Six Forms of Foldforming Possibilities

June 16-17:  Copper Foldforming with Darren Fisher

Learn the basic folds of this fascinating technique for working dimensional forms in sheet. Forms that appear chased or repoussed can be folded in as little as 3-5 minutes. Take a look at the active Foldforming community that  Sue Lacey admins  on Facebook to see what can be done with this organic forming technique. The inventor of foldforming, Charles Lewton-Brain, was recently awarded the coveted Canadian Governor General’s Award for his work, and metalsmiths worldwide continue to explore creative possibilities.

Full Foldform Weekend: $225 (includes materials)

Saturday 6/16: Introduction to forms with benchtime: $120 (includes

materials)

Sunday 6/17: Open Studio time with Foldforming, under Darren’s instruction: $120 (includes materials)

Darren Fisher's Necklace Clasp

June 23-24: Forging the Nonferrous Metals with Darren Fisher

Learn techniques for forging silicon bronze, brass, copper, and aluminum. Working processes such as annealing, work hardening, and tool prep are covered and treated as the basics. Students who are interested in forging sterling silver are welcome to bring your own supplies for some specific instruction on working this material. 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 you to work on, to get a feel for how the metal moves. You will 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 the student with a limited studio space.

Full Non-ferrous Forging Weekend: $275 (includes materials)

Saturday 6/23: Introduction to Non-ferrous Forging with benchtime: $145 (includes materials)

Sunday 6/24: Open Studio time under Darren’s instruction $145 (includes materials)

Patinas, at the end of the class day

June 30-July 1: Patinas for the Small Studio with Darren Fisher:

This class focuses on the patination of copper based alloys, since 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 and proper chemical handling will be discussed. We will focus on easily obtainable solutions for the small studio.

Full Patinas Weekend: $275 (includes materials)

Saturday 6/30: Introduction to Patinas with benchtime $145 (includes materials)

Sunday 7/1: Open Studio time on Patinas, under Darren’s instruction $145 (includes materials)

For a full June semester on the Nonferrous arts, take all three weekends. Ask about our work trade options if you are a handy or hardworking person and you are not sure how you will swing the classes.

A stack of formed sheet projects, with ideas for the next steps

Favorite part of the class:  a gleam in the eye of a student who suddenly sees a new direction or application from a technique just learned.

Favorite part of the class 2: an intent face and focused hammer hand over the anvil.

Favorite part of the class 3: impromptu discussions and feedback about how to further develop a work in progress.

Favorite part of the class 4: the stack of finished projects in a student’s hands, and the excitement of hearing the next steps, finishing touches, and new ideas sparked by the weekend.

Favorite part of the class 5: workshop attendees who feel enough at home to help put the studio back in pristine order after the workshop ends.

This winter, Vivian Beer is offering two full weekend seminars on Sheet Forming topics. Hot Sheet Forming I (weekend of January 14-15)  will cover the processes of rolling, curving, sinking and raising in sheet steel.

The tooling pieces that appear on anvils and leg vises for the Hot Sheet Forming workshop are beautiful in themselves as a collection of forms and negative space, ready to fold and curve and bend the hot iron. From improv sinking tools to a concave tree stump and swage blocks, the tooling is a playground for hot sheet forming.

Vivian Beer put together this class when she wouldn’t find anything like it offered, and she taught herself the techniques behind her flying, ribboned, curvy art furniture works. $395, including materials.

Register with $180 deposit.  Balance due first day of class.

Creative Sheet Forming II (February 11-12) learn to form and fabricate steel sheet in order to make hollow expressive forms.   In this class we will form and fabricate steel sheet in order to make hollow expressive forms. Topics of pattern making, basic hot and cold forming, tool selection, welding, and finishing with various abrasives will be introduced. We cut, form, weld and grind our way from flat sheet material to expressive three dimensional form. (Intermediate to Advanced) $395 includes materials. Register with $180 deposit.  Balance due first day of class.

Early Registration Discount: Register by midnight January 1  for $375.  Materials included.

Full Session Discount: Register for both class by midnight January 1 for $360 for each session, materials included.  Deposit of $360.

