Amir Friedman Dalmatian Collection

Ok so I have been posting several videos in a row, but sometimes that just happens when you keep finding great vids!

I'm really excited to share Amir Friedman's video for his Dalmatian Collection.  It's pretty awesome, right? He looks like he could seriously f'up someone in the video while he's hammering on the anvil.

Amir Friedman ID 2013 from Snow R. Shai on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoyed it!

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Penland post part III

Now that it's September, almost fall, my time at Penland feels like it was ages ago! I've been a bit delayed with my posts for my time at Penland, especially because SO much happened during that time and I took quite a few photos.

So here his a bit of a bump in the timeline of the posts (I have more studio visits but have to prepare the names etc.).

this post concerns the last days at Penland with the auction and special gift our class gave to our instructor Amir Friedman.  Amir is a really good teacher, he pushes you mentally and physically to give more than 110 percent!   With that being said, so did the students, pushing each other to work harder!  Barbara McFayden (a very skilled and veteran metalsmith) brought up an idea to make Amir a badge of honor, we all loved the idea immediately.  This would be a collaborative piece, each of us working on a component of the badge.

I don't think we knew what we were getting into, but in the end the piece was SO special and fun to make.  When we presented Amir's badge, he was speechless - which is very, very rare! 

Amir's badge of honor (copper, silver, brass and tin) 2013.  

Amir being his goofy self wearing his new badge proudly.  

Collaborative necklace components.

And yes, we even did a collaborative necklace.  An idea that came about discussing the classes and similarities with Rebecca Frank, the instructor for the steel/wearable sculpture course.  

Final collaborative necklace completed.  Each student made about 3 inches of the necklace. 

A donation item for the Penland auction.

Samples of steel work from Rebecca Frank's class. 

Samples of work from Amir's class.  

Laurel Fulton's rabbit neckpiece. LOVE

Rachel Mauser's cicada and paper brooch.  She worked so hard on these.  

Very cool chair. 

Glass neckpieces. 

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In the studio with blacksmith Zack Noble

Continuing on with my Penland studio visit posts, after meeting with Hoss Haley we mosied on over to Zack Noble's studio.  

Zack is a warm and welcoming artist, and his shop is just the same with an extensive amount of tools and space.  Similar to Hoss Haley, Zack also worked and taught at Penland and does commission based work.  

It seems that within the blacksmithing world as in the jewelry world, you can do commissions which aren't always what the artist would like or run your own body of work but bust your ass trying to sell it!

Zack shared with us some tricks of the trade, how he acquired some of his machinery and his future projects.  It was a real treat!  Zack's shop is located in the River Arts District of Asheville, a little farther from downtown but in a great location.  

Amir and Zack sharing stories.  Shana on the right. 

A large expansive studio, so jealous!

One of Zacks assistant.  I forget his name, but he's an amazing artist!

Loved these candle holders!

Imagine these pieces first as a long thick piece of iron and then forged in opposing directions. 

Gorgeous!

All the work in the photos above are in Zack's gallery in front of the studio. 

Thanks for reading!

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Studio visit with Hoss Haley

My Penland adventure continues with the studio visit of Hoss Haley, sculptor and overall badass guy.  Hoss was very gracious and informative of his experience working with basic tools and his ingenious engineering skills.

Hoss told of us his childhood growing up in Kansas, being around farm tools and machinery that provided him with the understanding and basics of making his own tools.  Hoss began as a blacksmith but over time realized the toll it would take on his body so he moved towards larger scale sculpture, utilizing scrapyard material to form his pieces.  Hoss is often commissioned to create city sculptures and installations.  

All of the students in the session 5 Kinetic Adornments course were in awe of Hoss and his studio.  His tool collection is impressive, as are his model pieces. 

Below are the photos I snapped of his studio and office.  Hope you enjoy them!

Hoss showing us some car parts he plans on forming into pieces.

This machine was like a giant dapping tool.  Loud but awesome!

A piece still in the early phases.

like water rippling from the center.

Neela (an architect) was enraptured by Hoss's samples

I really loved this white steel anvil.

Perfect place to hang your studio glasses.

A giant c clamp.

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Studio visit with Joanna Gollberg

Two days ago, our Kinetic Adornments class took a field trip into Asheville to visit several artists' studios and also check out galleries. 

We were so lucky to have Shana Loconsole in our class; she knows and works for several artists in Asheville and she was able to use her connections to get us a special tour of these artists.  I'll be posting photos of the visits over the next several days.  

Our first stop was Mora Jewelry, and Joanna Gollberg's amazing studio.  Joanna was so gracious, knowledgeable and forthcoming with her struggles and success' as a jeweler and co-gallery owner with Marthe Le Van (Mora Collection Jewelry).  Joanna has such a great studio space and methods for working with a wide variety of stones. 

Below are photos I snapped, hope you enjoy!

Bench of Jeff, who co-rents the studio with Joanna.

Shana and her brother looking over Joanna's bench, as well as Shana's bench.

An ingenious system for drawing down wire!

Joanna being her funny, smart and generous with her time! 

SO envious of her stone collection, was like being in a candy store!!

laid out pieces and jewelry ready for stones to be set.

Our class (minus 3 students).  We've become a little family over the past two weeks.

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I'm at Penland!

So here it is another beautiful and glorious summer at Penland.  We're only four days in and I'm just loving it!  I'm learning alot and having fun at the same time.  I'm assisting my good friend Amir Friedman.  He is teaching a kinetics adornment class which covers so much yet it's essential to learn in jewelry and metalsmithing.

this will be brief as I'm also working on several projects and commissions all at once! Below are 'sketches' in wire of springs and forming them in endless ways.

I'll continue to post more over the several days and weeks so stay tuned and thanks for visiting!

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Kinetic Adornment course at Penland

I'm so thrilled to announce that I will be returning once again to the land of Penland this summer, not as a student, but as a teaching assistant for my very talented friend, Amir Friedman! 

You will recognize Amir's name from the post I did last year on the course we took with Jana Brevick.  Amir and I really bonded over our love of casting and just being plain silly and having fun in the amazing metals studio at Penland. 

Casting with Amir. 

Amir will be teaching Kinetic Adornments, which really delves into movement in jewelry and how it responds to the body.  Although kinetics aren't my specialty, I'm really looking forward to learning from Amir and the students.  Returning to Penland is always wonderful; it truly is an escape from society and into a world of craft, making, jewelry and sharing the love of art.
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I'll show you mine, if you show me yours

Show n' tell at Penland is alot of fun, it's a very informal exhibition where we get to see what everyone has made over the session. I especially enjoy it because everyone is giddy and excited to talk about the process and geek out over handmade objects.

It's also great because you can buy your friends work and get very beautifully handcrafted pieces for a great price! 

Here are some photos I snapped:

Lillia Hernandez's "Baby Muerte" eye glasses. 

A gut purse!

Fabric sculptures

Letter press and Printmaking. 

Amir talking about his process. 

Very beautiful handmade books.  I LOVED them.

My dear friend Carrrrol talking about her many jewelry pieces.

Folded paper, these were so intricate and a wonder to absorb.

I really loved this book.

Gut sculpture.

Wonderfully abstract paintings. (Ignore that orange cord!)

Iron sandwiches!

Textile samples from Natalie Chanin's class.

Portraiture on clay.  These were wonderful.

My friend Mariah's hand and moth.  She was collecting tons of moths!

This is really adorable, a pop up and cut out Penland postcard.

Funny glass pieces by 'Big' John

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