Presentations

The SINTER Conference is built around three days of one-hour presentations by metal clay superstars which allow you to learn techniques, methods, or how to market yourself as an artist. The presentations are geared to all skill levels, and offer a wide range of topics including skill-building, new techniques, design, and business and teaching topics.

All 24 presentations will be scheduled three times each throughout the conference to ensure that you get to see your top choices. You’ll be able to attend 12 presentations, so review all your choices below and select those which interest you most.

Using Resin with Metal Clay

Anne Acker

See bio and details

Successful Riveting

Patrice Baker

See bio and details

Bezel Me This…

Ed & Martha Biggar

See bio and details

So You Want to be in The Show!

Robert Dancik

See bio and details

Enameling on Metal Clay

Pam East

See bio and details

Hadar’s Powdered Clay

Pam Feindel

See bio and details

Tension Stone Setting Ring

Corina Gheorghe

See bio and details

Video for Social Media

Sian Hamilton

See bio and details

How is it hanging?

Annemarie Klappe

See bio and details

Drawing Mandalas

Clement Marquaire

See bio and details

Soldering on Metal Clay

Anna Mazoń

See bio and details

Torch Fired Enamel

Paula McDowell

See bio and details

Start With Why

Amy Newell

See bio and details

Fast, Fun Texture Tricks

Donna Penoyer

See bio and details

Draw It – Make It

Cindy Pope

See bio and details

Humankind’s Downfall

Julia Rai

See bio and details

Picture it…

Jayne Roth

See bio and details

Thinking Outside the Bezel

Kim Rumberger

See bio and details

Color on metal clay

Liz Sabol

See bio and details

Anatomy of a Hollow Form

Barbara Simon

See bio and details

Construction Techniques

JJ Singh

See bio and details

Teaching Techniques

Tracey Spurgin

See bio and details

Spray Clay

Karen Trexler

See bio and details

To Be Confirmed

Registration

Download the presentation planner

Presenter - Anne Acker, United States

Anne always wanted to make jewelry. In college she taught herself to make beaded copper earrings, but was always really interested in silver. After college, Anne took her first metalsmithing class, but work and life intervened, and she didn't do much for quite a few years. In 2002, Anne heard about metal-clay and thought it sounded like something she would enjoy. She bought some and made a mess! Eventually, she was able to take Rio and PMC Connections certification classes, and learned how to work with the material. Anne has also been fortunate to attend two Metal Clay Mojo conferences and has taken courses from some well-known teachers in metal clay. Anne began teaching a few years ago at an educational facility for all things rock, gem, and metal related. The organization is non-profit, so she hasn't made much money teaching, but she has made great friends and has enhanced her skills through teaching. Anne look forward to continued learning and sharing what she know with students.

Presentation - Using Resin with Metal Clay

Resin, especially if it is enhanced by color, can add an additional level of interest to metal clay pieces. There are two main types of resin that people use in jewelry: epoxy resin and UV resin. In this presentation, Anne will explore the pros and cons of each type, and will discuss when it might be appropriate to use each type. She will also discuss adding color to resin to achieve a desired effect.

Presenter - Patrice Baker, Canada

Patrice is a collector and maker of wearable art. Her work is detailed and complex, and she favours reversible, layered pendants. She uses metal clay, sheet silver, etched copper, bronze, mica, concrete, resin, pearls, gold leaf, skeleton leaves, insect wings, snake skin, ephemera and other found objects in her work. She considers all kinds of materials fair game in the world of adornment and decoration.

Patrice works from her studio in Fergus, Ontario (Canada), creating and teaching jewellery classes. She is also an instructor at Georgian College, The Bead and Button Show, The Nature Printer’s Conference, and by invitation to private studios. Her pieces have been recognized with best in show at Lambeth Art Gallery and Summerfolk, and she received The Elora Arts Council Award at Insights. Find more of Patrices’s work on Facebook at SilverfishStudios and on Instagram at SilverfishStudios

Presentation - Successful Riveting in Metal Clay

See how to make foolproof rivets every time! Rivets are a fabulous way to connect various pieces of your metal clay work. But, frustration mounts when the rivet bends or falls out. Patrice will demonstrate the 3 key ingredients for a perfect rivet. She will have large scale models to make it easy to see what to do, and what not to do. Rivets that fit tight, are the right length, and are hammered properly will securely hold your treasures together.

