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The Lightweight Sway: Fabricating Lightweight Earrings with Movement
During this 2-day weekend course, participants will learn to design and fabricate a unique pair of earrings that blend sterling silver with either wood and/or aluminum, for a truly airy set of ear ornamentations that both feel great and look even better! Each student will learn to consider the weight balance & movement of earring design, tricks for soldering small connective hardware, and learn how to create contour rivet / prong setting frames to set non-precious materials without marking, marring, or damaging the surface area.
Students will leave with a finished pair of earrings and the skills needed to broaden their creative tool kit for blending sterling silver fabrication with other materials. Sterling, wood and aluminum will be provided, but students are encouraged to bring any additions of these materials should they wish.
This class is sponsored by Rio Grand. Scholarships for this class have been awarded.
Meet the instructor
Taylor Zarkades King is a studio artist and jeweler living and working in Western Massachusetts. Formally trained as a metalsmith her craft based practice sways between a jewelers bench and a studio that finds its form through larger configurations of wood, fiber, print and re contextualized objects. Her jewelry practice is grounded in material reuse— utilizing anodized aluminum and wood to create limited-edition pieces with an affinity for asymmetry, movement, distressed color.
King received her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2019 and a BFA from California College of Arts in 2010. She was a 2013 artist in residence with EDITIONBasel at Druckwerks [Basel Switzerland], the 2019 artist in residence with Quirk Gallery + VisArts Center [Richmond, VA] and a 2022 Pentaculum artist in residence at Arrowmont School of Arts and Craft [Gatlinburg TN]. She is a participating artist of Radical Jewelry Makeover’s RJM Artist Project, and a Jewelry Edition Vol. 5 alumni. King teaches inventive studio workshops nationally and has exhibited in the US, Switzerland, Mexico, and China.
Learn more about Taylor and her work at www.taylorzarkadesking.com!
Materials & Tools
There is a $67 materials fee for this course which is payable upon registration. The materials kit fee covers sterling silver sheet metal, sterling silver round wire, sterling silver earring posts, silver solder, titanium friction ear nuts, high-speed twist drill bits, sterling silver heavy wall tubing, sterling silver rectangular wire (3mm x1mm and 2mm x 1mm), silicone polishing wheels, and use of other miscellaneous supplies needed for course objectives.
Students will have access to a selection / variety of aluminum and wood pieces provided by the instructor.