Sometimes you're unsure about where you're going and what you're doing. I often ask myself "what am I DOING?"
That is how I feel now that I've flown the coop of my former career (whatever that is) and begun to set foot on a new path. The best indicator of whether I'm headed in the right direction is personal satisfaction. Right now I feel fulfilled by what I am doing. Not in the my-life-is-champagne-and-roses sense, but more in the I-don't-dread-each-day-I-go-to-work sense.
As this blog is equally an exploration of this reacquaintance with the unknown as it is about metalsmithing, I am compelled to report on behalf of both!
Now, for the metalsmithing part. Here is where last week's pin follies ended. It was polished up and set. John Fritze, Jr., my teacher and employer set the stone.
That is how I feel now that I've flown the coop of my former career (whatever that is) and begun to set foot on a new path. The best indicator of whether I'm headed in the right direction is personal satisfaction. Right now I feel fulfilled by what I am doing. Not in the my-life-is-champagne-and-roses sense, but more in the I-don't-dread-each-day-I-go-to-work sense.
As this blog is equally an exploration of this reacquaintance with the unknown as it is about metalsmithing, I am compelled to report on behalf of both!
Now, for the metalsmithing part. Here is where last week's pin follies ended. It was polished up and set. John Fritze, Jr., my teacher and employer set the stone.
This week, it was on to a new project. A ring. Sweet! I've always wanted to know how to create rings. The best part about all of these projects is that if you are using a stone at all, it is essential to choose it first. It really impacts the design of the piece altogether. This works out great because it is the jeweler's version of having dessert first, I think.
For the ring, a synthetic Star Ruby was chosen. It is fuscia in color and approximately the size of a chocolate chip (speaking of desserts). The ring was sketched out to get an idea of what I would be aiming for. Here is the sketch:
For the ring, a synthetic Star Ruby was chosen. It is fuscia in color and approximately the size of a chocolate chip (speaking of desserts). The ring was sketched out to get an idea of what I would be aiming for. Here is the sketch:
Next, it was time to roll our the silver wire to about 1.25mm in width and then form the double rings that make up the ring's shank (below). The wire was wrapped about the ring mandrel to form the circles.
And things got much worse before they got better! I had soldered many of the pieces together needed for the primary structure of the ring. In the picture below, you can see that the shank pieces are soldered together with the bottom bezel. The prongs have been straightened to become ready for setting.
When I presented the ring to John, he exclaimed: "you've got enough solder on here to sink a battleship!" It needed to be cleaned up significantly. So that is where this piece is right now. I'll report back on the the next phase of the battleship ring in the coming week!
When I presented the ring to John, he exclaimed: "you've got enough solder on here to sink a battleship!" It needed to be cleaned up significantly. So that is where this piece is right now. I'll report back on the the next phase of the battleship ring in the coming week!