Hard-Workers

I am working with a great bunch of students here at Arrowmont. They are pretty eager for information and are attentive and inquisitive during my demos. Then they just get to work and they work hard. They also seem to be really enjoying it...

I do love hard-workers.

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And Now I'm in Tennessee

The Great Smoky Mountains along the Foothills Parkway, one of my favorite drives in the U.S.

I got home late Friday night from the West Coast and hopped in a rental car on Sunday to drive to  Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN. Class started Sunday evening and we began demos yesterday. I'm teaching "Innovating the Chain" again and excited to have even more time for this class--a whole five days! 

the studio and some of my students

my bench

This message welcomed me when I arrived at the studio. 

Thanks, Kristin!

Thanks for reading.

Catch-up Part One: More Teaching

This week I'm going to devote most of my posts to catching you up on a few things that happened here in the U.S. while I was traveling. But, today I want to briefly mention a few upcoming classes. In just over a month I head to The Ranch in Snohomish, WA to teach another two-day version of "Innovating the Chain." This will be my first time at The Ranch and after the wonderful two-day experience I had at Pullen Arts Center with the same class, I'm really looking forward to teaching again and checking out a new place. The class is September 7 and 8 from 10am-5pm. To register, call 360-568-7709.

Later at the end of the month I will teach "Innovating the Chain" again at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. This will be my second time at Arrowmont and I'm excited to go back. Arrowmont is a lovely place and everyone who works there is wonderful, so inviting and helpful. This class runs from September 22-28. You can register here.

detail of a student chain made at my Pullen Arts Center workshop

If you have any questions about these classes or would like more information, please feel free to email me at amy@amytavern.com

Thanks for reading.

I Might Also be Coming to Your Town to Teach

teaching at Pocosin Arts Center

My 2013 schedule includes lots of teaching and lecturing. This week I leave for Yuma, AZ to present at the Yuma Art Symposium and immediately following I drive to Long Beach, CA to give a different lecture at Long Beach City College. My talk at Yuma will be about Belgium and the work I made there, while my talk at LBCC will be geared toward professional development.

Just a few weeks after I return to Asheville I head back to California, this time to Oakland to be a visiting artist at the California College of Art. I will be giving two lectures there, one for the department and another one for the class I'm visiting. The department talk will be about my work and my process and the class talk will focus on how I use color and spray paint. I will also teach a workshop on color on metal. The department lecture is free and open to the public, Thursday, March 14 from 3-4pm.

Then shortly after that I leave the US again for three months with my first extended stay in Certaldo, Italy where I will teach at the ECU Italy Intensives program. The dates for this are April 8-12. I imagine this to be a rather casual time--I will be present in the classroom, helping students as needed, giving a lecture, doing impromptu demonstrations, and spending time with students one-on-one.

teaching at City College of San Francisco 

When I return to the US in July I will be in Raleigh, NC to teach my chains class at the Pullen Arts Center. The two-day workshop, "Innovating the Chain," will take place July 20-21. Then in September I will teach the class again, but this time all the way over in Snohomish, WA at The Ranch Center for Arts and Crafts just outside of Seattle. The dates for this class are September 7-8. Later at the end of the month I will return to Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts to teach a longer version of "Innovating the Chain" from September 22-28. I love teaching this chains class so I'm psyched to have a chance to teach it around the country.

Here are two examples of chains my students made when I taught "Innovating the Chain" last year at Pocosin Arts Center:

 Hilary Anderson

Joanne Lang

If you have any questions about these classes or lectures, please feel free to email me at amy@amytavern.com.

And, here's a link to my collection of teaching pictures on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Arrowmont Part 5

Joanna Merry - roller-printed and knotted pendant

The last day of my Arrowmont class was Friday. We began by talking about simple studio set-ups and essential tools. Then everyone had a chance to work all day until studio clean-up at 4. Things were bustling in there right up to the last minute. After clean-up we shared some wine and our work. Later after dinner there was an all-school show and tell. I said goodbye to my class then and drove back to Penland. I had a lovely time during the week and hope to teach there again. Here are a few examples of some of the things my students made:

Lea Donatelli - chased pendant

Carrie Crocker - cloud ring with silhouette

Sandy Osborn - textured and riveted cuff

Sarah Henry - roller-printed pendant with handmade chain

More images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Arrowmont Part 4

Thursday was gold day in the studio--Keum boo and leafing. I love doing both demonstrations. This time I was really interested in the leaf packaging with its handmade bind and stamped labels. I won't demo anything new tomorrow, only review as needed. I know studio time is precious and I want my students to be able to work all day before studio clean-up at 4.

We also got to view the upcoming enamalist society exhibition that opens here on September 9. The work is not on display yet so it was a true sneak peak and such a treat. I especially liked the work of Alicia Boswell.

Alica Boswell, "Ossify" in copper, enamel, sterling silver, fine silver, 18k gold, sapphire, paint

Thanks for reading.

Arrowmont Part 3

Yesterday was a very full day for "It's the Little Things." I started by demonstrating how to make simple earwires, headpins, and clasps followed by drawing down wire, twisting wire, making wire rick-rack, and making jumps rings. I am so impressed with how my students can just roll with the amount of information I am firing at them. They seem so excited! Individually they are all focused on projects of their own in addition to trying everything at least once.

Later in the afternoon we walked to the artists-in-residence studios for their open house. As usual I loved seeing how other artists work. The current residents include Phil Haralam, Lisa Johnson, Chandra DeBuse, and Dustin Farnsworth.

 something interesting on the studio wall of metalsmtih 

Lisa Johnson

Then after dinner a few students piled into my car and we drove through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I worked alongside my students afterward, making paper models for pieces for the upcoming Penland Resident Artist show.

Lots more pics on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Arrowmont Part 2

Yesterday I did a variety of demonstrations for my students starting with simple surface textures using files, sandpapers, and other abrasives. In the afternoon I covered roll printing and also gave a multi-part demo on sawing/filing/sanding/piercing/dapping for my beginners. Today we started the morning with hammer textures and chasing followed by patination and rivets in the afternoon. But before I did those demos, I went on a fantastic tram ride with several students and artist-in-residence, Dustin Farnsworth. Throughout the day I met individually with my students and, I must say, this is what really got me excited. I loved talking with each other them about what they are learning and what they would like to accomplish by Friday. This kind of time with my students is absolutely wonderful.

 samples

view from the tram

More images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading. 

Arrowmont Part 1

I'm at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts this week to teach my class "It's the Little Things." This is my first time here and I am excited to get to know the school. I drove from Penland yesterday morning and what a lovely drive it was! It's basically all mountains the entire time and, lucky for me, nothing but blue skies. I was jostled out of dream-time, though, when I entered Gatlinburg, the complete opposite of the landscape proceeding it. The main street is packed with wax museums, souvenir shops, flashing lights, and fried food. It's a spectacular spectacle! Then Arrowmont is this sweet little place tucked away just off that crazy road and it feels incredibly secluded for being so close to all that kitsch.

After I got settled into my room yesterday afternoon I settled into the fantastic metals studio with the help of artist-in-residence, Lisa Johnson. Next I was toured around the facilities by Bill Griffith, the program director, followed by an instructor meeting. There are only four instructors this session and about 20 students. The feel in general is very personal.

I have five students in my class all with varied backgrounds and metals experience. We met for about two hours last night--I gave them a safety tour and talked about the class, we introduced ourselves and chatted. They seem like a great bunch already and I am looking forward to spending my week with them.

I ended my night by driving around town as I listened to Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. 

Thanks for reading.