We have a lot going on and plans are still in place to hold a members' exhibition any minute now.
Next Committee meeting is on Monday October 7th, at 7pm. Please come along if you are interested.
Club Night
I know we had a couple of hiccups over our Club night this month, but please bear with us. We will be open as expected on Thursday October 16th at 7pm.
Club night is the third Thursday in each month. Arthur is the designated Club Night duty person. If he does arrange a replacement for whatever reason (this does not happen often) and that person is suddenly unable to go, PLEASE phone Tui (3821332) in time to organise alternatives. If, for some reason, Club Night has to be cancelled, there will be no substitute night. If you are unsure whether Club Night is on, feel free to ring and check with Arthur or Tui.
Monthly Members' Workshop
October is not having a members' workshop. There will be plenty to go on with getting our exhibition underway, come in and work that Saturday instead!
We are pretty excited about the weekend of November 1st and 2nd as well. Kobi Bosshard will be with us for the weekend, doing a workshop around design and the development of your own style and ideas. There will be more information after the committee meeting on Monday night. It will be limited in numbers, and attendees will need to commit to both days. We have had some funding granted by Creative New Zealand, which has made this possible to keep the costs down. A great job getting the funding done by Noeline, and organising Kobi's visit done by Sol. Thank you both for all your work on our behalf.
Books for Sale
There are a few books from our library that are for sale. Solvejg will price them and put them out for you to look at. There isn't anything particularly wrong with them, they just haven't been out much and may be a bit old fashioned. Still lots to be learned from them at your leisure.
Tuesdays will be open for use from October 15th, 10am to 2pm, joining Wednesday and Saturday as days you can come and hang out for $10, or $8 if you buy a concession ticket. Your host will be Anita Gann, thanks Anita.
Members' Exhibition
Monthly Members' Workshop
October is not having a members' workshop. There will be plenty to go on with getting our exhibition underway, come in and work that Saturday instead!
We are pretty excited about the weekend of November 1st and 2nd as well. Kobi Bosshard will be with us for the weekend, doing a workshop around design and the development of your own style and ideas. There will be more information after the committee meeting on Monday night. It will be limited in numbers, and attendees will need to commit to both days. We have had some funding granted by Creative New Zealand, which has made this possible to keep the costs down. A great job getting the funding done by Noeline, and organising Kobi's visit done by Sol. Thank you both for all your work on our behalf.
Books for Sale
There are a few books from our library that are for sale. Solvejg will price them and put them out for you to look at. There isn't anything particularly wrong with them, they just haven't been out much and may be a bit old fashioned. Still lots to be learned from them at your leisure.
Tuesdays will be open for use from October 15th, 10am to 2pm, joining Wednesday and Saturday as days you can come and hang out for $10, or $8 if you buy a concession ticket. Your host will be Anita Gann, thanks Anita.
Members' Exhibition
How are your pieces going? We are asking for up to 10 pieces each to put on display, so don't wait too much longer. We would like an indication of what people are aiming towards exhibiting so we can work on our display spaces and catalogue requirements. Please send me an email, (joannacrompton@gmail.com) with as much information as you can. eg.what sort of items - with names if you have given them a name, perhaps a photo if you can, a short description, and an approximation of what price you would like to sell them for (if they are for sale). If you could put 'Exhibition' in the subject line of your email it will help me!
Solvejg met with Grant McIvor to try and arrange a week in the Tannery Atrium, but unfortunately the space has become unavailable. She has been working very hard at this, and it is a bit of a disappointment. Whatever eventuates, we can always set up our workshop area as an exhibition space and have an 'at home' event. It will be wonderful to gather together and see each others' work, with visitors and guests welcome, and have a bit of celebration after a busy year.
Competitions:
Noeline has brought a competition to our attention. Ganoskin are calling for entries.
Here is the link It is called 'Changing Hues:Colour Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World' It is a good opportunity to stretch yourself to new levels and join an international conversation.
'Changing Hues: Color Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World
Ganoksin is pleased to announce its fourth annual International Online Jewelry Exhibition.
This year's theme will be "Changing Hues: Color Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World."
The exhibition is open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner, around the world.
The exhibition is seeking works whose primary theme is color, whether that be using colored materials, exploring creating colored surfaces, or encasing the object in color. Works should be about COLOR - not color as an accent or focal point, but with color embraced as their primary visual focus. Works where color is not the primary visual element will be rejected.
