Adventures in Bedlam

Artist Interview: Danielle Miller Jewelry

I know I'm always talking about the talented artists on Etsy, but I recently found one that I feel is truly exceptional.  Danielle Miller opened her shop in December 2007 and her work is some of the best I've seen on Etsy.  I love it when I find an artist whose work inspires me to take my own to the next level.  I am pleased to say she agreed to answer my questions and post some photos of her work on my blog.  Enjoy!

Where do you sell or display your work?
I am represented by about 50 galleries/retail stores.  I also do one or two retail craft shows a year. I used to do more shows but since I had my children, I have had to cut back. Traveling and logistics is very difficult with toddlers! As a result, recently set up a shop on Etsy.

How long have you been making jewelry?
I made my first piece of jewelry in high school art class...22 years ago. But I HATED it! I despised the tedious work of sawing and filing. My teacher wouldn't let us solder, so I missed out on all the fun! While at a summer art program, I had the opportunity to make a welded steel sculpture. That is where my passion for metal began. I began making (and loving) jewelry/silversmithing a few years later while in college. Then, I started my business 13 years ago and went to work full-time for myself 10 years ago.



How did you learn to make metal jewelry?
I learned many jewelry making techniques in college. First, I attended Moore College of Art & Design...I took an intro to jewelry class as a freshman and I fell in love, despite the fact that I hated it a few years previous. A year later, I transferred to Tyler School of Art, Temple University  to enroll in their well-known jewelry program.  After college I worked for a master goldsmith...That's where I learned how to work with gold and platinum.

What is your favorite metal to work with?
I guess my favorite metal would be sterling silver. I like the white-white color (opposed to the yellow-white of white gold), it's malleable nature, that it can take a black patina and can take a fair amount of heat. Since it is relatively inexpensive (when compared to gold or platinum) my design possibilities can be more experimental. I also like 18k gold. The color of 18k is so rich. I often combine sterling and 18k in my jewelry designs.



What are some of your other favorite materials?
I wouldn't call it a favorite, but I use a lot of pearls and colored stones. I would love to come up with a unique, non-traditional material to incorporate into my designs to add color and texture... but I always go back to stones for color.

What is your favorite tool/equipment to use in your work?
There are several tools in my studio that I constantly use and love. But, I think my Smith "Little Torch" is my favorite. I was introduced to this torch while working for the goldsmith. At the time, I was using a Presto-lite torch (acetylene mixed with air). After using the Little Torch at work, I immediately bought one for my own studio and it changed my life! It sounds strange and dramatic, but it's true! It allowed me to do things that my old torch wouldn't...My work evolved using it. To continue with the dramatics...I also love, and would be LOST without, my Foredom flex shaft and my tubing jig.



Is your studio at home or do you rent/own separate studio space?
My studio is a building in my backyard. I love that it is so close to home but not IN my home...especially because I now have 2 young children. It is about 550 sq/feet and VERY messy...I'm a bit of a slob!

What is your dream piece of equipment?
This is a tough question because I'm a tool junkie. There are lots of tools I want...but I would say the DREAM piece of equipment would actually be a CAD program. I've been intrigued with Matrix 3D Jewelry Design Software by Gemvision. I think it would be great to have for custom engagement rings and more traditional jewelry designs.

What is your least favorite technique?
I didn't like tedious sawing when I was introduced to jewelry in high school and I STILL don't like it! I consider myself a fairly patient person, but when it comes to piercing and sawing...I loose all patience! I break so many sawblades! I am in awe of those who have beautiful pierced designs.

What technique do you find most challenging?
Challenging but gratifying: Complex, hand fabricated clasps and mechanisms. I have to change gears and slow down when it is time to make precision mechanisms. I love doing it, it just takes a certain frame of mind for me.
Challenging and frustrating: Carving wax. I am very much an additive not a subtractive artist. If I practiced more or took a workshop, I'm sure I'd get the hang of it. I just don't do it often and as a result, am not very good at it.



Is there a technique you don’t know yet that you’d like to learn?
I'd love to take an intensive workshop on advanced stone setting. I would like to be more efficient at channel setting and would like to learn how to pave and bead set.

How does the design process work for you? For example, do you sketch your ideas first, or do they just come to you as you work?
I use simple geometric forms as the building blocks for most of my designs, which are inspired by architecture, machines, toys and nature. When I get a new idea I try to get a quick sketch down on paper. Many of my designs are modular...so as I make the parts I start to move things around before things are completely assembled. As a result, sometimes the design evolves or completely changes, many times it grows into a whole collection of jewelry (eg: bracelets, earrings and necklaces). Since I do so much wholesale, I try to make complete, cohesive collections and add 10-30 new designs per year.

