PMC Conference

Elizabeth R. Agte - The Cold Connection...
It's not always practical to make jewelry by soldering. That's why it's fantastic that there are so many wonderful ways to combine components with "cold connections." Rivets, metal tabs, miniature screws, wire, and found objects can all play a role in attaching one piece of metal to another.

Elizabeth R. Agte has been making jewelry and teaching workshops in the Rochester, New York area since 1985. Elizabeth's use of tarnished copper, patinated silver, and semi-precious stones reflect her roots in the American West. Working in PMC offers a touch stone to her past as a ceramicist. She has reached level one in the Master's Registry. Currently she is taking welding class, working with mixed media and belongs to a writing group.
More at http://www.agte.com/

Lisa Cain - Making a Good Impression: Innovative Textures
Take a fresh look at interesting places to find unique textures for your metal clay work. Lisa will give an overview of making textures in a variety of ways including carving diverse materials, the tear-away technique, and photo polymer plates. She will also show how to find unique textures in fun and creative places. This presentation will leave you stimulated and full of ideas.

Lisa Cain lives in England and is the founding director of the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery. She is a runner-up in the PMC category of the prestigious Saul Bell Award competition and has achieved the second tier of the Masters Registry. She is a contributing member of the Metal Clay Academy and the moving force behind the Silver Metal Clay Diploma program. More at mcsj.co.uk/

Susan Dilger - How to make Social Media and Your On-line Presence Work for You
Have a Blog? Facebook page? Website? Tweet much? Arggh! Who has time for that?
Unfortunately, if you're not visible on-line these days, you're invisible!

Susan shares up-to-the-minute tips for marketing yourself and your business on-line. Learn ways to efficiently get your message seen. Figure out how to determine and exploit your "niche" and consider which social sites are best for you. These tips and guidelines will help you decide if a social media campaign is right for you and how to develop a plan for success.

Susan Dilger has been selling her jewelry through galleries, museum shops and specialty shops since 2004 after retiring from over 25 years in the retail industry. She enjoys helping other artists market themselves and develop their business skills to maximize profits. Susan started TaosEdge, a niche e-commerce business in 2011 to promote some of her favorite edgy artists from Taos, New Mexico to a world-wide audience. More at http://taosedge.com/

Celie Fago & Ellen Wieske - Designing Without a Net (a performance)
Design is inherently a personal process, but this engaging presentation willl allow us to peek into the minds of two talented designers as they work. The Hollywood image of inspiration arriving on a bolt of lightning gives way to the reality of the scores of decisions that transform an idea into a fully realized design. Watch as the process unfolds spontaneously before your very eyes.

Ellen Wieske is a metalsmith, designer, author, and teacher. This intimate workshop will continue ideas she will discuss in her keynote talk. More at www.dowstudiodeerisle.com/

Celie Fago is a well-known teacher and artist in the metal clay world. Her background in painting and polymer clay have influenced her innovative work in metal clay. More at www.celiefago.com/.

Holly Gage - Igniting the Inferno of Creativity
There is no doubt that artists have a burning desire to create. When we hit a roadblock in our creativity, the experience is frustrating and stifling. New and experienced artists encounter times when the ideas just are not flowing. We need to be reminded how to turn our inspirations into artistic actions through a plan of seeing, experiencing, exploring, playing, and doing.

We know we want to overcome the frustration and tap into our creativity, so the question becomes, "How do we discover new modes of creativity that actually ignite the inferno of our creative desires?" Join this interactive presentation to unleash fresh new ideas for creating an action plan that snuffs out the doubts and helps you along a new path of creative discovery.

Holly Gage has a degree in Fine Art and Education and has been teaching metal clay for many years. She is known for her research into repoussé techniques in metal clay, negative space caning, and her use of titanium crystals. She is also the creative force behind the When Peace Talks line of jewelry and the annual Art and Design of Metal Clay Jewelry calendars. More at http://hollygage.com/

Lora Hart - The ABC's of Teaching
Teaching metal clay can be rewarding in many ways, but knowing how to get started may seem overwhelming. This seminar will review the nuts and bolts of finding students and venues, the benefits and downfalls of home based classes vs. teaching at shops and art centers, offering loaner tool kits, insurance, what kind of materials a new instructor might want to have on hand, offering extra supplies for sale at class, and more. We'll also discuss what specific projects to teach and the importance of designing a well-rounded curriculum.

Lora Hart is the Artistic Advisor and a Senior Instructor with PMC Connection. As a designer, educator and creativity coach, her passion for the art and business of jewelry making has taken her across the United States to help other makers explore their own passions, develop their craft and expand their skills. Lora wrote the e-book, Crafting Your Artistic Voice to help artful creators crystallize their unique design aesthetic.

Hadar Jacobson - Introduction to Base Metal Clays
Few people have done more to advance the use of base metal clays than Hadar Jacobson. This comprehensive survey of copper, bronze, steel, and other clays will provide a broad overview of these clays, including ways they can be fired together.

Hadar Jacobson is an active teacher, author, and entrepreneur. From her California studio she has launched new products, her own line of books, and innovative firing methods. More at http://www.artinsilver.com/

Donna Penoyer - Nice Work—and You Can Get It
Are you thinking about making a transition to a more creative lifestyle and wonder if you can make a living selling your jewelry? Are you already a working artist, but thinking about what other activities might supplement your income in tough economic times? Creative people know that there are an infinite number of ways to think outside the box and to piece together the puzzle of their lives. This inspirational session will present the amazing stories of people just like you--artist/entrepreneurs who have found or invented interesting ways of making a living in conjunction with creating and selling art. Come ready to see and hear some clever ideas that could start you on your own path toward a more flexible, meaningful, income-generating way of life, revolving around what you're good at and what you love to do.

Donna Penoyer makes her living by selling jewelry she has made, teaching others to work in metal clay, and working as a professional stiltwalker, face painter, and balloon twister. As an entertainer at corporate parties, art festivals, and trade shows, she has met a number of people with self-proclaimed "Artist ADD" who are driven to be creative in multiple disciplines and/or to piece together their incomes in a combination of interesting ways. She is eager to share her experiences and those of other self-employed artists to help others take heart and transition into a more creative lifestyle. More at www.donnapenoyer.com/

Helga van Leipsig - Process as a Design Tool
As a radically new material, metal clay provides a perfect medium to explore the role of process as a design tool. Rather than focusing on a final result, this presentation will consider ways that allow process and discovery to lead design decisions. The results can be more personally rewarding, innovative, and unique. Artists willing to take some risks and invest time in playful research can discover not only fresh designs but a renewed pleasure in their work.

Helga van Leipsig lives and works in The Netherlands, and is known as "La Leipsig." Her jewelry education started at the Academy of Arts in Maastricht, The Netherlands. She creates one of a kind and limited edition jewelry that she sells through her website and a few galleries. Exploring the possibilities of metal clay is her passion, one that leads to innovative techniques like using ceramic decals on fine silver. She likes to share her knowledge by teaching metal clay workshops in the south of the Netherlands and presenting at conferences. More at www.laleipsigjewels.com