Tunnel Mill and The Morel Project

Last weekend I taught a 3 day chasing and repoussé workshop at Tunnel Mill, near Rochester Minnesota.  The weather was perfect.  The people were friendly.  They got a lot of work done!
Here are some photos from the workshop.  



We spent the first day making chasing tools.  I think I recommended 7 to 10 tools, but most students made many more.  By Thursday evening, a few students were starting chasings in copper and bronze.  I asked the students to make clay models first in a non-hardening oil based plastilina style clay. 
I've learned to ask students to make models so that they visually understand what they are making. In the past when students have worked from my sketches, many do not see the same forms that I see.  I find that I can help the students more effectively, and they can understand the process better, when they make a clay model first.

I asked the students to start with a morel mushroom, appropriate for the season and the locale.  The Morel has an overlap, the potential for height, and a lot of funky texture.  Another great point for a beginner project- a mushroom looks like a mushroom, even with all sorts of mistakes and detours.   The idea of a mushroom is a little boring, but the reality was so much better. 

Every student came up with a unique end result, some realistic, some more fantasy, some funky, some abstract.  There was incredible texture in each piece and lots of great form exploration.  I found that for the extremely new students, the mushroom project gave them a lot of experience in fundamental design elements related to metal and also left them with a lot of confidence.  The students dove right into 2nd and 3rd projects, fearlessly.  Mistakes didn't stop them.  Metal rips became learning and design opportunities.    I had several advanced "students", one actually a much more experienced metalsmith than myself.  He of course adapted to his own skill level and excelled at the process. 

My own major educational revelation-  The less I teach, the more the students learn.  I show the basics, answer questions and then step back, letting them work.  They learned faster and came up with incredible results.  I was working with a group of fearless crafters, ready and willing to learn from mistakes.  Here are some interesting articles about how important failure is in the process of mastery.  Let me note that safety is still of prime importance.  Mistakes are fine.  Injuries are not and are usually preventable.

• The Courage to Screw Up
• Learning from Mistakes

I am still working on my own morel mushroom pieces.  My kids are out of school, so my studio is limited, but I will show you the pieces when they are finished.