Hallo Forum

**Fine Jewellery and Art** · 17-09-2014, 12:38 PM

Hi, my name is Frans Conradie and since I am new to this forum the right thing to do seems to introduce myself – something easier said than done.

I am trained, educated and experienced in the engineering and managerial fields and have reached a point where I have decided to try and realise an old dream of becoming a metal smith. Sometimes I think I am better suited to the traditional blacksmith side of things but I also like fine detail and, like a crow, I gravitate to things shiny.

I have not been trained or coached in jewellery making at all but I believe that I have the technical skills to handle the physical preparation and construction of jewellery. However, being technically minded, I do seriously lack on the creative side when I need to create something new. I really battle to formulate a new design in my head and the way I deal with this is to start something long before I know what it is supposed to be and then ‘make it up as I go’ - I also need to pay much more attention to detail in finishing off items.

I have read everything I could find on jewellery making for months before I started anything and I am still reading everything I find. Since I see myself, with good reason, as not having any expertise in this field, I tend not to get involved in discussions but try and learn something from all – guess I will need to change this approach and get involved.

I am still heavily involved in my fulltime career; it pays the bills see, while making jewellery as part of my ‘apprenticeship to myself’ in my free time. I am also in the process of constantly reviewing my work environment (for jewellery making) and tools where I regularly identify the need for new tools and jigs - some actually prompted by reading postings on this forum.

So… all in all I am new to all things jewellery related with the longer term plan to achieve some level of competence in whatever ‘style’ I settle for in the end.