Presenter - Ed & Martha Biggar, United States

Between the two, Ed and Martha have over 60 years experience working in glass and over 30 in using metal clay. In the last 15 years, the two taught across the country at large and small venues as well as private homes. Currently, they are teaching via Zoom, both privately and through Virtually EverCrafting, as well as at smaller venues regionally. Martha is a Principal Instructor with Camp PMC, Mitsubishi’s new certification program, and developed the coursework for Glass and Metal Clay, Camp PMC 107.

Both the Biggars hold BFAs, Ed in Glass from Cal State, San Bernardino, and Martha in Design from Virginia Commonwealth University. Both keep up with new and changing trends in their fields by attending and speaking at conferences, and by taking classes. They both regularly exhibit their work.

Besides their artistic interests, Ed and Martha grow specialized vegetables and fruits for market, and have donkeys, horses, and a couple of mules, on their farm in southwest Virginia. They can be contacted through facebook.com/theshedio and instagram.com/marthabiggar

Presentation - Bezel Me This… (Setting Stones and More in Metal Clay )

Traditionally, stones are set in sheet or cast forms using two basic techniques: prong sets for faceted stones, and bezels for cabochons. Metal clay users follow in these footsteps. This presentation will focus on setting stones and more with bezels, both before firing and after firing. The Biggars will preview a large variety of work by many metal clay artists and discuss the pros and cons for each technique.

Presenter - Robert Dancik, United States

Robert is an artist/educator and developer of materials for artists. His work can be seen in numerous books and publications including, the Lark series 500 Pendants & Lockets, 500 Handmade Books and 1000 Rings.

He has worked in both private and permanent collections of museums around the world including the Racine Art Museum and the Gregg Museum of Art and Design. Robert’s teaching includes workshops at: Penland, North Carolina; Touchstone Center for Crafts, Pennsylvania; Brookfield Craft Center, Connecticut. Other workshops have been in: Victoria College of Art, Australia; Mid Cornwall School of Jewelry, United Kingdom; and Ravstedhus, Denmark.

He is also the author of Amulets and Talismans: Techniques for Creating Meaningful Jewelry and has written articles and published his artwork in numerous magazines including Niche, Art Jewelry, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist, and Perspectives among others.

He is the originator of the artist’s materials Faux Bone™ and Solid Expressions Artist’s Concrete™ and is a collector of toys, maps, and compasses. Find more of Robert’s work at fauxbone.com.

Presentation - So… You Want to be in The Showl!?!

Thinking of entering one of the AMCAW Challenges? In this interactive presentation, some of the subjects Robert will cover include why you should enter the Challenge at all, what the jury is looking for in a piece of work, how you should present your work, and what image quality you should submit. In addition, Robert will give you general tips and tricks for entering a Challenge.

He will also talk about what the best practices are for applying to shows or publications as well as why applying is a positive step in your growth as an artist (a person!?!). Robert will teach how such endeavors help you to recognize your artistic potential and where you might seek advice to broaden and deepen your artistic expression. He’ll chat about artists fears, including the most common one - fear of success. Finally Robert will discuss why this fear of success occurs and how to start overcoming it.

Rpbert Treborian Monitor for Mdm. Villon

Presenter - Pam East, United States

Pam is an internationally known artist, writer and teacher. She has been an enamelist since 1997 and in 2005 was named a Master Instructor by Art Clay World, USA. Pam’s first book, Enameling on Metal Clay, was published in 2007. She was a contributing author for Metal Clay & Color in 2012, and The Art of Fine Enameling in 2019. She has written numerous articles for such magazines as Art Jewelry, Metal Clay Artist Magazine, Lapidary Journal, Glass on Metal and Step-by-Step Beads. More recently Pam’s tutorials have moved to video format on Craftcast.com, YouTube and Twitch. Pam has been an invited speaker, giving classes and lectures at such gatherings as the Metal Clay World Conference, the Pan-European Metal Clay Conference, the Metal Clay Artists Symposium and the Enamelist Society Biennial Conference. Find more of Pam’s work at pameast.net.

