Lifelong Learning As A Metalsmith
Written By Lynne Patnode
From Beginner To Professional—Are You Ever Finished Learning?
Wherever you are on your journey into Metalsmithing, have you ever felt as if you have learned all you need to know, and consider yourself finished with learning this amazing art form?
I think as adults, learning is a funny thing. As adults, we don’t want to waste time, and we expect we will be good at something if we just “try it.” We expect that as a competent and mature person, the life skills we have built will serve us well and we can learn any task quickly. All I can say is MALARKY!
There is no field that will humble you faster than Metalsmithing!
Add to that, there are literally thousands of ways to approach metalsmithing in all of its forms, and thousands of tools to help you do whatever you are trying to do. The thing is, a good tool is only a part of what will help you! How many of you are like I was, thinking that all I had to do was have every tool I could buy, and I would be a successful metalsmith artist, simply because I wanted to be one.
And then there is the internet. There are no shortages of videos that will tell you how to metalsmith, in many cool and sometimes dangerous ways. Here, you are the curator, and how do you know what is good and what isn’t? You don’t know, because you don’t see the out takes, the disasters, and the pieces that don’t work out.
So how do you learn to metalsmith?
Learn a technique, and put hours into practicing that technique. If soldering is what you have problems with, solder scrap until you get and understand how the torch, the metal, and the solder all behaves together.
Research Research Research! Find the best tutorials via reviews, word of mouth, or reputation.
Try to work on your own project that you think of in your head, rather than copy someone else’s idea or project.
Take classes—many of the reasons you might run into problems, is that metalsmithing is about NUANCE and a particular way you are holding a tool, or not knowing what you are seeing, or not understanding mechanics, can be the reason for less than satisfactory results and outcomes.
Find other friends who like metalsmithing and trade bench tips and tricks.
I have been metalsmithing for 25 plus years, and I still regularly take classes! I am always wanting to learn new skills, and this is one field where the learning is always and ON-GOING! I love that I am humbled every day by this craft—it will never get boring, and when you conquer something—it is “Oh-So-SWEET!
