Goldsmiths Apprentice Program
During this comprehensive training program, equip yourself with the skills needed to enhance your jewelry techniques or if you are a beginner, start your journey in the jewelry trade.
With a focus on fine jewelry fabrication, GAP (the Goldsmiths Apprentice Program) is designed to train the student as an apprentice, as it was throughout history when apprentices were taught the age-old practice of repetition to develop and master a skill while working under a master craftsperson.
GAP students will learn skills such as sawpiercing, filing, soldering, hand fabrication, stone setting, wax carving and casting, finishing, polishing and tool making, all with the focus being on fine jewelry.
Monday-Friday Program
Click on the link below to learn more!
and to ask any questions, contact:
Anticlastic Raising....
Fold, Twist and Ruffle: Anticlastic Bracelets with Alexandra Hart
Join us September 28-29 for an exciting class with Alexandra Hart, learning the techniques of anticlastic raising. The focus is on the bracelet form, using stakes and hammers to obtain shape and texture.
From the instructor:
Learn the basic concepts and techniques developed in the Bronze Age in Ireland-“rediscovered” by Hekki Seppä, Michael Good and Brian Clarke-of shell structures and anti-clastic hammering to create bracelets. Get to know and control the movement of the metal using the most fundamental and direct techniques of a few hammers and stake forms.
Beginners can learn every step in the process-there is no soldering in this class, and intermediate and advanced level students can expand the projects to their own levels. In this class the first project will be a fold formed anticlastic cuff bracelet, learning how to preserve the raised seam while forming the bracelet’s opposing curves with attention to design.The second project will be forming a tightly spiraled anticlastic piece over specialized stakes and unraveling it to reveal undulations created by the compression and expansion of the metal.
Experienced students can use these techniques to create more variations and individualized projects with instruction as class time permits. As with most projects, preparation of the material takes time to create a useful and comfortable piece. After that you will be working with steel and plastic hammers for much of the two days, with coaching on proper position and grip. For class we will work with 19 ga and 24 ga copper sheet, but sterling silver and other metals are welcome (it is advised to avoid argentium sterling due to the lack of spring and risk of cracking when annealing)
October 19, 26, Nov 2
January 7-9
Intro to Chasing: Jewelry
In this 3 day introduction to the small scale of jewelry chasing, we will be using die struck jewelry as our canvas. Topics include an introduction to the tools needed to chase, how to make the tools and how to use the tools in a way to bring your piece to life. The skills learned can be applied to hand fabricated pieces, cast pieces, and CAD alike.
Prerequisite: Bench skills required (saw piercing and filing)
Tuition: $325
All materials and tools are provided. Punch sets may be purchased after the class.
Punch Set: $270 plus tax
Hand Engraving for Jewelry!
Beginning and Intermediate Hand Engraving for Jewelry with Paul Lowe
You may know him as @sp_hand_engraving and we are thrilled to have him teach his craft here at MAA!
In this 4 day class of beginning and intermediate hand engraving for jewelry and precious metals, you will learn the different pneumatic systems, proper workbench set up, graver preparation, microscope set up, work holding, how to make burnishers, scribes, transfers, cutting straight lines to curves, how to properly use your vice, lettering and scrolls. This class will give you strong foundations for working in the jewelry trade as a hand engraver.
Beginning Hand Engraving
April 23-26
Intermediate Hand Engraving
April 28-May 1
10am-5pm
Hand Engraving Jewelry Classes
The above photo was taken in 1982 or 83 at Van Craeynest, Inc. in San Francisco. This is where I apprenticed for 6 years under Larry Van Craeynest. Larry passed away on January 15, 2021. He was my teacher, my mentor and my friend. When I began my apprenticeship at Van Craeynest, Inc., I was 18 years old. I studied under Larry and so many other talented craftsmen at that factory. My days started an hour before everyone arrived when I would prep the shop for the day, it was my job to warm up the die ball for the die cutter, and my days ended an hour after everyone left. I would mop and sweep and make sure the shop was just so for everyone for the next day. I would spend the first few weeks of my apprenticeship just watching. As per Larrys instruction, I would sit next to each craftsman and study….then I would practice what I had witnessed. When I had become proficient, Larry would have me move on to the next skill, all the while practicing. Repeating the skills until they were in my body and my brain. This went on for years and years. Larry and all of the talented craftsmen that I learned under shaped who I am as an artist. It is an immense loss to the craft of handmade jewelry to lose Larry who was such a dedicated teacher and skilled craftsman, not only in jewelry fabrication but in woodworking and tool and die making.
The craft of handmade jewelry is such a gift. I am thankful for the training that I received as an apprentice. In the photo above, I am on the far left, Larry is the one looking to the side, and each one of us are there because of him. We were all there to do our part in the process of jewelry fabrication. It was a golden age.
I miss talking to and learning from Larry.... but in his honor, I continue to reach to the past and teach for the future.
Sincerely,
Michael R Kosinski
How long does it take to master your craft? 60,000 Hours. Below, find a fascinating documentary on the Japanese Takumi, the master craftsmen and women who have devoted 60,000 hours + to their craft.
How do you add value to your everyday life? Do you create? Do you harvest? Do you render? Do you build? Share your handmade story, let us all create a dialogue for a handmade future.
Photo of Aidan Breen and Michael in Ireland. Learn more about this wonderful artist at
https://metalartsacademy.com/irish-adventure
Student Gallery
Photos of students working and photos of their work created during workshops and classes.