As this is an online exhibition the work will only be seen via the photographs metalsmiths submit. It is therefore vital that these be in focus, on a neutral background (preferably not textured), and do an excellent job allowing the viewer to really see the piece and the workmanship involved.
Photographs not meeting these criteria will not be accepted, regardless of the quality of the work itself.
Any photographs not meeting exhibition standards will not be used, and the submitting metalsmith will be asked to re-submit the entry with a higher quality of photograph. Works will be juried by the curator and director.
The exhibition will be curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina, USA. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world's largest internet jewelry site.
Entries will be accepted from now until February 15, 2014
Each artist may submit up to 6 pieces at no charge.'
Precious Metal Clay Workshop
Another fun workshop was had when the very talented Susan Brown generously joined us as tutor for the Precious Metal Clay (PMC) workshop on10th August 2013.
The morning started with a cuppa and everyone creating rolling gauges with playing cards and tape.
Susan introduced us to the basics with an insightful demonstration and the class were introduced to rollers, flexible tissue blades, moulds, texturing tools, distilled water, “slip” & the humble dehydrator.
I must say I love PMC!!! It’s a fun, tactile medium offering many creative opportunities. There’s little to no waste and if you don’t like what you’ve attempted to make, you can add some distilled water (before firing) to the clay to restore it’s ‘clay-i-ness’ and then try again.
And I’m rather pleased with my first ever PMC creation J
Handy website links:
Check out Susan’s work at:http://www.hokitikacraftgallery.co.nz/artists.asp?media=3&artist=22http://sbsilversmith.com/
PMC tools suppliers:
http://www.cooltools.us/Precious-Metal-Clay-Tools-Supplies-s/9.htm
•Chantel Mills
Solvejg met with Grant McIvor to try and arrange a week in the Tannery Atrium, but unfortunately the space has become unavailable. She has been working very hard at this, and it is a bit of a disappointment. Whatever eventuates, we can always set up our workshop area as an exhibition space and have an 'at home' event. It will be wonderful to gather together and see each others' work, with visitors and guests welcome, and have a bit of celebration after a busy year.
Competitions:
Noeline has brought a competition to our attention. Ganoskin are calling for entries.
Here is the link It is called 'Changing Hues:Colour Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World' It is a good opportunity to stretch yourself to new levels and join an international conversation.
'Changing Hues: Color Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World
Ganoksin is pleased to announce its fourth annual International Online Jewelry Exhibition.
This year's theme will be "Changing Hues: Color Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World."
The exhibition is open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner, around the world.
The exhibition is seeking works whose primary theme is color, whether that be using colored materials, exploring creating colored surfaces, or encasing the object in color. Works should be about COLOR - not color as an accent or focal point, but with color embraced as their primary visual focus. Works where color is not the primary visual element will be rejected.
As this is an online exhibition the work will only be seen via the photographs metalsmiths submit. It is therefore vital that these be in focus, on a neutral background (preferably not textured), and do an excellent job allowing the viewer to really see the piece and the workmanship involved.
Photographs not meeting these criteria will not be accepted, regardless of the quality of the work itself.
Any photographs not meeting exhibition standards will not be used, and the submitting metalsmith will be asked to re-submit the entry with a higher quality of photograph. Works will be juried by the curator and director.
The exhibition will be curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina, USA. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world's largest internet jewelry site.
Entries will be accepted from now until February 15, 2014
Each artist may submit up to 6 pieces at no charge.'
Precious Metal Clay Workshop
Another fun workshop was had when the very talented Susan Brown generously joined us as tutor for the Precious Metal Clay (PMC) workshop on10th August 2013.
The morning started with a cuppa and everyone creating rolling gauges with playing cards and tape.
Susan introduced us to the basics with an insightful demonstration and the class were introduced to rollers, flexible tissue blades, moulds, texturing tools, distilled water, “slip” & the humble dehydrator.
I must say I love PMC!!! It’s a fun, tactile medium offering many creative opportunities. There’s little to no waste and if you don’t like what you’ve attempted to make, you can add some distilled water (before firing) to the clay to restore it’s ‘clay-i-ness’ and then try again.
