"Interviews with the Masters of Metal Clay"-Hadar Jacobson

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Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
 
I had lived 40 years in Israel, where I got married and had my 3 wonderful kids, 25, 16, and 12. I had a master's degree in western literature, worked many years as an editor and translator. Came to the US in 1997.

How long have you been teaching at your place - Textures?
8 years. At first I taught at art centers and colleges in Bay Area. Then I became too busy and now I am teaching almost only at my studio.
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At first was it just for fun or to make money?
Metal fabrication was my hobby back in Israel. I discovered metal clay in a catalogue when I came here looking for a new supplier.  Later it became my day job.

Please explain your way of offering classes.
My classes are ongoing. Students sign up for a series of 6 weeks and come once a week. Everyone is on a different level so they can join anytime and progress at their own pace. After the first few projects they start picking their own. Then they can sign up again. Some of my students have been coming to class for years, even since when I started teaching. People from out of state come here for a few days to a week and spend all their time in the studio. It's always about discovering new things, solving problems, and figuring things out.
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How long did it take you to come up with your formulas for bronze and copper clay? Did you do this all in your studio?
I started experimenting with this about 5 years ago, off and on. The problem was not so much the formula as the firing. The activated carbon made it possible. Then it took a few months to figure out the right firing schedule. And yes, I did it in my kitchen. 

What drives you to make art and working so energetically?
I believe everyone needs some cause in order to keep going. Life is tough, sometimes even miserable. No matter how important or unimportant your cause is, what you need is to survive. Someone very smart once said: "Art is the highest form of hope", and If I may add: "I like it when it works out.".

What made you decide to write these books and publish them yourself?
Back in Israel I workd at a distance learning university that was also a publishing house. We editors did everything from writing, editing, layout, graphics, proofreading and press checking. Writing the books was my way of combining my day job skills with my hobby. I enjoy both.
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How can an artist keep on going, artistically speaking, even if their art doesn't sell at first?
It may sound stange, but in a way, having a day job and not being dependent on making money from your art gives you more freedom in expressing yourself. You don't have to compromise and think about pleasing other people, making what people would like to buy. You keep going because you have to, you need to create.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to teach someday?
Teach all you know and only what you know. 

Copying, when is it O.K. and why does it matter so much?
Copying is a good way of learning. It enables concentrating on technical issues without trying to be original. Once you acquire the skills, you are then free to express yourself whenever you feel inspired.  Also, techniques can bring a lot of new ideas.

How do you justify art full time?  Do you make a living at it?
I make a living from the combination of my art, my teaching and my writing. I don't consider myself gifted or lucky enough to make a living just from my art.

Inspiration and ideas - how do you get them?  Do you go looking or do they just hit you?
Both. And there can be long dry spells. Sometimes I find myself sitting at my studio just watching ants collide into each other on my table, hoping for an idea to hit me. And some time they all come at once. Discovering a new technique can open the door for great inspiration.

What's next Hadar?
 
I never know. But I sure hope there will be something to keep me going. 

Thank you Hadar. You are a true inspiration.

Hadar Jacobson's new book is available here.

Mixed Media Bead Necklace
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Meet the Team - Interview with Karena Wiker

Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I grew up in a creative family. My Grandmother was an artist & her porcelain dolls that she made are my treasures.  My favorite memories are of helping her in her studio. Her massive kiln scared me.  Both sides of the family lived in the woods, or the Pennsylvania Wilds as it’s called, so I have an affinity for animals & nature. Fast forward to now, I ended up working in horticulture!

Have any special hobbies?
My husband & I love music, so we go to a lot of festivals & shows. I knit the occasional scarf... create Treasuries on etsy...

Your shop address?
www.kaleprimitifs.etsy.com

How did you find out about metalclay and then start working with it? How long?
I saw a necklace of Hadar Jacobson’s & was instantly intrigued that was clay. That was over 2 years ago.

Silver Spoon necklace
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What drives you to make jewelry?
I love to wear it! And it’s a creative outlet that I had been needing for a really long time.

Are you disciplined or do you go with the flow and work when you feel like it?
I pretty much work when I feel like it, which is a lot these days~ just ask my husband...

