Classes

Upcoming Classes

     Beginning Hand Carving
     Learn conceptual strategies and technical skills for creating small-scale wood carvings with
     simple hand tools.
       Wednesdays, August 27 - October 1, 6-10pm (6 sessions)
       Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle WA
       details and registration

Jewelry in the Wild
Want to wear your love of nature on your sleeve? We'll turn the great outdoors into both our supply store and our studio, making jewelry that's anything but tame!
Saturday and Sunday, September 13 -14, 2014, 9am-4pm
CedarRoot Folk School, Olympic Peninsula WA
details and registration

New Growth: Wood Working for Jewelry
Learn to transform found and commercial wood into wearable components using simple tools then develop these skills into personal strategies for incorporating wood into your jewelry practice.
Saturday and Sunday, October 4 - 5, 2014 8:30am - 4:30pm
North Bennett Street School, Boston MA
details and registration

Jewelry That Grows on Trees
Make the most of wood's palate of colors and textures using tools and techniques appropriate for a home studio. Learn to "shop" for materials on this gorgeous rural campus.
Saturday and Sunday, October 11 - 13, 2014, hours TBA
Snow Farm, Williamsburg MA
details and registration

Carve a Cuff
Ever notice how many superheroes and heroines sport cuff-style bracelets? The cuff is a powerful piece of jewelry--especially when you carve it yourself from solid wood. No superpowers required.
   Saturday and Sunday, October 18 - 19, 2014, 10am-4pm
   92nd St Y, New York NY
   details and registration available soon

Taking it Down a Notch: Small-Scale Carving
Learn to confront the particular challenges posed by carving at the small end of the spectrum, from tool choice, to holding your work safely, to adding crisp details.
Monday through Friday, November 3 - 7, 2014, 9am-5pm
Port Townsend School of Woodworking, Port Townsend WA
details and registration

Jewelry That Grows on Trees
Make the most of wood's palate of colors and textures using tools and techniques appropriate for a home studio.
Saturday and Sunday, November 8 - 9, 2014, 9am-5pm
Port Townsend School of Woodworking, Port Townsend WA
details and registration

Carvin' Copy
Copying might be frowned on in school, but it’s one of the best ways to build your carving skills!
Learn through carving a “portrait” of an existing object.
   Saturday and Sunday, December 13 - 14, 2014, 9:30am-5:30pm (6 sessions)
   Schack Arts Center, Everett WA
   details and registration coming soon

General Course Information

In addition to my scheduled classes, I am available for private and small group instruction.
Examples include:
    -quick and fun earring or pendant parties for showers, workplace team-building, or family get-togethers
    -one-time or ongoing coaching on topics such as carving, jewelry design, or choosing and maintaining tools
    -short intensive workshops based on the "signature" themes below, or tailored to your goals

Please contact me for a detailed proposal based on your needs and interests.

Signature Workshops

Jewelry That Grows on Trees

Beautiful, versatile, and widely available, wood is an ideal alternative material for jewelry. Learn to make the most of wood's palate of colors and textures using tools and techniques appropriate for use in a home studio. Topics include basic shaping and finishing, surface embellishment such as resin inlay, pique, and stone-setting, and creating more complex dimensional form such as rings and cuffs.

Kitchen Table Jewelry

Want to make jewelry without investing in an expensive setup? Learn how simple tools and safe materials can turn your desk or table into a productive jewelry studio. We’ll cover sawing, texturing, drilling, polishing, clasp fabrication, chain making - and more! Create professional - looking pieces to wear or give. Perfect for both novice jewelers and those wanting to reinvigorate lapsed skills.

Student Experience

I'm thrilled when students whip up something great in class, but my real goal is to set them up to succeed outside of class. Whatever the subject or duration of the workshop, I want students to leave with solid skills, in-depth knowledge, and confidence in their own abilities and creative vision.

You can see work made by previous workshop participants on my blog, and here are some comments from class evaluations:

"My experience was inspiring, motivating, and challenging--which is what I wanted--learned skills I will carry over and continue, lifelong lessons."

"[Julia] was extremely knowledgeable and experienced and very capable of communicating instruction, questions--very pleasant and enjoyable."

"Excellent class! I loved the content, and Julia was great about explaining things in simple terms."

"Julia was extremely prepared with wealth of information and tips and tricks. Lots of work time! Worth the 12 hour + drive."

"Wonderful teaching style--perfect balance of demos & work time. Really fun and much more depth to the work than I had imagined."

"Julia is an engaging instructor, clearly knows her medium, very generous."

"I really enjoyed this class...I'm excited to be about to do these things at home in my ill-equipped studio. Very inspiring."