Silvera Jewelry School - Bead Society of Northern California

October 2015
Silvera Jewelry School
Presented by Joe and Anat Silvera
Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 7:30 pm
Social half-hour at 7:00 pm with coffee/tea
Courtyard Marriott, 5555 Shellmound, Emeryville, 94605. The parking lot is a gated surface lot around the
hotel. Bring your parking ticket into the hotel; get it validated after the meeting and BSNC will pay the
parking fee. Members free with membership card, non-members $5
Join us on October 20th when Joe and Anat Silvera will give a virtual tour of their
school, and talk about all of their classes which include the basics of jewelry
fabrication, stone setting, lost wax casting, enameling, and more. All classes are
grounded in traditional techniques. Their intensive workshops are offered year
round and packed with techniques, tips and finished projects. Class costs include all
of the materials and use of tools, so nothing extra to buy. All student benches are
fully equipped with tools - including flex shafts, soldering set ups, etc. The classes
use home friendly tools and chemicals so that you can continue practicing in your
home studio.
The Silvera Jewelry School was founded in 2010 by Anat and Joe Silvera, who have
over 20 years of jewelry making experience, including more than 12 years of
teaching students how to fabricate jewelry. Their school is located in West Berkeley
near shops and restaurants. Workshops are available as one day and multi-day
classes in jewelry techniques, like soldering, stone setting, enameling and lost wax
casting. Joe has over 25 years of jewelry and teaching experience, from his BFA with
honors in jewelry, to working as a goldsmith, model maker in the casting industry,
and selling his own jewelry at shows and galleries.
The mission of SJS is simple: to teach professional jewelry skills using home studio
friendly tools. Whether students are raw beginners or intermediate, teens or adults,
their teaching style emphasizes a clear understanding of technique and good
craftsmanship. Most classes are structured around sample projects that clearly
demonstrate the technique. As students make their own variations, the teachers
offer hands-on help and critique and are organized to allow enough time to
complete projects, including polishing, and students are given color handouts with
step-by-step instructions and photos so that they can continue to practice at home.
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NATURE'S BEAD EMBROIDERY – Eleanor Pigman
President) Obama. For that effort, she finally was
recognized and her work was published. The problem
came when people who admired her bead work started
to ask, "Where is the rest of her work?" Next, came a
Congressional Award which caused a total blast off. She
started to do commissioned pieces and portraits in
beads: Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, Mother Teresa,
Al Gore, and Jimmy Carter.
The hardest part was realizing that there really wasn't
any good money in that area of beading. She received
fabulous feed back, but little or no sales. Living in the
St. Petersburg area of Florida gave her a brain
storm….look at what was around her. She started
researching the local fish for their wondrous color and
movement. The magic happened when she started
using her watercolor background by using the
thousands of colors of seed beads as her paint.
From a distance, people who see her work don't realize
that the pieces are made up of many, tiny beads. Her
tide pools are the most requested ~ the fact that they
are almost in abstract makes them a joy to create. (This
was one of the two classes that Eleanor taught on July
23 at Baubles & Beads. The other class she taught at
Baubles & Beads was a 6-layer starfish which she
normally mounts onto netting in a shadow box for
resale.)
Eleanor came from the Soho district of New York, which
in the 1980's was an artist area. To a small child, that
walk home from school could be scary, but the best part
was looking in at all the galleries. This early immersion
obviously influenced her in later life. As an adult she
received her BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago; but
the structure of the classes seemed too regimented.
One area that she investigated during her last semester
at school was embroidery. She still does not know why
this form of artistic embellishment appealed to her in
those early days, but it certainly came in handy when
beads later became a strong part of her life ~ never
realizing the how the class would affect her life's artistry
today. Then, following in that vein, she gained her
Masters in Art Therapy from the University of Illinois at
Chicago.
