Penland Postcard

While I was at Penland, our first project was to make a postcard. We had to incorporate metal and glass together into making this postcard. We got the assignment the first night we were there, and we had two days to make this postcard. I totally freaked out about this project, and what would I do for a postcard. It usually takes me a week or more to come up with ideas and then I bounce those ideas off of mom or have mom sketch up my ideas, because I don’t like to draw or sketch!

I know I won the scholarship to go to Penland based upon my work, but I don’t consider myself an artist. I consider myself a craftsperson that happens to be taking classes at Purdue to learn more about metal and jewelry. I think I was on the phone with mom for over an hour telling her I was so out of my depth, and I am not an artist, and I had no idea why I was there. Needless to say she calmed me down and came up with an idea for the postcard. She told me I need to talk one-on-one with the instructor telling them how I learn the best and seek additional input when needed. I think I was freaked out because most of these people were established artists taking the class.

I finally did get settled down, and I did go and talk with Jim about how I felt and some of the ideas I had. He said not to worry, this was a class for everyone and I was doing myself a disservice. So, I made the postcard out of metal, I used copper and brass. I did layers of metal for the postcard. The postcard was a square of copper with a layer of copper mountains and a layer of brass trees that were all soldered together. I do have to say the best thing I got out of this trip was a great new way to solder! The glass I used was to make lenses to make a pair of eye glasses. I then connected the lenses to metal frames and attached it to the postcards by riveting them together. I love this project because it turned out so well. Mom and I make a great team. She always has great ideas.

I just wish I could enter this project into the Undergrad Exhibit. Oh well. Ultimately I did stay for the whole two-week session, and I am so glad I did.

The class was two classes combined as one. There was a metals class taught by Jim and a glass class taught by Emilio. There were at least six guys in the class who had their own glass studios and two females in the class who had taken tons of glass classes. There were also a few students from the University of Virginia Common Wealth who have taken metals and glass classes. Needless to say, if I won the lottery, I would love to attend this university, especially since Emilio teaches classes there. His work is totally awesome.