Do you have any resource recommendations (books, websites, etc) for people who want to learn to make metal jewelry?
My husband is also a metal artist (he teaches jewelry and metals) and we are constantly buying jewelry books. We have a fairly extensive library of how-to books and picture books. Tim McCreight's "The Complete Metalsmith" is a must have for any beginner! It has a little bit of everything in it and it is easy to read/use. I always have my old paperback copy by my bench for quick referencing. Any of Lark Books' 500 series are great for eye candy and inspiration. For specific techniques and inspiration, my new favorite book is "The Penland Book of Jewelry: Master Classes in Jewelry Techniques."

Here is an example of Danielle's husband, Ben Gilliam's work:

Ibex Vase

You can view more of Danielle's work here:

Danielle's Trunkt Page
DanielleMiller.com
DanielleMiller.net

Artist Interview: Julia Catherine Jewelry

Julia Catherine is fellow seller on Etsy who makes lovely handmade metal and gemstone jewelry.  She was one of the first metal artists to answer my call for interviews and since I loved her work, I sent her my list of questions.  Here are her answers!

Where do you sell or display your work?
I sell my jewelry on Etsy at http://juliacatherine.etsy.com and at our jewelry store in Hamburg, NJ, called North Church Jewelry.

How long have you been making jewelry?
I have been making jewelry since I was a child. At a young age I would make jewelry from anything I could find, as I grew older my mother purchased supplies like headpins, ear wires and beads for me to create jewelry. It was always so exciting to find out we were getting in supplies for making jewelry! I sold these simple creations in her store.

How did you learn to make metal jewelry?
I learned to make metal jewelry while apprenticing for a master jeweler (my mother) at the young age of 14. I made my first fabricated metal piece when I was 16 years old. This was the age my mother thought it was 'ok' for me to handle a torch-with supervision of course! The ring I created is a classic twisted/snake design ring that I still wear. Its very meaningful to me! Other sources of knowledge have been the books my mother learned jewelry making from.

What is your favorite metal or material to work with?
I think my favorite material to work with would be sterling silver, its very malleable and seems to 'work' with me. It's like an old friend, I have worked with it so much and for so long I can almost predict what it will do next. I also love working with karat gold (10kt-14kt) metals although sterling is my favorite because the price lends it to be available to experimentation.

What are some of your other favorite materials?
I would have to say my most favorite materials other than metals are pearls! They are available in so many different colors and shapes and sizes now. Others include vintage beads, faceted glass and czech glass beads. I love making things with faceted stones when my time allots for fabricating settings.

Is your studio at home or do you rent/own separate studio space?
My studio is in the back of our jewelry store, my mother and I have two jewelers benches right next to each other. We usually sit there and BS a lot, it's how I come up with some of my best ideas!

What is your favorite tool/equipment to use in your work?
My favorite tool would be my hammer! I love my ball peen hammer. My next favorite I think would fall under the 'equipment' category, that would be the torch.

What is your dream piece of equipment?
I'm a minimalist, I'm currently wanting a new ball peen hammer with a larger round area and maybe some new pliers.

What is your least favorite technique?
I would have to say saw cutting things like nameplates always starts out my least favorite but when I see the end result I'm always pleased with it.

What technique do you find most challenging?
I would say fabricating settings like wire basket settings and bezel settings are the most challenging. They are very time consuming and need to be created very meticulously and measured very carefully. Not much room for error, especially with bezel settings.

Is there a technique you don’t know yet that you’d like to learn?
A technique I have been wanting to learn is metal etching . It looks so gorgeous every time I see a design etched out with the different relief. I'm working on learning though!

How does the design process work for you? For example, do you sketch your ideas first, or do they just come to you as you work?
My design process is different for almost everything I create. Most often I have a design in my mind and scribble down the details so I wont forget or to figure out what materials I will need. A lot of times I will just sit at my bench with materials in front of me and ideas come to mind. I create a 'recipe' for the design so I can recreate it. Some more complex designs that include gemstones I usual do a sketch to prevent any mishaps or wasted materials.

Do you have any resource recommendations (books, websites, etc) for people who want to learn to make metal jewelry?
Your biggest asset to learning to create metal jewelry would be to take the time to apprentice for a master jeweler. If you are truly dedicated to learning this is something you will try to do. One of my favorite books is 'Jewelry Making' I think its by Murray Bovin. Its always nearby. It maybe out of print though, its an oldie!