Presentation - Enameling on Metal Clay

Enameling is the art of fusing powdered glass to metal. Join Pam for an in-depth look at metal clay design considerations when planning for enameling as well as the ins-and-outs of enameling itself. Find out how to improve enamel clarity, reduce bubbling, achieve graduated shading, and more! Pam will share other tips and tricks and some troubleshooting techniques. Bring your questions for a Q&A at the end of her presentation.

Presenter - Pam Feindel, Canada

After 32 years in a banking career, Pam finally pursued her creative side. She discovered metal clay in 2009, and it quickly became her passion! Pam became an Art Clay Instructor in 2010, a Senior Art Clay Instructor in 2012 and a Hadar Jacobson instructor in 2014. Pam was juried into the Metal Arts Guild of Nova Scotia in 2010 and Craft NS in 2011. Pam has taught at the Nova Scotia Centre for Craft & Design, Halifax Bead & Metal Clay, and from her two studios as well as travelling and teaching at various venues. Pam sells her work at numerous art shows in Nova Scotia as well as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Find more of Pam’s work at pamfeindeldesign.com.

Presentation - The Basics of Working with Hadar’s Powdered Clay

Pam will cover all the basics required to work with Hadar’s powdered clays. Topics covered will include the various types of clays, bronze through steel, as well as Quick Fire, One Fire, Low Fire, Mid Fire, High Fire, and Flex clays. You’ll learn how to work with the various clays, thus understanding which clays can be combined, why the combinations are acceptable, and what the shrinkage rates are. You’ll see demonstrations of mixing powdered clays and rolling them out as well as examples of why you need to pay close attention during drying and how to address drying challenges. Other topics will include how to set up your kiln, where to place pieces in your firing pans, and what firing schedules you should use. Pam will also touch on finishing tools and methods to get the desired finish on your base metal pieces.

Presenter - Corina Gheorghe, Belgium

Corina’s background lies in economic studies, but she has always worked in the artistic field. Her creative journey has led her through painting, sculpting, and graphic design to modeling polymer and other clays. In 2012 she discovered metal clay, which has provided her with the perfect medium to apply her technical experience and develop her own style. Corina enjoys learning and testing and is currently using metal clay along with traditional metalsmithing, enameling, and other mixed media. As an artist, Corina likes creating complex pieces. As a teacher, she dedicates time to making the whole creative process easier for her students. Corina has taught throughout Europe and the USA. She is the founder and director of ARTKIMIA - Art & Jewelry Studio, the main supplier of metal clay and tools in Romania. She is also the creator and organizer of an enthusiastic Community: Metal Clay Romania. Find more of Corina’s work at artkimia.com

Presentation - Tension Stone Setting Ring

Tension stone setting is a beautiful way of setting stones without bezels or prongs, giving the impression that the stone is magically suspended in the metal. Tension stone settings are traditionally done in very strong alloys, such as titanium, iron, or a special recipe of white gold. Corina will teach you her technique for creating that beautiful illusion, using pure silver! This presentation will include a demonstration of precision measuring techniques. You’ll also learn about carving and cutting dried metal clay.

Presenter - Sian Hamilton, United Kingdom

Sian has a BA in 3D Design, specializing in silver and ceramics, and has been in the design industry for over 25 years. She was the Editor of Making Jewellery magazine in the UK for over 9 years until it closed in April 2019. She has written 12 ‘how to’ jewellery and craft books. Sian is also the website designer for AMCAW and runs her web design business from home.

Sian was introduced to silver clay back in the mid-90s’. As a traditionally-trained jeweler, it was hard for her to imagine what she could want with such a soft, clay-like substance. Now it’s a firm favorite, and Sian has been working with it for over 20 years. Sian has a great passion for metal clay and her mission is to spread the love as far as she can. Her own work in metal clay is minimalist, with an emphasis on classic shapes. She also loves to use scratch foam to create her own unique textures. Sian can be found online at hamiltonjewellery.com

Presentation - Video for Social Media

If the idea of making videos for your social media feed is scary then join Sian to learn about the benefits of video on social media and how to create a short video of photos (or video) for social media platforms such as, Facebook and Instagram.

