Fall 2013 Workshop Schedule

Woo-hoo!  It's time to play with some metal this Fall!  Here's your chance to do it with me! 

When possible, I have linked to the actual registration page, so just follow that and you'll be on your way!  And check back often because I'll add more workshops as they're confirmed.


Taste of Art : Copper Earrings Taste of Art is a wonderful new program at Sawtooth School for Visual Art. Spend a fun evening learning something new, socializing with friends and create a lovely piece of jewelry to take home. Perfect for beginners and anyone who just wants to spend a fun Friday evening out being creative with friends! Students are always welcome to bring beverages and snacks, but all supplies and tools will be provided. In this class we'll be making copper earrings!

Sawtooth School for Visual Art: Winston-Salem, NC

Section A
Friday, August 16
6:00-8:00pm

Section B
Friday, October 18
6:00-8:00pm

 

 

Metals/Jewelry : Enameling Enameling is an ancient process where glass is fused to metal through heat. Students will experiment with enameling on copper and are encouraged to explore the possibilities that this process allows. Annie will introduce a variety of enameling techniques such as sifting, stenciling, sgraffito, and basse taille. Students may apply these techniques to everything from pendants and earrings to decorative home items. No experience necessary. Most materials included in the fee.

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC
Section A
Five Tuesdays
September 17 - October 15
6:30 - 9:00pm

Section B
Five Tuesdays
October 22 - November 19
9:30am - 12:00pm

Exploring Enamels Workshop

Students will learn basic techniques in enameling, such as sifting and kiln firing. We will also explore fun and contemporary techniques such as controlled over and under firing, inclusions, and more! Students will make several samples and will have the opportunity to finish a few pieces to take home.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond - Richmond, VA

2 Day Workshop
Saturday, October 5  - 10:00 - 5:00
Sunday, October 6  - 1:00 - 4:00

 

 

 

Jewelry Fabrication Weekend Workshop This is the perfect introduction to creating jewelry the traditional way, by starting with sheet metal and wire. You'll learn about the basic tools of the jeweler: a jeweler's saw, pliers, hammers, and the torch. We'll cover techniques that will enable you to create beautiful wearable jewelry, such as rings, bracelets, and pendants! We'll work with copper with sterling silver, and will provide all the materials, tools and equipment. No experience necessary - all you need is enthusiasm!

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

2 Day Workshop
October 19-20 (Sat-Sun)
10:00 - 4:00

 

 

Metals/Jewelry : Forming This class is designed for students who have learned the basics of jewelry fabrication (soldering, sawing, etc.) and want to expand their skills. There will be lots of demonstration and plenty of time to develop your skills. We will concentrate this session's demos on forming metal with both hammer/stakes and the hydraulic press. Materials available for purchase in class.

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

Five Tuesdays
October 22 - November 19
6:30pm - 9:00

 

 

 

Taste of Art : Copper Bangle Bracelet

Taste of Art is a wonderful new program at Sawtooth School for Visual Art. Spend a fun evening learning something new, socializing with friends and create a lovely piece of jewelry to take home. Perfect for beginners and anyone who just wants to spend a fun Friday evening out being creative with friends! Students are always welcome to bring beverages and snacks, but all supplies and tools will be provided. In this class we'll be making copper bangle bracelets!

 

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

Friday, November 1
6:00 - 8:00pm

 

 

Metal Forming Weekend Workshop This workshop is designed for students who have learned the basics of jewelry fabrication (soldering, sawing, etc.) and want to expand their skills.  Students will learn to use thinner gauge materials to create voluminous and structurally sound forms. Students will learn synclastic and anticlastic forming, as well as shell forming.  We’ll get you creating small, delicate forms that can be used in jewelry and a variety of other applications!

Visual Arts Center of Richmond : Richmond, VA

2 Day Workshop
Saturday, December 7  - 10:00 - 5:00
Sunday, December 8  - 1:00 - 4:00

 

 

 

Hope to see you this Fall!

Seven Days, Seven Jobs

For me, one of the hardest things about running a creative business is finding the most productive way to manage my time.  I have a lot going on.  And there are only seven days in a week. 