How To Register: Register by email to register@centerformetalarts.com, or call 845- 651-7550 and leave your full name, contact email and phone number.  Deposit for Early Discount postmarked by January 2 to Center for Metal Arts, PO Box 30, Chester NY 10918.  Or call in a deposit via credit card by January 2, as we will be out of the office from January 3.

Swage block with circle and egg forms

Reverse mushroom sinking tool

Darren Fisher, Silversmith, Furniture Maker, Sculpto

Darren Fisher is a silversmith, furniture maker, and sculptor residing in Montclair, NJ. He received his BA in Environmental Geography with a Minor in Fine Arts, concentration in Fine Art Metals and Sculpture from Millersville University, Lancaster, PA.  He was named Resident Artist at Arrowmont School of Art and Craft in Gatlinburg, TN, where he spent a year working in his studio developing a body of work and teaching in the community. After the residency, he worked for Fine Architectural Metalsmiths as their Sculptor/Moldmaker and the assistant to the blacksmith. In the past, Darren has taught the Forging Non-Ferrous Metals workshop at Peter’s Valley Craft Education Center in Layton, NJ. He currently supervises the Jewelry and Sculpture Studios at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, NJ.

Darren Fisher’s current work is investigating sculptural furniture combining the skills learned through an apprenticeship with Hungarian Cabinetmakers and his forging of intricate parts in silversmithing. His work is shown around the country and is a part of several private collections.

Workshops with Darren Fisher at the Center for Metal Arts, 2011-2012

Copper Fold Forming, Saturday November 12.

Forging the Nonferrous Metals, Saturday February 25

Patinas for the Small Studio, Saturday March 17

Moldmaking and Sculpting, April 14-15

Easy online registration on the Upcoming Seminars page

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. 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. (Snow date December 17) 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.

Weekend January 14-15: Hot Sheet Forming Seminar I with Vivian Beer (Snow date January 21-22)  The tooling that appears on anvils and leg vises for the Hot Sheet Forming workshop are beautiful in themselves–a collection of forms and negative space ready to fold and curve and bend the hot iron. From improv sinking tools to a concave tree stump and swage blocks, the tooling is a playground for hot sheet forming. Vivian Beer put together this class when she wouldn’t find anything like it offered, and she taught herself the techniques behind her flying, ribboned, curvy art furniture works. $360 + 35 materials. Register with $180 deposit, sent to Center for Metal Arts PO Box 30, Chester NY 10918, or call 845 651 7550.

Saturday January 28: Forging the Iron with Vivian Beer (Snow date February 4)
Learn the basics of working hot iron at your own well-tooled anvil. For beginner blacksmiths, or for someone who would like more time at the anvil to perfect the basic techniques. We supply the forge and fuel, individual fully equipped workstation, instruction, and iron to forge and take home. $120 includes materials. Register with $60 deposit, with the balance due day of the workshop.

Weekend February 11-12: Creative Hot Sheet Forming Session II with Vivian Beer

In this full weekend workshop, Vivian Beer will explore surface manipulation and pushing the dimensional form with hot sheet work. We will form and fabricate steel sheet in order to make hollow expressive forms. Topics of pattern making, basic hot and cold forming, tool selection, welding, and finishing with various abrasives will be introduced. We cut, form, weld and grind our way from flat sheet material to expressive three dimensional form, with applications from sculpting and art furniture to maestro auto bodywork. (Intermediate to Advanced)
$360 + $35 material. Register with $180 deposit, balance due first day of workshop.

Saturday February 25: Forging the Nonferrous Metals with Darren Fisher. (Snow date 3/3) In this class you will learn techniques for forging silicon bronze, brass, copper, and aluminum. Working processes such as annealing, work hardening, and tool prep are covered and treated as the basics. Students who are interested in forging sterling silver are welcome to bring your own supplies for some specific instruction on working this material. 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 you to work on, to get a feel of how the metal moves. You will 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 the student with a limited studio space. $120 + materials.

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 for the small studio. $120 + materials.

Weekend April 14-15: Moldmaking and Sculpting with Darren Fisher Two-day concentration with accomplished moldmaker Darren Fisher. More details will follow here, and on the Center for Metal Arts facebook page. To put yourself on the class list, email register@centerformetalarts.com or call 845 651 7550.

Basics of Blacksmithing Saturday April 21: 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.

More classes are in the works, including the annual return of  Charles Lewton-Brain.