We'll look at why video is seen as important, what to include in the video and Sian will do a live run through of making a video with photographs on a phone using a free marketing App and what the options are when using your computer.

Presenter - Annemarie Klappe, Holland

Annemarie lives and teaches in Holland. Her work can be described as both romantic and very detailed. She works part-time as a teacher in a primary school and part-time as an Art Clay Silver instructor. Currently, Annemarie is in training to become a certificated instructor. Since there are only two in Holland, she feels honored to be chosen for the training. Annemarie loves to share her passion for metal clay and loves learning all there is to know about it. That is why she joined AMCAW as a board member and serves on the education and certification committees. “Teaching and sharing information is what I do.” Learn more about Annemarie on Facebook: Annemarie Klappe.

Presentation - How is it hanging?

Too often, the hanging mechanism for a piece of jewelry is an afterthought. Why not use the opportunity to create a bail that will attract attention and highlight your piece perfectly? Annemarie will provide tips and tricks to design a perfect bail for your piece. She will share technical details on movement and balance, so you can design a bail that functions well. With Annemarie’s approach the bail will add interest to your creation and become a new-found inspiration for your metal clay work.

Presenter - Clement Marquaire, Belgium

Clément creates unique jewelry through his jewelry brand Geometrically Stuck with designs inspired by Sacred geometry and Tibetan Mandala Art. All textures and patterns seen in his work are handmade by himself. Clément graduated from the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Metz, France in 2005. He first stumbled into the world of jewelry making in northern India in 2014 where he participated in several workshops and learned traditional silver jewelry making techniques. Clément immediately fell in love with jewelry making with its combination of artistic creativity, rigor, and manual work. He later followed the teachings of a Lama in Nepal, who introduced him to Sacred Geometry and the art of Tangka and Tibetan Mandala painting. He was totally inspired. Once back in Europe, Clément started his own jewelry line, which combined these two disciplines. He created a unique collection, modern and traditional at the same time. Find more of Clément’s work at geometricallystuck.com.

Presentation - Drawing Mandala; or how to stop worrying and relay your soul

Mandala is one of Clément’s favorite types of drawings. He will present: a brief history of mandala designs; an easy geometric mandala that you can draw, and offer his favorite tips about patterns and dot shading in these drawings. Clément has developed a way of using the mandala as a meditative tool and will share his methods with you.

Presenter - Anna Mazoń, Poland

Anna is a jewelry designer from Cracow, Poland. She started making jewelry in 2008. Her pieces are always hand built, full of fine details, and have a slightly dark, fantasy vibe combined with a refined organic feeling. They are inspired by nature, ancient cultures, and literature. Her materials of choice are sterling silver and bronze. She often combines metal clay techniques with traditional metalsmithing. Photos of Anna Mazoń’s jewelry have been published in books and magazines, including covers of Handmade Business (April, 2016 and August, 2015), Metal Clay Artist Magazine (Winter, 2013), Metal Clay Today (Summer, 2018) and Making Jewellery (2018, issue 123). She’s been either a finalist or winner in the Metal Clay Category in 2013, 2014, and 2015 for the Saul Bell Design Award. Anna is also a renowned metal clay instructor, teaching in different studios all over the world since 2013. Find more of Anna’s work at drakonaria.com/.

Presentation - Soldering on Metal Clay

Soldering on metal clay is a skill that scares many and is mastered by few.

Quite often while teaching, Anna hears that there is no need to solder on metal clay because it can always be done in a different way using purely metal clay techniques. So why bother? Anna will give you examples of situations when soldering on metal clay is actually preferable, thus giving you additional design freedom, strengthing your pieces, and possibly lowering your materials costs considerably. Three short demos of soldering on metal clay in different situations will be included. A portion of her presentation will be a slide show with many examples of different situations where you might consider soldering. Then Anna will explain techniques used on the example jewelry pieces she will have on display.

