Handmade Division's Talk about blog - Nov. Edition - Talk about one/some teachers/mentors/masters you'd like to study with

photo via david huang

It is time for this month's installation of one of my street team's - Handmade Division - Talk about Blog. It is similar to the EtsyMetal Blog Carnival. Each month a topic is given and we all write about that topic. It is great fun to see all the different variations of the same topic.

This month's topic is:
Talk about one/some teachers/mentors/masters you'd like to study with.

Initially - I almost didn't even sign up for this b/c my first answer was "I have no idea!" I tend to like to work things out on my own, 'learn the hard way', which I know is silly. I just don't often look around at people's work and really delve in to what they do - and then think I'd like to learn from them. I guess I am more drawn to work of people who do things that are quite different from my work. So the idea of studying with one of these people hasn't necessarily ever been a desire. However... I did think of someone - so it makes this topic much easier!!

When I was in school - the semester before I started the program - the chasing and repousse class was taught. And it wasn't taught again until after I was done. So sad! I did make a few chasing tools - but not having a great idea of what I would be doing with them, it felt kind of pointless. At one point, I asked one of my teachers if they would show me how for an indepth project we were given. Sadly - he told me to go find a book and learn on my own. I had a friend in class show me the basics and played with it a little on my own. Since I was young and in school and learning so many techniques all in a short period of time, I never truly learned how to do it. When I started my own studio there were other things I was interested in more, so once again, it has been put on the back burner. When I went to the SNAG conference in Savannah a few years ago I saw David Huang's work in person and was utterly amazed. I honestly remember very few other people's work! So he is one person I could think of that has mastered a technique I would like to learn one day. And I'd love to see his fabulous solar powered studio!

Make sure to check out the other participating members:

Andes Cruz
Nancy Dale
Tosca Teran
Lisa Hopkins Design
Rickson Jewellery
Sand Fibers
Purified
Emily Watson
Thomasin Durgin
WATTO Distinctive Metal Wear