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Thread: Diversify/Specialise

  1. #1
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    Jun 2014
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    Default Diversify/Specialise

    I am really interested to know your thoughts on this. I can't decide (!) if I'm a naturally eclectic person or just someone who hasn't found their own jewellery type/style yet. I started out loving wire wrap, then lost interest in that and learnt metal stamping then decided I love beads and colour so went for the bright, brash look, got very excited that I could make my own beads so bought polymer clay and all the stuff to make that then realised I hated the thought of polymer clay beads, looked briefly at hand cut shapes and etching but found it lacked much joy, briefly looked at 'real' jewellery as in silver smithing but didn't think I wanted to take it to that level and wasn't it a bit boring? Now I'm back big time on the wire wrap, have totally gone off bright, coloured beads, have just fallen in love with chain maille (though previously I found it repugnant) and now have suddenly found myself drawn to totally minimalist, barely there jewellery and thinking I would love to go down the silver smith route after all!!!

    Is this typical? How did you find your style - easily or like me, trial and error. Will it be a never ending story of change or is there a 'right' style for each person at the end of it?

    Or is it just a case of being disciplined and choosing and sticking to it and perfecting?

  2. #2
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    I started off with beads and wire whilst recuperating from a broken toe, and being unable to load my clay pots in/out of the kiln, and wanted to do something to keep busy.

    Beads, chain maille, and wire were great (I still on occasion add wired elements to some things for a splash of colour when a set stone won't work or some other reason I might decide at the time? Lol)

    I moved onto gold smithing after about a year of that. I have experimented with etching, enamels and form folding, but found my interests lie in what I seem to now create. I love engraving, stone setting, soldering, piercing, filing and getting that hammer out! I love playing with shiny and matt textures, and even good old LoS.

    having now been doing this for 12 years, with a few micro tutoring sessions when the bank balance allows it, there is definitely a difference to what I make. Having left with redundancy from my full time employment two years ago, the direction seemed to become clearer.

    I think you find your way and when you don't enjoy something, you steer yourself in another direction.

    I have many, many books... Really must try and sell some of them!
    Last edited by Wallace; 15-07-2015 at 02:47 PM. Reason: sorting out the ipad's over enthusiatic auto correct.

  3. #3
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    Jun 2014
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    Wallace, did you attend class for goldsmith or teach yourself?

  4. #4
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    I learned from reading books, asking questions on forums, practice, trial and error. Videos were not about in my early days, so there were lots of mistakes to learn from.

    I have had some instruction on stone setting with gravers: pave, channel, gypsy and grain, with Tony Tigg. I have done a couple of learning sessions on claw and square too. Recently I did a two day short course on engraving and last year explored my inner need for making things that move in metal.

    otherwise that is it and twelve years of a learning curve.

  5. #5
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    It is quite normal to be taken with an aspect of jewellery making and then move on. What is important is to see lots of cutting edge work, both on line and at jewellery shows, not to copy it, but be inspired by what is possible and see current trends.

    I would especially recommend the graduate shows of different colleges. New Designers in Islington London for instance takes place around May or June each year and many colleges exhibit there.

    If you are selling, then there will be financial constraints on the materials used and the time spent on each piece, but even simple designs don't have to be boring.

    Dennis.

  6. #6
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    I guess it is not dis-similar to any learning curve. You try many things, find what you like, what works and go from there. Sometimes exploring can be fun, other times it is very frustrating.

    I don't find any of the new cutting edge work to be honest. Especially the 3-d printed stuff. It is very technical and skilled to be able to make the programme make something you see in your head - but not for me.


    I like to look back at the Art Deco stuff, as that is my drool zone of inspiration. But it is all around us in many ways.

    Simple, like Dennis states doesn't have to be boring, and to add to that, isn't always a bad thing.

  7. #7
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    Jun 2015
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    I think it depends on your character, what motivates you, and what you need to achieve or earn from your activities. I'd say be true to yourself, whether that means specialising or endlessly diversifying. My partner jokes that I stick with something just long enough to master it, then move on to new projects before consolidating and capitalising on the last. She's more of a specialiser, making glass beads and marketing them successfully, while I love process more than product - learning, experimenting, playing, almost perfecting, then flitting off in whatever direction takes my fancy... The only constraint I have is that she tells me how much money I must put into the joint account each month and I make sure I work/sell accordingly.