Presenter - Paula McDowell, United States

Paula found her second career when she discovered metal clay. She creates jewelry objects that echo nature’s textures, forms, and movements using, both traditional and non-traditional methods. Metal clay is Paula’s medium of choice because it can be manipulated in so many different ways during the wet, dry, and sintered stages.

Paula is a Hadar's Clay™ Accredited Teacher and also holds Rio Rewards and PMC Connection Level 1 certifications. A large part of her business is providing instruction in metal clay and traditional metal-smithing methods. Paula enjoys sharing her knowledge and helping others to learn and achieve their own creative goals.

Participation in a creative community is very important to Paula. She is a co-founder of AMCAW and L’esprit du Metal, the Louisiana Chapter of the PMC Guild. She is an active member of the Lafayette Art Association and Louisiana Crafts Guild. Find more of Paula’s work at studiofiredance.com.

Presentation - Torch Fired Enamel on Base Metal

Introduce some color into your base metal! Paula will share her experience using Hadar's Clay™ One-Fire Brilliant Bronze, Copper, and Low Shrinkage Steel XT to make pieces suitable for the enameling process. She will also discuss firing schedules, the setup for a torch-fired enameling station, enamel colors that work well on specific metals, and safety precautions.

Presenter - Amy Newell, United States

Amy is Design Director at the University of Mary Washington, a public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia. For the past 28 years, she has guided clients such as, Hamilton Beach, C. F. Sauer Co., luxury real estate brands, and the University of Mary Washington, through building creative marketing and brand strategy. She earned her BFA in Communication Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University and her MS in Marketing from West Virginia University.

Amy has been practicing traditional metalsmithing for more than a decade. In 2017, she opened her first package of metal clay, and her world has never been the same. Her work focuses on combining metal clay with traditional metalsmithing and enameling. Find more of Amy’s work on Instagram: @BukabuJewelry

Presentation - Start With Why: Building Your Artist’s Brand

The largest asset your business will ever own is YOUR BRAND. But your brand isn’t just a logo, a label, or even your product. Your brand is who you are, what you stand for, and why you make what you make. Quoting author Simon Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

In this presentation you’ll be given a plan to help build the foundation of your artist’s brand. You’ll explore your brand story and personality. You’ll examine your brand name and look, including colors, fonts, and logos. You’ll create your dream customer profile and a tone of voice to reach them. You’ll define what makes your art unique in the metal clay world and why people should care. Finally, you’ll learn to apply your branding across your business and evolve it as it grows. Attendees will receive a workbook that guides them through the process of brand building and provides thought-provoking questions, encouraging a deeper dive into development of their brand.

Presenter - Donna Penoyer, United States

Donna, known affectionately as “The Whistle Lady,” has been working in metal clay since 2005. Her whistle amulets and other jewelry pieces have appeared in multiple books, magazines, online sources, and exhibits. She has taught hundreds of metal clay workshops throughout the US, England, and Belgium. Juried exhibitions have included: the Pôle Bijou gallery in Baccarat, France; a world-touring, collaborative exhibit via the International Society of Glass Beadmakers; and a solo show at WAX Jewelry Design Studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, among others. In spite of these fancy-sounding credits, Donna is a down-to-earth teacher who believes there is a gleeful maker in everyone. Find more about Donna’s work at donnapenoyer.com.

Presentation - Fast, Fun Texture Tricks

Witness Donna’s favorite methods for creating one-of-a-kind surface designs on metal clay, often using everyday items. She will demonstrate her Single-Roll Multi-Layering technique (SRML), a way of quickly combining design layers. The session will feature improvised, on-the-fly techniques and intricately layered scenarios that lead to stunning, often surprising results. This is not a “learn how to make PPPs (Photo Polymer Plates) or tearaway textures” demo. This is a “grab what you’ve got and make it your own” confidence booster of a session!

