Past Events
Salida 2007
"Lucky Eleven on Friday the Thirteenth"
The Eleventh Annual CoMA Conference in Salida, Colorado
July 13, 14, 15, 2007
Guest Speakers:
Harlan Butt, Enamellist
Harlan Butt, an internationally - renowned metalsmith and enamel artist,
is currently Regents Professor of Art at the University of North Texas in
Denton, where he has taught
since 1976. Professor Butt received his BFA from Southern Illinois University
at Carbondale, and his MFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.He
studied in Kyoto, Japan with master metalsmith Shumei Tanaka and at the Biso
Cloisonné Company. He is a fellow of the American Craft council and
served as president of The Enamellist Society from 1998-1999.
Amayak Stepanyan, Engraver
Amayak
Stepanyan is a master engraver in steel and precious metals. He was born in
Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and moved with his family to Russia when
he was a young child. At the age of 17 he became an apprentice watchmaker,
following the profession for the next 11 years. He was intrigued by watching
his master engraver using the flex shaft and decided to teach himself the
art of engraving using gravers that he made himself. He practiced with the
aid of information in a book by Brepohl, and became so proficient that within
a few years, he was able to leave watchmaking and become a professional engraver
and an expert in engraving intricate steel dies for multiple production.
Ralph Gabriner, Photographer
As
most jewelry artists will admit, one of the most difficult peripheral aspects
of their jobs is conveying the beauty of their creations in two dimensions.
To capture photographically the beauty of the stones, the subtleties of metal
textures, and the intricacies of design is a daunting but required task. The
process is, in fact, an art all its own. Many photographers have made it their
life’s work to master this art, but few have done it as skillfully as
Ralph Gabriner. His artwork appears
Marne Ryan, Fused Metals
Utilizing
flame in a constructive manner is the foundation of all my work” explains
how Marne Ryan incorporates fire into her unique designs. She starts with
a very thin gauge of metal, which is run through the wire mill, then folded,
milled and folded again to create a textured look. Fire is applied, and then
the texture pieces are fused together until the pattern and texture that suit
her needs are achieved. Many of her pieces feature stones. Sometimes stones
will suggest the design; other times the design selects the stone. In either
case one complements the other.
Mary Lee Hu, Woven Metals
Using
traditional textile techniques—weaving, twining, wrapping, braiding—
Mary Lee Hu transforms wire into sumptuous body sculpture. Her main tools
are her fingers. “The many hours of repetitive twining are a meditative
activity,” she says. Mary Lee professes an early love of metals that
developed into more than 34 years of jewelry making in which she has explored
the possibilities and limits of wire.
Salida 2006
Valentin
Yotkov
Valentin Yotkov is a renowned master silversmith, whose stunning, classically
inspired work has been exhibited internationally. Mr. Yotkov's training began
during the 1970's with the study of fine arts in his native Bulgaria, the
ancient Thrace, on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Valentin was trained
in the Old World apprenticeship system of Europe, and at the age of 22, he
became the youngest member in the history of the National Silversmiths Guild
of Bulgaria.
Valentin came to the United States fifteen years ago, and in 1994 he founded the Valentin Yotkov Studio in Brooklyn, NY, the only school in the country specializing in providing chasing and repousse instruction. He has developed a strong following among students and expert silversmiths who receive training in ancient metalwork techniques. Among his students are members of Tiffany and Co.'s silverware department. Valentin enjoys traveling throughout the US, conducting workshops for groups such as COMA, SNAG, and the Revere Studio in San Francisco.
Rich
Boer
3M Account Executive, 3M Creative Arts Markets
Rich will demonstrate and discuss new 3M products and their applications for stone and metal artists. Each COMA member attending the conference will receive a packet of 3M products. Included in the packet will be FX polishing wheels, XR Metalworking wheel and product samples from 3M 's solutions for Creative Arts. This 60 page booklet describes in detail with photos and illustrations, products that can make your work easier.
Hazel Wheaton
Topic: "Artists and the People who Write about them"
Sixteen years of publishing has given Hazel Wheaton an extensive knowledge of the intricacies involved with creating a magazine. She is the editor of Art Jewelry. Previously, she was the managing editor of Laapidary Journalfor 10 years, steadily gaining knowledge about jewelry and gemstones, and the endlessly fascinating people who work with them. A native of Pennsylvania, she graduated from Haverford College and spent her junior year in Edinburgh, Scotland, which instilled a love of travel, whiskey, and really good tea. Prior to entering jewelry publishing, Hazel work in travel publishing, a career that took her to New York City and then to London, where she lived for four years.
J
Fred Woell
Fred's presentation, entitled "Creating PMC Beads You Never Thought
You'd Make" will cover making beads and hollow forms without
the need for a core material. Through a variety of simple methods demonstrated,
the artist will be able to create shapes never before imagined.This technique
also lends itself to creating multiples with ease.
Chris
Darway
As a teacher, Chris Darway is best known for his Mechanisms workshop. He has
this workshop at at well known art centers, museums, and metal studios across
the United States. We are lucky to drag him away from his bench in Lambertsville,
NJ to show us the working mind of a mechanical master. Moving parts and mechanical
workings come natural to Chris as a son of a mechanical engineer and the grandson
of a machinist. An interesting fact is that he still uses tools made by his
grandfather in his own studio. Chris' presentation at the Steam Plant will
focus on a unique Barrel Clasp of his own invention.
Chris earned a B.F.A. from the Philadelphia College of Art. A "Darway Design" can be found in galleries across the country and abroad in Japan, Germany, and England. Additionally, his work is frequently accepted for exhibition at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show.
See you next year.
Copyright ©2007 Colorado Metalsmithing Association (CoMA), All Rights Reserved.