Eleanor combines different
fabrics, loving batik for the
interplay of colors, and a
multitude of bead sizes, shapes,
and colors to gain her detailed
texture. She talked about her
enjoyment of being a self taught
bead artist. "Don't think outside
the box ~ there is no box! If you
are not excited about what you
are currently creating, set it aside
and come back to it later". She
often has an idea of what she
wants to create, but without that
standard class background, she has become inventive
on how to achieve the visioned end result. Eleanor’s
work is all embroidered by hand with thread, needle, on
felt with lots and lots of seed beads (You can also use
such fabrics as medium weight Pellon). She combines
several different traditional and non traditional stitches
to create a unique sculpture effect. Paper, fabric and
Before Eleanor began making art with beads, she was
primarily a watercolor artist. She fell in love with the
world of beading after doing an apprenticeship with a
bead store owner / jewelry designer making eyeglass
holders. The shop closed, and she inherited thousands
of seed beads stuffed into eight giant tubs. What to do
with them but to turn these beads into art.
She was one of thirty finalists with her entry in
MoveOn.org. She created a beaded portrait of (now
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The greatest part is her meeting other beaders. She is
thrilled at her acceptance and the support she has
received where ever she goes. She has learned that she
needs to get herself "out there", now doing art shows,
fairs, as well as being in galleries.
The presentation on July 21, 2015 evolved into two
greatly enjoyed classes on the 23rd. At this time, she
plans to be back at Baubles & Beads in November to
teach additional classes ~ so watch for the
announcement as the July classes filled up quickly.
Contact: [email protected]
Publications: Green Leaf Press, Work and Interview
2009, Seattle Pioneer Examiner, Work 2009, Art for
Obama, 2009
Exhibitions & Awards:
BFA Exhibit, School of
the Art Institute of
Chicago, IL 1998,
White Street Alliance
Studio, Seattle WA
2009, Bemis Spring Art
Show, Seattle WA
2009, Art on the Ridge,
Seattle WA 2009,
Manifest of Hope Art
for Obama Award.
Moveon.org. 2008,
Credale School of Art,
Art for Obama, Winter
Park FL 2012,
Congressional Award,
KEEPING HOPE ALIVE
THROUGH ART. 2012,
Craft Art, Florida
Craftsman, St
Petersburg FL 2012,
Bauble and Beads,
Berkeley CA 2013,
Play, Florida Craftsmen Gallery St Petersburg FL 2013,
National Marine Fisheries, St Petersburg FL 2013,
ATOMIC, Sarasota FL 2013, Museum of Art and Whimsy,
Sarasota FL 2014
mesh can also be found in her work. She often spray
paints net and mesh fabrics to thicken their appearance
for the backgrounds in the shadowboxs and framings.
Eleanor normally awakes and gets into her bead room
by 5:30am. She puts good music in her headphones,
has inspirational phrases on the walls all around the
room and gets into playing with her beads... she
stresses to be playful and try to get into the
unusual….especially those iridescent beads! She tries
to structure the work time but normally works three to
four days a week, durinh her time off often looking for
new pictures of creatures to become beaded objects.
Many of the members suggested portraying her pieces
as Christmas ornaments which will bring a new
direction for sales.
Her creativity has now taken a turn and her efforts are
becoming successful. Many pieces have now evolved
into jewelry as well by attaching chain and ribbon. The
bottom line is that jewelry sells to the tourists and
locals. With her expanding customer appreciation, she
constantly has to push the medium into some new
directions and even into commission works of art. The
hardest part was making the same pieces over and over.
She has recently hired someone to help make the 5x7
pieces. She would prefer to do something different all
the time, but she needs to build up back stock for the
sales on the internet as well as in stores that carry her
pretties. Plus this gives her more time to play…..
~Marilyn Peters
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COLLABORATION .... THE CREATIVE DANCE – Wayne Robbins and Judie Mountain
Judie and Wayne's components and finished jewelry.
This was a delightful evening with great stories and
delicious eye candy to feast upon, as well as purchase ~
which many did.
Judie Mountain has been a working artist for over 40
years, and has been a leatherworker, stained glass
artist, clothing designer, and for the past 25 years, a
jewelry designer-artist. Judie has added bronze metal
clay to her ever-expanding skill repertoire, which was
very evident in the collaboration pieces shown as well
as on the table. This new clay is a wonderful material
that allows you to sculpt, carve, and texture pieces
which are then dried, and fired in a kiln. After firing, it
becomes pure solid bronze; but Judie doesn't stop
there. She continues her creative enjoyment,
embellishing the pieces and heat treating them to
complement the overall effect of the piece.