Call (845) 651-7550 or email register@centerformetalarts.com to register.  We will soon have the classes posted for online registration on the Upcoming Seminars page.

The Two-day demo saw an intent cluster of participants watching and documenting as Charles Lewton-Brain shwwed process after process.

Participants in the 4th Annual Conference with Charles Lewton-Brain got what they came for–

If you were looking for a real-time demo of a specific process, with the ability to ask questions and comment, here it was, for 2 packed days in Session I.

Charles Lewton-Brain answers questions from participants.

If you were looking for face-time to ask a question about your own work practices, resources, or marketing, here was close-up time to open that discussion.

If you were looking to inspect the sample pieces that you had just seen come alive under Charles’ fingers, there was a whole table full of samples to touch and turn over in your hands.

If you wanted to browse the Charles Lewton-Brain bookstore, the books and DVD’s were out for perusing.

If you were looking for some time at the anvil to wrestle with a new technique, with the chance for feedback, here it was, all day Saturday and Sunday.

Participant at the anvil, session II

A bonus to the Session II participants was that, as long as there was a small group ready to watch, Charles kept the big screen filled with an endless supply of topics and  information from his Mac laptop, Q&A, and a steady run of tips and techniques. “That one tip paid for my whole seminar,” one attendee said.

The downstairs took on the air of a good dinner party, with enthusiastic voices, energetic activity, and conversation among new friends.

And then there was the impromptu dinner party itself, which materialized Saturday night at El Azteca. Perhaps that video of the taco getting fold-formed will get posted on youtube…

Thanks to all of you wonderful participants who made this year’s conference the lively event it was! Your focused passion and talents, as shown by some fabulous pieces of work, made this a memorable year.

Charles Lewton-Brain interacting with participants at a CMA conference

Our 4th annual conference with Charles Lewton-Brain is filling quickly.  There are still openings in the 2 days of Fold Form Demonstration and Small Group Conversation with Charles Lewton-Brain, July 21-22, 2011 (Thursday and Friday Session): For people who want to see, document, record and remember as much as possible of Charles Lewton-Brain’s fold forming techniques and tips, Charles will walk you through the entire eight families of fold forms plus many variations, in two back-to-back days. T-folds, cross folds, pleated folds, woven folds, sheared and formed star folds, chased wedge t-folds, Plunkett folds, and more.

Notepads are out for a Lewton-Brain demonstration

Two memorable days of face-time with Charles at the work bench, watching the folds develop, and hearing his trademark good-humored and informative commentary. Charles is generous with his knowledge, so be prepared to learn a great deal not only on fold forming but tooling and setup ideas. (We’ll have the coffee bar open all day.)

Bring your questions, a sketchpad—and a camera! Expect to see more than you will be able to absorb, so bring a way to document the workshop and to record the new ideas and inspiration for your own work.  Two days with Charles in an intimate studio setting: $380. A deposit of $190 holds a seat for you in the workshop.

We have some plans to make this 2-day session a special one of networking for jewelers–stay posted.

The two day Hands-On Seminar on July 23-24 has one open seat. If you miss this open seat, think about taking the first session instead. All it takes is one new idea or inspiration to make the session pay for itself.

Ed Mack with one of his favorite things, sharing process and technique.

Learn the how and why of basic blacksmithing skills, how to work with the hammer, anvil and tooling of the metals studio to develop hot work skills.  Learn  when you might choose a particular technique.  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, and plenty of stock to forge with, and you bring the intention to have a lot of fun at the anvil.

This is a one-day Saturday workshop, from 10 AM to 4 PM. $120 includes material fee.  A deposit of $60 holds an anvil in the classroom for you. Call (845) 651-7550 or email register@centerformetalarts.com to register, and we will soon have the class posting for online registration back on the Upcoming Seminars page.  (Hint: click on Center for Metal Arts in the links to go back.)

Call the Holiday Inn Express at (845) 469-3000 and mention the CMA or Center for Metal Arts discount. If there are any questions, ask to speak to Jan Pierce.

We have a couple of  students, male and female, who are willing to split a room. Email us here at info@centerformetalarts.com, or call 845 651 7550 and I’ll help you make your connections for roommates.

Independent Lens: Between the Folds. Look for it.