August 2010
CMAG Board
Bruce McKay
Daniel Baca
Ken Patton
Barbara Covey
Lyn Simon
Earl Lovejoy
Susan Lovejoy
Wayne Acton

CMAG Board Meetings
Board meetings are generally held prior to the General Meeting at 6 pm in Room 33. Members are encouraged to attend and contribute.

How to Reach Us
Website:
www.cmaguild.org
Write:
Creative Metal Arts Guild
P. O. Box 8946
Portland OR 97207

Newsletter
Contributions, comments,
classified ads, display ads
guild@actonjewelry.com
Wayne Acton email

Membership
Please visit CMAG's website:
www.cmaguild.org
Annual membership dues are
$60; students $30

Newsletter

The Creative Metal Arts Guild, a non-profit organization, exists to create a community for metalsmiths, jewelers and metal artists, by facilitating communication, providing information and benefits, promoting a positive image of the creative metal artist and increasing public awareness of the artist's contribution to the community.
An August Message

Alchemists in the Middle Ages felt that base metals grew in the earth, ripening into Gold. Gold was the fruit of this transformation and it continued to grow until it was picked by man. Once removed from the earth it died and became inert. My goal as a designer is to bring Gold back to life and I am going to share with you how I do it.

One may wonder what I could possibly add to the design skills of such a talented group of designers that we have in our Guild. Continue on and you will soon see what little I know about this process.

James Taylor was once asked where do his songs come from, how does he compose them? He said he will be sitting at the breakfast table and the song will just pop out and he will do some refining later. That is about the same thin air where my designs come from only it is more often at my workbench rather than the kitchen table. I’ll be fiddling around and stuff just comes out and the more I fiddle, the more comes out. In between fiddling I’m kind of a really blank slate for designs. No ideas, no direction, no clue.

Customers come to me with some of Granny’s stones and ask me what I could make for them. I have learned to mask the doe in the headlights stare: not good for sales. But I get to talking with them, start to focus on the person, the materials, the intended usage, and I start to get a feel for the direction to go- then the fiddling starts and the next thing I know something is coming out.

Many of my designs do come from working back and forth with a customer. Someone will get referred to me and the process of getting to know the customer, what they like, what they really don’t like, why they want this piece of jewelry: all that gets my creativity working. It is more like designs getting squeezed out by the process rather than just popping out.

My most difficult and enjoyable designs are the ones that I do when I have no customer, no particular focus on what to make. These designs are often done when I am on vacation, sitting on a beach somewhere, usually Mexico. No one is telling me what to make, I want to make something, and I just keep looking at that blank block of carving wax. I file the surface of the wax smoother, I file some rough edges off my fingernails, I stare at the surf, I grab my Kayak and surf Kayak for a while. I’ll get back to the wax tools, get my carving knife out, use it to clean the sand out of my nails, and stare at the surf. Eventually I decide on a basic idea of what to carve. I begin blocking it out on the wax and then I’m off: whittling, filing, sanding to my heart’s content. My wife is my editor on these trips. She’ll keep an eye on the progress, not giving too much advice but usually good advice. She wants it to be a good design because she knows she always gets the first piece of a design I’ve made on vacation.

And so that is my lesson on design. I really don’t know how it happens. I’ve done thousands of designs and I just don’t understand it, but I do know how to work the ideas into something as they come up. I love to corral the feelings, shape them, and let the designs grow into an object that brings life back into the Gold. Bruce McKay


Contents
Programs
Program Review
Member News

Announcements
Calls for Entries
Web Stuff
Meeting Times

Archive cmaguild.org/picts.html
Programs Go back to contents
August 10, 2010 - GENERAL MEETING PROGRAM
"Scritchin'"


Studio Tour / Demo & Potluck Dinner



OREGON CITY - Tuesday August 10th
Lyn Simon - Grinding & Texturing Techniques
Potluck Dinner begins at 6:30pm
Meeting & Program 7-9pm.

