Title: Jeweler's Joureny - Inspiration to Manifestation

Instructor: Lesley Aine McKeown

Date: May 13-16, 2027

Time: 10-5PM (1 hour lunch break)

Cost: $600

No kit 

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Class Description:

You’ve probably taken a ton of classes, learn how to make a project, often the teachers work. You may find this fun but ultimately unfulfilling. This class is not project based, it's about making art that is fundamentally yours. All art begins with inspiration. In this class we will begin by looking at how what you see and how you feel influences your work and how to use design principles to create jewelry that is your voice not someone else's. You will be encouraged to push yourself and design a piece outside your comfort zone. You will be guided to explore techniques you have not used before. This course is designed to delve deep into who you are as an artist so you can approach your process holistically.

 

What you will learn: How to access your creativity and develop skills that will form the foundation of your artistic practice. How to use drawing to cement your ideas and plan fabrication that will avoid mistakes.  Each student will receive personal guidance through  design, materials, fabrication techniques. Live demos will be specifically designed to fit the needs of each student’s design.

 

Day 1: Opening with an introduction to design. A lecture and slideshow presentation outlining design principles and how they relate to jewelry design. Guidance on how to access your creativity. Each student will then use an inspiration board (you will create this before class) and use it and the design principles to begin to design their piece. Together we will take a look at each student's work and discuss each person's needs and plan the fabrication process of each design.

 

Day 2: Group discussion of each design and setting up of order of fabrication operations. Finalize drawing and begin construction of pieces.

 

Day 3 and 4:  We will continue with demos and discuss individual challenges in each design. Focus will be on complete understanding of creative process techniques and hopefully completing a piece!

 

You will most likely finish a piece in this class, but be aware this is not about completion, it is about process! 

 

Fabrication instruction and demos will include selection of material, character of the stones, stone setting approaches, metal shaping techniques (shell-forming, reticulation, fold forming, hollow forms and more), texture techniques, soldering approaches, lapidary, finishing, patination and bench tips. 

 

Basic soldering and metal smithing skills required. It is helpful if you have some fabrication skills but this is not required. All levels are encouraged to join. This is a perfect class for beginner or advanced learners to learn new skills.

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This class will transform how you approach your creativity and help you build a cohesive body of work that it your voice and style.