Teaching Workshops

I have been teaching metalsmithing and jewelry making workshops and classes for almost seven years. It seems like just yesterday that I was walking into my first class, scared to the bone, wondering if I could possibly impart upon these strangers then passoin that I have for metalsmithing. Those first classes were riddled with overwhelming stage fright complicated by that which can only be called the demo disaster- a phenomenon that occurs when you are demonstrating a technique you have done a thousand times and crazy things go wrong. Well, I have grown, learned to plan, and though the occasional demo disaster still occurs I have now learned to use it as a learning opportunity with a couple of laughs. I love teaching, for me it is an obvious extension of my life as a maker. The solitude I experience in my studio works as a compliment to the intense interactions that occur in the classroom and vice versa. My students keep me on my toes and I cannot thank them enough for that. I taught a workshop yesterday on Torch-fired Enamels, it went really well, we had a blast and the work was truly amazing!