Working in the UK part deux

Another amazing day

After class at Treesmill (in Cornish it’s Tywardreath which is the name of the little village it’s in...did you know Cornish is a language? I had no idea), I walked around the village of Lostwitheal briefly and took tons of pictures. I'm fascinated by the doors! So many cool doors. Such great texture too with the stone buildings and cobblestone and walls covered in moss and ivy.
Dinner at Lisa’s home built in 1670. It was so cool to be in a space that has been lived in for over 300 years (longer than our country has been around). There were exposed beams and an adorable little wood stove (which may or may not actually burn word. Might be gas powered? The meal we had was prepared by Robert with fresh local ingredients. Really special and wonderful. Started with cheese and crackers and a delicious hand made dip, then had a rubbed local chicken with potatoes and veggies, all sauteed to perfection and melt-in your mouth delicious, topped off by a generous portion of home made gravy (more generous for some than others!) For dessert it was sauteed apples in a vanilla yogurt sauce with ginger preserves. MMM! The dinner conversation ran the gambit (gamut?) but focused heavily on teaching and learning. I wish I remembered more of it but there is just so much information going into my brain I hardly have time to sort it all out!

We stepped outside Lisa’s home to view a church built in 1228. I looked up into the sky and saw a shooting star streak across the sky in slow motion above the moon. The night was cool and it was like something out of a movie. Truly truly magical and amazing. I feel like I need to pinch myself constantly.

Today was the last day of the first session of Repousse. I didn't get my piece done, because I started to hate it and couldn't get past the "ugly phase". Holly helped get me through that and I'm actually looking forward to finishing it after taking some time away from looking at it and getting frustrated! The work the students did was really amazing and I definitely can't wait to practice the technique a bit more.


Holly helping me through the "ugly phase"

I set up this evening for the second session of Repousse, and now it's time for another English dinner. Tomorrow is a day off, and I think we're going to a castle. Need to get to bed early tonight, starting to feel a bit laggy today.

Working in the U K

Today was the first day of the first session of Repousse Techniques. I was pleased to be able to participate in the class! I chose to work from a photo I took this morning of the building we're having classes in. I thought it would be nice to have a little souvenir of my time in England, and this building is quintessentially English!

Early in the day, I was feeling a bit discouraged. After reworking my polymer clay several times, I felt like my piece was too plain and boring, especially after seeing what some of the other students were working on. There are some truly incredible minds and talented hands in here!
The first part of the process is worked in reverse, so I was also having a hard time getting my jet-lagged mind thinking in the opposite direction. But now that my mold has been fired and I started actually working with the metal clay, I am excited by the way the project is coming along.

Trying to upload photos, but it's not working. Hrrrumph.

Off to dinner with Robert and Lisa. Robert is cooking for us!

My jump over the pond

In England

just finished dinner with Robert Dancik and Lisa cain. Ate local fish super fresh called place, and had some cask pulled ale. complements from rd re; my reliquary locket, quite a compliment.

flew british airwaves, so giddy re; our ‘goodie bag’ containing socks, adiorable toothbreath and paste combo and as holly put it “eye shades..ooh, how sexy!” never expected to be so excited by the cheap gifts given us, and really, after the price paid for the tickets, a bit of toothpaste and thin socks is not much to be excited over, but i thought it was the best. It’s been since i was 17 that i flew trans-atlantic and it was so great to be making the trip again. Flying over ireland/southern england and wales, so unbelievable. Sunny blue clear skies, verdant green feilds checkered with brown and divided by rows of dark green hedges and trees, looked like a earth-toned crazy quilt. Hardly a building in sight, so much prettier to look down at the red rooftops and neat and tidy way the towns and villages are set up. Had about 19 hours of bonding time with holly and we get along like peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly, franks and beans! So many ideas put out there and discussed. really felt we met for a reason and looking forward to figuring out the specifics of our pre-destined meeting. also thanks to mom for manifesting me a tutor! Glad i have many more days to spend to let all this absorb. Train ride through English country side, lovely stone farms, cows, sheep pigs and horses co habitating and mingling on the hill sides. Some of the homes reminded me of Belgium, all very european imbued with such history and character (crossed a brindge in Lostwitheal (totally butchering name? Not at all sure how it's spelled, but it sounds so magical when pronounced correctly by Lisa and Robert)..bridge from 1228. 1228!!! Can you even imagine? Passed red cliffs, almost looked like the beach in goonies. Passed this crazy muddy marsh area with a boat so old weathered and broken you would think it was the con tiki

Am writing this after full day of travel. Narrowly missed our train and had to take a later one, which got us in to Cornwall around 6 pm. Met RD and LC and set up a bit for class tomorrow before going out to dinner. It’s Robert freaking Dancik and lisa freaking cain, did i mention that? had a bit of RD brewed french press coffee. and i’ll still sleep no problem. Ate some cookies and mamrveled at the fact that i’m in england and it’s beautiful.

think i’ll post this sans correction, should be fun for all. My head and body are pretty sure i’m still on a moving object, be it plane or train. A bit dizy and ready for a soid sleep!

Jolly old England.

Ok, so now it's official. I just booked my flight to England, where I will be accompanying Holly Gage and assisting her for the 3 classes she is teaching at the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery. (http://www.mcsj.co.uk/masterclasses/index.html)

(plug your ears for a second...)

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I'm SO excited! Not only do I absolutely love and admire Holly's exceptional and innovative work (http://www.hollygage.com), she's also so dynamic and fun that I can't wait to travel with her and learn from her! It hearkens back to the good old days when a master craftsperson took on a young whippersnapper who worked for and was trained by the master in a specific skill or art. Granted, most of these youngsters were between 10 and 15 years old. Or maybe I could compare it to the Karate Kid, and Holly could be my sensei? Either way, it rocks big time. (At least I sound like a 10 to 15 year old. Totally. Rad. Do teens still say rad?)

Holy effing excrement! I can't even believe it, and I'm so insanely excited.

SO, what does this mean for you? Well, if you are hoping to visit Dragonfly Beads, never fear. The store will stay open with my lovely mom and lovely Laura and lovely Carrie covering for me. If you were hoping I'd come to your birthday party or cookout between August 27th and September 7th, I'm terribly sorry but I shan't make it. Instead, I shall be in merry England, learning the trade of metal clay and carousing through the countryside. Tra la la! Tee hee hee. Ok, I'm so giddy I'm making myself sick.

I do intend to bring my computer and keep you posted!

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!