1005 5th Street Oregon City - 503 650 0798
NE corner of 5th & Monroe
CMAG Members only, please.
Lyn ‘draws’ with power tools - disc grinders, orbital sanders, twisted-wire brush attachments, flap disks, sandpaper... anything that ‘scritches’. She apprenticed this technique in the early '70s with Prof. Vincent Uhl.

Sept: Collaborations:Working to create art and connections.

Come and talk with Dana Cassara, the president of the Seattle Metals Guild about such things as their annual metal arts symposium in October and their role as hosts for the upcoming SNAG Conference to be held in Seattle next May. Come with your ideas about how the two guilds could collaborate on these and other projects.

Plus, Mandy Allen will be giving details about an opportunity through the Museum of Contemporary Crafts to create collaborative pieces inspired by the designs and patterns of Oregon textile artist Laurie Herrick in conjunction with their upcoming exhibition Laurie Herrick: Weaving Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, on view starting March 2011.

The goal is to connect artists and crafters across Portland to create collaborative pieces for display online and in Community Showcase exhibitions at the MoCC.

Oct: Pounding Tudor Rose

For the October program, Judy and I are preparing to demonstrate making our Tudor Rose Design. This is a five petal flower design in filigree and repoussé which we use for earrings mostly but also pendants and sometimes pins. We intend the demo to focus mainly on our repoussé method but will quickly recap the soldering and fitting steps. We will come ready to demo most processes up to polishing and are also attempting to prepare examples of the various steps. How much of this will fit into the program is problematic, of course.


Program ReviewGo back to contents
Swap Meet, July 2010
presented by The Usual Gang

As is traditionally the case on Swap Meet night, the crowd was in no temper to brook a business meeting and that foolishness was dispensed with without comment. A patron of Trios Studio donated to them a quantity of sterling wire and sheet which they put up for auction to benefit the guild. Bruce sorted it out and put minimums at scrap and silent auctioned it and the bidding wars began. Recently arrived back on the planet from Country Fair, I had nothing to sell but managed to put a big hole in the ole cashola supply. Bruce has still got a mess of stones it seems and Joe's tired of reading those same old books. Linda Mather, who is getting out of the jewelry racket brought the remains of her studio and there was a rare Rick Martin sighting. I had a good talk with Rick who is a CMAG old hand and computer Luddite with no email but responded to the snail mail membership renewal letter. If somebody calls him he'll probably come to other meetings as well. Perhaps it's just the hysteria of all that swapping but looking at the pictures here it seems my newsletter editor adage, "if you want your picture in the paper, do something goofy," is catching on some. Wayne

Member NewsGo back to contents
Final Farewells
reported by Hannah Goldrich and Linda Apodaca

Marcia Anna Macdonald, 51, passed away on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 in Greensboro, North Carolina of ovarian cancer. Marcia was an internationally recognized jeweler and metalsmith. She received her B.F.A. in Design from the Univ. of North Carolina in Greensboro and her M.F.A. in Metalsmithing/Jewelry from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. She was a teacher, visiting artist and guest lecturer at a host of renowned schools including Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, Arrowmount School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee, Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine and the Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland, Oregon. Her work has appeared in several professional publications; in curatorial, invitational, juried, and solo exhibitions. She sold her work in prestigious galleries around the country and at several of the major craft shows. . She received awards for her work including the Craftsman's Choice Award at the 2002 Smithsonian Museum of Art Crafts Show in Washington, D.C. She worked very hard as a board member for some years of the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

Marcia was a visiting artist at what was then the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts in 1990. She had a marvelous show after that year in the gallery. She then moved to Eugene . She sold her work at Opus 5 in Eugene and at the 2nd and Blair Artist Show. She worked at Opus 5 Gallery and then at Passionflower Design. She was a CMAG member for a while, was in the spring show, and gave lectures and workshops for CMAG.

Marcia had an exceptional sense of style and love for life. She was a marvelous friend for those of us who were lucky enough to know her. She has a remarkable number of people who she affected and will always love her.