I am realizing that lately I have let myself get confused about the difference between being productive and bringing in an income.  It's easy to look at these two things as one and the same, but in reality, when you're running a creative business, being productive may not necessarily mean bringing in immediate revenue.  A lot of the time, it actually means setting yourself up to bring in future revenue while you work diligently with no immediate payoff. 

Ideally, if I could spend my whole week making jewelry with occasional teaching thrown in, I would be a happy girl.  But right now, I have 7 jobs.  Yes, SEVEN.

1. Making my own artwork/portfolio/gallery pieces. 
2. CopperTide (production jewelry work)
3. CopperDog Studio (etched copper dog tags, ornaments, etc. with 10% of proceeds going to animal rescue groups.)
(And let's not forget the marketing of all of the above, but we'll just include that as part of each of those jobs.)
4. Teaching (regular weekly classes at Sawtooth School for Visual Art and occasional weekend workshops traveling elsewhere.)
5. NC Black Co. (tool fabrication and design, and sometimes I teach with them as well)
6. Apprenticeship/Assistant to Betty Helen Longhi
7. Helping unpack/organize art, ship orders, refurbish machines for Art-o-Mat

While the last four provide more predictable and immediate income, it's the first four that are the most important to me and make the me the happiest.  Not that I don't enjoy the others or appreciate the opportunities afforded from each one.  It's just too much.  On top of the new-old-house that we bought a couple of months ago, with all of its new-old-house issues that must be dealt with, mostly by me, plus home chores, cooking, etc.  I don't get a lot of studio time to work on those first three.  So I know I need to adjust and not overextend myself into these other jobs that aren't focusing on my work.  But can I afford to lose the immediate income?  Will it pay off in the end if I can focus my energies properly on my work and marketing it well?  I'd like to think so.  But right now, I have bills that don't really want to wait for future payoff. 

So what to do? 

Well, leave it to Megan Auman at 'Designing an MBA' to have the perfect post!  "Making Multiple Revenue Streams Work for Your Business."  She's a clever girl, that one. Her first piece of advice in this post is to think of yourself as one business with multiple components.  Even though you may have very different facets of your work, if you think of them all as one package, or your one brand, it becomes easier to work with the natural ebb and flow of the business(es) and focus on the aspect of the business that needs the most attention at the time rather than trying to fit it all in and do everything at once.  Seriously, go read her post if you can relate to anything I'm talking about here today.  It's amazing how much you can change just by changing the way you look at things.

So I'm going to try to consolidate the way I am thinking about my jobs to :

1. My work
2. Teaching
3. Working for other people

And maybe if it's a little easier to wrap my brain around it like this, it will be easier for me to make time to do what I need to do. 

Now... off to the studio!  (And I've got a pretty sweet new space!)

Finally! A Post About My Show at Quirk!

I promised pics from my show at Quirk Gallery in April, so here goes.  I know, it's 2 months later.  Explanation: the day I was installing my show at Quirk, Mark and I were on the phone back and forth with our real esate agent bidding on a house!  We ended up with the winning bid, and closed on our beautiful old house - a Craftsman Bungalow built in 1918! - a month later.  Since then it's been balls-to-the-wall with packing, moving, unpacking, renovations, etc.  I got my new studio up and running just in time to make a few extra last minute pieces for the Ocrafolk Festival on Ocracoke Island the first weekend of June.  Sadly, that trip got canceled due to a tropical strorm, but still took up a good deal of time.  Nothing like everything happening at once!

So anyway, here are some photos of new work as well as show installation!

 

Quirk Gallery, Richmond, VA

 

 

 

A peek through the door at installation.

 SeaPod Wall Installation going up!

 

 

 

View from the front of the gallery.

 

Left Wall : Neckpieces

 

Right Wall : SeaPod Wall Installation Piece, Reef Jewelry, Seapod Rings

 

Center Table : Neckpieces, SeaPod Jewelry

 

 

 

Me with my work!

