March 2010
CMAG Board
Bruce McKay
Daniel Baca
Ken Patton
Barbara Covey
Lyn Simon
Earl Lovejoy
Susan Lovejoy
Wayne Acton

CMAG Board Meetings
Board meetings will now generally be held prior to the General Meeting in a nearby location. Members are encouraged to attend and contribute.

How to Reach Us
Website:
www.cmaguild.org
Write:
Creative Metal Arts Guild
P. O. Box 8946
Portland OR 97207

Newsletter
Contributions, comments,
classified ads, display ads
guild@actonjewelry.com
Wayne Acton email

Membership
Please visit CMAG's website:
www.cmaguild.org
Annual membership dues are
$60; students $30

Newsletter

The Creative Metal Arts Guild, a non-profit organization, exists to create a community for metalsmiths, jewelers and metal artists, by facilitating communication, providing information and benefits, promoting a positive image of the creative metal artist and increasing public awareness of the artist's contribution to the community.
Editor's Comments

Email Lists

I was asked a few times this month for either the CMAG email list or to forward announcements. Once by a CMAG member. This was a close call and I might have given her the list for her invitation but my policy is simply never to do this. First place I'm kind of lazy. But also, the information is given by the members specifically for guild information, which has become primarily digital. I think for it to be used otherwise there should be an opt out on the membership form.

There are, however, many places in the newsletter where you are told to email for additional info. Often I include a link, which is fully encrypted to hide from spam bots. If I don't, I'm happy to forward your message, until contact is established. Wayne

As always the newsletter(s) along with meeting pictures and so forth are available at our archive (which is now also linked to the CMAG Homepage:)
www.cmaguild.org/picts.html
Contents
Programs
Program Review
Meeting Report
Member News

Announcements
Calls for Entries
Web Stuff
Meeting Times
Programs Go back to contents
March 9, 2010 - GENERAL MEETING PROGRAM
"PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WORK – LARGE AND SMALL"
By Carey, Joe & Daniel

Do you need a way to photograph your work that is convenient and works well?

Our Photography Program will be focused on different kinds of solutions available to you. All will be geared to digital cameras.

Carey Smith will bring the small, commercially-available “Image Maker Light Tent” Kit that he bought at the local photo shop and demonstrate how it works.

Joe Apodaca will show his homemade photo tent with banks of compact fluorescent lights. He made this from plans from the internet. He will demonstrate all of his lighting & diffusion accessories.

Daniel Baca will discuss ways of photographing larger pieces of sculpture. What kinds of lighting he uses and what different backdrops and sources for them.

Topics to be included are kinds of light bulbs, lighting reflectors and mirrors, shooting on non-glare glass and kinds/colors/textures of backdrops. For jewelers, what are ways to hold the jewelry….clips, stands, adhesive putty. Also we will discuss the importance of depth of field.

We welcome everyone to bring their questions and to share your own photo-taking tips.

April: GRS: Tools, Training, & Techniques for Hand Engravers, Jewelers, and Artists

For our April program Bruce McKay will talk on GRS Tools... " I will do a program on the products of GRS corporation, which make life at the bench easier."

Located in Emporia Kansas, GRS Tools is a premier manufacturer of equipment for artists working in metal jewelry. Originally founded on advances in engraving technology, GRS also offers the BenchMate System of holding devices and excellent training courses.



grstools.com
Program ReviewGo back to contents
Maximize Time/$, February 2010
presented by Daryl Grove

Daryl is a self-employed electronic payment services broker and his talk confronted me with a level of expertise concerning taking plastic whose existence I hardly suspected. I finally found out that MOTO stands for mail order telephone order. I didn't get to ask about those annoying reviews of PCI Compliance but many members with less merchant account experience than I had important questions so I held my peace. Daryl spoke so knowledgably and engagingly that we didn't make it through the outline he passed out with his talk. He also distributed the transaction cost chart depicted below and now I understand what it means.

Judy and I lucked out years ago on the merchant account we chose randomly but if we were in the market, getting a pitch from Daryl Grove would be first on our list. For a lot of us merchants of the CMAG ilk, any small incremental savings we might glean do not offset access to reliable and local expertise. One might do well to give Daryl a chance at providing this. He does business as Electronic Payment Services & Equipment and can be reached by phone at 503 660 2442 or email dgrove@usa.net. Wayne

General Meeting ReportGo back to contents
Report of CMAG General Meeting DATE

Board: The board met before the general meeting starting at six pm at a coffee shop near the Art Center. I've received no word yet about a meeting room so we'll probably meet al'caffeine again. If you want notification, send me an email and I'll get a list going.

