This class will focus on using both hydraulic press and foldforming techniques to create both fine jewelry items and/or botanical creations. Working in either silver or copper, students will be able to quickly design unique components with dimension, effects that can be translated to jewelry items and/or larger botanical creations. Demonstration will also include hidden linking techniques for bracelets and necklaces, and converting broken or old gold pieces into ingots for adding interest to silver creations.
This course has ended.
Supply List
Supplies are subject to change. A final list will be emailed to each participant before the first day of class.
Estimated cost for items to purchase and bring: $25-35
PURCHASE AND BRING TO THE WORKSHOP:
Purchase 24 gauge copper or sterling silver, textured or not textured
Bring: 12 and/or 14 g round wire, copper or silver steel block, peened hammers for foldforming, mallet, metal shears files and sandpaper notebook, pen, ruler, divider, sharpie eye protection and magnification if needed, ear protection shop cloths (only dry metal on Press tooling to prevent rust) any tooling stamps you like for enhanced design chasing punches for air chasing small and medium rounds and liners oyster knife or butter knife to open foldforms
Studio Fee
All workshops have astudio fee. Fees are collected at the end of the workshop and payable by check or credit card.MU no longer accepts cash.
Estimated studio fee for this workshop: $TBD*
*The final cost may vary depending on the actual cost of materials at the time of the workshop. It is possible for fees to be less or greater than the range indicated depending upon individual student usage.
Studio supply fees are an estimate and can be subject to change due to supply chain issues or transportation cost.
About the Instructor
Ginger Seiple's first exposure and intrigue with metal forming was in 1970 at Kent State University where she was studying nursing. Her exploration into metal did not begin until 1987; prior to this time her creative energies were focused on the art of nursing and raising a family.
In 1987 when she lit a torch for the first time she ignited a passion that grew, and continues to grow, like wildfire. She left nursing behind and began a journey to learn and develop the skills she wanted to understand with metalsmithing. After a few community art center courses and becoming comfortable with a torch she built a home studio. Her desire to understand the effects of heat on metal resulted on her becoming extremely skilled at setting gemstones, and she began successfully selling her work.
She has spent the last 25 years studying with many masters. Over the years her focus has narrowed and for the last several years her studies have been mostly with masters Charles Lewton-Brain, Michael Good and David Huang, finding moving metal using their methods most enjoyable to her aesthetic sense.
Another facet of Ginger's metal journey is her passion for teaching. Having been fortunate to learn from many masters has not only given her many great skills but the example of wonderfully giving educators. She has taught workshops all over the midwest, and currently teaches annually in Oxford, Ohio at Miami University's CraftSummer Program, and in Maine where she biannually teaches workshops and TA’s for master goldsmith Michael Good in his studio.
Creatively she still enjoys the fine intricate contemporary work she does with her gemstone creations as much as the larger more sculptural pieces she is experimenting with as she develops the anticlastic, raising and forging she is learning.