Presenter - Cindy Pope, United States

Cindy is a passionate metal clay lover who transitioned from being a producing artist to a metal clay instructor nine years ago. Her credentials include, original Rio, Hadar Jacobson, Art Clay level one, and Camp PMC 201 Certifications. Cindy travels to teach intensive workshops and to give presentations at conferences. She presents 11 Silhouette-related classes on Craftcast and four non-Silhouette silver and base metal clay classes. She also does instructional videos for Cool Tools, an online retailer with a maker-based focus. Fourteen of her videos appear on the education section of Cool Tools’ website and more will be available this year. Cindy has also designed a line of templates for Cool Tools. Her intensive classes include all levels of Silhouette classes (basics, stone setting, mixed metal, leather tooling, deep etching for enameling, and many others). Cindy loves teaching every level of student and has found that she learns as much from her students as they learn from her. Learn more about Cindy at facebook.com/groups/MCSilies/

Presentation - Draw It – Make It

Have you ever been asked to turn a hand-drawn picture or handwritten note into a metal clay piece? This session will teach you how to convert photos, patterns or hand-drawn images into usable images for metal clay. You’ll learn techniques and tips for getting a great image using your free smart phone or tablet apps.

The presentation will start with a badly-drawn picture and end up with an image that will make a great Stampmaker or photopolymer texture plate or digital design. An overview of Cindy’s Stampmaker and PPP (Photo Polymer Plate) instructions will be included. Starting with a beautiful image or texture plate, you will take your pieces to the next level.

Presenter - Julie Rai, United Kingdom

Julia is an artist, writer, and teacher working predominately in metal clay. She has a teaching studio based in Cornwall, UK. Well known in the international metal clay community, she has been working with metal clay since 2004 and teaching it since 2007. She is the Director of the Metal Clay Academy, an online resource for everyone interested in metal clay, which was launched in 2008. Julia has been the webmaster, editor, and researcher for this metal clay resource website from its launch. Between 2008 and 2019 Julia participated in the metal clay Masters Registry program, creating 50 pieces of work across five levels of mastery. She is the only person in the world to achieve level five of the Registry program and submit a master work. The Registry program closed at the end of June 2019. You can see all 50 projects plus the master work on Julia’s website at juliarai.co.uk.

Presentation - Humankind’s Downfall Chalice Construction

Julia made a 14 cm tall, 599 g chalice in fine silver as the final master work for the Metal Clay Master’s Registry credential. In this illustrated talk, Julia will explain the process she followed for constructing the chalice, the technical issues she had to overcome, and the design considerations involved in realizing her vision. The piece was fired multiple times and involved a variety of different techniques including, hand molding and sculpting, dry construction, mold making for complex 3D forms, and adding color. You’ll be able to see the chalice up close as well as ask Julia whatever you’d like to know in this presentation.

Presenter - Jayne Roth, United States

Jayne is a jewelry artist and image editor who helps other jewelry artists with their photography needs. She spent eight years as a graphic artist and art director for major retail corporations. Transitioning to self-employment, she was able to free up time to get into a home-based studio, where she both creates silver metal clay jewelry under the name of Blind Bliss Jewels and offers classes. As a member of the Communications and Marketing Committee at AMCAW, Jayne was made aware of the need for better images to represent the work of all AMCAW’s great artists. She now offers free tutorials to help other jewelers get better images of their pieces. Jayne offers a reasonable bulk rate for digital color correction. Jayne lives in Maryland, where she enjoys growing an array of hot peppers and making bottled hot sauces for the entire neighborhood. Find more of Jayne's work at blindblissjewels.com.

Presentation - Picture it…Perfecting Digital Images

This presentation will explore the differences between good photography and poor photography of metal clay pieces. Without getting too technical, Jayne will discuss how to achieve professional looking images, touching on background selection, lighting, cameras, and lenses. Attendees will learn that they can use the best camera that they already own, whether a phone or SLR.

The main focus of this presentation is a demonstration on how to create “unseen” props and surfaces so that metal clay pieces can be angled for the best possible photographs. Finally, Jayne will convey the importance post-production image editing. She will show samples of before and after images and allow attendees to see the differences, followed by an open discussion of editing solutions.

Presenter - Kim Rumberger, United States

Kim Rumberger is a metal clay artist and instructor, whose interest in art was sparked and nurtured by her artistic parents. She became a silversmith in high school, studied mixed metals in college, and discovered metal clay in 2014. She has been teaching and working with metal clay ever since.