Marcia is survived by her husband , Steve Newton, of Greensboro, whom she married in 2000 in Eugene: her mother, Lydia Colwell of New Hampshire, and her siblings, Laura Gunning of New Hampshire, Sarah Ramsey of Oklahoma, and Andrew Macdonald of Illinois. There will be a memorial service for her in Greensboro - most likely on Aug. 22. There will be another service for her in Eugene in September. ( For the exact time and date call me in August- 541-344-3368- Hannah). Memorial contribution may be directed to Hospice and Palliative Care in Greensboro. Hannah

Longtime Portland enamellist Julianne Phinney passed away on July 17, 2010. For many years she was an active member of the Northwest Enamellist Guild. Every year she was a loyal attendee of our Creative Metal Arts Spring show. Linda

Ed Note: For your erstwhile CMAG editor, reporting these passings in our guild family comes perilously close to real journalism. I'm sure our readers will want to know but I'm also aware that mistakes printed here are more important than in my average fare and if I've made any I sincerely apologize. My thanks to Hannah and Linda for their help and our condolences to the bereaved. Wayne
Anticlastic Workshop Review
From Alma Rands

The Anticlastic workshop conducted by Rebecca Melton was a huge success. All I can say is "Wow, it was just great!!!!." Rebecca is an excellent teacher and a gracious hostess. Those in attendance were: Mandy Allen, Mona Mozeico, Shawn Daughton, Kathryn DeVries, Kathryn Constant, Mari Prichard, and Alma Rands.

When we arrived at Rebecca's home studio, we were greeted with hot coffee, delicious home made muffins and other treats which we munched on while we waited for everyone to arrive.

Rebecca had put a lot of time and thought into this workshop and had everything prepared, laid out, and ready for us to begin this venture into new territory. Copper pieces were already cut to the size needed for the spiculums which were to be our first project. Each person was given a hand- out which described the entire process, and a plastic stake which Rebecca had made for us, and which we got to keep. Torch and pickle pot were ready and waiting for the constant annealing and pickling required during the raising of the metal.

After a brief introduction to the process, Rebecca demonstrated the proper way to begin the raising of the copper, cheerfully and patiently answering any questions we had. Then the fun began. Out came the hammers and away we went. Starting us with spiculums was a wise decision. Anticlastic raising is a slow process, and working on a small item to start with allowed time to complete the project from start to finish so that we thoroughly understood the method. Rebecca spent a lot of time with each of us when we needed help.

Lunch was a pot luck, and the gourmet offerings showed that not only does CMAG have some very talented metal smiths, but great cooks as well.

On day two of the workshop we were free to make anything we desired, and it was amazing to see how independent and varied the items were. Most of us chose to work on copper, except Mandy, who used aluminum, and Mona who used silver. Kathryn DeVries worked on long strips of copper to be used as a base for her marvelous copper bowls. Mari formed her copper into the shape of a whale, Shawn made what looked like a spoon. Kathryn Constant and I chose to make bracelets. As we now understood the process, we all had confidence in what we were doing, and thoroughly enjoyed this new technique.

Not only did we learn a lot, but the workshop offered a wonderful opportunity for camaraderie and a chance to get to know each other better. And the word "anticlastic," no longer bewilders us. Alma Rands

Cloisonne Workshop
By Alma Rands

The Cloisonne workshop will be held Sept 18-l9, at my studio. Spaces are filling up fast, so if you are interested please let me know so that I can reserve a place for you. Send me an email to arands@comcast.net, and I will put you on the list.

The fee of $75.00 covers all enameling supplies, including enamels, metals, silver foil, fine silver cloisonne wire, klyr fire, some basic enameling tools, and my special gourmet soup. Each participant will be given an ample supply of enamels which they get to keep. Participants will need to bring some other items which they already have in their studio or kitchen. A complete list will be sent to those who are interested in signing up.

This will be an intensive two day workshop geared toward beginning enamelists as well as those who want a refresher course or wish to learn some new techniques.

Although the major focus of the workshop will be on Cloisonne enameling, those who took the Ferric Chloride etching workshop with me, or who have done etching and want to learn to do Champleve enameling are welcome to join. However in order to save time, they should bring their already etched copper. These should be no larger than 2" or 3 " maximum in diameter, and should be on heavy gauge copper, between 14-18 gauge. No thinner. Also the etched areas should be wide and deep, with no fine lines. For those who are interested, in learning this technique, I will send full information as to what will work best. Alma
Tool Sale
Hobbs Welles

This from Hobbs whose friend has a hydrolic press for sale.

Hi Wayne. Here are the pictures of the Peggy's press and other items.

She wants $800 for the setup, which includes the following, as shown in the pictures:

#110501 Bonny Doon Hydraulic Press - value $995 - THIS PRESS HAS NEVER BEEN USED!
6"x6"x1/2" 80 durometer urethane pad - value $39
6"x6"x1" plexigalss top spacer - value $27
Book: Hydraulic Die Forming for Jewelers & Metalsmiths, by Susan Kingsley - value $25

Contact Peggy Cochran at: prcochran@gmail.com

I've copied Peggy on this email too.Thanks!

Member Exhibit
From Lee Haga

CMAG members Lee Haga and Greg Wilbur have their artwork displayed in the "Behind the Shoji " Art show at the Japanese Gardens. The show runs through Labor Day and is free with admission to the Gardens.
Calls For EntriesGo back to contents
Maupin Riverfest

This is from a show in Maupin and coming right up. Apparently can still get in. Can't say about sales there but can say there's not a better place to be mid-September, than on the Deschutes in Maupin. Nice website.

Hello,
Would you please share the following information with your artist list? In particular, we are seeking art that fits the theme of rivers, fish, flyfishing, whitewater or pacific northwest.

Thanks so much!

RiverFest on the Deschutes
Maupin, Oregon Saturday, 18, 2010
CALLING ALL ARTISTS TO MAUPIN
WHAT: RIVERFEST ON THE DESCHUTES 6TH ANNUAL MUSIC & ART FESTIVAL

DATE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2010

TIME: 10AM – 8PM

LOCATION: OASIS RESORT RIVERVIEW CAMPGROUND MAUPIN, OREGON

VENDOR FEE: $50, ELECTRICITY OR WATER HOOKUPS EXTRA

ATTENDANCE: OVER 1,500 PEOPLE IN 2008 OVER 70+ VENDORS

Please share the application below with your member artists.
If you have questions please contact info@maupinriverfest.com:


Marni McLucas Malefyt
The Oasis Resort & Quilts in the Canyon Retreats
Maupin, Oregon
(541) 395-2731
marni@deschutesriveroasis.com

maupinriverfest.com/
Mcminnville Rotary

I have this inquiry/announcement forwarded to me by Bruce McKay, originally sent to Linda Bretana. This is a long way out yet but probably of interest to some of you. 'spect I'll be at Country Fair. I had considerable correspondence with Joe, which is summarized below.

The McMinnville Sunrise Rotary Club will host of the 2011 Artists Village, Yamhill County 's premiere Summer, family ART event. The event will be held at the Oak Grove on the Linfield College campus in McMinnville. There will be over 60 juried artists from multiple disciplines including painting, sculpture, ceramics, and metal work. It will be THE place to view and buy local art. There will be a special section devoted to showcasing the art of young emerging student artists and a "People's Choice" area where event-goers can vote for their favorite work of art. Our guests will be enjoying the best in local food, wine, music, and performances. Proceeds from this event will go toward scholarships for graduating high school seniors, wetlands restoration, non-profits, and support of the arts in our community.

I am hopeful that you can direct me to a person in your guild who would like to be our contact person and let your guild members know about this amazing opportunity to show and sell their art.

Please contact me if you have any questions or would like more information.

Yours in Service,
Joe Stewart
McMinnville Sunrise Rotary, Artists Village
Steering Committee, Art Chair

The dates are July 8-9, 2011.

Each artist who wants to participate must present examples of his/her work by electronic media, photos or actual work. The art will be juried and the charge is $25.

Each artist will have a booth. The charge for the booth is $100.

Rotary will process all sales at 25% of price. However, since the price of the booth is $100, the first $400 will be processed at no charge.

When the jury date is set I will get back to you with those details. We encourage all artists to participate.

If there are any changes to the above I will let you know.

