WORKSHOPS
Whether you only have a weekend to spare, or are seeking a longer crafting experience, workshops are a time in which you are fully immersed in the medium of your choosing. By learning and creating in your class all day, then working independently in the evening, you are giving yourself the time to pursue the interests you've always held in your heart; but maybe never had a chance to properly nourish. Many arts and crafts institutions offer great accommodations, meals, evening entertainment, and a sense of community that you cannot easily find anywhere else. If finances are tight, not to worry! Most craft schools offer scholarship opportunities, work-study programs, and financial aid to people of all ages, genders, and economic backgrounds. So pack your bags, bring your sketchbook, throw on an apron, and join me in the studio!
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES:
2026
Architects of Light: Champlevé & Cloisonné Enameling
(Long Week + Weekend Workshop)
January 11th-18th
John C. Campbell Folk School
Cultivate skills in two enameling techniques simultaneously. Utilizing the saw and solder champlevé method, begin by piercing a design with a jeweler's saw in metal, then solder this design onto a secondary metal background creating a field of recessed cells. Apply additional details within these cells using cloisonné techniques–depletion gilding, metallic foil application, wet packing, and kiln firing–and use color theory, layering, and blending of the enamel to create the illusion of depth.
Your tools and processes of metalsmithing journey begins here! For newcomers and novices; this class will open up a wealth of knowledge for learning the skills behind fabrication and forming of metal into wearable and sculptural artwork. Demonstrations will include how to design, saw, solder, sand, polish, and texture precious metals. Leave the week with a great foundation to build upon for future endeavors in the metal arts.
Champlevé is a specialized process whereby the artist inlays and fires enamels into recessed areas of a metal surface. Create spaces in the metal by piercing a design with a jeweler's saw, then solder the design onto a flat background. Learn fundamental champlevé processes including depletion gilding, applying metallic foils, wet packing and firing the glass in a kiln. An introduction to color theory along with some finely tuned blending and shading will further boost your enameling abilities.
Reviving the Craftsman Era: Metalsmithing
(Long Weekend Workshop)
Sept. 3rd- 7th
John C. Campbell Folk School
Time travel to the early 20th-century and learn the fundamentals of metalsmithing as you recreate your own craftsman-era household goods. Using a coppersmithing book from 1908, be guided through several projects including napkin rings, teaspoons, and drawer pulls alongside other possible projects using your newfound skills. Both decorative and functional, using these objects will bring to life the traditions of craftsman metalsmithing in your everyday routines.
Illuminate Your Work: Saw & Solder Champlevé
Sept. 27th- Oct.3rd
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Champlevé is a specialized process whereby the artist inlays and fires enamels into recessed areas of a metal surface. Create spaces in the metal by piercing a design with a jeweler's saw, then solder the design onto a flat background. Learn fundamental champlevé processes including depletion gilding, applying metallic foils, wet packing and firing the glass in a kiln. An introduction to color theory along with some finely tuned blending and shading will further boost your enameling abilities.
Your metalsmithing journey begins here! Designed for newcomers and novices; this class will open up a wealth of knowledge for learning the skills behind fabrication and forming of metal into wearable and sculptural artwork. Demonstrations will include how to design, saw, solder, sand, polish, and texture precious metals. Leave the week with a great foundation to build upon for future endeavors in the metal arts.
Explore cloisonné, a process in which thin silver wires are formed, shaped, and filled with colored glass. Try several techniques, including how to apply metallic foil to glass, how to wet pack enamel, and how to polish and grind the surface. Discuss color theory and the ways layering, painting, and blending the enamel creates the illusion of depth in your work. For students who wish to be more illustrative with their enameling or are ready to give their artwork new dimension.
Cultivate skills in two enameling techniques simultaneously. Utilizing the saw and solder champlevé method, begin by piercing a design with a jeweler's saw in metal, then solder this design onto a secondary metal background creating a field of recessed cells. Apply additional details within these cells using cloisonné techniques–depletion gilding, metallic foil application, wet packing, and kiln firing–and use color theory, layering, and blending of the enamel to create the illusion of depth.
*Enameling and Metalsmithing workshops for 2026/27 are still in development and will soon be available for registration!*
-Descriptions and further details forthcoming-
Opening soon for registration in late Summer/Fall/Winter of 2026:
