For the Fall-Winter sessions 2011-12, we have a mix of advanced workshops for those of you who have been asking, along with the introductory courses in Basic Blacksmithing and Copper Fold Forming. If there is a class you would like to see posted, you can leave a comment on our Center for Metal Arts Facebook page, or hit reply and tell us what classes you would like to see.
Fall-Winter sessions 2011-12
Saturday October 15: Basics of Blacksmithing. Your own anvil work station and tooling, including an authentic Hofi cast hammer. Center for Metal Arts blacksmith Jon Ledford will guide you through the basic skills of working hot iron at the forge, with time for you to try your hand with each technique. If you have never held a hammer before—or if you just want more practice on the anvil, this is a great class for you. You will leave with your practice pieces to show for a day at the forge. 10 AM to 4 PM. $120 includes all materials.
Saturday November 12: Copper Fold Forming with Darren Fisher. Just in time to make something fun for the holidays with fine arts metalsmith Darren Fisher. Fold forming is a mash-up of origami and forging—the way you fold, and the way you hammer, and the way you open the folded piece determines what you get. Learn some of the basic folds, and take your pieces home. 10 AM to 4 PM. $120 includes all materials.
Saturday December 10: Fundamentals of Forging with Vivian Beer. Vivian is back for a day at the forge! Spend a day with this engaging instructor—Vivian has much more to teach than you could get in a full semester with her, so claim an anvil station for yourself and grab a full day’s worth of instruction! Expect lots of good technical knowledge, and plenty of hands-on time at your own anvil, in a fully-tooled classroom studio. We supply the forge, your own anvil work station, tooling, an authentic Hofi hammer, and plenty of stock to forge. You bring the intention to have a lot of fun at the anvil. 10 AM to 4 PM. $120 includes all materials.
Saturday February 25: Forging the Nonferrous Metals with Darren Fisher. (Snow date 3/4) In this class you will learn techniques for forging silicon bronze, brass, copper, and aluminum. Students who are interested in forging sterling silver are welcome to bring their own supplies for some specific instruction on working this material. Working processes such as annealing, work hardening, and tool prep are covered and treated as the basics. This class will center on jewelry scale forging, but can also touch on smaller architectural pieces like knobs and handles. Darren will demonstrate several simple classical forms for the students to work on, in order for them to get a feel of how the metal moves, and also walk away with several pieces that can be easily turned into finished jewelry. Techniques will center on using only a few simple hammers and one forming stake, so this class is useful for students with limited studios
Saturday March 17: Patinas for the Small Studio with Darren Fisher. (Snow date 3/31) This class will focus on the patination of copper based alloys. Copper brass and bronze are the most responsive metals and achieve extreme variations in texture and color. Most of the patinas will utilize color via chemical reaction rather than paints and stains. There will also be some demonstrations of texture to help develop patinas further. If time permits, we can also dive into some simple patinas in silver and steel. Safety (respirators, if necessary) and proper chemical handling will be discussed. We will focus on easily obtainable solutions.
More classes are in the works, including the annual return of Fred Crist and of course Charles Lewton-Brain.
Call (845) 651-7550 or email register@centerformetalarts.com to register, and we will soon have the classes posted for online registration on the Upcoming Seminars page.
Rhoda and Ed Mack
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