JVStewart

jstewartxx@yahoo.com

We have done several years of art but only painters. We want to widen the art show to include many more artistic options. I do not know the precise process but people are juried by their peers. The web site you mentioned is the noon club. We are the McMinnville Sunrise Rotary Club.

Joe
On the WebGo back to contents
Seattle Symposium

Fifteen Annual Northwest Jewelry and Metals Symposium

When: Saturday, October 16, 2010, 9am to 5:30pm

Where: The Museum of History and Industry

2700 24th Ave. East, Seattle, WA 98112

The Seattle Metals Guild is proud to announce the 15th Annual Northwest Jewelry & Metals Symposium with our presenters: Klaus Burgel, Kim Cridler, Arthur Hash, Marvin Jensen and Elizabeth Shypertt.

Come join us for an information-packed and inspirational day of presentations. From furniture to jewelry and hollowware, from makers to gallerists, installation artists and sculptors, this year's line up of speakers represents a truly multifaceted approach to making, marketing and understanding art, craft and ornamentation.

Visit seattlemetalsguild.org for complete details and a list of associated events.

Contact: Megan Corwin, nmegan@mindspring.com or call 206-781-2646
SNAG Professional Brochures

This from SNAG. We are going about getting print copies for the CMAG library but they are downloadable pdf at the address below.

Dear Guild Member,

Please allow me to introduce myself; I am a metalsmith and member of the Southwestern Virginia Metal Arts Guild. Just like you, I benefit from connecting with my peers locally and regionally. I’m also the new Guild Coordinator for the Society of North American Goldsmiths.

You might have seen the recent announcement from SNAG about the new Professional Guidelines brochures.

SNAG would love to send as many brochures as your guild would like to receive. We encourage you to send them to your membership and include them in your new members’ info/welcome packets.

On behalf of SNAG, I sincerely look forward to hearing from you!

Warm Regards,
Alison Pack
Apack2@radford.edu
See brochures at: snagmetalsmith.org/Publications/Professional_Guidelines/

Topics include:
GUIDE TO PROFESSIONAL QUALITY IMAGES;
WORKING WITH DIGITAL IMAGES EFFECTIVELY;
TOP TEN TIPS for Getting Into a...Juried Exhibition, Craft Show, Book or Magazine;
INVENTORY RECORDS: Documentation of your Work;
INVENTORY RECORDS FORM: Documentation & Provenance;
JURIED EXHIBITIONS;
EXHIBITIONS: ARTIST CHECKLIST;
CONDITION REPORT [referred to in Exhibition Contract;
ARTIST'S CHECKLIST: CLAIMS FOR DAMAGED WORK;
DISCOUNTS;
USEFUL RESOURCES FOR LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL ADVICE;
CONTRACTS:CONSIGNMENT CONTRACT;
EXHIBITION CONTRACT (for non-commercial exhibitions);
MODEL RELEASE;
FUNDRAISING AUCTIONS: Issues and Checklist for Artists;
FUNDRAISING AUCTIONS: Issues and Recommendations for Collectors;
FUNDRAISING AUCTIONS: Issues and Impact for Galleries;
FUNDRAISING AUCTIONS: Issues and Alternatives for Art Organizations;
OPEN STUDIOS: A guide for organizations sponsoring an Open Studios event;
OPEN STUDIOS: Artist Checklist;
Meeting Announcements
August 2010 meeting is NOT at MAC! See announcement above
Go back to contents
MONTHLY MEETINGS & PROGRAMS
General Meeting
WHEN: General CMAG member meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month. Door opens at 6:45pm, meetings begin at 7:15pm, and adjourn by 9:15pm.

WHERE: Room 34 at the Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Highway Portland 97219.

WHAT: Meetings consist of a general business and a short break with refreshments, followed by a program which may be a demonstration of a technique or tool, a slide presentation, a panel discussion, or other presentation of interest to CMAG members. The CMAG Library is open before the meeting and during the break for checking out books and magazines.

WHO: Meetings are open to CMAG members and their guests.

Board Meeting
Before the general meeting ... at MAC ... in room 33 ... starts at 6 pm.

CMAG Webpage