During the opening introductions, the membership was
warned about the total insanity of the glass work of
Wayne Robbins. He is an amazing glass artist who
specializes in finely detailed individualized lampwork
pieces, including beads, sculptures, and wonderful
objects d’art. His style fluctuates between whimsical
and realistic (huh?), but is always awesome to behold!
Together, Judie and Wayne design and create unique
jewelry, sculpture, and decorative pieces of art. They
work in glass, metal, semi-precious stones, and other
unusual materials. And now, they have opened the
realm of the norm by handing each step of creation off
to others who live around the world for their input.
On September 15, 2015, jewelry designer and precious
metal clay artist Judie Mountain, and glass artist
extraordinaire Wayne Robbins, much to the total joy of
the members who came that night, shared their journey
through their versions of the art jewelry world.
Judie has recently moved into working with PMC choosing bronze and copper over the standard silver
and gold. Her expertise is into the world of Mixed
Media, specializing in old world culture, employing old
beads and Tibetan pieces. She strives to create pieces
that don't appear structured. And the great part is that
when Judie cannot find exactly what she needs in her
stash or in the marketplace, she turns to Wayne to
create something special for her. Judie has developed
an unusual way of creating her molds. She carves her
designs into a piece of linoleum or rubber and then
presses the clay on to the design.
The subject of their presentation was "The Collaborative
Dance" ~ an endeavor which occurs when two or more
artists combine their talents and skills to create
spectacular works of art. We were treated to a
slideshow and talk, two tables full of their wondrous
creations, as well as a handout of the artists shown in
the presentation. The paper featured the other artists
that Judie and Wayne worked with to create
"something out of the norm". Some of the
collaborative pieces were on exhibit as well as many of
After letting the piece dry thoroughly it is fired which
allows the metal particles to bond and become solid
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metal. The colorful patinas are accomplished through
the firing and cannot be controlled. Brushing,
burnishing and polishing after the pieces are fired
allows Judie to achieve the desired finishes she seeks.
glass workshop; and as they say, "The rest is history"
well....almost.
His first attempt was a total disaster, when everything
he made turned black ~ he obviously needed more work
in this area.
Wayne showed us a slide of his work area. There are
canes all over the place in what he fondly calls his
"Chaos". One slide showed him teaching a class with
the students peering over his shoulders. The main point
that he, as the teacher, always stresses is "hot end
forward; cool end backward" ~ a lesson relearned often,
as he often gets too involved in what he is trying to
create, only to see the smoke and smell the odors…. But
Lavender Oil is perfect for burns, and there are
containers of it all over the studio!
One day Wayne was watching Judie create these
individualized molds and figured if she could do this, so
could he ~ well not quite as well. Everyone enjoyed
seeing the slides of his endeavors. He has started
creating stylized birds and Judie has fallen in love with
creating a myriad of decorative hearts.
The hardest part is coping with the 20% shrinkage factor
of PMC and different metals cool at different rates as
well as the changes that patinas go through. If they
"plan" on incorporating one of Wayne's glass creations,
Judie has to work her magic to make it fit perfectly.
Wayne took us step-by-step through his history of
creativity. We all were amazed that it has taken 12-14
years to develop his awesome glass critter eyes. The
hardest part is to get them to really match in size, in
shape and in the color combinations. He took a class in
making flower beads and found that boring ~ until he
started adding his own touches….not so boring now!
Wayne shared many slides of his glass work, pointing
out a variety of special effects, such as the realistic
ripples on the shell of a sea turtle. It took 8 years to
develop his fish. Oh my goodness! They looked real
enough to swim off the screen!!! The Lion Fish was 7" x
7" ~ a true sculpture, not a simple bead at all. The most
impressive genre, and the items that he is most known
for, are his FROG heads! But it was not until he made
them smile, that they started to sell like crazy. He has
frogs on leaves, in shells, in and on everything. The
other unusual pieces he creates are his MONKEYS. Not
They seem to have a lot of fun dealing with all the parts
that react differently.
Over twenty years ago, Wayne attended a class on
Jewelry Art and was not impressed with the
regimentation of style and techniques. Two years later,
he was fortunate to take a class with glass bead artists
and teachers Kim Osibin,and Leah Fairbanks who also
introduced him to the glass canes of Arrow Springs.