And I’m rather pleased with my first ever PMC creation JHandy website links:
Check out Susan’s work at:http://www.hokitikacraftgallery.co.nz/artists.asp?media=3&artist=22http://sbsilversmith.com/
PMC tools suppliers:
http://www.cooltools.us/Precious-Metal-Clay-Tools-Supplies-s/9.htm
•Chantel Mills
Silver Raising Workshop
We had a fabulously noisy creative time with Nicola Roake, making spoons and bowls from silver sheet and bars. Nicola brought along a large selection of hammers, raising stakes, anvils, and other tools, and Arthur had spent many hours polishing hammer heads, anvils, and mandrels that had suffered under our hands over the years. I learned heaps. The uses for the various mysterious hammers that frequent our workshop, ways that metal moves with different treatment, the different sounds it makes when struck in different ways, how weak my arms really are....
Nicola and Jax
The raisers of bowls cut out a circle from their plate and got to work changing their flat silver into gradually increasingly deep bowls. The idea is to change the shape of the metal without affecting the final thickness. This was a revelation to me, and I have a new understanding and appreciation of those teapots and containers you see on Antiques Roadshow! It is a noisy, painstaking process, involving a steady hand, accurate eye, regular annealing, and much muscle power. Very impressive.
Those of us who were making spoons had a couple of options. The spoon can be raised in a similar manner to a bowl, and the handle made separately, or the whole spoon can be hammered from one piece. Michael made a beautiful spoon with a round bowl and a wooden handle (wish I had a photo, it was lovely).
Look at the caption on the ruler! This is John Weeber's spoon hammered from one piece.
At lunchtime we, unusually, called a complete halt so we could rest our ears as well as refuel! This was a very rewarding workshop with lots learned and appetites whetted. i think there is a whole new realm of tool ownership opening before some of us!
Thank you Nicola for your generous teaching, and endless encouragement when we faltered!
Thank you too to Arthur for all the preparation of tools and workshop space adaptions - Tui can have you back now!
Silversmiths Meeting Sept 2 2013 - Summary
Apologies: Jo Crompton, Diederic Ruarus, Anita Paris, Crystal Mathieson
Present: Solvejg Ruarus, Karen Atheton, Arthur Harrison, John Weeber, Megan, Noeline Walker
Minutes from the last meeting were accepted unanimously.
Matters arising:
Having had no response from Creative New Zealand following our final report, we will assume they are happy with it, unless we hear otherwise.
Arthur has drafted OSH plan for members and handed them off to John W. for review and comment.
Arthur found a vacuum cleaner: 30 litre wet/dry with a switch that turns it on when the polisher starts up and will buy it for the studio.
Noeline completed the application for council funding for the master classes. She sent it in with Kobi’s info, history and press clippings. One section on the application asked about the benefit to the community, which Noeline thinks would be covered by the tutors attending and passing down info gained to students.
Arthur said the signage info from Sign Tech will be given to Anita for her and Crystal to evaluate.
Treasurer’s report was accepted with thanks to Diederic. Some follow up for ebanking payments to be done.
Classes report:
Students enrolled so far for term 4
Tues 10
Wed 4
Thu 2
Enquiries are picking up – still receiving regular enquiries mainly via email and internet.
Advertising: Noeline has booked a five week spread with Coffee News and Solvejg will advertise in the Steiner School newsletter. Noeline will be emailing the data base around the 24th of Sept and will be giving current students 3 brochures each to distribute.
Exhibition:
Sol and Diederic met Grant McIvor in the Atrium. Very busy space in the food area. One corner space is empty and we would like to rent it for a week including set up and teardown. Grant said in principle we could rent it but he will let us know next week. We need to discuss security. The Atrium space is open until 2 a.m. Diederic will enquire about temporarily alarming the area, or we could empty the cases at night and re-stock them in the morning.
Magma Gallery might be open by Christmas. It will be a small gallery in front and framing workshop in the back. We will stay in contact with her.
Maybe we could place a lockable display case in the restaurant.
Planning for a possible short, sharp exhibition. Sales sheet rather than a catalog. No opening party. The exhibitors will do the work for the week-long show. Hire credit card and eftpos stuff. We’ll also need a mirror, desk, and flowers – maybe more display cases on the wall. We will need a newspaper ad in Go in the Press. Contact Christopher Moore – we will need pictures and copy ready for him. Noeline has already done great photos of cabinets and jewellery for the funding application which could be used.
Mentoring project has not taken off. We will keep it on hold until we get some new tutors who might be interested in working one on one.
