CONFESSIONS OF A TOOL JUNKIE

This month’s Blog Carnival** topic will undoubtedly be a treasure trove of hidden gems for the metalsmiths in the audience. The subject is “tools you have made yourself”, and the objects made with those tools. We are squealing with glee right now. FYI for our non-metalsmith readers, most metalsmiths, especially us, are unrepentant tool junkies. Very rarely will you encounter a metalsmith who admits to having enough tools.  When visiting each other’s studios metalsmiths will always want to look over the tools, and specially the little things each of us does to modify a tool for a special purpose. Almost all of us make tricked out tools for ourselves.

We make tools for the sheer joy and fun of it and suspect that making jewelry is simply an excuse to engage in tool making. In fact, we are writing this blog post as fast as we can because what we really want to do is visit all the other Blog Carnival artists to see what tool tricks we will discover. 

The first item is a jump ring cutter. Everyone has to cut jump rings sooner or later. We actually have many types of jump ring cutters and will grab the one best suited for the volume and size of rings we need. This one is for medium sizes and small quantities.  The second item is a nylon dapping block. We made this to form domes in metal that had texture or other processes applied to it. The nylon is relatively gentle and will not “iron out” the texture or pattern on the metal like a metal dapping block will. We have made a lot of these blocks in various sizes, usually to suit a specific project as needed.  We also make nylon or wood dapping punches to go with the blocks.

This chain mail necklace was made using the jump ring cutter and nylon dapping block.

This is a micro deburring tool that is made from old exacto blades. It is one of the most useful little tools on our bench and we use it all the time.

These are nylon and delrin mandrel for making quick work of trueing up or shaping cones of varying sizes and shapes. These are made on a lathe from rod stock and we have dozens of them in different sizes and shapes.

These earrings were made using the deburring tool and a cone mandrel.

A friend of ours, Trish McAleer, literally wrote the book on metal corrugation. In the early days there was no corrugation equipment other than expensive Italian rolling mills. Everyone used these cheap little tube wringers, which are still likely the most used tool for the job.  The problems were getting sufficient pressure on the metal and then turning the little handle when you did. We modified ours with a screw to exert mechanical force on the rollers and a handle that provided considerably more leverage for turning. This will do a respectable job on 24 gauge metal. 

PostJohnCarpenter Apocalyptic Earrings made with the metal corrugator

We have lots and lots of these wooden forming mandrels in a wide range of sizes. We make them on a band saw or lathe, often to fit a specific project.

A couple of bracelets that were made using the wood mandrels.

This is a carving bur made from a 45° heart bur that had become dull. These can be reshaped by grinding the top off the bur leaving only a portion of the lower section below the girdle.

This is a micro-clamp for working on small or delicate parts. It is an extremely versatile tool and we use it all the time for holding small parts while sawing or doing other operations.  One of the nice things about this jig is that is very easily modified to do a lot of different jobs. We have made lots of extra parts and configurations for the base plate over the years.

This carved and pierced bone pendant was made using the carving bur and micro clamp.

Technically this isn’t for metalworking, but we’re throwing it in just for fun. This is our flint-knapping tool kit. It consists of a deer antler heavy hammer, a copper small hammer, a copper compression tool, a leather hand protector and safety glasses.

A pretty crude knapped knife. We need to do a lot more practicing, but by the time the next ice age rolls around we should be in a position to clean up.

We could go on and on with tools, but we need to get over to the other Blog Carnival sites to see what cool things we can learn from those folks. 

** Blog Carnival is a collaborative blog experiment by the artists of EtsyMetal, an International collective or metal artists. Each month, various members write on the same subject, giving readers a perspective on how artists in different areas of the world approach themes common to our lives.

OK, Your Kid Probably Could Make Something Better Than This

The Blog Carnival* topic this month is “nobody’s perfect”. We are frequently told this applies to us.