Kim’s work has been selected for numerous juried shows, including placing first in 3-dimensional art in the 2015 All Cape Art Show in Chatham, MA, and her art shows in various cultural centers, museums, and galleries on Cape Cod. She has received several prestigious AMCAW challenge awards and her work is also featured in the 2021 AMCAW Exceptional Work in Metal Clay Calendar.

Kim’s commitment to art and metal clay is also evident in her volunteer work as an advisory board member for a unique program called ArtWorks, which matches high school students with professional artists for a mentorship, to help students learn about and prepare for the creative economy.

Presentation - Thinking Outside the Bezel: Innovative Ways to Set Fired-in-Place Inclusions

With the advent of so many new products that extend the working time and flexibility of metal clay, our opportunities to wrap, cut, and build around inclusions are greater, allowing us to find new and creative ways to enhance our pieces. In this presentation, participants will learn unique and unusual techniques to expand design capabilities to capture stones, glass, and other inclusions in non-traditional ways. Kim will show samples and describe creations made from things such as recycled broken pieces from scrap, using odd shapes that take on a completely different role than a typical stone, and different uses of flexible strips and extrusions. She will discuss clay and conditioning products and techniques as well.

Presenter - Liz Sabol, United States

Liz is recognized for her colorful and fantastical champlevé pieces, earning distinction in the Saul Bell Design Award for five consecutive years. She’s also been recognized as a finalist in other domestic and international competitions. In addition to being a PMC certified instructor, she brings over 30 years of experience as an artist and designer to her metal clay jewelry. The eldest of seven children, Liz grew up on a dairy farm in western Pennsylvania, where she cultivated a lifelong love of art, nature, and science. She studied chemical engineering and fine art at West Virginia University (WVU), followed by communication arts and illustration the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After a successful 25-year career in branding and marketing, she searched for new ways to express her artistic vision. Starting with intricate bead work, then lampworking glass, she then began an exploration into metal in 2013. That journey led to the harmony she has achieved with a combination of technology and her signature organic forms. Find more of Liz’s work at lsabol.com.

Presentation - Color on metal clay: So many options, so many challenges

When you decide that color is for you, there are endless media types to choose from. So which is the best for your application, skill level, and budget? This presentation explores some of the many different options available to add color to metal clay as well as the benefits and disadvantages of each. You will learn from Liz’s experience with paint and other media, and you’ll pick up some troubleshooting techniques.

Presenter - Barbara Simon, United States

Barbara has been a jeweler/goldsmith for over 50 years and a lampwork/bead artist since 1996. She received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Metalwork and Jewelry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Barbara teaches Metal Clay and Lampworking workshops and serves as Camp PMC Principal Instructor for Precious Metal Clay Certification Classes. She has taught workshops at craft and art venues, including Haystack, Penland, Arrowmont, and other venues in the US.

Her international teaching has included many cities in Japan; Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, Australia; Zurich, Switzerland, Weil, Austria, and Cornwall, Yorkshire, and Edinburgh in the UK. Barbara’s work has won recognition and awards (Saul Bell Design Awards, 2007 & 2011) and has been featured extensively in periodicals and books, including PMC Decade and the Lark books: 1000 Glass Beads and Showcase 1000 Beads. Barbara's own book, Metal Clay Beads, (Lark, 2009) has been given high praise as a valuable resource. Find more of Barbara’s work at bbsimon.com

Presentation - Anatomy of a Hollow Form: One of the Best Things to do with Metal Clay!

Metal clay has many properties that make it a wonderful medium for jewelry. In Barbara’s opinion, its premiere value lies in the ability to create hollow items. Compared to traditional metalsmithing, making hollow pieces with metal clay reduces construction time and eliminates the need for certain tools and skills that only an experienced metalsmith possesses.

This presentation will describe how to choose the clay for your project and will break down the various ways to construct a hollow form with metal clay. Making and using molds, choosing options for surface decorations or treatments, and constructing joint connections will be covered. Whether the hollow form is a simple spherical bead or a complex geometric pendant, there are certain characteristics that are shared in the construction, pre-firing finishing, successful firing, and final surface treatment.

