Did you love summer camp when you were a kid? While I never went as a youngster, I spent many a summer as a camp counselor in the mountains. Why the topic of camp? Well, an opportunity is at hand for you to play, learn, commiserate with like minded individuals, commune with nature, escape daily duties, and learn about your favorite topic – jewelry making.

Yes, I am pitching Metals Week at Idyllwild again. Why? I want you to be able to immerse yourself in metal in a way that is hard to do at home. There is nothing that I have done that inspires me more than attending Metals Week. Terrific jewelry designers from across the nation are selected as teachers. Here are the instructors, their classes and registration information being offered at the June 24-28th Metals Week:

Idyllwild Arts Summer Program :: Jewelry & Metals Week

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at cfox@san.rr.com. Also, if you are coming for the first time, please let me know and I will be happy to show you around and introduce you to your fellow campers.

I made the ring pictured in this blog entry last year at Metals Week in Joanna Gollberg’s class.

Dore Capitani was just a bit of a kid when he wrote to his mom announcing one day he would be an artist. Much to his surprise, he became a building engineer, far from his original aspiration. To add to his disappointment, he did 29 years in an unhappy marriage before he launched himself to a different part of the country and a new chapter in his life.

Last weekend I had an opportunity to visit with Dore, one of my favorite artists. That’s right, artist. Once Dore moved to Mountain Center (near Idyllwild) CA, he began working with metal, big metal.
It was only after making this transition into welding and cutting steel that he realized all those years as an engineer prepared him for the work of his life.

Dore uses a large laser cutter to create Native American and Celtic sculptures for the garden and home. Additionally, he fabricates metal doors, staircase railings, signs, and gates for homes and businesses. Dore lives on 8 acres which houses a gallery and art garden of his work along with several other artists (including a talented photographer named Trish Tuley – his new wife to whom he is happily married).

Dore says not a day goes by where he doesn’t feel grateful for the work he does and that he is earning a living as an artist.

During one of my visits, he pulled a letter from a file in his workshop. Yes, it was the letter he wrote to his mom over 50 years ago.

~ Connie

If you get a chance, drop by and see Dore and his work. Directions: http://www.schiffman-anson.com/

“Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.”

One of my dreams finally became a reality this week. A simple dream really – I walked through the Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry.

No one has inspired me more in the last several years than Frank Gehry. Jewelry artist? No. Architect, yes. How in the world have I been influenced by a man who designs and constructs buildings? Well, if you are familiar with his work, like it or not, you probably recognize he has pushed the limits of what is commonly thought possible in building construction. I do admire people who push against tradition and conventional boundaries. And, while I love his buildings, it is the development of his artistic expression that inspires me the most.

In the midst of building malls in order to make a living, he accepted a challenge to quit this effort in favor of expressing his own aesthetic. He made this change literally overnight. Walking on a tightly regulated, code-bound, safety concerned path of architecture, Frank brought his own expression of art to this typically conservative profession.

So, what does this have to do with jewelry? It addresses the foundation of what we do – that initial inspiration to create a piece of work. How courageous are we in letting our voice be heard in the midst of trends, others’ opinions, and financial concerns? Have we even given ourselves enough of a playground to explore what we love?

I once taught a design class to help students reveal their own aesthetic in jewelry. One woman, after defining her sense of style, stopped halfway through a bracelet project. She looked at me and tearfully recognized that she had started this bracelet many times in the past, only to undo her work. What was her rationale? It was not on trend and would likely not sell. This time, however, she completed the project with a new conviction to let her voice be heard.

How do you know when you are joining the ranks of risk taking, self-expressive artists?

1) As you become more daring, people familiar with your work may think you have been snorting liver of sulfur. They just like the old stuff. Your new work may not sell well initially and you may be tempted to retreat to your former design comfort zone. Film director, Sydney Pollack, states that he looks for that small wedge of the public pie that will support exactly what he loves to do. Rather than adjusting to external demands, Frank too looks for the wedge.

2) Your jewelry will likely face increased rejection. This is a good sign. It means that your designs are strongly self-expressive, and some people are simply not going to warm up to them. Rejection may come in the form of harsh criticism, but, more likely it arrives in the form of a “stare” or quickly averted eyes. Accepting, even welcoming, rejection takes the power out of it.

