Well it's been a little over a week at the studio and I should have something to show for my efforts.  Actually things are going very well and I'm onto my second piece, so I thought I'd better throw something up here or else get too far behind.  The first work, a pewter utensil set, takes a bit of a turn from my usual clean-lined aesthetic.  It was inspired by the gleeful battle cry of "OOOH SNACKS!" as my young companion bravely rushed headlong into the milling throngs of the after performance crowd at the Semper Opera.  In honor of his courage I've titled it "Stephan's Barbarian Snack Set".  As starving grad students everywhere would attest, a set of armaments such as this is sorely needed.

Consisting of three pieces.  The fork is a blunt, spade-like form with three trowel shaped prongs and is used to hold down the squirming victim, the long narrow neck of the spoon is for probing deep within and scooping out the entrails, the double edged blade of the knife with its' deep groove allows the creamy filling to flow freely.

If one were to enjoy over analyzing the possible multiple layers of meaning in a work, one could see the piece as simply a response to the vast medieval armaments collection of the Rustkammer, or even possibly a gut-level commentary to the overabundance of garish riches recently viewed at the Dresden royal treasury.

But, as a baser metal used mostly for gross utilitarian tools (or worse yet cheap tourist tchotchkes), pewter has something of the barbarian stigma to it and I must admit I do get some small, smug pleasure seeing the horrified look in local jewelers eyes when I tell them I work with pewter.  It has virtually chased Patrice out of the shared studio space.  Admittedly pewter and silver reactively get along like oil and vinegar, that is if the vinegar were to attack, corrode, and cause deep pitting in the oil when mixed.  But I keep a clean studio and after six years of working with them together have never had a problem.  Like most barbarians, pewter gets a bad rap.  I can related somehow, and will try not to take offense.

Not particularly inviting.  Some might even say foreboding.  But, this has been my only view of the cellar studio for nearly two weeks as I happily distracted myself with the many impressive diversions of Dresden tourism.  Truth be told, I was beginning to get a little bit antsy about seeing what was waiting for me on the other side of the door and starting my work.  

So imagine my delight/relief when upon the arrival of Patrice this was revealed.  Not a medieval torture chamber, (though you could get a quick confession with many of these tools), but a cheerful and modern studio with all the conveniences of home.  And better stocked than I could have wished for.  Even to the point of making a good percentage of my tool packing labors somewhat redundant.  But I do like to have my own well loved tools when working on a new project.  I was very impressed.  After getting a quick once over of the main aspects of the studio by Patrice, I was left to happily root around and set up my little corner.  

The first thing that caught my attention was a lovely giant anvil topped off with a jaunty little tinkers' anvil.  I can't tell you how close I came to spending a small fortune to acquire one from Canada to bring with me.  That was the nearest vender.  It's German made of course.  Above this is a large collection of hammers (even including a few oddball ones made of horn and a long necked one for reaching deep inside a vessel).  

Next was the giant stump with one of the largest leg vises (about 4 foot high) I've run across.  They are mostly used by blacksmiths so a bit unexpected, but pleasant surprise.  I was somewhat taken aback at the prospect of someone having to negotiate the log down the stairs of the studio.  This was until I noticed that the log had been carefully bisected then reassembled with metal strapping.  Still this must have been a major undertaking.  On the shelves behind the vises are neatly arranged rows of stakes and mandrels used for forming, including two more extra tinkers' anvils.  They must have a surplus around here.  If one were prone to weeping.....        

This was all very inspirational.  My first project will be to begin to work with some of the pewter ingots I cast before I left Ohio.  More on that later.  Until then I'm just thrilled to be in such a great studio space.  

The fun can officially begin..... I now have a bench at the Ultramaringelb, the perfect location to hang my hammers!

My German host Iduna Bohning of the Galerie Raskolnikow has done an amazing job in coordinating with a small jewelry gallery/werkstatte located in the Kunsthofpassage a walking courtyard maze of funky independant shops and craftsmen in the dead center of the Neustadt the historical bohemian area on the northern side of Dresden.