 

 

 

SeaPod Rings

 

 

 

Cone Cluster Neckpiece

 

 

 

Collected SeaPods Neckpiece

 

 

 

Pod Cluster Neckpiece

 

 

 

 

Pod Scarf Neckpiece

 

 

 

 

Chain of Pods Neckpiece

 

 

 

I had a great time with this show.  It was a ton of hard work and long nights leading up to the show, but totally worth it to see eveything all up and together!  I'm working on setting up other venues, but I would love some suggestions of places to show, and I would love to hear your feedback on my newest work!  Thanks for taking the time to stop by and check everything out!  More to come soon, I hope!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring/Summer 2013 Workshop Schedule

Hey kids!  Here's your chance to get in on some fun with metal this spring and summer!  When possible, I have linked to the actual registration page, so just follow that and you'll be on your way!  And check back often because I'll add more workshops as they're confirmed!


Taste of Art : Enameled Pendant
Taste of Art is a wonderful new program at Sawtooth School for Visual Art.  Spend a fun evening learning something new, socializing with friends and create a lovely piece of jewelry to take home.  Perfect for beginners and anyone who just wants to spend a fun Friday evening out being creative with friends!  Students are always welcome to bring beverages and snacks, but all supplies and tools will be provided. In this class we'll be making an enameled copper pendant!

Sawtooth School For Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC
Friday, April 12
6:00-8:00pm

NC Black Co. Micro Forming Workshop
Micro forming techniques are very useful in today’s market due to the rising cost of
precious metals. Using NC Black Co.’s specially designed tools, students will learn to
use thinner gauge materials to create voluminous and structurally sound forms. Students
will learn synclastic and anticlastic forming, as well as shell forming, all on a miniature
scale. We’ll get you creating small, delicate forms that can be used in jewelry and a
variety of other applications! This class is taught in tandem by Annie Grimes Williams
and Julie Brooks of NC Black Co. All tools are provided.

Touchstone Center for Crafts : Laurel Highlands, PA

Extended Weekend Workshop
Friday, April 26, 7:00pm - Monday, April 29, 4:00

**Do not be deterred by the cancellation notice on the website!  Please call Touchstone directly to register : 724-329-1370.  If at least 7 people are registered by April 19, we can run the workshop!!!

NC Black Co. Micro Forming Workshop
Micro forming techniques are very useful in today’s market due to the rising cost of
precious metals. Using NC Black Co.’s specially designed tools, students will learn to
use thinner gauge materials to create voluminous and structurally sound forms. Students
will learn synclastic and anticlastic forming, as well as shell forming, all on a miniature
scale. We’ll get you creating small, delicate forms that can be used in jewelry and a
variety of other applications! This class is taught in tandem by Annie Grimes Williams
and Julie Brooks of NC Black Co. All tools are provided.

Columbus Cultural Arts Center : Columbus, OH

2 Day Workshop
Saturday, May 4 - 1:00pm-7:00pm
Sunday, May 5 - 10:00am-5:00pm

Intermediate Metals/Jewelry : Forming
This class is designed for students who have learned the basics of jewelry fabrication (soldering, sawing, etc.) and want to expand their skills. There will be lots of demonstration and plenty of time to develop your skills. We will concentrate this session's demos on forming metal with both hammer/stakes and the hydraulic press. Materials available for purchase in class.

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

Five Tuesdays
May 7 - June 4
9:30am - 12:0

Intermediate Metals/Jewelry : Enameling
Enameling is an ancient process where glass is fused to metal through heat. Students will experiment with enameling on copper and are encouraged to explore the possibilities that this process allows. Annie will introduce a variety of enameling techniques such as sifting, stenciling, sgraffito, and basse taille. Students may apply these techniques to everything from pendants and earrings to decorative home items. No experience necessary. Most materials included in the fee.

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

Five Tuesdays
May 7 - June 4
6:30pm - 9:00

Taste of Art : Copper Earrings
Taste of Art is a wonderful new program at Sawtooth School for Visual Art. Spend a fun evening learning something new, socializing with friends and create a lovely piece of jewelry to take home. Perfect for beginners and anyone who just wants to spend a fun Friday evening out being creative with friends! Students are always welcome to bring beverages and snacks, but all supplies and tools will be provided. In this class we'll be making copper earrings!

