Promoting metal arts
Sunday January 11, 2012 we held our annual MBMAG Winter Party at the Haute Enchilada restaurant in Moss Landing, CA.
Guest speaker Emiko Oye gave us an inspiring talk on her work and creative process. We enjoyed seeing so many faces of our metal arts community.
Party details
Members join us free on Zoom, January 24, 2021 from 1-4 pm for our annual winter party. We’ll have a talk from our own Jeannie Pratt, introduce our 2021 Board members and enjoy catching up with each other. We’ll also be announcing the winners of our 2021 Winter Challenge. Our Zoom account is limited to 100 attendees, so you must register to assure your space. Free registration for the party is now open.
Jeanie Pratt talk “My Journey as a Metal Weaver, Enamelist and Insect Enthusiast or Nothing is Ever Simple”
Metal artist Jeanie Pratt uses a variety of textile techniques including weaving, knitting, twining, looping, and bobbin lace – all with metal! Her fiber art and metalsmith backgrounds inform how she approaches the construction of each piece, but it is her entomology background that inspires her designs through form, color, and texture. “I love making interesting woven patterns for my beetle brooch wings and twined bodies in gold and silver for my insect brooch bodies.” The synergy of her two life-long pursuits in one body of work is unique, dynamic, and full of life. “Although I hadn’t used my entomology degree in many years, I am now relearning about insects and am drawn to critters that are real, but surreal.” She lives by a philosophy that “bugs are beautiful” and the organic nature of both her subject and her artistic process give her pieces beautiful harmony with a whimsical touch.
As a response to the strange and stressful year of 2020, you are being challenged to create a pair of eyeglasses that will see into the future. Three prizes will be awarded!
The challenge is open to members only. Become a member or renew your membership by going to WWW.MBMAG.org. Membership will be good for the entirety of 2021.
THE METALS CHALLENGE: Create a pair of eyeglasses using anything you have on hand: wire, found objects, gems, beads, etc.
Let your imagination run wild!
Thanks to Emmy McKenzie for inspiring this challenge
Your Challenge Chairs: Annette Nemes and Toni Danzig
Register Now! Signup deadline is Feb 17, 2021
Join MBMAG or Renew Your Membership. All are welcome; members may live anywhere in the world.
MBMAG is offering a live online workshop by Alison Antelman. Click here to join MBMAG or renew your membership.
If you are a current MBMAG member, click to “Register Now!” If you’d like to join, you can join and then register. Max membership cost for the year is $40.
The last day to sign up is Feb. 17, 2021. Registration will be closed once the maximum # of students has been reached.
$275 workshop fee + $28 kit fee => $303 workshop registration fee
ONLINE WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Create a one-of-a-kind key clasp to unify your art jewelry. Students make a front key clasp necklace with stainless steel neck wire by fabricating terminals and soldering sterling to stainless steel cable. Students are encouraged to go with their own design inclinations and to explore new ideas in creating cohesive finished jewelry. Clasps can be textured, chased, roller printed, etched, domed, hydraulic press shapes, with stones, with enamel…the variety is endless as you come up with your own solutions.
We’ll discuss possibilities for customizing your clasp to fit your designs. Students are welcome to show projects in need of a clasp and we’ll trouble shoot the situation. This class is meant to get you thinking about connections, functional, practical and aesthetic aspects of use. Step-by-step handouts are supplied. Samples will be shown.
Basic fabrication including knowledge of soldering is required.
Watch a quick video overview by Alison of her online workshops
New to Zoom or Online Workshops?
Reply to the registration confirmation email and let us know you’d like some help setting up Zoom for the workshop, and/or practicing using Zoom before the workshop so you are comfortable on Day 1 of the workshop. And, scroll down to download the PDF with details on how to Zoom for the workshop.
What to expect
When we start the demonstrations, everyone is asked to mute so their noises won’t be heard, since the default goes to the loudest noise. During demos people can unmute themselves to ask questions. If we have a particularly large class, the monitor might take over and call upon you.
The class is broken up into parts which are often reflected in your handouts. After each part you’ll work on your project, this is also a good time to take a quick break. During student work time, Alison will go around to each student to check in, you can also unmute yourself to call her over. The workshop runs from 10 am PST to 5 pm PST for 3 consecutive days. The lunch break each day is 1 hour.
Student Supplied Materials & Tools
Once your registration has been processed, you will be sent a thorough list of needed tools and materials to have on hand. Most are general, some are specific. In a few cases where you may need to buy something a link is provided. Please make sure to read this list carefully and always ask questions if you are unsure. In general: students supply sheet metal, silver scrap for making silver balls, bezel wire (if needed), and all tools needed for the workshop. Before the workshop you are welcome to texture the sheet metal, choose your own stones and begin thinking about your design.