Visitors: I didn't count forty this time but pretty close. Rhonda, Cathleen and Elizabeth visited. All work gold, silver and/or copper. Rhonda studied with Debra Carus I think. Former member Mike Free visited and rejoined the guild. He's doing the show and lives on the west side now. Susan Lovejoy for membership reported ten more memberships in January.

Spring Show: See Debra's remarks below for the latest scoop. The show committee needs the request forms in the second emailed packet returned, (prolly real late by now.) Linda Bretana reports for sponsorship that a volume from the Revere Academy has been donated and will be auctioned. Barbara Covey is again supervising the Silent Auction which raises funds used to offset show costs. Have something to give her and there will be forms involved at some point. Linda Apodaca has the member gallery in hand. Members without their own booth may place three pieces there for $50. Volunteering to man the booth is encouraged and is a very good way to get some experience with the public. CASA beads should be given to Mary Wong by the April General meeting. A necklace at the recent Multnomah CASA Auction fetched $900. Lyn Simon is preparing the postcard show announcements and Mandy Allen is coordinating distribution to businesses. Place requests for your own mailings and distributions. Volunteer to spread them around.

Announcements: Daniel Baca agreed to take the office of guild vice president and Ken Patton has moved over to treasurer, giving us a full compliment of officers. Deb Steele (and I think someone else) brought a copy of the March 2010 issue of Art Jewelry magazine which has Lee Haga's bracelet on the cover and article inside. Daniel Baca invited everyone to see his sculpture at the Home & Garden Show through Feb. 28, in the collaborative display area. Debra Carus brought the bronze pieces formed at the art clay program. Deb Steele, Lyn Simon & Judith Watson announced gallery shows/openings/placements. Mandy Allen did a retrospective of tee shirt improvisations from her time as fearless leader. We were, needless to say, in stitches. Only ten bucks, cheap. Had an abundance of tricks questions. Hobbs Wells asked about using watercolor paper in roller mill texturing. Glori Sayler-Redfern is trying to get red-hot sterling to crack per book instructions, Joe assigned this as a homework project but I didn't do it. Maybe it's cooling off too much on the bench block. Elizabeth asked about leaving a hole in a sealed container during soldering. I always leave one but they're gonna be beads anyway. Danger is blowing solder out on heating or collapse on cooling, disadvantage is getting stuff (pickle) in there.
Member NewsGo back to contents
Spring Show
By Debra Carus

Spring Show Alert!

Good news to report on the spring show - we have 42 participants signed up as of February 28th, and a wonderful mix of seasoned CMAG artists, new members, with all kinds of metal represented. This is shaping up to be a great show again this year.

Now on to business: our deadline for applications has come and gone, so we are officially closed for applications this year. In the second mailing sent out a few weeks back, we asked for the Information Request Form to be returned - make sure you have sent this in, so Layout committee can do the floor plan for the show, and we can allocate load in times to everyone. The third and final mailing of documents, including gallery and silent auction forms, show layout and load in times will be mailed to show participants the last week in March.

When I say mailed, I mean E-Mail....so if for some reason you aren't seeing or getting your show emails, call Debra at 971-221-8151.

That's from Debra, there is also have a note from Mary Wong reminding us to get our CASA beads to her by the April meeting. More info at the website at CASA Bead Info
For Sale
From Carey Smith

Display Case For Sale

The show is coming right up and if you need a case here's your chance.

