Workshop
Experiences
No Experience Necessary
It might go without saying that there’s no experience needed – after all, I doubt there are huge groups of experienced bronzesmiths lining up for my workshops!
That’s because we bronzesmiths are a rare breed, like the gorgeous White Tigers, clumsy bamboo-munching Pandas and the, uh, Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat.
The other thing to bear in mind here is that I’m 99.9% self-taught. That means I’ve been in the same spot as anyone with no experience.
My aim is to be the teacher that would have inspired me when I started on my journey.
No Mansplaining Guarantee
I promise. No Mansplaining. We’re here to have fun, right? If you need help with something I’m happy to guide you – but I’ll only get hands on with your piece at your explicit request.
Believe it or not, despite being a man, I get mansplained to A LOT from men who seem to know everything about bronze-smithing and can make the exact same stuff in their shed. If I ever even veer close to mansplaining, you have my permission to tell me off!
My workshops are a safe space where we can all just have fun getting hammered.
What Can I Make?
Whatever you feel drawn to!
Pendants, rings, bangles, earrings, arm cuff, whatever you feel you’d like to!
And rather than being like many workshops (often with a lot of participants) where every participant makes the exact same thing, I guide you, showing you the techniques you can use to create your own unique piece through intuition and creativity. That jewellery piece will truly be yours, divined through your own hands and imagination, to take something home that truly tells the story of your make.
You can use the pieces and designs on my stall as inspiration, or we can have a little chat about what calls to you. Ultimately, what comes from your creative process and hands may well be completely different than what was in your imagination.
How Do I Decide What To Make?
You don’t have to! When I’m making jewellery, my process is just to see what happens. This is why I use this approach with my workshop participants; the piece that is right for you will happen, my role is to guide you to find that inspiration.
How The Workshops... Er... Work
I’ll take you through everything using annealed bronze wire, so you can get started straight away. For thicker pieces that need further annealing, that’s down to me, using the torch, some locations don’t allow a naked flame at all, and either way participants never need to work with the flame themselves.
One thing to mention here; working with bronze is fun, and I’ve been doing it for a few years. After all this practice, I can bend metal with my hands that I used to need tools to bend. This is just practice and muscle memory.
It’s inevitable you’ll find it trickier than it looks when you’re watching me making things or demonstrating a technique. It might be tempting to compare your work with mine and be disheartened, but please don’t do that to yourself. Never compare a minute’s experience with years! When I started making, I was comparing my formative steps with the work of people with decades of experience…The true secret is to relax and just enjoy it!
Session Costs
Session prices can vary from event to event depending on event costs, but they usually range between £35 and £45.
I try to keep the prices in line with buying a similar piece from me on the stall.
My workshops last around 90 minutes in small groups of up to four at a time. This means we have plenty of time for a chat, a giggle and create some treasures together.
You Can Book Workshops At The Events Below
Nothing booked in yet, check back soon for upcoming workshops.