I know it sounds weird but jewelry making is almost something that defines me. Its not a hobby or a job, its both but in itself its so much more for me.

You can view more of Julia Catherine's work at her Etsy store and her blog.

Artist Interview: Holly West

I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to start including some interviews on my blog since I am very interested in the creative process of other artists.  To begin, I decided to "interview" myself.

Where do you sell or display your work?
Online at hollywest.etsy.com.

How long have you been making jewelry?
I have been making jewelry off and on for about twenty years.  However, I didn't get serious about it until 2001, when I took my first handmade jewelry class at UCLA Extension.  From the course description, I wasn't sure what it entailed, and boy was I surprised to learn our first project was making sterling silver wire from scratch.

How did you learn to make metal jewelry?
I guess I kind of answered that question above, but I'll elaborate here.  From the beginning, I learned to make everything from scratch, down to adding alloys to pure gold and silver (although this is something my jewelry teacher does for me--I don't think he trusts me with that much heat).  From that first class in 2001 I've continued taking classes with the same instructor, however now I rent space in his private studio.  He's there to offer support and instruction when needed but generally I work on my own.

Now that I know the basic techniques of metalsmithing, I'll often save time by buying wire, sheet, jump rings, et cetera instead of making them myself.  However, knowing how to do it is invaluable in my design work because I can construct things to my exact specifications when needed.

What is your favorite metal to work with?
I absolutely love working with 18k yellow gold.  When I first started making jewelry gold was at about $340 an ounce and now it's over $900 so I use it sparingly.

Most of my work is in silver these days, which is another metal I love to work with.

What are some of your other favorite materials?
I love gemstones, especially beads.  Some of my favorites are rhodolite garnet, swiss blue topaz, and lemon quartz.  I also love andalusite and all colors of tourmaline.  As for diamonds, I don't work with them very often, but I do love the look of rough cut and "champagne" diamonds.

Is your studio at home or do you rent/own separate studio space?
I have an almost fully equipped studio at home, but as I said above I also rent studio space once a week.

Since I live in a condominium I am limited in a couple of ways with regard to my studio space.  First, I am still using a small butane torch because frankly, I don't trust myself with anything stronger at home.  Second, I don't have a rolling mill because there is nothing I can bolt it to.  This is one of the reasons I still rent studio space.  There I have all the equipment I need and I don't have to worry about maintaining it myself.  I generally do larger, more advanced projects there and save the small stuff for home.

What is your favorite tool/equipment to use in your work?
I love my flexshaft!  It does so many things, I couldn't make jewelry without it.

What is your dream piece of equipment?
For some reason I am having trouble answering this.  I suppose the answer would be casting equipment, but I will never do that.  Too dangerous!

What is your favorite technique?
I really like setting stones in bezels.  And who doesn't like the stress-relieving activity of hammering metal?

What is your least favorite technique?
There are two:  drawing wire and sawing intricate shapes or thick pieces of metal.  I am also not a big fan of making tubing or tube settings, and I rarely do it.

What technique do you find most challenging?
I still have a lot of trouble with prong settings, even though I love to make them.

Is there a technique you don’t know yet that you’d like to learn?
I'd love to learn pave.  I'd also love to learn wax carving and casting (I've dabbled in wax carving but for some reason didn't take to it.  I'd like to give it a second chance).

How does the design process work for you? For example, do you sketch your ideas first, or do they just come to you as you work?
I will sometimes sketch designs before I make them, but not very often.  I mostly do that if I have an idea that I don't want to forget so I do a rough sketch.  Many of my ideas come to me in the moments between wake and sleep.  I think my mind is freer and more open for creativity then.  A lot of my ideas come from the metal itself and the techniques I use to manipulate it.  Sometimes I'm not sure what I want to do so I just start cutting or hammering or bending and the design creates itself.

Do you have any resource recommendations (books, websites, etc) for people who want to learn to make metal jewelry?
I think Jewelry Two Books in One:  Projects to Practice and Inspire by Madeline Coles is a good entry level jewelry making book.

I have a number of interviews lined up to post in the coming weeks/months.  Should be good reading!

If you are interested in being interviewed and fall into any of these categories, please email me.  I'm also interested in interviewing design, PR, and marketing professionals.

And speaking of artist interviews, here's a great one with Chris Parry.  He's a jewelry maker that really inspires.