy, which is stronger that any of the silver metal clays before it. It has a much longer working time, it works like butter, it's easy to carve and texture, and it is MUCH stronger as a fired clay than any of the clays before it. That means it will hold up in rings, bracelets and can withstand traditional metalsmithing techniques once it's fired. The firing takes 1 hour in activated carbon. I can't get my hands on in until October, but I can't wait! Whew! So if that wasn't exciting enough, I left the auditorium and went into the gallery to see my reliquary piece that was on exhibit. I was excited, but it wasn't until I walked into the gallery and saw the level of work (as well as the names of some of my mentors and idols) that I realized, "this is a big effin deal!" I felt even giddy-er!

Here are some photos from the exhibit:

So official!

A big big thank you to Marianne for being willing to part with her reliquary so that it could be at this exhibit.

Other highlights from the first day include my impromptu coffee with one of my mentors, Chris Darway, a compliment from Terry Kovalcik on my locket (his aesthetic is so similar to mine. When I listened to his lecture it was like he was speaking directly to me!), when after introducing myself to Patrik Kusek he said "oh, I was just on your website!" (I die) and meeting Holly Gage and receiving a compliment on my Gonzo reliquary. Meeting my mentors and receiving unsolicited compliments from them was such a huge rush.

I think that is enough for one post. I'll have to fill you in on the other days...another day!