Do you do any other type of art?
I love to draw.

What is your art sensibility - precise or organic?
I may be precisely organic? I’ve been called “meticulous” many times. My metal clay teacher knew I meant business when I brought a set of toothpick files to class

folk Flower in bronze
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When did you feel you had more confidence in your abilities?
When a friend urged me to sell at our local artist’s/farmer’s market, and I actually had sales.

What is your favorite tool for working with metalclay?
My set of toothpick files!

Where do you work?
In our loft. I have to climb a ladder to get there & the cat climbs up right behind me.
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What is your favorite thing to make?
Anything with my favorite plants.

Do you ever add commercial components?
Yes. But I’ve been making my own ear wires.

How do you work, and when? (for ex. assembly line or one at a time)
Mostly in an assembly line, and in batches. Especially with the bronze.

Fennel Feather Leaf in Bronze
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Do you have any kind of creative ritual?
I usually sketch, & try to plan how the piece will be constructed. I do a lot of ‘mini-scale’ drawings for sculptural pieces. Sometimes it doesn’t work that way. My Mom has given me lots of great ideas, I can always count on her sense of style.

Do you ever use a sketchbook?
Yes, I have 3 & I just bought another from theblackapple on etsy. It’s darling.

Do you make a living at it?
If only.

Do you do custom orders?
Yes.

What are you working on currently?
Challenging myself to create some new intricate, sculptural pieces which I haven’t done many in a long time. I have been drawing & carving my own designs, so hopefully that will help motivate.

Black Pearl Pagoda
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What's next on your agenda to make?
I have a pretty big pendant with a carving of mine in the works. It’s kind of folksy.

How do you make time for everything you want to do?
It’s usually when I end up sleep deprived that I re-evaluate my schedule & prioritize.

Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?
I live in Pennsylvania with my husband, the dog, & 2 cats.

Thank you Karena,
It has been a pleasure getting to know you.

MetalClay Photo Album - Private Collection

Are you ever curious about the jewelry worn by the maker? Is it their favorite piece? Would they ever sell it? Is it one of a kind?

Chances are the jewelry they make and wear is either their favorite or they are trying out a new design and seeing how it sits. I know when I make something new, I try it on and maybe wear it for a few days. First to show it off and second to see if the design works... Does the chain hang properly? Is the heaviest part in the right place? What does it look like when I see it in the mirror? Is it light or heavy? Looking at it, being with it and seeing glimpses of it from different angles and also NOT seeing it. Feeling it's presence on the body.

If it is right, how do I know?

If it isn't right, how can I improve it?

Most people don't think about it but the jewelry maker does.

The following are some pieces of work done by members of our team who were willing to share pieces from their "private collection". These are pieces that they have made, are very meaningful to them, and perhaps are so attached to them that they may never sell them. They are their best pieces right now. You won't see them in their shops... yet. Take a look.

Joni Doyle of Soul Harbor Jewelry
"Earth Hanging in the Balance"
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Joni says "Some pieces become part of us, for whatever reason, and parting with them becomes impossible. This is just one item that I'm not able to sell, no price would cover what it means to me. I have other pieces that carry great emotion as well and will be with me forever."

Jennifer Smith Righter of Wearable By Design

"Turntables"
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Jennifer says " I came across a photo spread of beautiful, high-end turntables from the 60's and thought they were so gorgeous, geeky and would make a fabulous bracelet."

She also makes complicated moving pieces and I saw her wearing this stunning necklace the other day.

"Cirque2"
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Sue Urquhart of Lulubugjewelry

"Stan"
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Sue says "This is the piece I wear every day... it's very personal. In September my 25 year old Cockatiel Stan, who had been with me since 1984, got sick. I knew it was the end of the road for him, 25 is ancient for a Cockatiel. I made this piece from a favorite photo of him, and I wear it all the time. It's very comforting, especially since I had it while he was still here with me. "

Lora Hart of LoraHartJewels

"Kokoshnik"
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the flip side
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Lora says "The shape reminded me of Russian folk headdresses and onion domes, so I looked up their name and voila! I took creative license of course."

