Our first MAAAA was great fun with about 30 participants sharing an hour of jewelry metal arts tips, samples, updates, resources and community. In this episode: Tip Test: a clever technique for cutting tubing using a flexshaft. Handy for making spikes too! Work that Wowed Us: two ingenious pendants with chisel texturing, precision filed edges and flush-set stones made under home quarantine (without a torch!) by Janet Ross (Houston, Tx). What's on Anne's Bench: Anne shows off the gorgeous Monterrey Cypress wood box custom made by Earl Bushy to house her newest mokume gane vessel. What's on Your Bench?: Student Joanne Hein shows off some of her home quarantine mokume gane pendants and earrings while Kathe Dunn shares her 2020 MASSC Challenge entry, a large copper pendant with set stones. Ask Anne: Anne Wolf and Deb Jemmot weigh in on a great question from Monica Cardone about using the "Sharpie Technique" for determining if a piece is annealed. Extra Segment: We also gratefully acknowledge the mask sewing work of several of our participants. If you missed it live you can still catch up by watching it below or by heading over to our YouTube channel where you can give us a Like and subscribe to catch future episodes!

While spacesuits might not be too practical to implement, please know that we are brainstorming like mad to come up with ways to move forward. There is a lot of talk about acceptable levels of risk out there. Well, the "acceptable" number of students getting COVID in our space is zero, so we will not be opening the Lab if there is a risk to the people involved. Seeing Jean's and Karen's smiling faces makes me realize even more how much I miss all of you. That is one reason why we are starting MAAA (Metal Arts Adventures with Anne) on Thursday nights. We want to get back to the great community of the Lab - right now that needs to happen online, because we care about you. We also have more online classes in the works, and I look forward to talking with all of you on Thursday nights about what you might like to see added to the schedule.  - Anne

We are very excited to announce a new, free weekly online gathering starting Thursday, May 28th. Join us online via Zoom from 6-7pm (PDT - Pacific Daylight Time) for Metal Arts Adventures with Anne (MAAA), a metal arts presentation hosted by Anne Wolf followed by an open discussion Q&A. In this fun, online, interactive gathering our goal is to offer demos, share tips & tricks, feature work by artists and students from around the world, go on virtual studio tours, discuss historical metal arts traditions, and cover good tips/bad tips. Think of it as a hassle-free metal arts happy hour. Join us by simply visiting our home page starting at 5:45pm on Thursday 5/28. We'll have the link and password ready for you - just byob! ~ Ame

We are thrilled to announce that in just two days, Bette Barnett's Keum Boo Who Knew online class sold out and had a waiting list! Wow, thank you so much to all of our students - your excitement and energy are so encouraging to us - especially right now in this crazy COVID time. To accommodate that waiting list we are very happy to be adding a second class on June 15, 17 and 19th - registration is now open! And in an effort to always look for the silver lining in things...our live, instructor-led online classes require no mask! Hallelujah. Bette is one of our visiting artists and our resident steel & gold guru, learn more about her on our Instructors page.

I've had a lot of time to notice the objects in my home bookcase lately. The other day this mirror caught my eye. I made it in 1991 - it was the first time I ever touched a sawframe. I loved metals instantly, and was so lucky to be taught by master metalsmith Helen Shirk.
Looking back on this project now, I see how clever she was to design a project that had huge artistic potential. Students were prompted to design a  mirror that reflected them - either current pursuits/personality, or future hopes/dreams goals. When I was 21, travel was always on my mind. I wanted to see those trees, you know like in the Serengeti. The copper was perfect to represent an old-timey leather suitcase. Still have never seen one of those trees in real life. It is a goal that feels farther away than ever these days, but that's no reason to stop dreaming.