Then, one day, Wayne and Judy attended a local art fair,
where he had his first introduction to artistian blown
glass. This glass bead was for sale for $20 and Wayne
walked away….but told Judie all about what he had
seen. She promptly went over and purchased the piece
for Wayne to study. Two years later, he took his first
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“normal” monkeys. Nope! His are smoking cigars,
wearing top hats, sporting pierced earrings ~ it doesn't
stop! He designed dogs for a brief time, until clients
wanted him to create personalized ones that looked like
their precious doggies. Nope, no more.
amphora, and even on handbags. This movement
evolved from one to the other, the development being
totally uninfluenced by nothing but their own expertise.
Judie handed out a two-sided page showing all the
artists involved to date and their websites, so we can
investigate each one to our hearts’ content.
Judy and Wayne often collaborate in working with
mixed media, but many of the pieces did not work
according to "the original plan”. Pieces warped,
cracked, mis-colored, slumped, etc. Judie tells Wayne
what she wants him to make and he "tries" to make it.
But even their disasters miraculously have a way of
coming together.
For more information or to read their blog, check out
Wayne Robbins and Judy Mountain at their site:
www.MountainRobbins.com
The artists involved in The Collaborative Dance are:
Wayne Robbins and Judie Mountain in collaboration
with:
Christi Anderson
Pat Barton
Lauren Buchan
Sheri Cohen
Betty Cox
Marcia De Coster
Dayle Doroshow
Cassandra Graham
Chris Johnson
Ling-Yen Jones
Heidi Kummli
Karen Lewis (KLEW)
Penny Michelle
Rachel Nelson-Smith
Victoria Pearman
Susan Pierle
Sherry Serafini
Laura Silverman Splaver
Kimmie Van Antwerp
Julie Weiss
And Lisa Salinero their graphic designer…..
In the 1990s, Judie and Wayne were able to purchase a
great number of old Tibetan pieces which she is
incorporating into her necklaces now. Her magic touch
is to combine these ancient pieces with her stylized
bronze PMC and Wayne's glass beads.
The effect of their pieces was described concerning a
large necklace they had created. A special customer
was going through a rough time in her life. Wayne and
Judie held an artist show and she wandered over to see
what was going on. They all insisted that she model a
particular necklace. She was very hesitant but the
resulting compliments from complete total strangers
turned her life around on that day.
The most comments on the BSNC meeting night were
received from a series of slides showing their “The
Collaborations - The Creative Dance". This was
accomplished with over twenty artists where the parts
would come to Wayne and Judie or they would leave
their hands, only to be sent to yet other artists; not just
glass bead makers, but artists who specialize in working
with seed beads, polymer clay, metalsmithing, PMC,
fabric, wild colors, birds, fossils, leather, stained glass,
!
~Marilyn Peters
SAVE THIS DATE April 16-17, 2016
for the next BSNC Bead Bazaar
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Calendar of Events
October 17-18, 2015
Saturday & Sunday
11am-5pm
October 20, 2015
Tuesday 7pm
Judie Mountain and Wayne Robbins will be having their annual Open Studio event.
Visit www.MountainRobbins.com or www.artscouncilsc.org for more info.
1701 Branciforte Dr
Santa Cruz, CA
October Speaker: Joe and Anat Silvera
October 24-25, 2015
Saturday & Sunday
10am-5pm
November 14-15, 2015
Saturday10am-6pm
Sunday 10am-5pm
November 17, 2015
NC Nagle GemStones & Beads will be exhibiting at the 7th Annual Peninsula Gem &
Geology Society Gem Show. Visit pggs.org or ncnaglegemsandbeads.com for more
info.
Judie Mountain and Wayne Robbins, NC Nagle GemStones & Beads and the Garden of
Beadin’ will be exhibiting at BABE! (Bay Area Bead Extravaganza). Visit
BeadExtravaganza.com for more info
November Speaker: Virginia Blakelock
November 21-22, 2015
Saturday & Sunday
10am-5pm
November 27-29, 2015
Friday thru Sunday
10am-6pm
NC Nagle GemStones & Beads will be exhibiting at the 4th Annual Winter Rockin’
Show! Santa Cruz Winter Mineral, Fossil, Bead & Jewelry Sale. Visit scmgs.org or
ncnaglegemsandbeads.com for more info.
