The Jeweler's Studio Handbook: Traditional and Contemporary Techniques for Working with Metal and Mixed Media Materials PDF
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The JEWELER’S STUDIO HANDBOOK Traditional and Contemporary Techniques for Working with Metal and Mixed-Media Materials Brandon Holschuh For Michelle and Meena Contents Foreword by Todd Pownell Introduction PART 1 Outfitting the Jeweler’s Studio CHAPTER 1 Planning the Layout of the Studio Space Considerations Choosing a Location Planning the Work Area Environmental and Safety Concerns CHAPTER 2 Jeweler’s Studio Tools Furnishing Your Studio Workbenches Hand Tools Forming Tools Basic Studio Equipment Soldering Equipment Advanced Equipment Optional Equipment CHAPTER 3 Metal and Other Materials Properties of Metal Selecting Metal Soldering Process Basic Technique: Soldering Basic Technique: Drilling Basic Technique: Sawing Basic Technique: Filing Basic Technique: Finishing Working with Other Materials Properties of Stones and Unusual Materials CHAPTER 4 Mechanics, Contraptions, and Surface Treatments Cold Connections Settings Contraptions Enclosures Surface Treatments: Patinas, Textures, and Finishes Riveted Bead Ring, page 104 PART 2 In the Jeweler’s Studio: The Projects Simple Band Ring Simple Chased Bangle Concave and Convex Cufflinks Riveted Bead Ring Chain Making Chunky Bead Ring Bezel-Set Pendant Cage Pendant Open-Band Copper Bracelet Chunky Stone Ring Glass Brooch No-Solder Bracelet Wisdom Earrings Wire-Worked Earrings Gallery APPENDIX Beyond the Studio Pursuing Your Career in Jewelry Resources Glossary Index Artist Directory Acknowledgments About the Author Open-Band Copper Bracelet, page 128 Photo: Dan Fox Artist: Todd Pownell Title: Hidden Halo Materials: Diamonds, gold, sterling, aquamarine, sapphire Techniques: Fabricated, constructed, soldered, fused Creation is existent within a critical region of material, thought, and process. All is passing. Meaning cannot be suspended and tension is always present. Jewelry objects have a powerful residue of emotion. Still, everything becomes thin and the ideal object remains thought undefined. Foreword by Todd Pownell The construction of jewelry involves a compressed attitude toward objects and their use: putting together raw, drifting, and partially formed material from an understanding of their innate qualities through a compiling and composition of these partial materials. The jewelry maker conspires with scattered pieces to produce an object that invites wanderings by being worn on the body. The Jewelry Object The jewelry object must produce wonder by engaging and enticing the eye in play and hypnotism into exploration and journeys. The joy of motion trumping the melancholy of unrelenting change is the drama of jewelry. Jewelry is for the finding of desires into nomadic thought as well as tangible voyages through visual forms. The desire to pin or wear jewelry objects on a vacant body is to generate a mini-environment or a portal into unexplored territories via the wearer. Jewelry should never be a mere subject for decoration. Jewelry is exploration and intimacy together. The Jewelry Maker The jewelry making process is also an intimate exploration. It begins with the gathering of things and proceeds with organization, cutting, drilling, and linking together. A quality jewelry maker succeeds with relentless attention and an honest strive to proceed and produce. Brandon Holschuh is such a maker. His work is imbued with both exploration and intimacy and succeeds in transporting both the wearer and viewer into new and different worlds of perception. An intimate look into a jewelry studio such as his is a rarity and a shared luxury, which is sure to give new insights to jewelry makers of all levels. TODD POWNELL began his jewelry studies at the Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he gained an in-depth exposure to jewelry making. During his training he also completed the GIA graduate course in Gemology. He excelled in the craft of jewelry making and went on to a successful career in fine jewelry. Todd’s love for the material led him to make his own explorations which have evolved into a large body of work that reflects his own inquiries as an artist. Introduction Jewelry artists have the unique ability to bend perception, push limits, and redefine wearable art. Personal adornment is a broad, diverse, and limitless craft. Original, inventive, and artistically designed—this is what makes great jewelry. We all create objects that speak volumes about our innermost feelings and thoughts. To create work that speaks louder than words, though, you need a foundation, which is why this book is in your hands. The Jeweler’s Studio Handbook teaches you the core techniques, introduces you to the materials, and hands you the tools needed to flourish in the jewelry-making studio. In these pages you will tour the artisan studio, inside and out, learning along the way how to express yourself through the tactile, versatile, and ancient craft of making metal jewelry. Illustrating everything from drill bits to silvermith’s hammers and onward to scores of nontraditional materials, the pages of this book are rich, hardworking, and inspiring. For me, writing gives me the same feeling of creation that making jewelry does, sharing my experiences and teaching the processes and techniques. This book is an opportunity for me to communicate to you the same ideas my work conveys visually ߮ and I learn more and more about the craft myself along the way. The rush of ideas that stems from teaching, the questions you might not always think to ask of yourself—both enrich you as artist and as teacher. I encourage you to experiment. Learn from your mistakes. There is inherent value in creating the unexpected; you will always learn best by trying and doing. May The Jeweler’s Studio Handbook refine your skills, better your designs, and facilitate your creative process.
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