3) Developing your aesthetic often calls for new skills and different sources of inspiration. Learning new techniques may bounce you back into the novice seat and out of your comfort zone. But, challenging ourselves provides its own kind of competency. Self expressive risk takers often search in uncommon places for their inspiration. Frank looks in his trash can of rumpled papers and sees building designs. He listens to concerts and channels new ideas. Anything in your world has potential for inspiring new ideas.

4) You will feel happier and more passionate. Even though he faced fear of financial ruin, Frank Gehry routinely experienced joy in his work after he stopped constructing malls. All of us have had at least flashes of pure satisfaction in manifesting our vision.

I am not advocating that you take unreasoned, overly risky measures to develop your creative life. Please don’t sell the house, abandon the family, and move to an artist colony after reading this article! It is possible, though, to have a secure life and take more creative risks. And it is certainly possible to infuse our lives with all of the passion and joy we want.

Don’t wait for that golden, over-the rainbow-moment for your dreams to materialize. Take concrete steps – even one step – and make it happen today.

Sections of this article first appeared in Lapidary Journal’s Step by Step Wire in 2009.

Tribute To Students

Can flying at 30,000 feet really make a difference in your life? Seven years ago I was on a coast to coast flight with a dear friend having a heart to heart talk. About jewelry of course. Five hours of uninterrupted conversation about our lives as jewelry artists is a delicious treat I heartily recommend. In the course of our conversation I revealed to my friend (and myself) that I planned to focus my attention on teaching and to forgo making jewelry for sale.

This decision led me down a path of focused attention and commitment to learning new skills. Since my high altitude breakthrough, I have attended a weekly metalsmithing class with my dear and talented instructor, Deb Jemmott. This experience, along with teaching my own classes, has brought immeasurable joy to my life. Interaction with my students has enriched, entertained and expanded my life beyond anything I had anticipated. In this article I will share with you some of my most memorable moments with students.

Beige Lady
Is it possible a creamy skinned woman with light hair could exclusively dress in beige and then decorate her environment in the same hue? Not only were her surfaces bland, she felt trapped by her own limitations. After facing her self-imposed barriers on the first day of my Define Design class, she returned Sunday in a yellow shirt and brightly colored turquoise and coral jewelry. Within a short period of time the house was brightened up as well. No doubt, opening herself to color affected other areas of her life as well.

Demo Disasters
During one particularly challenging class every demo I did was a mess. The metal bent (where it was not supposed to), the torch melted, the saw went askew – you name it and it occurred that weekend. In the midst of one of my demo fiascos, it occurred to me I was making enough mistakes for the entire class and students needn’t make any. Call me psychic. My “new approach” to teaching resulted in a close to seamless weekend for the students. With each new demo, of course students anticipated a new blunder that they would not have to make. A humbling, but humorous experience.

Touchdown!
I swear I did nothing to encourage mixing a sporting event with a jewelry class. Just the right blend of students had to show up with a need to express their competitive spirits. Whenever I did a demo table mates ran back to their table to see how quickly they could complete the task. They cheered each other on as if they were the Olympic women’s volleyball team. Once the entire “team” had finished it was high fives, hoots and hollers. Thankfully, they refrained from the after game drunken brawl in the parking lot.

Courage
Over the years women have often revealed to me their personal challenges and illnesses while in class. I am constantly inspired by the courage women demonstrate when facing fearful, potentially devastating circumstances. One lovely woman had just discovered that her battle with breast cancer was not over and indeed it had returned. Instead of retreating, she came to class as scheduled and bravely continued to live her life uninterruptedly. By the way, that was over five years ago and she is alive, well, and making gorgeous jewelry.

Etched in my memory is the Sunday morning when relatives arrived at my door asking for one of my students. She was confronted with the devastating news that her young daughter had just died. Never will I forget the wail from this devoted mother. My studio will always be linked in her mind and heart to this traumatic event. Just the same, she gathered courage and eventually returned to class to learn new jewelry skills in the face of such a profoundly sad memory. Her courage vibrates in the walls of my studio to this day.