We had a fabulously noisy creative time with Nicola Roake, making spoons and bowls from silver sheet and bars. Nicola brought along a large selection of hammers, raising stakes, anvils, and other tools, and Arthur had spent many hours polishing hammer heads, anvils, and mandrels that had suffered under our hands over the years. I learned heaps. The uses for the various mysterious hammers that frequent our workshop, ways that metal moves with different treatment, the different sounds it makes when struck in different ways, how weak my arms really are....
Nicola and Jax
The raisers of bowls cut out a circle from their plate and got to work changing their flat silver into gradually increasingly deep bowls. The idea is to change the shape of the metal without affecting the final thickness. This was a revelation to me, and I have a new understanding and appreciation of those teapots and containers you see on Antiques Roadshow! It is a noisy, painstaking process, involving a steady hand, accurate eye, regular annealing, and much muscle power. Very impressive.
Those of us who were making spoons had a couple of options. The spoon can be raised in a similar manner to a bowl, and the handle made separately, or the whole spoon can be hammered from one piece. Michael made a beautiful spoon with a round bowl and a wooden handle (wish I had a photo, it was lovely).
Look at the caption on the ruler! This is John Weeber's spoon hammered from one piece.
At lunchtime we, unusually, called a complete halt so we could rest our ears as well as refuel! This was a very rewarding workshop with lots learned and appetites whetted. i think there is a whole new realm of tool ownership opening before some of us!
Thank you Nicola for your generous teaching, and endless encouragement when we faltered!
Thank you too to Arthur for all the preparation of tools and workshop space adaptions - Tui can have you back now!
Silversmiths Meeting Sept 2 2013 - Summary
Apologies: Jo Crompton, Diederic Ruarus, Anita Paris, Crystal Mathieson
Present: Solvejg Ruarus, Karen Atheton, Arthur Harrison, John Weeber, Megan, Noeline Walker
Minutes from the last meeting were accepted unanimously.
Matters arising:
Having had no response from Creative New Zealand following our final report, we will assume they are happy with it, unless we hear otherwise.
Arthur has drafted OSH plan for members and handed them off to John W. for review and comment.
Arthur found a vacuum cleaner: 30 litre wet/dry with a switch that turns it on when the polisher starts up and will buy it for the studio.
Noeline completed the application for council funding for the master classes. She sent it in with Kobi’s info, history and press clippings. One section on the application asked about the benefit to the community, which Noeline thinks would be covered by the tutors attending and passing down info gained to students.
Arthur said the signage info from Sign Tech will be given to Anita for her and Crystal to evaluate.
Treasurer’s report was accepted with thanks to Diederic. Some follow up for ebanking payments to be done.
Classes report:
Students enrolled so far for term 4
Tues 10
Wed 4
Thu 2
Enquiries are picking up – still receiving regular enquiries mainly via email and internet.
Advertising: Noeline has booked a five week spread with Coffee News and Solvejg will advertise in the Steiner School newsletter. Noeline will be emailing the data base around the 24th of Sept and will be giving current students 3 brochures each to distribute.
Exhibition:
Sol and Diederic met Grant McIvor in the Atrium. Very busy space in the food area. One corner space is empty and we would like to rent it for a week including set up and teardown. Grant said in principle we could rent it but he will let us know next week. We need to discuss security. The Atrium space is open until 2 a.m. Diederic will enquire about temporarily alarming the area, or we could empty the cases at night and re-stock them in the morning.
Magma Gallery might be open by Christmas. It will be a small gallery in front and framing workshop in the back. We will stay in contact with her.
Maybe we could place a lockable display case in the restaurant.
Planning for a possible short, sharp exhibition. Sales sheet rather than a catalog. No opening party. The exhibitors will do the work for the week-long show. Hire credit card and eftpos stuff. We’ll also need a mirror, desk, and flowers – maybe more display cases on the wall. We will need a newspaper ad in Go in the Press. Contact Christopher Moore – we will need pictures and copy ready for him. Noeline has already done great photos of cabinets and jewellery for the funding application which could be used.
Mentoring project has not taken off. We will keep it on hold until we get some new tutors who might be interested in working one on one.
New Member
We met with Danielle Beckner, from the US, who brought her tiny metal sculptures and talked about her work casting and teaching metal work. She suggested that we might need an artist in residence who could work for little or no pay and use the studio and keep it open regularly. We will invite her into the Guild and think about her suggestions. She stayed for about half an hour and then left.
