What is Next? Boot Camp: Fine Finishings

by Staci L. Smith

First of all, I think we had a great turn out for our end of Boot Camp Asymmetry Blog hop.  If you haven't had a chance, you can check it out here, and see what people made!

http://lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2014/03/love-my-art-jewelry-asymmetry-bootcamp.html


Thank you for joining in and pushing the boundaries of jewelry design.  Though we touch on a lot of basics on this blog, it is Love my Art Jewelry, and Art Jewelry is wild, and bold, and shocking.  The only way to get there is to push the limits of your comfort at times, and try to something new.
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The new Boot Camp is called Fine Finishing's. 

We all start somewhere.  

can you believe this teeny tiny little pendant is a staci louise?  lol!


Most of us have the same goal, to become artists, who can make a living, doing what we love.  We want to get into better and better (juried) shows.  Maybe we want to make a statement with our jewelry, be in magazines, or even hope to be in a museum some day.  Who knows how high your goals go?  There is no limit!!!

I think that our very own Karen McGovern's work is museum worthy!  She is always pushing the limits between wearable and art jewelry.  She is fearless in her combinations, and always growing in her knowledge of the mediums she uses.  Her pieces have meaning as well.
 

But it is a  loooong road, from starting out, to these goals.
Most of us here are somewhere in the middle of this road, and along the way, we have learned A LOT of things.  Tips, tricks and advice on how to make the best, highest quality product, and what to avoid as well.

MaryAnn C. is wonderfully thorough when it comes to quality in her work!

  Artists work hard to perfect techniques, to fine tune their skills.  They are open to critique, they problem solve, and they put out products that people are willing to pay for.  Because they are unique, and because they are quality.  Art should last forever.

Maire Dodd is a great example of how an artist changes, grows and evolves over time.  Her work is always evolving, but never loses that depth of emotion that she has such a gift for being able to convey through her work.

We all started out at the bottom.  We all made mistakes, learned from them and grew.  We all took harsh criticism from peers, rejections, and critiques- and learned from them. 

Marsha Neal may be known for making beads, but she is a true sculpture- I loved seeing her branch out into new directions.  She is always pushing the boundaries of where she can take her business!!

This Boot Camp, Fine Finishing's, will hopefully give you guys some tips and tricks we had to learn the hard way through years of trial and error. 

 you may know Barb B. as a bead maker, but she loves to branch out into other inspiring art as well, and you can see how her painting and color knowledge crosses over into both forms of art for her.

Painting by Barb Bechtel

We as a group, will be touching on areas that we all are knowledgeable in.  So throughout the next 8 weeks, you will get tips on everything from wire work, closures, ceramics, and polymer, to soldering and even some advice on shopping for quality components for your jewelry.

Kelli Pope's work is always asymmetrical, and has a look that is totally unique to her.  You can always tell is her design before you even see who made it.  Having a signature style is another thing you acquire over time as an artist!

This is not just geared towards our jewelry designers.  We also seek to inform everyone as shoppers of jewelry and components.  After all, you want to make sure to use quality products in your work. 

For me (Staci) doing my own soldered chain, like in this piece was a huge step toward making my jewelry more finished, more of my own.

We hope you enjoy this Boot Camp, and will learn some information that can save you some trouble and heartbreak that we have all had to endure at some point or another.