Put Your Hands Behind Your Back!
What are the odds that the majority of students in one class would all work for the criminal justice system? Without planning, employees from the City Attorney’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the Police Department, and Probation Department came together to bend wire for the weekend. As if this was not enough, an unassuming, older woman of small stature (think Aunt Bea) gave us a “Mona Lisa” smile as she introduced herself. Her occupation? Private investigator. Looking like a step back in time and the grandma we all would love to have, she demurely said “People will tell me anything – I am damned good at what I do!”

These and many other experiences with students fill me with gratitude. Sometimes decisions need to be made at higher altitudes where intuition and blessings abide.

Studios are a bit like shoes – what feels good on one person’s feet may not be a perfect fit for another’s.

In last weekend’s class, the topic of setting up a studio/workspace took center stage during our Sunday morning chat. One of the students requested I teach a class on this subject matter. Instead, what I will do is make it a periodic topic on my blog.

This particular entry addresses some of the “big picture” issues that help guide your decision making. The following questions are designed to help you reflect on what type of space you can create that you will love to enter and hate to leave.

Light and Color

1)Are you sensitive to light/darkness and color?
2)Do you have a strong preference for natural light?
3)Does florescent light bother you?
4)Do you have adequate ambient and task lighting?
5)Are you happier with white (neutral) walls or does color enliven you?

My answers: 1) Prefer light and neutral backgrounds. 2) Yes. 3) No. 4) Uh, could use more ambient lighting. 5) Neutral.

Would you Rather Live in NYC or Wyoming?

1)Do cramped spaces make you feel squirrely? Or, do you love cozy little, nest-like spaces?
2)Can you live outside your spatial comfort zone? (Live in NYC even though you prefer WY?).
3)How much space do you need to make jewelry (be realistic)? What space is needed for your equipment now and in 5 years?
4)Practically speaking, what space is most available?

My answers: 1) Only if filled with a lot of stuff. I do like nesty places but love open space too – I think a combination is best for me. 2) I could adapt to a space that is too large more than one that is too small – probably most people are this way. My house is small and I often tell myself “think like a Japanese woman living in Tokyo”. 3) A fair amount because I teach. I would love double the space but made a decision to make due. 4) Former “family room”.

Ventilation and Temperature

1)Does your space have access to natural ventilation? Do you need additional ventilation over the soldering station and elsewhere?
2)Is heat and cooling an issue where you want your workspace?

My answers: 1) I have good natural ventilation and ventilation at each solder station. Also cross ventilation if needed (with the garage door open). OK in this department. 2) This was an issue for me as the room has neither. So we added a small unit with heat and air that sits close to and unobtrusively near the ceiling.

Height and stability of work stations

1)What is a comfortable height for work stations in your studio/workspace? Do you need standing stations also?
2)Do you have stable work surfaces?

My answers: 1) If I could re-do my studio I would have made my tables higher. It is a pretty major job as the tables are bolted into the wall. A way to compensate for this issue is to use a raised bench pin in a vise and sit in a pneumatic chair. Ideally, you want to avoid long periods of working with bent neck and back. 2) My tables are very stable.

Quiet vs. Noise

1)Do you thrive on working in quiet workspaces? Do you need to be sequestered away from foot traffic and too much contact with people/phones/computers?
2)Do you perform better with contact from people/music/TV/audio-books, etc.?

My answers: 1) When I am alone, I love working in a quiet space with fabulous music. The only thing that is more enriching is working with a like-minded individual. I find this very stimulating and more fun. I am not easily entertained by me! 2) TV and audio books are too distracting for my attention span. Interruptions can be maddening if there are too many of them. I purposely do not keep a computer in my studio because it would be calling my name much too often.

Money

1)What is your initial budget for setting up your studio? Again, be realistic. If you have a partner, does he/she agree with the expenditure?
2)Are you prudent with your money without being too frugal?

My answers: 1) When we renovated my current studio we had architectural plans to expand it to be twice the size. The timing was lousy as the market was inches away from a depression. We opted to not expand given the economic outlook. We have not regretted it for a minute. 2) I am more frugal than my husband, Jim. But he has his own wisdom and encourages me to make purchases that make sense after I think about it. I guess we are a good balance for each other. However, this did not come without work over the 34 years of our marriage. I won’t bore you with any tales…..