Someone once said “art is making the difficult look easy. Maybe, but not the way we usually do it. Truth is, you never get to see the artist’s prototypes, almost made its, and dead ends. Most artists have lots and lots of this stuff and we’re no different. Art is really the discipline to work through lots of trial and error to arrive at satisfying solution. What you see is often the result of dozens attempts to make real what the artist see’s in their mind.  Over time the artist gets more skilled, and is capable of making more sophisticated and complex art. This usually translates to making more sophisticated and complex mistakes too.  It’s a vicious circle, this art stuff

In our case, we’re always experimenting with different materials and techniques so we leave a pretty wide swath of drek in our wake. Eventually we figure some of this stuff out. But today you’re in for a special treat. We’re going to pull back the studio curtain and let you rummage around in our big box of crap. Welcome to what keeps us up at night.

We liked to play with matches when we were kids. As adults we have ever more varied and sophisticated devices for playing with fire. Applying same to plastic can result in some really neat effects. Unfortunately this isn’t one of them.

Quiting while  you’re ahead is a maxim that has applications in the arts. This was supposed to be a simple piercing project with a new alloy we were working with, but noo-o-o-o-o-o,  we decided to see what would happen if we enameled it too.  A thinking person would have simply used a piece of scrap for the test. No problem, it’s a piece of scrap now.

This bracelet actually came out looking pretty close to what we saw in our minds.  As it turns out however, gravity works differently in our minds than the real world. We either need to establish a lopsided bracelet trend or figure out a solution for gravity. Art really is making the difficult look simple!

We really thought we had it on this one. This bracelet is a highly experimental combination of materials, and changes color as it moves. If only we could have left it at that. But we just had to layer on a few more effects because, who knows, we took too much acid at Woodstock. We’re warming up to “simple”.

So we decided black and white is simple. Except the black & white neoprene cord has a mind of its own.  What it has in mind is not what we have in mind. So our next step is to introduce Mr. Neoprene to Mr. Fire and see if that changes anybody’s mind.

We got fired up on SteamPunk and this piece for a while and er…well…we sorta ran out of steam. There are always one or two pieces that just hang around the studio nagging you, mocking you, reminding you that you have no discipline. We hate this piece, its an asshole.

We’ve had this thing for Jules Verne and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea since we were kids. This periodically manifests itself from time to time as one piece or another some of which are actually quite cool. Then there are brain farts like this that are pretty much DOA.

This is the BFF of the asshole steampunk piece. We actually like how this is coming out, it is just taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r-r-r-r-r. Part of the problem is that it is an incredibly tedious piece to work on. It will be killer if it ever gets completed and we won’t be making another. 

We have a boat-load of these little black shells with white dots, and are just aching to do something with them. The process for us is to play around with different components and let ideas percolate. This is one of at least two dozen directions we are going with these little buggers. Sometimes the solution comes fast, other times not so much.  Oh well, back to the drawing board.  

* Blog Carnival is the group musings of EtsyMetal, an International conspiracy of people dedicated to taking glitter, macaroni and glue to a higher plane.

Hey! This doesn’t smell like Sterling Silver.

Hey! This doesn’t smell like Sterling Silver.

This month’s EtsyMetal Blog Carnival* topic is: “What are the pros and cons of selling your jewelry online?”

There really is no downside to selling work on-line. You not only make money, but you get to learn lots about the world and the people in it. Not unlike working the counter at 7-11.

Caveat: the following is all true and really happened.

So tell us more about this “making money” part, you ask. You like to make things, and in particular, you like to make money. Well, whip out the ol’ iPhone and take a picture of your unique creation and post it online in one of the thousands upon thousands of web sites that specialize in selling your exact kind of stuff. It doesn’t matter which one because all of them are the “world’s largest, leading, and most successful” on-line store.  There will be some upfront costs, fees, commissions and other related expenses but pay no mind to any of this. You’ll soon be on the receiving end of a river of gold flowing your way.

