Here we all are, a new year and back into it! We have a busy year ahead using our lovely new workshop and letting people know where we are now. The evening classes for the first term are rather full, including our new addition of a Thursday morning mixed level class.
* The first members' workshop of the year is delft clay and cuttle fish casting, and fully booked up. We have a gem seller coming at 2pm on Saturday 16th of February, so come along and be tempted by his stones for those special pieces you are planning to make!
So far the open studios days haven't been taken up by many, despite the requests made last year. This is a test for the rest of the year and may have to be revised, or at least revisited. Perhaps it is a bit slow because it is the beginning of the year and we are all still in holiday mode! Let us know what you are wanting, and then come and join the fun.
Your Assistance, Please
We are looking for someone to do the membership secretary's job, and someone who would like to learn how to help with the newsletter. At the moment we can manage as we are, but there will be changes in people's lives and it would be good to have more than one person who knows what to do should the need arise. It could be a great chance to learn something new and a way to serve your community! Please contact either Jo (9818061) or Arthur (382 1332) if you are interested.
Is there anyone who is interested in joining the tutor list for our Level One and Two classes? Please let Arthur, (382 1332), know if you think this is you. It is hard work but very rewarding and you learn heaps as well as meeting some really interesting people!
Membership Subs
A quick 'heads up' that our membership subs come up for renewal at the start of the new financial year, 1st April. The AGM is usually held during June or July and your membership needs to be current to be able to vote or serve on the committee, and to take advantage of our members' workshops, access to the studio, mentoring, and free monthly club night. Put those pennies aside in anticipation! (I'm showing my age - I mean dollars!)
The next Committee Meeting will be held on Monday 4th March, 7pm
Please feel free to come along and join us.
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Following is the timetable of available activities to the end of March
Mentoring and Studio Time Programme
Our mentoring programme is now operating from the Guild Workshop. This is a great way to get some help with problem solving, exploring a new technique, or just a bit of a refresher while making a new piece of jewellery. It is designed to be flexible, you ring around the list below, until you find someone who is available, arrange a time that suits, and make a $10 donation to the Guild to cover costs.
Noeline Walker ph 322 4131
Arthur Harrison ph 382 1332
Karen Atherton ph 337 6632
Jo Crompton ph 981 8061
Guidelines:
• The mentoring and Studio time programme is available to all financial
members of the Guild
• The member would need to ring the mentor and discuss the project to ensure
they have the mentor who can best meet their needs
• Once the mentor has been established the member will need to arrange a time
for a session which is suitable to all involved
• The duration of the session will be arranged between the mentor and member
• The member should organise the materials – silver, stone etc - required for
the project – mentors will not be responsible for providing any materials
• The mentoring and studio time is to enable members to learn, solve problems
and complete projects started at a workshop or for the Guild Exhibition.
¶ Saturdays Workshop Open, $10, or $8 with concession card
To end of March. 9.30am-1pm
February: 23rd
March: 2nd, 9th Chain MakingWorkshop: 10am-4pm, 16th, 23rd, 30th
¶ Wednesdays Workshop Open, $10, or $8 with concession card
To end of March. 10am-3pm
February:13th, 20th, 27th
March: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
¶ Free Clubnight, 3rd Thursday of the Month, 7pm-10pm
February: 21st
March: 21st
¶ Monthly Committee Meetings, 1st Monday of each Month, 7pm - how long it takes!
•Once a month there will be a FREE members' clubnight, on the third Thursday of the month, 7pm-10pm, with a focus topic announced in the newsletter. Any suggestions you have are welcome, give Arthur a call on 382 1332. There will be a hot drink available. Bring something to work on with you, or just come and hang out. It is a great time to problem solve and share ideas. There are some pretty experienced people who might have just the solution you are looking for!
¶ March Members' Workshop Saturday 9th, 10am-3pm
•Chain Making
Come along and learn about chain making. The possibilities are endless, and a few tips to help you on your way. There is nothing like a handmade chain to compliment your jewellery piece or as a stand-alone statement!
Cost: $20
Book: Ring Arthur 382 1332
¶ April Members' Workshop Saturday 13th, 10am-3pm
•Mixed Metals, Colouring, and Texturing
Learn how to combine different metals, ways of texturing your surfaces, and adding colour in a variety of ways. We have a rolling mill, and pitch pots for repousse' work which you may like to try out. Come and share your own ways of embellishing metal, and learn some new things from each other too.
Cost: $20
Book: Ring Arthur 382 1332
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Member News:
Noeline's Holiday Workbench
I am filled with envy! What a gorgeous spot to put in a bit of jewellery creation. Has anyone else had a holiday burst of creativity they would like to share? It is surprising what can be done with a minimum number of tools and a quiet corner to work in.
Just before term 1 started we (Arthur, Karen and Solvejg) gave a mini-course (2 half days and 1 full day) to 9 high school students from the Rudolf Steiner School.
The school had approached us with the request to give them a first taste of jewellery making and asked if it could be a group-project.
We asked them to come up with designs inspired by sea creatures.
They worked with brass. Their forms were combined into a mobile.
They worked very hard and made great shapes, such as fish, shells and a mermaid.
There was still time to work on individual pieces as well, resulting in lovely pendants , and charms.
It was a very busy time, but very worth doing.
