Crafts

Metalsmithing 101

After graduate school, I moved to Boston. As soon as I got there, however, I decided I wanted to go back to school for other things. I don’t mean to get another degree, but to learn the things I always neglected to pick up as a little girl. For example, practice speaking Hebrew, or learn to sew. So luckily there is this wonderful place in Harvard Square called the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

I signed up for Hebrew, and wow did the flashbacks of weekday Hebrew School come back or what? Then I signed up for sewing! Oh my goodness, what I had been missing out on my whole life! I feel like I have this new power to make things I only imagined! Without that class, I would not have made our Chuppah or Ron’s tallis. I am so thankful for that experience. The instructor had a knack for detail as she not only sewed all her clothes, but was a professional pattern maker with over 30 years of experience. She taught us “right”.

I then took ballet. Now mind you, I did take ballet as a little girl, and hated it. I felt so restricted. I just wanted to pirouette around the room. But no, it was demi plié…demi plié…demi plié…relevé! Now do you understand how I got hooked into gymnastics? As an adult, I love ballroom and swingdance, and yes, yoga, so I thought for sure I would grow back into ballet, appreciate its art of discipline, and fall in love with it.

Nope. Still way to restrictive. I don’t know. I love to watch ballet – it amazes me still what the human body can do. Professional ballerinas and modern dancers just inspire me, so I’ll just continue to watch from a distance.

So what next to try? How about metalsmithing? The first time I tried to sign up, I was rejected. Turns out that the metalsmithing class at CCAE is one of the most popular classes; every semester there is a waiting list. This made me even more eager to get in. So as soon as the new course catalogs were being unboxed, I got my name registered and I was golden – no pun intended.

Well, it didn’t take long for me to realize why this class was so darn amazing. First, the instructor was phenomenal – a stickler for detail (just like my sewing instructor), she made sure we didn’t forget a single step in construction. I was hooked and continued into intermediate metalsmithing, and just kept registering for independent studio until Ron and I moved to Baltimore.

This (along with doodling, sewing and collage projects) has become a regular practice for me now. Most of my work incorporates silver, glass, cabs and photos, although recently I am starting to incorporate found objects, stampings and watch crystals as well. Now that I am on my own, I am still learning as I go. So here I find myself finally wanting to share what I have been doing in the studio in my spare time. Hence this blogzine (a blog that is like a magazine – where things are new maybe once a week/month?). So stay tuned to Willow Street Creative (it’s what I am calling the other side of my studio space) as this is where I’ll try to do my best to keep life updated with my artistic adventures, most specifically around metalsmithing, but also around other indy-art and indy-artists.

© 2008 Willow Street Creative.