Overnight International celebrity is often a consequence of posting your creations for sale online. Be ready for it. You will be contacted frequently by adoring employees from other online retail sites, who just LOVE your work. Of course, celebrity that you are, you will be granted an exclusive inside invitation to post your work on the world’s largest leading and most successful online store because their millions of customers just can’t find enough of whatever it is you make. There will be some upfront costs, fees, commissions and other related expenses….river of gold…etc.

So now you are well on your way to fame and fortune through online sales. Opportunities will be rolling in from around the globe and you will gain insights into the interesting customs and habits of people in different parts of the world. You will be amazed at what you learn from cultures as distant as Zimbabwe and Kansas. The convenience of the Internet is that it brings all of this right into your living room, up close and personal.

One of things we have learned is how impulsive shoppers in Nigeria are. They just never have time to plan gifts for those special occasions, and are always rushed to make a purchase – cost is no object. Fortunately many Nigerians have friends or relatives who own shipping companies. Frequently these trusted friends happen to be in the neighborhood tomorrow and can conveniently pick up the goods. We are lucky to live in a neighborhood with such a supportive Nigerian community, and have made tens of thousands of dollars with such last minute transactions, as soon as the checks arrive.

In another example of International goodwill, we were recently contacted by a Chinese company that manufactures jewelry. They had many wonderful examples of items they had made for wholesale in the U.S. In a display of good faith, they even showed us an example of one of our own items that they had made and were offering at a fraction of our cost. It was a bit on the shoddy side, but you couldn’t argue with the price - and if we purchased a significant quantity the price would come down even more. They were considerate enough to even use our original photo to promote the item. From their catalog it was clear that other artists we know were also using this company to manufacture items for them.  Who knew! These kinds of “hands across the water” opportunities abound when you sell online.

Online retailing also presents an endless encounter of amazing individuals. In a recent example, one individual in particular was able to assay metal through the power of smell.

This incredible X-men like super power was discovered through an online transaction in which the Hero purchased a sterling silver ring.  By smell alone, it was conclusively proven that the ring could not possibly be sterling silver. No testing or independent verification needed. The seller was promptly brought to online justice. This is indeed one of the best things about online selling. Buyers are able to shine an immediate light on the nefarious practices of sellers at will through public negative feedback without fear of explanation or rebuttal. Although in this particular case any rebuttal in the face of such powerful evidence would be unjustified. We’re quite certain that a movie deal is in the offing for all parties, or at least a job at Fort Knox for the Super Hero. That’s just the way we roll in online sales.

So heat up the glue gun and get click’n with that iPhone. All of this and much, much more can be yours when you sell your stuff online. Welcome to the land of milk and cookies at the end of the river of gold.

* Blog Carnival is an ongoing collaborative project by the artists of EtsyMetal, an international group of metalsmiths who all have shops on Etsy. Each month a subject is selected and random members of the group weigh in on it, giving readers a variety of perspectives and a peek inside the creative mind.

Catching up on the last 1000 years.

This month's Blog Carnival** asks us for memories of 2011.

If you’re like us, round about this time every year you get plagued with lots of people looking back at the events of the last 12 months and wondering “what the f**k just happened?!”  These usually come in the form of Christmas cards containing retrospectives from relatives and other people you don’t know or are trying to avoid.

As fascinating as a detailed description of the family pet’s intestinal antics for last year are, we thought that a brief review of the last 1000 years might be helpful and offer more perspective on just what did happen in 2011. 

Caveat: The following is history. You can't make up stuff this crazy.

 

1011

Not much happened this year. Bernard I, Duke of Saxony died. He is noted for supporting Otto III over Henry the Wrangler for succession to the throne of Germany. Picking your political candidates was much easier in 10ll.

1111
Pope Paschalis II crowns Henry V, Roman emperor. Back to stinky business as usual with all the scheming, scandal, intrigue and betrayal you know and love in modern politics. In 1111 the political phrase “sticking a knife in your back” had a different meaning than it does today, but the results are the same.

