I took Jewelry Making 1, taught by Ms. Helen Bunch, in which I had an A. I came in with some knowledge of design from taking art classes and writing comic books. I had some knowledge of creating jewelry from the more complex beaded pieces I made at home, but I had no knowledge of metalworking. My goal in this class was to learn the basics of metalworking, and to learn to design structurally sound jewelry.
It is my belief that the teacher is one of the most important factors in any learning experience, including this class. Ms. Bunch took the time to explain individual processes both from a practical and a scientific viewpoint, which helped me understand the creation of jewelry. One example of this is that she explained how waxing a copper piece would preserve its patina by preventing it from reacting with air. In addition, wax is hydrophobic, protecting copper from rust. The biggest challenge for me in this class was using too much solder on my pieces, and having to remove the excess. I already knew from chemistry class that materials can expand when they become liquid, but I had not realized how fluid they become.
If I had to pick a project that best represents my experience in Jewelry Making 1, it would be my saw pierce prawn pendant. I spent the most time designing and planning this piece, and this piece is the one I am most pleased with. Although I love everything that I designed, this piece feels as if it has its own personality. It came out exactly as I intended, and there were no issues that arose during its creation. This pendant represents how Jewelry 1, as well as other art classes, has taught me how to plan both the design and creation of art. What I found I need to improve on, as my soldering misadventures have shown, is working with fire. I have very little time to work, and in moving quickly, I sometimes misplace halfway melted solder bits. I do not think I will have the opportunity to work with metalsmithing in college due to my major, so I it will be years before I can improve my soldering skills. However, I have learned may important rules about working with wire, which I can incorporate into the beaded and chain pieces that I am already familiar with.
It is my belief that the teacher is one of the most important factors in any learning experience, including this class. Ms. Bunch took the time to explain individual processes both from a practical and a scientific viewpoint, which helped me understand the creation of jewelry. One example of this is that she explained how waxing a copper piece would preserve its patina by preventing it from reacting with air. In addition, wax is hydrophobic, protecting copper from rust. The biggest challenge for me in this class was using too much solder on my pieces, and having to remove the excess. I already knew from chemistry class that materials can expand when they become liquid, but I had not realized how fluid they become.
If I had to pick a project that best represents my experience in Jewelry Making 1, it would be my saw pierce prawn pendant. I spent the most time designing and planning this piece, and this piece is the one I am most pleased with. Although I love everything that I designed, this piece feels as if it has its own personality. It came out exactly as I intended, and there were no issues that arose during its creation. This pendant represents how Jewelry 1, as well as other art classes, has taught me how to plan both the design and creation of art. What I found I need to improve on, as my soldering misadventures have shown, is working with fire. I have very little time to work, and in moving quickly, I sometimes misplace halfway melted solder bits. I do not think I will have the opportunity to work with metalsmithing in college due to my major, so I it will be years before I can improve my soldering skills. However, I have learned may important rules about working with wire, which I can incorporate into the beaded and chain pieces that I am already familiar with.