Introduction to Fine Silver Metal Clay

Learn the basics of working with fine silver metal clay to unlock your jewelry ideas.

Member

$239.00 (any noted materials fee included)

Guest

$276.00 (any noted materials fee included)

Tuition Assistance and Other Policies

Meeting Times

Thur, 8/15/2024 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Thur, 8/15/2024

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About

Start or continue your exploration of jewelry making by using fine silver metal clay, which you can texture, sculpt, and form like any modeling clay. Learn how to fire the clay using a kiln or hand-held torch.

You’ll also learn finishing techniques using a tumbler, a brass brush, and burnishers. You’ll have a chance to enhance your pieces in the a variety of ways, such as coloring with enamel; gilding with Keum Boo (gold leaf, an ancient technique also known as Geumbu); creating a patina with liver of sulfur; and setting heat-resistant stones, which can be fired in place.

Project

You will have enough material to complete several small pendants or earrings.

Materials

A materials fee of $115, included in the price of the class, covers everything you will need.

Class Policies

Ages 14 and up are welcome.
Wear closed-toed shoes and natural-fiber clothing (cotton, linen, or wool). Do not wear synthetics such as polyester.
Tie back or clip long hair.
Do not wear any dangling jewelry, including necklaces and bracelets.
Do not wear loose clothing that can get caught in tools or equipment.

BARN Policies

View BARN's Cancellation and Refund Policy.
Tuition Assistance is available. Fill out the application before registering.
BARN is committed to accessibility. We try to make accommodations when requested; the earlier you contact us, the more likely we can help. Please email accessibility@bainbridgebarn.org to find out more or request an accommodation.
Sensory Statement: Makerspaces like BARN can be noisy and cluttered, smell strongly, and have bright or flickering lights.

Instructors or Guides

Virginia Causey

While teaching has been Virginia's foremost focus for decades, she also finds creating and exhibiting her work locally, nationally, and internationally have been key aspects to her life. Her work starts with detailed record-keeping in sketchbooks on how she views the natural world. Vague sketches develop into line drawings with hints of color. She then continues to draw and write technical and mechanical outlines on how to create the pieces step by step. She began this detailed process when she lost the ability to create three-dimensional rotating and colored images in her mind, which she had believed would be a constant throughout life. "Surprise! I can't quite accomplish it any longer so my pencil became my new best friend," Virginia said. She enjoys pushing herself to an artistic edge to create new and exciting work to be shared with students. Most of her work evolves through a process of trial and error and involves many fabricating skills. She is foremost a teacher, silversmith, and fabricating jeweler who uses non-ferrous metals and stones and who is committed to passing her skills and abilities on to her students.