1211

1211 celebrates the birthday of Henry VII, who’s reign set a new benchmark for greed and corruption. Considering his predecessor was Richard III of Shakespearean villainy fame, that’s a big benchmark. His son, Henry VIII took over the family business and went on to become the patron saint of divorce lawyers.

1311

Battle of Halmyros: The Catalan Company defeats Walter V to take control of Athens. 2011 marks the 700th anniversary of a corporation overthrowing a government. This is what happens when you don’t pay the utility bill.

1411

Battle of Harlaw, one of the bloodiest battles in the history of Scotland, was basically a real estate deal gone bad that went on forever – with no clear winner. It set the tone for real estate law for the next 600 years.

1511

Spain and England decide they don’t like France and hire the Swiss to kick their asses. Well, actually it was the Italian’s who didn’t like the French, but they convinced Spain and England it was their idea.  The Swiss were only in it for the money. Things didn’t go so well, and when the money ran out so did the Swiss.  Which is why the national motto of Switzerland today is “mind your own business”.

1611

Henry Hudson, looking for a route from England to China discovers the coincidently named Hudson Bay and the New York metropolitan area instead, inadvertently founding Chinatown.  Hudson’s crew votes him worst navigator of the year and promptly sets him adrift in Hudson Bay. Years later the marketing efforts for the Hudson automobile suffer roughly the same fate.

On a brighter note, the word "telescope" is invented in 1611 by Prince Federico Cesi, replacing the commonly used term “thingamajig”.

Shakespeare releases the 3D version of the "Tempest".

1711

Charles VI Habsburg becomes king of Austria, and starts the women’s rights movement and a subsequent 12 year international war disputing women’s rights, which is how the nation of Serbia and Gloria Alred was invented.

A French corporation of investors invades Rio de Janeiro for profit.  Led by bankrupt shipping magnate René Duguay-Trouin, they succeeded in taking the city hostage and walking off with 4 million in ransom. Ahh, the good old days of unregulated commerce.

1811

Timothy Pickering becomes the first U.S Senator to be censured for publically revealing confidential government documents. Ooops, my bad. It turns out President James Madison’s was involved in a stinky illegal land-grab annexation of south Florida in collusion with a group of real estate developers. Pickering trumps Wikileaks by 200 years.

Austria declares bankruptcy in the wake of excessive borrowing to finance a series of wars. It takes 25 years for the economy to recover, while the Austrian government prints lots and lots of worthless money.

Major earthquake hits New Madrid, Missouri, causing widespread damage. Blame is quickly laid on flatulent Quakers.

1st US colonists on Pacific coast arrive at aptly named Cape Disappointment, WA and establish a trading post and coffee shop.

1911

Orville Wright remained in the air 9 minutes and 45 seconds in a glider at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Later that same year the first photo was taken, and the first bomb was dropped from an airplane. The first transcontinental airplane flight from NY-Pasadena also took place, in 82 hrs 4 min with lots and lots and lots of stop-overs. Peanuts were served.

In business news, Belgian mining law introduced the concept of a 9½ hour work day, while in the U.S, the Supreme Court dissolves Standard Oil under the Sherman Antitrust Act, deeming it too big to continue.

In a bit of irony that keeps on rusting, the R.M.S. Titanic was launched at the same time the first US group insurance policy was written in Passaic, NJ. Draw your own conclusions.

A U.S. audience throws vegetables at actors on stage for first recorded time in history as
NY receives its first Marconi wireless transmission from Italy. We’re sure these are related events …somehow.

The Tabulating Computing Recording Corporation (IBM) is started, and Chevrolet officially enters the automobile market in competition with Ford. Meanwhile the first old-age home is opened in Prescott, Ariz, and the first public elevator is put into service. For our protection, the US sends 20,000 troops to the Mexican border, as the first Indianapolis 500 car race is run. Ray Harroun wins at 74.59 MPH. Chevrolets are now built in Mexico, Ray Harroun is living in an old age home and IBMs stocks are going up and down on a perpetual elevator.

