I'm too excited . . . .

I was going to try to post blog entries that were organized, followed a chronological order of my metalworking journey, attempt to be informative and probably just plain boring. {{yawn}} But today I took a little sliver of agate that I bought at the Lincoln Gem and Mineral Show last Sunday and I'm so excited about how the little guy turned out that I had to post it.

I usually cut and polish all of my own stones (you can find those sweet gems on my flickr site) but I came across a handful of Holley Blue Agate and this little sliver was calling to me. I swear, this piece absolutely glows. Sweet, huh?

It measures about an inch long and I've accented it with a 4mm peridot bead. (I know, I hate mixing millimeters and inches, but . . . . ). Love it. Can't wait to wear it. I have three other pieces that I think will be set and sold. I can't keep everthing.

In the beginning . . . . .

I started working with silver in high school and thanks to a student teacher (thank you, JoAnne Kreighbaum) who spent a semester with our class in 1969 and my high school art teacher who let me continue long after class was over (thank you, Barry Kennedy), a love affair with metal was born. College classes in metal were not all that common so I took two semesters and was not able to go any further at the schools I attended. That was it. I laid it all aside while I made a living in things not art-related for the next 30 years.

I eventually found a super guy who was (among other wonderful things) a master welder. His appreciation for my own love of metal was all the inspiration I needed to stop the floundering I was doing in other areas of life and set up a metal studio.

I'm home.

I love the physical nature of working with metal. It still takes fire and force to move metal from one form to another using the same techniques that have been used since the beginning of metalworking time. A sign over my bench reads - "The laws that govern metal never change", reminding me to go back to the basics when I'm trying too hard.

My designs are straightforward and linear, clean and simple and I am inspired by the stuff you find in old hardware stores.

All work is done in my own studio, with my own hands, by no one but me. No kidding.