Another Year Begins...

Another year ends and a new one begins. It's time to reflect on the accomplishments of 2010 and look to the goals of 2011. I first began blogging with the goal to inspire and teach through which I would inevitably learn. The

two go hand in hand after all and it was an honorable goal. Then the day to day demands of our

custom jewelry shop take control of our time. This blog sits collecting dust as do many of the pieces we begin in the moments between deadlines and design challenges presented us throughout the year.

So to begin this year, I am wiping off the dust and collecting the pieces. I am transforming this blog into a bird's eye view into the goldsmithing shop at our Gallery....

Silver Bonsai Gallery.

Rather than try to fit this blog into the spare moments of our daily shop demands, I will be highlighting them for you  project by project.  In turn I still plan to achieve my goal... to inspire and teach through which I will inevitably learn.  

Week 1...We began cleaning and clearing the drawers of all the pieces of partially formed and forged silver and gold which have collected from 13 years crafting jewelry at our shop.

The tables filled quickly as I organized them into groups and the second challenge of the year became obvious.

Go to the table, find a piece, and create a piece of jewelry out of it.

And so it begins...

I chose my first group of pieces of 8 tapers, dapped circles, and some square wire.

My inspiration came and it was to create one of our favorite design series from our past. Predating the Silver Bonsai, I'm pulling this design out of the vault so to speak.

Inspired by the gates of japan. we have often been asked what this design series represents.

My answer....Harmony.