Bev Gallerani of MangoTango Designs

"Moonrise, St. Lucia"
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This was one of the pieces I displayed at the Artisans' Guild of Cape Cod jurying session that helped me get in. It's my current favorite."

And then there are my pieces.

I'm always wearing 3 bracelets at once.
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I like to mix - colors, techniques, metals and media. This pin is metal clay with small silver and 22K gold balls floating in resin. It's the first one I made and my favorite one and I don't think I could ever sell it.
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With what are you adorning yourself?

The Savvy Etsian - Shopkeeper Secrets

Boy, there is just so much to learn about the ins and outs of Etsy. The twists, turns and hiding places are where great shop keepers (and visiting buyers) can really have some fun and take care of business! Did you know that:

• The "Featured Items" section will put three photos of your choice at the top of the shop .  This is a great way to bring items that might be buried at the bottom of your shop to the fore. and encourages shoppers to go looking for them, necessitating a click through every page.  You can choose which items to feature by going to "Your Etsy", "Items" then "Feature In Shop".  Click on a grey star to turn it green and voila!

• There are two ways to view the items in any shop, either your own or other Etsy shops. These choices only change the way YOU view things, not the way visitors do.

1. The "Gallery" view sets the shop up much like the Treasury.  Larger photos laid out in columns of three.  There's also a drop down list that allows you to sort by, "Most Recently Listed"; "Least Recently Listed"; "Price: High to Low" and "Price: Low to High".

 

2. The "List" view arranges much smaller thumbnails in a single column, but also shows how many times each item has been viewed. Look for the buttons to the right - above the Featured Items in a shop. 

• There are two ways to temporarily close your shop for a live art show or during a lingering illness (heaven forbid), neither of which costs one red cent. Wish I'd known about them last summer when I totally deleted everything so I could take my work to the conference. When I got home, I had to completely re-list my entire shop.  What an expensive PITA. A quick search on The Storque brought up an excellent article about this very topic.

1. "Vacation Mode" will make your shop appear empty so that no items may be purchased while you are away.  You can access this feature in the Shop Setup section of Your Etsy. You can easily re-activate the shop in the same section. By doing this your items will no longer be seen in searches, gift guides, available for treasuries or in other people's favorites. It's almost as if you dropped off the face of the earth. But don't fret, Etsy has also arranged a way for your shoppers to be notified when you get back.

2. "Batch Deactivate" allows you to pick and choose which items will no longer appear. So, if you're only taking your best sellers to display in a show, your other items are still available. This is a good way to maintain a presence at Etsy while you're away. I might even intentionally keep three items that can be easily reproduced (even if I actually take them to my art show) so they're still visible in other member's Favorites lists. This feature can be accessed by clicking the boxes on the left side of the "items in your public shop", then scroll to the bottom of that page where you'll see a "Deactivate" button. Easy Peasy!

• And then there are hearts! When someone likes your shop or a particular item, they can give it a heart. Other members can view these stats which gives your shop some much loved street cred.  After a while the members who have hearted you become tiny little dots and you can longer see who they were. 

 

But Majaba developed a fabulous Heart O Matic site so you can easily see every single member who loooves you. Just enter your shop name or number and everything will be made clear.  So much nicer than the old Bass O Matic. (Please don't tell me you don't know what that reference is from!) 

So... this is the first edition of Shopkeeper Secrets. There'll be more to come.  The intricacies of Etsy are innumerable. And be sure to check out "Pimp My Shop" in the Storque.  Grrrreat article with tons of tips for a makeover.

Shopkeeper Mosaic - Packaging

1. crafting 365 - day 181, 2. Holiday Gift Packaging, 3. My first order, 4. How I use my moo cards..., 5. marbled tag set, 6. Etsy mail is the best!, 7. Ready to be bubblewrapped and mailed!, 8. Gift Box, 9. Voila! Finished packaging, 10. My packaging, 11. packaging * for wishbone sold on Etsy, 12. gift wrapping service in my shop, 13. Amy Butler Gift Boxes - set of 2, 14. Feltidermy Wrapped & Ready, 15. Packaging, 16. mothers day gift, 17. my tags *, 18. Etsy goodness

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

The holidays are approaching faster than I like to think and folks are buying goodies to put under their trees, menorahs and other seasonal icons. For a lot of Etsy shoppers (including me) the way things are wrapped is the gift with purchase we all love.

