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Mokume with the Masters at Rio Grande

2/26/2015

I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoyed attending the workshop "Mokume Gane with the Masters" at Rio Grande in Albuquerque, with James Binnion and Chris Ploof. (Held February 8-13, 2015.) Turns out the big names of mokume are down-to-earth cool guys who just want to share their knowledge and experience with fellow mokume gane enthusiasts. I was one of 12 students eager to delve deep into the geeky world of mokume - science and numbers blending perfectly with big dangerous tools and hot metal.
I also enjoyed getting to see the insides of Rio Grande (where I purchase supplies, tools and metal) and learning what an impressively run company it is. The employees were helpful and welcoming, and we got to test out oodles of cool tools and equipment. It is clearly a fabulous place to work. Our tour of the facility deserves its own blog post - look for it here soon.
This workshop got me fired up (so to speak) about fusing my own mokume again. They demonstrated practical techniques to make the fusing manageable, repeatable and cost-effective. It will take a little time to get all tooled up and kitted out to do it, but now I'm confident of the steps, and am thankful I won't need a power hammer!

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Patterning Mokume Gane in Oklahoma!

2/25/2015

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Next month I'll be taking my hammers and files on the road and heading to the University of Central Oklahoma. Professor and Assistant Dean Charleen Weidell has invited me to share my love of mokume gane with her jewelry and metalworking students. We'll spend three days exploring the world of mokume gane - history, current trends, and practical demos of stamp and twist patterning. Students will receive their own blank mokume to try their hand at patterning too. As part of the workshop I'll be giving a public lecture on my work and how I transitioned from art student to successful small business owner.
If you are nearby Edmond, Oklahoma on March 12-14, 2015 stop by and say hello!

3/25/15 update - the workshop was a blast! The studio at OCU is fabulous, with an impressive tool collection and dedicated students and faculty. Even the lecture was well-attended and received ~ phew. Might have a video of that in the future, but in the meantime here's some images of the workshop itself:

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Studio redesign almost done

2/4/2015

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After about 5 months of planning, measuring, hefting boxes, organizing tools and purchasing equipment, I'm happily settling into my newly re-designed studio space here at Anneville. I had four furniture pieces custom-built for the space by Craig Thibodeau ~ a local and incredibly talented woodworker. He created a spacious desk, a 3-seat student workbench/table, a room divider and an 8-foot cabinet with countertop. I told him not to make them too nice, that I was just going to hammer and file on them, but still they are all fabulous and are definitely the nicest furniture I've ever owned! To that I added the two heaviest tools I'll probably ever buy - Durston shears and stacked mill. It was quite an adventure getting them delivered, up to the studio and up onto the counters! I'm enjoying the convenience of cutting metal to size whenever I want, and the mill is already making my ring production faster and more efficient. I'm hoping my future students will enjoy using the spacious, sturdy countertops and new tools just as much as I am.

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From the Bench Blog

Mokume with the Masters at Rio Grande

Patterning Mokume Gane in Oklahoma!

Studio redesign almost done

Anne Wolf

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