Presenter - JJ Singh, United States

JJ is a jewelry designer and mixed media instructor in Northern Virginia. A certified metal clay instructor since the mid-90s, JJ marries traditional metalsmithing techniques with today’s modern technology to develop inspiring classes for all levels of experience. Find more of JJ’s work at jjsinghjewelry.com

Presentation - "Cat Scan" and "Nesting" Construction Techniques Using the Sillhouette Curio

This presentation will explain two new approaches to jewelry construction.

The "cat scan" approach uses design "slices" created in Silhouette software, to stack onto one another creating height and volume in a hollow form. Using the silhouette allows for extreme precision and enables us to hide mechanisms such as hinges.

The "nesting" technique uses origami and Russian nesting doll theories of slab construction creating multidimensional pieces of jewelry.

Presenter - Tracey Spurgin, United Kingdom

Tracey initially trained in Fashion Design and Textiles. Her ambition was to teach and after gaining adult learning qualifications, she’s been teaching over 22 years for the local education authority and colleges. Tracey was teaching a wide variety of arts, crafts, interior design and soft furnishings.

Eventually, the government agenda on Adult Learning changed, reducing the opportunities she had previously enjoyed. These cutbacks coincided with her discovery of silver clay. Tracey fell head over heels in love with this medium and almost immediately decided to dedicate all of her creative time to this fantastic, innovative material. She loves to challenge herself and work on projects that she considers to be almost engineering in clay.

Hinges and lockets and threaded vessels are something that fascinate her. So she spends days, weeks and months on troubleshooting problems and ideas until she finds a solution. Tracey is passionate about sharing her discoveries and the joy of metal clay. Find more of Tracey’s work at craftworx.co.uk.

Presentation - Teaching Techniques

With more than 20 years experience teaching in colleges and at her own studio, Tracey has engaged with thousands of students. Formal teacher training provides a lot of guidance, but experience gives the tutor a completely different insight into the teaching and learning environment. Teaching styles develop with time, and developing your style plus learning methods to deal with individuals as well as unexpected situations are skills that Tracey will share. She will teach how to plan and prepare classes that include both written and verbal instruction along with practical demonstrations.

Presenter - Karen Trexler, United States

Karen was lucky enough to discover her love for jewelry making early in life, in a high school jewelry-making class where she was introduced to the basics of metalsmithing. She pursued her passion for jewelry making by first attending Ball State University, where she received a BFA. Next she received her MFA with an emphasis in metalsmithing and enameling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She then shifted her creative emphasis from traditional metalsmithing to working with metal clay, falling in love with the accessibility and diverse possibilities of projects because of the flexibility of the material. As Cooltool’s resident artist, she regularly develops metal clay projects and creates video tutorials. By creating these videos, Karen has learned that she loves sharing creativity and empowering others as makers. Find more of Karen’s work on Instagram: @karenforcooltools.us.

Presentation - Spray Clay

Translating organic forms and other dimensional shapes into metal clay has never been so easy! Spray Clay is the method of turning precious metal clay into a “paint” that is applied to dimensional forms in thin layers with an airbrush.

This technique results in light weight forms that use very little clay and using an airbrush makes getting into small areas easy and preserves even fine details of the original object.

Karen will: demonstrate how to prepare the objects to be coated in the thinned clay; reveal how to prepare the airbrush for the application of clay paint and; how to disassemble and clean the airbrush if it clogs. Spray Clay can be combined with other metal clay practices for complex and interesting pieces.

Presentations

Anne Acker

Patrice Baker

Ed & Martha Biggar

Robert Dancik

Pam East

Pam Feindel

Corina Gheorghe

Sian Hamilton

Annemarie Klappe

Clement Marquaire

Anna Mazoń

Paula McDowell

Amy Newell

Donna Penoyer

Cindy Pope

Julia Rai

Jayne Roth

Kim Rumberger

Liz Sabol

Barbara Simon

JJ Singh

Tracey Spurgin

Karen Trexler

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