History marches on. If we could only remember where we put our keys.

** Blog Carnival is a group-think project of EtsyMetal Team, an International cabal of jewelry designers and metalsmiths. Each month a number of us write on the same subject and you get to see how our entropied brains deal with it.

Bottom of Form

PLAYING WITH OUR FOOD

The topic for this month’s Blog Carnival** is “food”, and like our fellow artists, we’ve been known to use the stuff.  Of course, because we don’t do anything casually, we jump into food with both feet, sometimes literally. At various times, as a continuum to our art careers, we have owned restaurants, marketed food products, did food styling for television, written a nationally syndicated food column, and been an award-winning pâtissier among other food related activities.

What does all this have to do with “art jewelry” you ask.

Everything and nothing.

For some, life’s activities are compartmentalized.  They work at a job and do art on the side. We approach everything we do as an art form. Everything is interrelated and thus a running a restaurant or writing a food article becomes a satisfying creative expression.
All of these experiences also become influences in our jewelry, and that’s the point. The exercise is about becoming a free-flowing conduit to leverage life’s experiences and our creativity into whatever activity we’re engaged in at the moment.  All of this may sound in turn, obvious, stupid, or morbidly philosophical. For us, it is simply the way we live, and it makes life fun – sometimes.

One of the side effects (benefits?) of such an eclectic life are the surreal moments that present themselves on a regular basis. We have learned that nothing trumps reality for sheer weirdness, and you simply can’t make stuff like this up.   Such a moment occurred once when we were marketing a food product. – dog food to be specific.

The client was a very large, well known international brand of pet food. As the new marketing people, we were summoned to company headquarters to meet the executive marketing team. Upon arrival we were ushered up to 24th floor where we were promptly greeted by an assistant who escorted us to the corporate boardroom.  The doors were opened to reveal a very large impressive room. It was totally old school, dark, wood paneled, high ceilings and largest conference table we had ever seen.
The entire executive marketing team was already in the room, They were all dressed in suits, standing, surrounding the conference table. No one said a word, they just stood there looking at us. Someone motioned us to enter the room.  

As we entered the room the doors were closed behind us, and we slowly realized that there was absolutely nothing on the conference table. Not one piece of paper, laptop, cell phone, nothing except, sitting in the middle of this huge table – a single can of dog food – and a spoon.

One of the executives motioned to the can and said, “we’d like you to try the product”. 

We stood there blankly trying to process what was happening. We looked around the table thinking someone would crack a smile and reveal that they were joking.  There were no smiles. They were dead serious. The executive took the can of dog food and spoon and held it out to us. “Everyone who works here try’s the product” he said flatly.

Our brains are racing at this point. Is this really happening? Are we acquiescing to a corporate ritual? Is this a test to see if we’ll debase ourselves? What’s does dog food taste like anyway?
We take the spoon and eat the dog food.

That turned out to be a really good choice and an important bonding ritual that is still playing out today.  There isn’t any moral to this story except the point of the ritual, which is to get past your pre-conceived notions. What did the dog food taste like?  Pretty darn close to canned beef stew.

** Blog Carnival is a group activity of EtsyMetal, an international collective of jewelry artists. Each month the group selects a topic and members link their writings on that topic, thus providing readers with a multidimensional rambling collaborative brain-fart experience.

A Few Tips On Buying Handmade Jewelry

Oh Boy! This month’s Blog Carnival** topic is sure to elicit a wealth of stunningly obvious insights and self-serving advice. Not to be outdone, we’ll kick it off by offering this: buy what you like, but above all buy OUR handmade jewelry. 

OK, now that we have gotten that out of our system, the real tip is that most of you don’t really need any “tips” on buying handmade jewelry at all. 