Etsy sellers are soooo creative with their packaging. Adding hand drawn images, stickers, Moo cards and sometimes even embroidery. How do you package your items? Do you decorate the outside of the mailer? Stick a little some'in extra in as a surprise Thank You?

I know I need to step up my packaging. How 'bout you?

Meet the Team - Interview with Teresa Boland

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Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I'm totaly obsessed with PMC, so usually if I have any free time I'm either making something or searching out info on the internet, reading something related, or looking at different publicationss for new inspiration.

What is your business name and website address?
I call my business Teresa Boland Designs. I've been trying to teach myself enough to get a website (or even just a page!) up, but that's taking me a lot of time. I have the domain TeresaBoland.com, and hopfully I'll be able to get something up soon!

Your shop address?
TeresaBoland.Etsy.com

Fall Leaf and Peridot
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Do you sell in any shops other than etsy?
I have several pieces in the Flint Gallery of Panoply in downtown Newnan, GA and Artisan Jewelry in Sharpsburg, GA, and some at the Gateway Museum Shop in Maysville, KY. I also do shows locally in GA and a few times a year in Northern VA.

How did you find out about metalclay and then start working with it?
I originally found out about metal clay when I went to a Bead and Button show in Milwaukee and saw Kelly Russell's amazing work. I started talking to her and she explained metal clay to me. It sounded SO cool, but I was the single mother of two boys (one special needs) at the time and could not find a way to get to her classes in Baltimore, so I searched and searched for someone more local who knew about it and finally a few years later, was able to take classes from Tiffany Scott of Holly
Lane Designs and later take my certification class with Tim McCreight. From my first class, I was hooked! I was fortunate enough that Tiffany became a good friend and let me start showing with her. I think it's been about 3 years since my first class.

What drives you to make jewelry?
I have always loved creating art, and I find I NEED some kind of creative outlet. Metal clay allows me the flexibility to create using a variety of artistic forms, and I find there is always a list of new things I want to try, ideas for new pieces I'd like to make.

Feminine Link Bracelet
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Are you disciplined or do you go with the flow and work when you feel like it?
I love doing something creative most days, but there are plenty of days when I have other things pressing in my life so that I
don't get to work in my studio every day.

Won any awards for your jewelry? for anything else?
Anytime someone expresses that they get joy from my pieces, really love them, or that my pieces "speak to them", I consider that an award! I love it when people enjoy my pieces as much as I enjoy making them!

Do you do any other type of art?
I dabble in other art forms, but nothing serious. I do a little bit of a lot of different things and would love to take classes in more traditional metalsmithing, glass, altered art, and other forms of jewelry making in order to incorporate new skills and artforms into my pieces.

What is your art sensibility - precise or organic?
I think that depends on my mood. I'm a very detail oriented person by nature, but sometimes I like getting that less precise, organic feel into a piece!

Golden Dragonfly Pendant
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What is your favorite tool for working with metalclay?
I love using leaves, flower buds, seashells -anything in nature. Most of my work is nature inspired and everywhere I go I am on the lookout for items to make molds of or inspirations from nature.

Where do you work?
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I have a studio above our garage. It doubles as my office and the guestroom, so on one side is my work triangle where I have some cabinets, a cabinet on wheels which I can move around, and a table where I do most of my work. I switch back and forth between my metal clay tools and all my jewelry assembly tools, beads, display cards, etc.

Do you ever add commercial components?
Yes, all the time- jump rings, chains, cords.

How do you work, and when? (for ex. assembly line or one at a time)
I tend to work in batches. I'll make metal clay pieces and collect them for a while before I switch over to my jewelry assembly mode and actually do something with them all!

Old Fashioned Floral Swirl Necklace
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How do you hold onto ideas that you don't have time to pursue NOW!
I have all kinds of notes and sketches floating around. Unfortunately, some of them get lost along the way. I've been trying to collect them all into a notebook but I'm not very disciplined at that!