Support from Family and Friends

1)Do the main people in your life, especially the ones you live with, support you creating your studio/workspace? If not, what would make this venture feel better to them?
2)Are there clear obstacles involving other people that make this project very difficult (i.e., partner is a hoarder, you are barely paying the rent/lease, every bit of space is used by the 15 family members living with you, your partner is super anxious about you destroying the house with fumes, fire, etc.?
3)Who is in your corner with your plan to have a studio/workspace?

My answers: 1) For years Jim has been very supportive. But, in the beginning he thought I was off on a short term, flash in the pan, won’t this be fun adventure. It was harder for him to be thrilled about my interest, especially as I wanted to add new tools and equipment. When he saw me sticking with it, developing my skills and even making some money from my efforts he grew much more enthusiastic. I think often men respond well when their partner earns a profit from her creative work. If your partner is a woman, she may have more understanding of the need to be creative.

The Self

1)Do you have inner obstacles that are making it hard for you to create your studio/workspace?

My answer: For some time I tried to blame our small house on me not having an adequate workspace. This notion was dispelled when I went to a gem show where a man was repairing jewelry in a space that was about 4 feet by 2 feet. He had everything from torch to pickle in that small space. So much for that rationalization. I then could face up to the reality that I was anxious about doing the work without the support of the class I was taking with Deb Jemmott. Now, I am not saying it is your fault if you don’t have a workspace. This was just the case with me. It may be worth thinking about a little though…….

Through my friendship with a dear woman named Kamal I have come to realize how important form is to me. The images you see above were shot on a Sunday afternoon walk (along with lunch at Barrio Star in Banker’s Hill) with my husband, Jim. I simply shot images that were interesting to me for one reason another. After filing through the shots I realized that form is a key element that drew me in.

Form enfolds the whole of the individual elements and how they are united in space. Form can be either:

a) Geometric – the hearts and stars above fit into this category; the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright is geometric.

b) Organic – the lines are irregular and the overall design is asymmetrical; this fascination with organic form is what drew me to study Ichibana years ago.

Why take a closer look at your design aesthetic? Understanding what informs your work allows you to experiment more with the design element. The whole process becomes more playful, more creative and calls the left brain to come out and join the fun. Consider what is inspiring your own design work:

Shape
Color
Texture
Line
Balance
Pattern
Movement
Something else….

Earrings: Combination of organic and geometric form.

I just returned from a week long visit with my friends Debbie and Bill Brown in Ohio. While I am happy as a clam in my own environs, it is good to launch myself from my groove once in a while.

Debbie is a talented jewelry designer and teacher and has studied under different teachers than me. We not only benefit from sharing tips and tricks gathered from across the nation (so to speak), we collaborate on classes we teach.

Knowing January is around the corner (when my new class schedule comes out), I worked on upcoming class projects. At left is a little teaser of one of the projects.

Bill, a high tech successful business man, helped me use my i-Pad beyond playing Scrabble. Just kidding – I knew a little more than that, but his help was invaluable. He also inspired me to put more effort into my blog and this article is a beginning effort. Thank you Bill.

One of the best things about working outside of your usual space is getting away from all the everyday distractions. While I can find a good distraction no matter where I am, I have to work harder to find one when I am away! I felt truly inspired by my stay with the Browns. Is there someplace you can travel to re-charge? Even working out of a friend’s studio can alter perspectives and really just be a whole lot of fun…..

For the last several days I have been playing with the hydraulic press. I have taken several classes over the years, but never seemed to use it afterwards. Was it fear? It takes me a while to warm up to new equipment so perhaps this was in my way. Well, I spent the better part of two days annealing, pressing and soldering and I came to a conclusion, at least for now. The HP leaves me feeling uninspired. The mechanical forming of pieces just seem a little too cookie cutter to me. I should clarify, that my skills are limited and I have seen beautiful things made with the HP. It is just my energy did not connect well with it. And it doesn’t mean forever, it means for now.

So, what is my point? Only to say that it is important to honor how we feel when following a particular jewelry making technique. It in no way diminishes all the great artists who love their press (or whatever tool) it is just no love affair here. I figured out also that the results do not match well with at least part of my aesthetic – kind of organic/funky. But, I do love industrial styling, so someday it may sneak in on this channel. I also used the press long enough to get beyond any discomfort using it – an important element for me – just have to make sure I am not backing off due to anxiety. Back to my hammers…