Still available, small / portable show-case for sale. Call Carey Smith at 232-0057 if at all interested.
CMAG Workshop
From Rebecca Melton

Anticlastic Raising

Rebecca Melton's anticlastic raising workshop is going forward. She will hold it at her house and can accommodate up to eight students. The workshop will be two days of five hours and cost $50. Students will take the delron sinusoidal stake home and their samples. The metal will be provided. The workshop will be on technique, starting from a basic anticlastic tube to working with the hammer on the stake. Then students will move to working with the raising to make bracelets and rings. Rebecca is shooting for a July workshop date and needs five students minimum. She will be speaking at the May General Meeting and will have samples. For more info see the article in the February newsletter MemberNews section (scroll down one) or contact Rebecca at Meltonmetals@gmail.com or phone 971-570-0547.
Member Class/Exhibit
From Debra Carus

Debra Carus is participating in an invitational exhibit entitled "Rings: True Adornment for the Hand: now on display at the University of Wisconsin/Eau Claire - the Foster Gallery. You can view the exhibit at the website: uwec.edu
go to "Things to do"
then to "Foster Gallery"
then to "Current Shows"

Debra will be teaching a 10 week class on all forms of metal clay (silver, gold, copper and bronze) at the Multnomah Arts Center beginning March 30th, 2010. Register online at multnomahartscenter.org.

For the 3rd consecutive year, Debra will be teaching a 3-day intensive metal clay workshop this summer at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. Register online at sitkacenter.org.

MCC Workshop
From Mandy Allen

Professional Development Workshops

Join Museum of Contemporary Craft, PNCA and the Portland Etsy Team for a series of four free professional development workshops, in partnership with Etsy’s I Heart Art: Portland initiative. These free workshops, geared towards Etsy sellers, PNCA students and the general public, will cover a range of topics centered on growing an online craft business.

All workshops take place from 11 am to 1 pm on the following Saturdays in The Lab at Museum of Contemporary Craft, 724 NW Davis St.
March 13: Getting Started on Etsy
April 24: Product Photography and Item Listings
May 15: The Ins & Outs of Social Media
June 12: Developing Your Business Into the Real World
Antiques
From Wayne

By being on the CMAG board and steering committee and whatnot for a few years, we've accumulated a certain amount of archival material. Tubs. I've been threatening to publish some of it and here it is. If you've got stuff like this, that the world needs to see, email me a scan or snailmail the original.

This is from CMAG's 1990 "Show of NORTHWEST JEWELRY DESIGNERS." It's in a nice photo album which I'll bring to the meeting. Might fit in the library?

Pictured are Wayne Acton and Hanna Goldrich; Mike Free and Tom & Nancy Meyers; Judy Acton; Joe & Linda Apodaca with a visiting Costa Rican student whose name I found for a minute but have lost again.

Calls For EntriesGo back to contents
Benches Wanted

Artists,

The City of Forest Grove Public Arts Commission Announces a Call to Northwest Artists

Submissions are being sought for three artistically designed benches to be installed within the core downtown area as a feature of the 20th Annual Chalk Art Festival on September 18, 2010.

Budget: $4,000 per bench, inclusive of shipping. The City of Forest Grove will accept responsibility for the cost of installation. Technical specifications and additional information is available on the City’s website at www.forestgrove-or.gov/city-government/public-arts-commission-call-for-art.html

Deadline for Submissions: 5:00 p.m., April 16, 2010
PNWSculptors

The Pacific Northwest Sculptors sends out a beautiful monthly call to artists. This is the real deal, made on a templated newsletter site that costs money. They say you needn't be a member to sign up for it. Febuary's has 29 listings in the PNW area. Their website is worth checking out, pnwsculptors.org/ and you can sign up for the announcements on the main page.
On the WebGo back to contents
SNAG

I get plenty of email from SNAG, mostly about how to buy promotional assets from them. The deadline for buying conference tote bag inserts has already passed. Notwithstanding their great proficiency at commercial outreach, SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) is an old and valuable resource for jewelry artists. They sponsor and cosponsor innumerable workshops and lectures. Once that I know of with CMAG and many of our members belong to the organization. If you don't know about it check it out. snagmetalsmith.org The next national conference "going to extremes," is coming right up in March.
Meeting AnnouncementsGo back to contents

MONTHLY MEETINGS & PROGRAMS


WHEN: General CMAG member meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month. Door opens at 6:45pm, meetings begin at 7:15pm, and adjourn by 9:15pm.

WHERE: Room 34 at the Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Highway Portland 97219.

WHAT: Meetings consist of a general business and a short break with refreshments, followed by a program which may be a demonstration of a technique or tool, a slide presentation, a panel discussion, or other presentation of interest to CMAG members. The CMAG Library is open before the meeting and during the break for checking out books and magazines.

WHO: Meetings are open to CMAG members and their guests.

CMAG Webpage