Sawtooth School For Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

Friday, May 10
6:00-8:00pm

Using the Hydraulic Die Press in the Jewelry Studio
Explore the fascinating realm of forming metal with a hydraulic die press. You can easily add dimension to your metalwork with the hydraulic press. Being able to easily create multiples of a simple form is one of its greatest assets. Students will learn to create original dies in acrylic sheet or other material, then use these dies to make puffed metal forms that can be altered using various techniques and textures. You can make multiples for a series of jewelry pieces, each one with the same outside silhouette but finished differently. The possibilities are endless. Basic Jeweler's Saw skills are helpful, but beginners are welcome.

2 Day Workshop
Saturday, June 1 - 10:00-4:30
Sunday, June 2 - 10:00-4:30
Sawtooth School for Visual Art - Winston-Salem, NC

Exploring Enamels Workshop

Students will learn basic techniques in enameling, such as sifting and kiln firing. We will also explore fun and contemporary techniques such as controlled over and under firing, inclusions, and more! Students will make several samples and will have the opportunity to finish a few pieces to take home.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond - Richmond, VA

2 Day Workshop
Saturday, June 22  - 10:00-4:30
Sunday, June 23  - 1:00-3:30

Metal Forming Weekend Workshop
This workshop is designed for students who have learned the basics of jewelry fabrication (soldering, sawing, etc.) and want to expand their skills.  Students will learn to use thinner gauge materials to create voluminous and structurally sound forms. Students will learn synclastic and anticlastic forming, as well as shell forming.  We’ll get you creating small, delicate forms that can be used in jewelry and a variety of other applications!

Visual Arts Center of Richmond : Richmond, VA

2 Day Workshop
Saturday, July 20  - 10:00-4:30
Sunday, July 21  - 1:00-3:30

The Creative Process : Leading up to a Show

Aaaack!  I've done it again!  It's not that I haven't thought about it, but the past few months, any time not spent in the studio has been guilt-ridden time!  Horrible from the marketing perspective, but really, who has time for all of this blog business when you're trying to get ready for a show?!?  And by show, I mean my first solo exhibition!  Super exciting!

Quirk Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition of my new work, right now through April 26.  So if you're in the Richmond, VA area, please stop by and check it out! 

 

SeaPod Wall Piece

photo by Linda Grimes

 

So yeah, it was pretty exciting to see it all up and installed!  With my name and everything!

 

 



 

Invitation Postcard

photo by Lauren Carroll

 

 

But let's go back for a moment, shall we?  It was last April that I planned this exhibition with Quirk.  A whole year.  So about July, I thought, "I have plenty of time, but maybe I'll start working on a piece before the move."

 

And that was as far as I got before having to pack up the whole studio and move to Winston-Salem in August.  Then I didn't touch it again until January.  So sad.  This piece did eventually come together... though I will admit, just a couple of weeks before my show deadline.

Apparently that's how I work best, because pretty much everything for the show came together in those last few weeks.  A few pieces in the last few days.  I don't know why I do this to myself.  I decided a week out from the deadline that I needed one more large neckpiece, and I did manage to finish it.  I had to leave on Wednesday morning, and literally finished the last piece about 7:00pm on Tuesday.  Geez. 

 

A friend of mine posted this to her facebook page when I was about 2 weeks from D-day. 

 

 

So true.  I guess we all do it.  Something about that last minute pressure.  Maybe it's just that you have no choice.  The last couple of weeks I was working all day in the studio, I'd have dinner with Mark, and then go back to the studio.  It felt like college.  But without the 1am trips to the bar.  Don't think I didn't think about it though...

 

 

Coming soon (I promise!) : lovely photos of show pieces taken by my lovely and talented friend Lauren Carroll and some shots show installation at Quirk!  Plese check back soon.  I swear it won't be another four months...

 



Winter/Spring 2013 Workshop Schedule

Here's your chance to get in on the metalsmithing fun this winter and spring!  Keep checking back for additions to the schedule!