The real tips come from selling handmade jewelry. As makers, we talk amongst ourselves, and one of the perennial topics is interaction with customers. These conversations often have recurring topics related to behaviors perceptions, and questions that come up over and over. The vast majority of people who visit artisan booths, stores or shop online are wonderful, polite and perceptive folks who are a pleasure to deal with.

But then, there are a few gems amongst you. Here are few tips for those extra-special situations to help you with buying custom and handmade jewelery.
Truth in advertising: ALL of the following have actually happened

Handmade jewelry (or handmade anything) will not be cheaper than what you buy at Wallmart, Kmart or Costco. The items you are looking at are not mass produced in a factory overseas. They are often one of a kind or a very limited edition.

Your kid cannot make something just as good. Declaring so to the person showing you the work simply demonstrates your lack of manners. In fact, the person showing you the work is almost certainly the person who made it. They have invested years of practice and study to develop their skills. Its OK if some art does not appeal to you. No need to be rude…and might we add, your kid is ugly.

When requesting custom work, artists cannot determine your ring size from a photograph, your weight, height, age, job title or any other information other than….your ring size.  Emailing the jeweler a photo of your girlfriend’s hand as an indicator of ring size will not work. Emailing the jeweler a photo of your girlfriend naked is just weird.

The jeweler’s name on the inside of your ring’s band is the maker’s mark. It is not an ego power play to put THIER name in YOUR ring.

A jeweler is not likely to make a “sample” of a custom ring, bracelet, or any other item so you can see it and then decide if you want to buy it or not. So don’t ask. 
PS: this doesn’t work in restaurants either.

Wearing your jewelry while swimming in the ocean is generally not a good idea. Particularly if incorporates wood, ivory, or other organic materials. The jeweler is not responsible for replacing items that are lost in the ocean, or corroded/damaged by prolonged exposure to salt water.
Extra Note: shiney/sparkly things are used by fishermen to attract fish. This could be inconvenient if you happen to be in the water WITH the fish, some of which are bigger than you.

While we’re on the subject, the jeweler is also not responsible for replacing your jewelry if:
1. You drop your diamond ring into a running garbage disposal
2. You leave your jewelry on the top of your car, drive off, and find it is not there when you arrive home
3. You hide the gift box in the garage under the car, and then run over it on your way to dinner
4. You break up with your girlfriend and she customizes your ring with a 5lb sledge hammer before returning it to you.

When having something custom made, the artist will consult with you to determine the specifics of the item to be made and a price. Once the job is started, changing the specifics will almost certainly change the price.  Deciding that you want an engraving of the Last Supper on the inside of your ring after it is made just might add to the cost. Nothing personal, we’re just sayin’…

We could go on and on, but we’ll leave some room for all the other Blog Carnival jewelers to weigh in on the topic. At the end of the day, making handmade jewelry is great fun, and the never-ending cavalcade of experiences stemming from those activities is an enriching source of humor and amusement. And don’t forget to buy OUR handmade jewelry.

** Blog Carnival is a group activity of EtsyMetal, an international collective of jewelry artists. Each month the group selects a topic and members link their writings on that topic, thus providing readers with a multidimensional rambling collaborative brain-fart experience.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

Who and What Influences your work.

The July theme for the Etsymetal Team Blog Carnival* is "influences on your work, with examples". 

It is said in art, that we are all standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. This is certainly true, for there is virtually no one that can claim to have not been influenced by someone or something in the progression of their art.  The popular notion is that an artist sees another’s work and then goes off and tries to emulate it. This is rarely the case. Influences are much more oblique and subtle than that. Influences come from many directions and sources over a lifetime. Some influences are immediate and direct like a punch in the nose. Something stops you dead in your tracks, and you know it will haunt you till you find a way to express it in your art somehow. Other influences take years to develop, appreciate and find a voice for. These can be an experience from childhood or a philosophical point of view. 

Most artists are sensitive to other art forms and their environment and are often influenced by them. We see influences in our own work of our musical tastes and political views. These influences don’t necessarily take center stage, but they are there nonetheless, and tell part of the story of “why did you do that”.  In that sense, influences are an elaborate “connect the dots” trail of thought and emotions that result in a particular artistic expression.  

