Concrete: Not Just for Sidewalks Anymore
with Robert Dancik
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Date: Saturday & Sunday, September 24 & 25
Time: 10 am to 5 pm Cost: $295 current BoMA members $345 for non-members Materials kit: $25 Location: Boulder Metalsmithing Association 4919 Broadway, Unit 14 Boulder, CO 80304 |
Class Description
As unlikely as concrete for jewelry may seem, it is easy to use, extremely versatile, unbelievably inexpensive and…. surprisingly lightweight. In fact it is lighter in weight then stone, resin or metal of comparable size and this makes it perfect for jewelry and other forms of personal adornment as well as small sculpture and utilitarian objects.
Concrete can be pigmented in numerous ways and the surface can be finished with a variety of textures from very rough to smooth to polished! You will be able to “set” virtually any object in it without the need for a bezel or finding – however we’ll use those in the concrete as well. Materials such as found objects, metal, glass, ephemera, gemstones, bone and enamels can be “trapped" in the concrete with no fasteners or mechanical means. And this is the perfect opportunity to use all of those bit and pieces that you like so much but can’t figure out how to incorporate into your work.
The concrete we'll be using is extremely strong even when made as thin as 1/16 inch thick. It can be cast in rubber stamps, candy and baking molds, polymer clay and any silicone mold – both those you make and buy.
We'll start by making non-soldered boxes as in one of the examples pictured above and below. These can then be filled with concrete and include virtually any material or found object you please. We'll then delve into various methods of setting your concrete creations with numerous cold connections, which will allow you to combine them with any other materials or objects you may work with.
Additionally, we'll talk about the references that are inherent in using a material like concrete such as permanence, rigidity, protection and obstacle.
About the Instructor
Robert Dancik has been an artist/teacher for more than 30 years. He is the originator of Faux Bone™ and Solid Expressions Artist’s Concrete™, new, wonderful materials for artists involved in jewelry, artist’s books, sculpture, and many other artistic disciplines. Robert is also the author of the book “Amulets and Talismans: Techniques for Creating Meaningful Jewelry”.
He teaches workshops nationally and internationally and has work in numerous museum, public and private collections both here and abroad. He has artwork published in many books including, in the Lark series, “500 Pendants”, “500 handmade Books and “1000 Rings”. Other books his work is featured in are “PMC Decade”, “Fine Art of the Tin Can”, “The Art of Resin Jewelry,” “Zilver Klei” (Denmark), and “Creative Metal Clay Jewelry”.
Robert lives in Connecticut, teaches around the world, is an avid cook (I didn’t say good) and a collector of toys, maps, and compasses.
Prerequisites
No jewelry making, concrete, or design experience is necessary and you can expect to leave with numerous examples and at least one finished piece.
Students need to bring
Materials kit (provided by instructor)* $25
Number of Seats
Maximum ten students. All participants will be required to sign a waiver.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Register on Meetup
As unlikely as concrete for jewelry may seem, it is easy to use, extremely versatile, unbelievably inexpensive and…. surprisingly lightweight. In fact it is lighter in weight then stone, resin or metal of comparable size and this makes it perfect for jewelry and other forms of personal adornment as well as small sculpture and utilitarian objects.
Concrete can be pigmented in numerous ways and the surface can be finished with a variety of textures from very rough to smooth to polished! You will be able to “set” virtually any object in it without the need for a bezel or finding – however we’ll use those in the concrete as well. Materials such as found objects, metal, glass, ephemera, gemstones, bone and enamels can be “trapped" in the concrete with no fasteners or mechanical means. And this is the perfect opportunity to use all of those bit and pieces that you like so much but can’t figure out how to incorporate into your work.
The concrete we'll be using is extremely strong even when made as thin as 1/16 inch thick. It can be cast in rubber stamps, candy and baking molds, polymer clay and any silicone mold – both those you make and buy.
We'll start by making non-soldered boxes as in one of the examples pictured above and below. These can then be filled with concrete and include virtually any material or found object you please. We'll then delve into various methods of setting your concrete creations with numerous cold connections, which will allow you to combine them with any other materials or objects you may work with.
Additionally, we'll talk about the references that are inherent in using a material like concrete such as permanence, rigidity, protection and obstacle.
About the Instructor
Robert Dancik has been an artist/teacher for more than 30 years. He is the originator of Faux Bone™ and Solid Expressions Artist’s Concrete™, new, wonderful materials for artists involved in jewelry, artist’s books, sculpture, and many other artistic disciplines. Robert is also the author of the book “Amulets and Talismans: Techniques for Creating Meaningful Jewelry”.
He teaches workshops nationally and internationally and has work in numerous museum, public and private collections both here and abroad. He has artwork published in many books including, in the Lark series, “500 Pendants”, “500 handmade Books and “1000 Rings”. Other books his work is featured in are “PMC Decade”, “Fine Art of the Tin Can”, “The Art of Resin Jewelry,” “Zilver Klei” (Denmark), and “Creative Metal Clay Jewelry”.
Robert lives in Connecticut, teaches around the world, is an avid cook (I didn’t say good) and a collector of toys, maps, and compasses.
Prerequisites
No jewelry making, concrete, or design experience is necessary and you can expect to leave with numerous examples and at least one finished piece.
Students need to bring
- Round and flat nose pliers
- Medium file (not needle file) - half round is best
- Craft knife
- Collage items (paper, ephemera, images, photographs, anything you may want to include)
- Drill bits for use in Flexshaft
- Sheet metal (I will have copper)
- Found objects: Old jewelry, beads, bangles, buttons and bows for inclusions
- Silicone molds you have or have made
- 1 pkg. or more of polymer clay Premo, Sculpey III or any other polymer clay is fine - 1 transparent/translucent, 1 black (this is optional but we may delve into how to use it for connections)
- 1 pkg. of 2 part epoxy - Devcon, Loctite, or similar available at Rio Grande, Home Depot, most hardware stores NOTE: don’t buy the syringe type dispenser epoxy – the package is designed to yield bad results
Materials kit (provided by instructor)* $25
- Copper sheet
- Special nearly unbreakable blades for jeweler’s saw
- Concrete for projects and samples
- 16 gauge copper wire
- 18/19 gauge iron wire
Number of Seats
Maximum ten students. All participants will be required to sign a waiver.
CANCELLATION POLICY
- You may cancel up to 10 business days prior to the start of the class and receive a full refund, less $10 processing.
- Cancellations 5-10 business days prior to the start of the class are eligible for a 50% refund.
- Cancellations occurring less than 5 business days prior to the start date will not be refunded,
- In the event we have to cancel a class, you will be notified prior to the start date and will be issued a full refund.
Register on Meetup
