I finished another bell today and made a video of how they sound.

Apart from that, I didn't do too much except for making another corroded nut ring to see how it would sell on Etsy:

 …

Not that it is that time already, but after posting a request for information about bells, I finally took on board the advice I was given and coupled it with snippets found trawling through online fora and made a falconry bell. It actually rings, looks the part and is probably light enough that it could actually be used for falconry though it is actually going to end up on my falconry-inspired "Fashion:Victim" piece.

In case anyone is interested in such matters, here is the progress…

A reader of ASK Harriete asks:

Is it ethical for a gallery to put consignment items in storage? And if yes, is it ethical to do so without notifying the artist?…

But not in a bad way. 

I received an email from the editor of 18kt website today. The editor, Marta Sanchez, had just written an article on my excellent friend and colleague in Italy, János Gábor Varga and he recommended her to contact me, which was generous as well as flattering, so there will soon be an interview on the…

Detailed text care of the fantasic and ever loquacious Andy Cooperman:

 

 Symposium #16, 2011

Symposium? Seattle? Wait a second, didn’t we just have a symposium in Seattle? Well no, that was SNAG and it was way back in May. What’s fast approaching is the Sixteenth Annual Pacific Northwest Jewelry and Metals Symposium on Saturday, October 15.

Why have the Symposium in the same year as SNAG? Well, because the informational, inspirational, international…

Tune in to Whaley Studios Metalsmith Benchtalk Radio podcast today, Sept 8 from 3-4pm PST. We'll be talking about the Metal Arts Guild SF's 60th Anniversary and the exciting…

Hmmm... I do like Crafthaus, so it was most alarming to me to be unable to access it for a whole day yesterday due to my ISP finding a routing issue relating to it and me having to wait until it cleared. Fortunately, it is cleared now. The good side of the whole event is that I finally persuaded our network manager at college to unblock it, so I have access there too, as do my students. 

Been really busy with the new students, so I've not had much time to do my own work:…

I was recently interviewed by Jamie Hall for the Benchpeg Newsletter in the UK. Check it out!


Newsletter from benchpeg - the jewellery community
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Supporting the British Jewellery Industry; jobs, news, placements, tools for sale, voluntary work, events, professional development via the website or a weekly newsletter.

Artist couples, or pairs of artists who work collaboratively, are encouraged to submit their work for a Spring 2012 exhibition in Philadelphia. The exhibition will highlight the theme of "division of labor" among artist-couples. For example, perhaps one member of an artist couple focuses on form, while the other executes decoration. We are looking for artworks in all media that represent the strengths of each artist within a collaborative couple.

Interested artist couples (or…

Fairly easy day today. Spent the morning in the workshop and the afternoon with my students with learning difficulties, all of whom have studied with me before: gratifying to know that they wanted to come back again! A lovely group to end the week with, I think. The workshop is proving a little bit frustrating at the moment, as I am between several projects, all of which need some serious time spent working through the details on paper, or 3D models need to be made or I am waiting for…

Well, the students are back and their usual daft fun has begun. I came into the workshop today to find this on my benchpeg:

A present from Sweden. Unfortunately, the new students who don't quite have the same…

Just back from another weekend at the Edinburgh Festival and a whole new raft of students who arrived on Monday, eager to learn. Always a bit daunting, but after the first full day in the workshop, making a simple polished brass ring (!), they mostly seemed pleased. Long may it continue.

Festival fun, as ever, with a series of events I didn't plan to go to. Started on Friday night with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment playing some music I had very mixed feelings…

Catching up on the books and magazines that my work has been published in this year:

Metalsmith Magazine Exhibition in Print 2011

The coveted issue of metalsmith, which I tried for years to get into and here I am, the Second year in a row, this time within the curator's interview…

It is so good to finally be back at the bench and working on things again. I managed to get quite a lot done on two projects, cutting open the iron balls that will become "Fashion:Victim - In Memoriam ALMcQ" 

And also getting some bits and pieces together for "Future Legend", a…

Back in the workshop today and back to work on things. I've had an idea for a piece using some iron balls I found in a burnt-out warehouse in Kent four years ago:

The balls are about 100mm across and hollow.

 …

Hello,

I just received confirmation that I will be doing a Book Release/Signing Event at The Bookstore in Lenox, MA on September 25th for my new book "Roots, Stems, and Branches; A Recollection". I hope that, if you live in the area, Berkshire County, MA, Hudson River Valley, Northwestern CT, anywhere in the Northeast, that you'll come help me celebrate at this event.

If you want to come, contact Matt Tannenbaum at The Bookstore in Lenox at (413) 637-3390 or…

Dear Friends,

For the past ten years, I’ve been working on a project that I hoped would define those moments or events in my life that directed me to making my jewels. I’m thrilled now to announce the publication of my new book, Roots, Stems and Branches; A Recollection—the result of those many years of writing, art making, and personal reflection.



A special clothbound Collector’s Edition with dust jacket is now available and can be ordered directly online at a…

Still not really settled since returning to Scotland. From getting in on Friday, I had to go to work for half a day and then headed off to again to Edinburgh, from where I've just returned, having enjoyed the festival madness there. In short, went to see the Yogyakarta Court Gamelan, which was phenomenal, the David Mach show at the City Art Gallery and wandered around the High Street and the West End Craft fair.

I also met with a friend of mine who works on the Tattoo and got my…

Hello!

I am looking for artist (in any medium) to display artwork that deals with the medical field.  There is no entry fee, I am curating a show with mixed media (from sculpture to ceramics, painting and weaving...whatever) that is inspired by medical ideas, objects, diseases....again...whatever.

If you are one of these artist making work like this, PLEASE email me asap at:…

In Leeds, Yorkshire, for a training course in using Gemvision's "Matrix" software for jewellery design. Matrix is a kind of super-sophisticated overlay for Rhino, which is aimed squarely at the commercial and retail markets but which has enormous potential for the less traditional maker too, having tools which allow the laying out of pave settings on any shape, the ability to calculate how many stones of a given size it would take to…