Intermediate Metals/Jewelry : Forming
This class is designed for students who have learned the basics of jewelry fabrication (soldering, sawing, etc.) and want to expand their skills. There will be lots of demonstration and plenty of time to develop your skills. We will concentrate this session's demos on forming metal with both hammer/stakes and the hydraulic press. Materials available for purchase in class.

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

Session 1 : Five Tuesdays
January 15 - February 12
6:30pm - 9:00

Session 2 : Five Tuesdays
January 15 - February 12
9:30am - 12:00

Exploring Enamels Workshop
Students will learn basic techniques in enameling such as sifting and kiln firing. We will also explore fun and contemporary techniques such as controlled over and under firing, inclusions and more. Students will make several samples and will have the opportunity to finish a few pieces to take home.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond : Richmond, VA

2 Day Workshop
Saturday, February 9 - 10:00-4:30
Sunday, February 10 - 1:00-4:00

Jewelry Fabrication Weekend Workshop
This is the perfect introduction to creating jewelry the traditional way, by starting with sheet metal and wire. You'll learn about the basic tools of the jeweler: a jeweler's saw, pliers, hammers, and the torch. We'll cover techniques that will enable you to create beautiful wearable jewelry, such as rings, bracelets, and pendants! We'll work with copper with sterling silver, and will provide all the materials, tools and equipment. No experience necessary - all you need is enthusiasm!

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

2 Day Workshop
February 16-17 (Sat-Sun)
9:30 - 4:30

Intermediate Metals/Jewelry : Enameling
Enameling is an ancient process where glass is fused to metal through heat. Students will experiment with enameling on copper and are encouraged to explore the possibilities that this process allows. Annie will introduce a variety of enameling techniques such as sifting, stenciling, sgraffito, and basse taille. Students may apply these techniques to everything from pendants and earrings to decorative home items. No experience necessary. Most materials included in the fee.

Sawtooth School for Visual Art : Winston-Salem, NC

Session 1 : Five Tuesdays
February 19 - March 19
6:30pm - 9:00

Session 2 : Five Tuesdays
February 19 - March 19
9:30am - 12:00

NC Black Co. Micro Raising and Forming Workshop
Raising is a process for forming sheet metal into vessel form using the metal's natural response to hammering. Students will explore methods for creating miniature vessel forms. These methods can be used to create sculpture and jewelry as well as vessels. Students will focus on samples in copper and will create a raised vessel by the end of the class. We will also explore other Micro Forming techniques, allowing students to create small, voluminous, structurally sound forms to be used on their own or in conjunction with raised pieces. All tools are provided. This class is taught in tandem by Annie Grimes Williams and Julie Brooks of NC Black Co.
Some metalsmithing experience is recommended, but not required.

Touchstone Center for Crafts : Laurel Highlands, PA 

4 Day Workshop
April 26-29

NC Black Co. Micro Forming Workshop
Micro forming techniques are very useful in today’s market due to the rising cost of
precious metals. Using NC Black Co.’s specially designed tools, students will learn to
use thinner gauge materials to create voluminous and structurally sound forms. Students
will learn synclastic and anticlastic forming, as well as shell forming, all on a miniature
scale. We’ll get you creating small, delicate forms that can be used in jewelry and a
variety of other applications! This class is taught in tandem by Annie Grimes Williams
and Julie Brooks of NC Black Co. All tools are provided.

Columbus Cultural Arts Center : Columbus, OH  

2 Day Workshop
May 4-5

Disjointed Perspective

Apologies for the disjoint in my postings, friends and loyal followers!  2012 was a bit of a disjointed year altogether.  I actually can't believe it's over because it kind of seemed like we skipped from March to December in about three weeks.  There was a lot of work, some play, but mostly the packing/moving/unpacking/settling insanity that made things disjointed in my mind. 

I haven't posted anything to this blog since about a week after we moved back to Winston-Salem in August.  It's not that I haven't thought about it, but it's been a whilrlwind of stuff going on, and I couldn't make myself sit down long enough to actually do it.  I feel like I have had A.D.D. recently.  My mind hopping from one thing to the next, and it's kind of hard to concentrate and get the things done that need to get done.  Here is an example of a week's to-do list. 