Kits
A kit fee of $28 is included when you pay for the workshop at the above link.
The kit is created by Alison and is mailed to you before the workshop. If you are local and prefer to pick it up from Alison in Berkeley, CA, please contact Alison and let us know. Once the kit has arrived, email to confirm receipt of your kit.
Accessing the Workshop Via Zoom
Once your registration has been paid and the class Zoom session has been set up in Feb 2021, you will be sent a link to login to the workshop’s Zoom session. If you need technical help, we are happy to answer questions, do a zoom test beforehand or help in any way we can so the technology doesn’t get in the way of the workshop. Click the link below for an overview of how to setup your space(s) and device(s).
Click here to download the online workshop technical information how-to sheet
Last January we challenged the membership to create a wearable piece of work which would include at least eight pieces from a kit.
The results were fantastic and creative as we would expect. The pieces were voted on earlier this month and winners elected by the members, as shown here.
The winners were announced by email and are listed below:
If you are interested in a work, please contact the artist directly and make an offer. Put MBMAG Summer Challenge Bid in the subject line of your email.
(To see a larger image, right click on the image and open the image in a new tab or window)
 | Annette Nemes | annettenemes@comcast.net |
 | Dick Walvis | Not for sale. |
 | Emmy MacKenzie | emmymackenzie@gmail.com |
 | Lynn Guenther | Not for sale. |
 | Marylou Forrest | alohacglass@gmail.com |
 | Nancy Yee | Not for sale. |
 | Rebecca Thielbar | bex-1@comcast.net |
 | Ron Baldwin | Not for sale. |
 | Susan Shallenberger | susanshallen@comcast.net |
 | Tim Robinson | americanshorthair@juno.com |
 | Tim Yee | Not for sale. |
The video of this Zoom meeting on July 27, 2020, is now available. This video is available for members only.
FREE to MBMAG Members
Preregistration required.
Space limited to 99 participants.
MBMAG members can see the video of this presentation here
Last week’s fantastic presentation on Social Media for Artists was a great introduction to the world of selling on Social Media. Next we’ll dive into the world of Instagram as MBMAG presents another free Zoom event for members. Nicole will share her secrets for selling jewelry on Instagram. With 115,000 followers on her Instagram account, Nicole has shown that social media can indeed extend a jeweler’s reach.
The presentation will be held via Zoom. You must pre-register, and you must be a member of MBMAG to attend. Once you are registered, we will send you the link and password for the Zoom meeting. Our Zoom room is limited to 99 participants, plus Nicole. First come, first served!
You do not have to have attended the first presentation to enjoy this one, although we recommend that you read through the first presentation PowerPoint slides.
Class cancelled due to CoVID-19 virus. Noted silversmith Albion Smith will teach his elegant Silver Overlay technique. While making their own silver overlay cuff bracelets, students will learn engraving and stamping techniques to embellish the overlays, then learn Albion’s method of soldering the pierced pieces to the underlying metal. In the course of the two days, Albion will share his tips and tricks gained over 35 years of working with metal.
A two-day workshop on April 18-19, 2002 from 10am – 6pm at Creator Haven.
this is a previously held event
visit the Santa Cruz Mineral & Gem Society website to learn about more current events
Registration opens Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 at 10 am.
This class will focus on the ancient art of cloisonné executed in a landscape design. During this class students will learn how to capture the essence of a landscape through fluid wire bending and apply enamel to achieve atmospheric effects of foreground and background. Students will be encouraged to bring their own design or may use a provided design. Students will learn how to wash enamels, bend wires, transfer designs to the cloisonné blank, plan colors, learn proper application of enamels to create the most clarity, as well as how to grind and polish said enamels. When the class is over students will be able to walk away with a completed landscape which they will able to set in a piece of jewelry or have as a keepsake.
You must be a current member of MBMAG to register for this event.
Darci Shea Bogdan is a Santa Cruz local who studied Illustration and Metals and Jewelry at Savannah College of Art and Design. She has been specializing in cloisonne enamel for the past 5 years and actively sells her work at craft show and festivals. When Darci Shea is not at her studio on 17th ave in Santa Cruz she is busy surfing, sailing and spending time with her dog Ludo.
February 15-17, Saturday through Monday, 10 am to 5 pm at Creator Haven 41B Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076, US.
$ 215 plus $60 kit fee to be paid in class.