Here are some of the dots that connect our work:

Martini Glass 

Stainless steel, brass, color on metal.
 

Influences: Old botanical manuscripts and Caravagio. 

Corliss was apprenticed as a floral designer at a very early age. This has had a deep life-long influence in her artistic voice. John virtually grew up in an art museum and thus had extensive contact with classical painting and sculpture from an early age. Classicism has been a recurring thematic device in 2Roses work whether expressed literally or abstractly.

A botanical manuscript circa 1500 by Pietro Andrea Mattioli

Bachus by Carravagio.  Side Note: John was expelled from the high school art club over a dispute about Carravagio. Fuck you Shell Fishburne, Carravagio was an influence and still is. There, we feel better now.

Galaxy Bracelet

Circuit board, sterling silver

Influences: The Jestsons animated tv show.  Like most children of our generation, we spent countless hour watching, and being influenced by television.  What started out as a simplistic situational comedy view of the future soon blossomed into a heavy interest in futurism and science fiction. Frank Frazetta made our eyes water with his virtuoso painterly technique, but Syd Mead really blew our minds. This was industrial design done with a narrative.

Corliss was apprenticed as a floral designer at a very early age. This has had a deep life-long influence in her artistic voice. John virtually grew up in an art museum and thus had extensive contact with classical painting and sculpture from an early age. Classicism has been a recurring thematic device in 2Roses work whether expressed literally or abstractly.

The Jetsons

Syd Mead

 

Vaquero Concho Earrings

Nickel, sterling silver

Influences: Armor and early Western Tack. 

We were introduced to engraving early on through interaction with antique edged weapons and armor. This has manifested itself by getting sidetracked into knife making, but in recent years we've finally come back to focusing on engraving.

California Style vaquero tack

Spurs with Spanish style rowls

 

 Hurt Yourself Earrings

Sterling Silver

Influences: Robert Williams iconoclastic style and artistic "piss on your shoes" attitude puts him in the vanguard of artists you love or hate. There seems to be no middle ground, and Robert would have it no other way. We happen to love him.  We also love New Zealand art forms, Moko in particular.

Robert Williams, Empire hanging by a stretch

Maori Moko

Ghost of the Red Fort
Sterling Silver, bone
Influences: Islamic and Indian art. The rich classical tradition of Eastern pattern and textural decoration has been a great influence on our art. We almost always go back to ultra-conservative forms when we get in these moods.

a Mughal palace

The Alhambra

Pompei
Ancient coins, repousse, micromosiaic, bone, neoprene
Influences: Ramona Solzberg, Ron Ho, Roman Mosaics
The work of Ramona Solzberg and Ron Ho has had great influence on the philosophy and form of our work. This has played out with the use of found objects seen in other examples on this page. The convergence of found objects (electrical components) with exposure to Roman mosaics gave birth to the technique of micromosiaics that we have developed.

Necklace by Ron Ho

Roman Mosaic

 Artifact of Faith
 Sterling silver, brass, rutile, Italian liturgical print
Influences: We were both raised in the Catholic religion and attended parochial school. This exposed us to lots and lots of religious-based art, the Catholic church being one of the great historical patrons of the arts. We did our stint at vatican-bashing with our art in our youth, but we've come around to appreciating the more ornate forms of Catholic religious objects. In particular, Spanish influenced cathedrals and Russian icons

Valencia Cathedral, Guanajuato, Mexico

Russian Icon

 Be sure to check our EtsyMetal friends to learn more about how artists are influenced and what plays out in their art.

* Blog Carnival is a team project of EtsyMetal. Each month, volunteer members of the group all write on the same topic. Topics are usually related to the artistic/creative lifestyle or metalsmithing in particular. The purpose is to give readers a sampling of the the diversity of thought that artists hold on common subjects.