The First Ring I Ever Made

I don't know if you know this, but I've been in the silversmithing game for over 20 years. Granted, not all that time counts toward professional work, but it still counts. I've heard the theory that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. There's definitely something to that. 

In my studio is the first ring I ever made. It's not the worst thing you've ever seen, but it's not great. The seams are off-kilter and not lined up as they should be, and fully visible when they should be invisible. The design around the band was roller-printed, but so faintly it can hardly be seen even with patina. The printed strip is layered off-center over the band. There's so much more that's wrong, but you get the idea.

I remember showing it off to a co-worker and he was less than gracious. I didn't care. I made it and I was proud. I also knew it wasn't perfect and I wanted to improve.

I worked on my skills for about 8 years before I started selling my jewelry.

22 years later I kept that first ring. I look at it as a reminder that it took a lot of hours to get where I am today. Here it is in all its glory!

Creating handmade jewelry is a slow and often painstaking process; even relatively simple designs require many steps. When done with care it is a true artform--a craft that takes years to master. 

There are faster ways to make jewelry, and cheaper, but I believe that when the artist's hands stop touching it the soul goes out of the work. 

 My designs aren't manufactured overseas; they're made by me in my home studio from start to finish. It's a deliberate choice because it's a process I enjoy. It also means that when I say hand-made I mean it literally.

Flying Crow Metalworks isn't just a small business, it's an art practice. My heart and soul goes into everything I do. 

I showed you my beginner's work, click HERE to see what I'm making these days.