Solvejg Ruarus
Introducing Your Committee Members
- Crystal Mathieson
-Tutor
I have always been a doodler of cartoons, scribbles and designs. My sister came across the Silversmith’s Guild of Canterbury course in the arts centre and suggested it to me as a way to stop her stuff being scribbled on, and for me to lend purpose to my designs. I did the Beginners and Advanced Jewellery Courses and fell in love with jewellery making.
In 2009 I enrolled for the Hagley Community College Jewellery Course and it was such a nice extension of what I had already learned that I ended up doing the course for two years - and indeed if I didn’t have full time work I would be back there in a flash!
My jewellery style includes a love of nature and animals, and I make what I describe as totem-jewellery pieces that tell a story. I have a background in graphic design so those skills have served me well in that I now scan a lot of my sketches to re-draw, re-size, make symmetrical, and sometimes re-design a piece. I like the flexibility and precision that design software can lend to my sketchy creations.
Last year I joined the committee (thank you Solvejg for that push) and also started
co-teaching the Jewellery Advanced Class, sharing my enthusiasm with others all the while learning more skills from my experienced co-tutors.
co-teaching the Jewellery Advanced Class, sharing my enthusiasm with others all the while learning more skills from my experienced co-tutors.
I would like to recognise the inspiration I have had from other members of the Committee, several of whom were fellow students at Hagley. I am still astounded by the simple generosity of the members of our Guild, who share their knowledge and techniques so freely, allowing for the skills and quality of the jewellery produced by members and students alike to increase exponentially.
I hope to continue to serve the committee in more areas, to continue to teach and inspire, while being taught and inspired in the wonderful Silversmiths Guild of Canterbury.
A Summary or The Silversmiths’ Guild Committee Meeting
February 4, 2013
7 p.m.
Present: Arthur, Jo, Noeline, Diederic,
Solvejg, Anita, Karen, Crystal
Apologies: John Weeber
Minutes from the last meeting were
accepted.
Matters arising from minutes: The plinths for the display
cases will be ready next week. When
Arthur returns from his fishing trip he will pick them up. Arthur contacted Nicola Roake and will meet
her at her studio to talk about her teaching a workshop for us.
Correspondence: Arthur wrote to Emma Ward
(our Creative New Zealand contact) to invite her to come visit our completed
studio. She will be on maternity leave
shortly but said that several other Creative New Zealand people would like to
visit.
Solvejg gave Karen the contact details for
Barbara Simich who will operate Magma Gallery in The Tannery. Karen will contact her and find out about
exhibition space and time. She will also
find out about possibly keeping a display case at Magma for membership sales
during the year.
Treasurer’s report: Healthy at the moment. We will postpone buying a centrifuge. Arthur and Diederic will go over the
membership payment list
Classes report: Noeline has had constant
inquiries this term without using any advertising except brochures in the
libraries. We have a full class of 14
students in Tuesday’s Level One, 9 paid and two inquiries for Wednesday’s Level
Two, and 10 for the mixed Thursday morning class.
We will need to train more teachers if we
take on more students and have more classes.
The Steiner School creativity workshop held
over three days last week was a success.
They have asked us to repeat it next year but we have held off
committing. There is possible interest
in a special summer class next Christmas season geared to a specific age group
(like 13-16 year olds).
We should have brochures at the Kite Lady’s
shop and maybe at other shops. Also need
a tear-off sheet for the SIT bulletin board.
Publicity Subcomittee formed to get press lists, advertising and the Tannery video sorted:
Karen
Crystal
Noeline
Jo
Anita
Solvejg
Security:
The Code 9 Alarm installers will come in
Tuesday to install the alarm system. It
will need a four-digit code entered into a keypad box. Light sensor is now working outside the door.
Other:
Sanitary bin in emptied every Wednesday. Blinds are here but need to be installed. The safe is in use. Anything of monetary value is kept in the safe. Anything that needs to be doled out (saw blades) is in the old silver box in a cabinet.
Studio hours:
We had further discussion on how to
implement the clip card system. We will
standardize the studio hours to four-hour time slots (9:30 to 1:30 on Saturdays
and 10 to 2 on Wednesdays). We agreed to
clip one block of the card (worth $8) for each session at the studio or will
charge $10 cash.
General:
We need a special meeting to vote on
proposed changes to Constitution but we can hold that the same day as the
Annual General Meeting as long as we give six weeks notice and include material
like the reviewed annual accounts. June
10 is proposed which means we have to have all material distributed to the
membership by April 29th.
Discussion about who is to review the
accounts. Jo will put a call out in the newsletter for
volunteers to review the books and Arthur will contact several other possible
candidates for the job.
Weekend Workshops: March 9th Chain
making and April 13th Mixed metals and colour
Crystal will let us know what time the gem
seller is coming to the Feb. delft clay workshop. Will ask for 2 p.m.
Susan Brown will do a metal clay workshop
sometime later in the year. Karen will
price 20 gram metal clay and burnishers enough for 10 or 15 people from several
outlets.
Noeline will contact Terry Banks to talk
about a future faceted stone-setting workshop.
Karen and Solvejg will spend some time
sorting and testing enamels on Feb 23 during Karen’s usual Studio morning so
that we can plan for a have-a-go enamel workshop later.
Insurance: Insurance cover has been arranged
Club Night Roster: Solvejg asked for a roster for Club Night so that at least one committee member is committed to open up and be on site. Jo will do Feb. 21st and Arthur will do March 21st.
Welcome to our new committee member,
Anita! Thank you for joining us!
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
Next meeting March 4th