Don't know if you can actually read my handwriting, but I divide it into categories based on my specific jobs: Home, CopperTide, CopperDog Studio, Teaching, NC Black, and my own work for upcoming shows, etc.  I try to prioritize within each category, and then check stuff off as I get it done.  But I think I'm going to have to go back to a schedule like the one I had in Richmond, too, where I have certain allotments of time each day for certain things.

Anyway, I'll be honest, I think maybe that one reason I have felt so weird the past few months is that I didn't really want to move to Winston.  Not yet anyway.  Don't get me wrong, I love being back closer to family and friends, and I have enjoyed every moment I've spent with them.  But in Richmond, I was getting things done, I was making things happen in a way that, for whatever reason, I didn't when I lived here in Winston before. 

I had moved to Winston-Salem after college.  My parents live about 20 minutes south of the city, so I had grown up nearby.  I never meant to move back so close.  But when I graduated from college, I had no job lined up and no money (and was seriously just starting to think that maybe a degree in Art was a touch on the crazy side.)  So I moved back in with my parents for six months.  Which I never meant to do.  I love my parents, and we are the best of friends now, but after you've been on your own for almost five years, it's a little tough to go back to living under their roof.  I got a part time job at a gallery in Winston.  Then I added another part time job at Jon Kuhn's glass studio.  All of this hoping that I would still have time to work on my own artwork.  Which I didn't do.  I was a little depressed.  Quarter Life Crisis and the whatnot.  After a few months of that, I cut back to weekends at the gallery and went on full-time at the studio, and soon earned enough to rent a small apartment in the city.  I lived there for four years and set up a tiny studio space on one side of my living room.  Then moved across the hall into a slightly larger apartment, where I finally had a whole room devoted to my studio!  Yay!  Progress!  But still, I wasn't getting that much done.  I felt kind of trapped and stagnant in my career.  It wasn't until the economy went sour, the glass studio was shut down, and I lost my job that I really started to formulate a business plan.  But I was also planning my wedding, commisserating with my fellow glass artisans, and trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do to make some cash.  Easy distractions from getting actual work done.  We got married, which was fabulous, and Mark moved in, which was glorious, but then we had two people and two people's (packrats') stuff in a tiny apartment meant for one.  So yes, all of these things are excuses. 

It wasn't until we moved to Richmond, and I was on my own during the day without distractions of the familiar life I knew in Winston, that I really started making things happen for my business.  I was really proud of myself and everything I had worked so hard to get rolling over the year and a half we had been in Richmond, and I wasn't ready to leave.  I know it wasn't Richmond itself, but it was being away from everything comfortable and forcing myself into these new challenges.  I was afraid that moving back to Winston-Salem and that comfort zone would be a step backwards for me career-wise.  That I would be easily distracted by friends and family, and that I wouldn't be able to carry on quite like I was.  I just wasn't ready to leave this place where I was making things really happen for the first time in my life.  And I was kind of right.  I have been distracted.  But it's my fault for letting myself get distracted.  For getting away from that daily schedule I had for myself.  I felt myself fighting off a certain kind of depression... maybe more like complacency... and that was distracting.

When the Christmas season rolled around this year, I kind of threw myself into it.  I made production work for holiday shows and filled orders for dog tags and ornaments.  And baked my little heart out.

I think I needed that break from thinking about things too seriously and getting all worked up in my brain about getting (and not getting) things done.  Now that the new year is here, I have plans to get back to it, balls to the wall.  I start teaching at Sawtooth School for Visual Art on the 15th.  (Winter class/workshop schedule coming soon!)  I start an apprenticeship with an amazing metalsmith on the 16th.  Details on that forthcoming as well.  I have a show at Quirk Gallery in Richmond in April, and a whole lot of work to make for that. 

Things have a way of happening, whether you're ready for them or not.  And things have a way of working themselves out.  It's all a matter of perspective.

Soooo.... back on my game.  Ready?? Go!!!