    It also depends on your circumstances, of course, and the choices you make, not only about what you like to do but how you want to live. We are fortunate to need very little money - no kids, no mortgage, no addiction to expensive drugs, holidays, cars or clothes. We are free most days to do whatever we feel like and that's more important to us than money or status. Today, for example, we both "worked" for a couple of hours in the morning, then, because we felt like it, we borrowed three dogs who live nearby and took a picnic lunch down to one of our favourite beaches - swimming, throwing balls for dogs, basking in the sun, beachcombing. When I think of friends and family with their high-salary-high-stress jobs, big houses, flashy cars, designer handbags, private school fees, etc, I wouldn't change places with any of them. But then, although they might sometimes express envy, they probably wouldn't want to swap with me either...

  8. #8
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    Jun 2014
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    Hi Ajda, I think I am like you! I like to look at something that impresses me to think 'How have they done that? I couldn't do that...or could I?' Then I find out about it and, if I can, give it a go. It then seems like once I satisfy myself I can do it and, if I dedicated enough time and effort, could do it really well, it seems to lose the shine a bit and then something else will catch my eye and it all starts again!!lol!! Yes I love learning things and achieving things I didn't think I could. When I've learnt it I then start to think 'anyone could do this really, is there any point?' :-)

  9. #9
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    Mar 2011
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    Brighton, United Kingdom
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    Quote Originally Posted by ajda View Post
    It also depends on your circumstances, of course, and the choices you make, not only about what you like to do but how you want to live. We are fortunate to need very little money - no kids, no mortgage, no addiction to expensive drugs, holidays, cars or clothes. We are free most days to do whatever we feel like and that's more important to us than money or status. Today, for example, we both "worked" for a couple of hours in the morning, then, because we felt like it, we borrowed three dogs who live nearby and took a picnic lunch down to one of our favourite beaches - swimming, throwing balls for dogs, basking in the sun, beachcombing. When I think of friends and family with their high-salary-high-stress jobs, big houses, flashy cars, designer handbags, private school fees, etc, I wouldn't change places with any of them. But then, although they might sometimes express envy, they probably wouldn't want to swap with me either...
    I am jealous! It sounds wonderful.

  10. #10
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    Apr 2015
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    I think I found my style quite quickly and easily.

    Like many, I started off beading years ago which really wasn't me. Then I decided to teach myself smithing a little over a year ago.

    I started designing,in my sketch book,wanting to leap right in as I find I learn and work better that way. Anyway,I started looking at the work of others and trying to be similar to be 'popular', planning to use lots of coloured stones because I love colour and contrast,wanting to create more 3 dimensional pieces because they are so widely bought etc. BUT I found my own style was developing very quickly and was different to my plans. I think it is due to my enjoyment of piercing, my liking for simplicity,clean lines and contrast.

    So my style very quickly became pierced shapes but with detailing added through layering it on (I sweat solder on nearly everything I make), building up a design rather than etching or making 3D shapes. I build silver on silver,gold on silver and add a stone sometimes to finish it off. I tend to have both satin and mirror shine finish together on most pieces -sometimes the 'background' will be satin and the built up details will be mirror and vice versa. I'll also partially solder simple shapes over each other,just slightly overlapping, and have one part satin and one part silver.

    Recently I've made a butterfly wing pendant,earrings,ring and bangle. I wanted detail of the wing but not the way others do it -most etc,engrave,pierce the detail out or cast. I pierced the basic shape of two wings -front wing and smaller back wing. The back wing has the detailing pierced and sits partially under the front wing. The front wing has the wing edge separately pierced and soldered on top of the edge on the original shape,with gold wire inlaid dots going up it and a tube set amethyst on the tip. The rest of the front wing has the wing 'detail' in 9ct gold sheet soldered on,after piercing the tiny things. It also has a combination of satin and mirror finish. It looks simple and modern yet detailed,so I get the detail without it looking typical and all flourished, it's still very much a 'simple' piece to look at.

    I quite enjoy my style and think it will continue, even though it was possibly born out of lack of skill to create more 3D or typically detailed pieces. I love it, it works for me and does as I want it too. There are some pieces a little different, but they all involve the layering of separately created metal 'details',the different finishes combined etc.
    Last edited by silverlining; 15-07-2015 at 04:17 PM.

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