Do you ever teach classes and where?
I do teach in my studio. It's actually not as big as the picture makes it look, so I teach mostly on an individual basis, but have had 3 people up here at once. Any more than that would be rather crowded!

Do you make a living at it?
I don't make a living- wouldn't that be wonderful! At this point I'm trying to "support my habit" and make enough to cover ordering more materials, a new tool occasionally, and more classes!

Do you do custom orders?
I do custom pieces for people all the time. A lot of people have something in mind that they would love to have, but they don't know how to make it!

Open Lentil with Blue Spinel
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What are you working on currently?
Right now I'm busy with a series of small local shows.

What's next on your agenda to make?
I can't wait to try BronzClay! I also have a long list of ideas I'm anxious to work on.

How do you make time for everything you want to do?
I don't. I just do what I can and TRY not let it bother me that it doesn't all get done!

Anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?
I love being part of the EMC Team and getting to know you all!

Thank you,
It has been a pleasure getting to know you.

MetalClay Photo Album - The Leaf Motif

kaleprimitifs



lulubugjewelry



cnkdesigns



KFEHRdesigns



AmorDePlata



WearableByDesign



chocolateandsteel



TeresaBoland



LoraHart



soulharborjewelry



cherrycreek



MangoTango



jenkahn



All these items can be found in their shops.

The Savvy Etsian - Photographing Jewelry

Recently members of the Etsy MetalClay team (thanks Lora and Catherine!) asked me to write a tutorial on jewelry photography. I was honored to hear such a request because this is something I’m really proud of and that I’ve worked hard at during the past year. The following is just what works for me and I'm excited to share it with you.

Posting work in my Etsy shop has made me a better photographer. There, the photo is everything. A good photo will make your jewelry look even better. A bad photo will make even good work look bad. On Etsy, there are 5 photos to show off your work, so the first one shouldn't be about showing the whole piece, it should be about enticing your audience. It should be an interesting and amazing photo on its own. The space they provide is a horizontal rectangle, so I always shoot horizontally to get the most out of the space.

I take the majority of my photos using an old, African wood tray as the background. It is a dark, almost black, aged wood and there's just something about it. It is matte but has a bit of a sheen to it, it looks professional yet it has character due to the subtle wood grain and scratches. It looks different in every photo due to the light but it ties them all together. A simple background is a good idea, you don’t want it to compete with your jewelry.

I use a Canon PowerShot SD 1000 digital Elph. I bought this camera before a trip to England last year and my hopes were that I could use it for travel pics as well as for jewelry. It does a wonderful job with both. I place my wood tray on a desk by a South-facing window. I only use natural light. Early or late day works best. If it is really cloudy I'll take the photo outside. I adjust 4 settings, I set it to manual, cloudy, macro and no flash. I hold the camera low down, and try to find that magical angle, really close up, where the light is raking across it; where the texture pops and the piece comes alive. I see a lot of jewelry photos on Etsy that are taken just too far away.

Rings and pendants are easy to take because they fill up that little rectangle so well. If a pendant is quite long, I'll take the photo so that is lies diagonally to fill up the frame.

I found that if you try to show both earrings equally in a photo, you can't get close enough. So I stagger my earrings, and take the shot from bottom-right, often with the light coming from the upper left. The angle draws you in and the photo becomes more interesting. Being that close, offers a lot of information yet you can still see the pair.

Jen also often takes photos of her work on a model which helps the buyer to better visualize the way the piece will look when worn.

For necklaces, I'll often shape them into a spiral so that they fill up the whole frame. I'll take several photos so I can choose the best one.

My second photo in every listing shows the full piece, it’s never a great shot but it shows the actual shape of the piece (since the angle of the first photo can distort what the piece really looks like).

I'm even taking some photos of Celie's work and they are coming out great! It is such a thrill for me to capture her magnificent work and that she's diggin' the pics.

So that’s it. Simple really, I don’t use any fancy equipment or lighting. If anyone has any questions I’d be happy to answer them. Happy snapping!