The Garden of Beadin’ will be at the San Mateo Intergem Show with seedbeads, Czech
glass, stringing material and beading supplies. BSNC Members get 10% off with their
card. Call 2 weeks ahead of the show with any special orders. Visit GardenofBeadin.com
for more info.
Wild Things Trunk Show at Blue Door Beads We are happy to welcome back our
favorite bead guru, Guy from Wild Things Beads! He specializes in precious and semiprecious gemstones, pearls, Czech glass, and more! We're pretty sure you're going to
want to take home a little of everything. So, mark your calendars, and don't miss out!
Courtyard Marriott
5555 Shellmound
Emeryville, CA 94605
Civic Center
One North San Antonio Rd.
Los Altos, CA 94022-3000
Oakland Marriott City Center
10th & Broadway
Oakland, CA
Courtyard Marriott
5555 Shellmound
Emeryville, CA 94605
Live Oak Grange Hall
1900 17th Ave.
Town of Live Oak, CA 95062
San Mateo Event Center
2495 S Delaware St.
San Mateo, CA 94403
December 4-5, 2015
Friday & Saturday
Dear Bead Society of Northern California,
I wanted to say thank you for sending Marilyn Peters to the Concord Library on August 22nd, 2015, for a Saturday
Morning beading program. A good time was had by all! We had 7 attendees (though 16 had signed up!) and everyone
was excited to make their very own spiral bracelet. Marilyn was a pleasure to work with and brought such enthusiasm
and expert teaching to our library, I've already had a request to have her back!
Marilyn was thoughtful and patient in her teaching, and the final product was beautiful! Everyone walked away with
something very special from their day. This is a great example of how the library can be a place to bring community
together. This program was also a wonderful opportunity for our patrons to explore their creative side.
It was a great pleasure to have Marilyn come to the library and we would love to have her back again. Our Saturday craft
program is called "Handmade Happy Hour" and I would love to be able to offer Marilyn's beading class again as part of
our series. I can't thank Marilyn enough for sharing her talents and expert teaching skills presenting such a enjoyable
and engaging few hours.
Thank you so very much,
Lynne Noone
Adult Services Librarian - Concord Library
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BRAGGS & BOUQUETS
Tamara Hill is now participating in a new web site, called: www.inspiredluxe.com which is devoted to showcasing
international designers and "innovative artisanal entrepreneurs" of jewelry, art-to- wear, and accessories that utilize
traditional, ethnically inspired components and patterns in their creations.
You may view her necklace designs at: http://inspiredluxe.com/collections/tamara-hill-studio
Tamara was recently featured in this article in the Huffington Post, an internet publication that goes out to millions of
subscribers, with several of her pieces pictured prominently.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7714370?1436209650
Additionally, her work has been shown on May 28th at the launch event for InspiredLuxe in San Francisco's Marina
district.; and will also be displayed for sale at a "pop-up" store in the new NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center at: 505
Howard at the corner of First St. in S.F., from October 2 to November 6, 2015.
COMMUNITY BOARD
Susan Brooks Jewelry and Art Studio Ongoing Monthly Open Studio Events
First Saturdays 12pm-5pm & 2nd Friday Art Party 7:00pm-9:30pm
Visit http://www.susanbrooks.com for more info.
2547 Eighth Street 24a
Berkeley, California 94710
510 845-2612
25th Annual Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open StudiosA Free Self-Guided Tour of 100 Professional Artisan Workshops and Galleries
11am-6pm, Weekends, Nov. 28-29 & Dec. 5-6, 12-13, 19-20 (plus weekdays, Dec. 21-24)
Various locations in Berkeley, California
FREE ADMISSION
Event Contact Number: 510 845-2612
Event Web site: berkeleyartisans.com or facebook.com/BerkeleyArtisans
Join the Blue Door Beads Third Annual Jewelry Collective!
Have you always thought about selling your jewelry, but weren’t sure how to go about it?
Now is your chance to sell your work! Blue Door Beads customers, students, and other
community members can feature their jewelry for sale here at the shop Thursday, December
17th through Tuesday, December 22nd. The deadline for submitting a request to be featured
is Thursday, October 8th. Visit https://bluedoorbeads.wordpress.com/more-fun-stuff/thirdannual-jewelry-collective/ for more details.
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Fabmo Textile Art Boutique
Handcrafted treasures created by over 40 local artisans showcasing how they use fabmo materials .
Saturday, October 24, 2015 Time: 10am to 4pm
Location: Palo Alto Elks Lodge , 4249 El Camino Real , Palo Alto, CA
Free admission and free parking
www.fabmo.org
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DISCOUNTS FOR BSNC MEMBERS!
The following stores offer discounts – show your current membership card
ALAMEDA
Bead Inspirations www.BeadInspirations.com
1544 Park Street Tel: 510-337-1203
10% discount except class fees, books, consignment jewelry &
instructor material kits.
SAN JOSE
Sew Bedazzled
1068 Lincoln Avenue Tel: 408-293-2232
10% discount except on classes.
SANTA CRUZ
Kiss My Glass
660A 7th Avenue Tel: 831-462-3077
15% Discount
BENICIA
Beading Around the Bush
126 East E Street Tel: 707-747-9094
15% discount except for classes, books & sale items.
VACAVILLE
Beads on Main www.BeadonMain.com
313 Main St. Tel:707-446-1014
10% discount at our bead store. Does not apply to finished
jewelry, magazines/books, class fees, already discounted
merchandise & Swarovski crystal packs. or if member is
eligible for our wholesale customer discount.
BERKELEY
Baubles & Beads www.BaublesandBeads.com
1676 Shattuck Avenue Tel: 510-644-2323
15% discount except for classes, books & sale items. If
shopping online, use coupon code NCBS15.
CONCORD
Just Bead It! www.JustBeadItConcord.com
2051 Harrison Street, Suite C Tel:925-682-6943
VALLEJO
Beads in Pomegranate Seeds
538 C Florida Street Tel: 707-557-3337
10% Discount
DANVILLE
Cottage Jewel www.CottageJewel.com
100 Prospect Avenue Tel: 925-837-2664
10-15% off everything not marked net.
INTERNET STORES
Beadshaper www. Beadshaper.com
coupon code is: BSNC58713coupon
10% discount on handcrafted items bought directly from
Beadshaper through the Beadshaper web site and at the
Beadshaper booth at shows in Northern California. This does
not apply to Beadshaper items sold at art galleries, boutiques,
or through another vender. The discount only applies to
items created by the Beadshaper. It does not apply to
Beadshaper classes or items purchased by the Beadshaper for
resale. It cannot be applied together with any other discount.
FAIRFIELD
KimberlyKate Beads
720 Texas Street Tel: 707-426-2003
10% discount when you show your membership card. No
discount on consignment items.
GARBERVILLE
Garden of Beadin’ www.GardenofBeadin.com
752 Redwood Drive Tel: 800-232-3588
Fax: 707-923-9160 Email: [email protected]
10% off for all BSNC members, in our store or at any of our
shows. Does not apply to already discounted merchandise.
CBA, Inc. www.ChinaBizAccess.com
Tel: 916-873-6230 Fax: 916-983-9128
15% discount except for on already discounted merchandise.
Enter member code BSNC in comment area when ordering.
OAKLAND
Blue Door Beads www.BlueDoorBeads.com
4167 Piedmont Ave Tel: 510-652-2583
10% discount.
Natural Touch www.NaturalTouchBeads.com
Tel: 707.781.0808
NCBS members receive 10% off their Resin Bead Purchases.
Put note in comments section of checkout or call
707.781.0808 Discount does not apply to sale items or
markdowns.
BROWNS VALLEY
Wild Things Beads www.WildThingsBeads.com
PO Box 356 Tel: 530-743-1339
20% discount on Czech pressed beads and fire polish.
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President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Program Chair
Volunteer Coordinator
Newsletter Editor
VACANT
TERI LAWSON
MARILYN PETERS
LISA CLAXTON
MARILYN PETERS
JULIE HANKS
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Annual Membership Dues, which include digital mailings and meetings are $20 per year. Memberships with snail mail
and meetings is $30 per year. The year begins on the month you join. Dues are accepted at monthly meetings or can be
paid online using PayPal or a credit card, or with a Membership Application printed from our website.
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