Owned by two very accomplished, classicaly trained jewelers, Patrice Funke and Imke Jörns and offering handmade, one of a kind jewelry, the gallery was founded in 1999 to allow direct contact between the artists and their prospective clients for sales and commissions.    

Imke produces rings, bracelets and brooches formed in wax then sent to a local foundry for molding and production.  In an contemporary variation of the arts and crafts credo of truth in materials and workmanship her work often literally shows the fingerprints of the artist.

Patrice's work shows the blows of the hammer.  Forging similar fare as Imke, she is also a very skilled at raising vessels from silver sheet.  I hope to pester her some about her techniques when she gets back in town later this week.

After having help lugging my tool box across town in the van of  Iduna's boyfriend Matthais, I spent my first day chatting with Imke and getting the lay of the land.  Opportunities for metalsmiths here are similar to what we have in the US (craft stores and fairs, competitions, exhibitions, etc.), but with the additional bonus of the German enthusiasm for celebrating the anniversaries of historic events with the commissioning of medals, presentation cups and the sort.  Other opportunities arise from what one can finagle for oneself.  Imke and several other jewelers arranged to exhibit a one night only "intervention" at the Grünes Gewölbe (the Royal Treasury) where they reinterpreted and riffed on pieces in the permanent collection.  Imke's work played off a fantastical, Mogul era, royal palace scene made of precious metals and jewels.  A small band of silver Native Americans molded from children plastic toys of the 70's creep towards their unsuspecting victims.

 To acquaint myself with the shop I spent a good part of the day just rooting around.  The shop is very well supplied and has three jewelers stations along a bench in the back of the shop.  One of which I can settle into until I am able to get into the basement workshop where Patrice's hammering station is set up.  Most of the tools are typical of the trade.  Many are older items bought at the weekly flea market down on the Elbe.  One interesting piece being an old GDR era dentist drill that must have stories to tell.  My favorite is a lovely medieval looking anvil she scavanged out of an old abandonded factory several years ago.

Word of the day - Amboss

The shop's metalworking supply catalogue has many of the exotic European offering found in the American catalogues, but at a much cheaper price of course.  She also has some older metalsmithing textbooks from the 50's that helped explain some of the implements in the catalogues and went into greater depth into production of silver tableware than what I've found in their English language counterparts.  Perusing their local YellowPages I found numerous jewelers, several silverplating and polishing companies,  and much to my delight a metal spinning company that makes brass and copper vessels, lamps, and even decorative church domes.  There is also an interesting looking antique shop specializing in historical silverware and tableware which I hope to check out for examples of local metalworking.

Bless the German love of toys

Before the end of the day I had my first unofficial client.  An older man came into the shop and asked me something in German.  Once we determined I only speak English he explained he needed a new hole in his leather belt and couldn't find a cobbler.  So I whipped out my awl.  In keeping with my semiofficial status as ambassador from Ohio and the GCAC (and due to the restriction of my tourist visa) I did the job gratis.  The next one won't get off so easy.

After packing and repacking numerous times, discarding most of the larger items I was hoping to drag along, scaling down on the size of my tool box, and using my bathroom scale to try to keep under the 50 lbs weight limit (before penalties are incurred) imposed by the airlines, I think I'm almost ready.  Yes I'm probably over thinking things, but I want to make sure I can get the work done I've prepared for and still be flexible enough if different opportunities arise.  All while keeping within my budget.

Part of the problem is that my studio accommodations are still somewhat nebulous.  Instead of the studio space at the artist co-op I was initially offered I have been relocated to the basement studio of a small art jewelery store in a pedestrian mall.    

There are many pros to this shift...... ready access to a gas/torch supply and tools, being centrally located in a scenic part of town, and the camaraderie of my fellow artisans.

A few possible cons....... available tool set totally unsuited to my needs and I will have to buy what I left sitting at home, possible windowless basement, and the camaraderie of my fellow artisans (I've gotten very used to the luxury of a monastic studio life of quiet contemplation).  What also needs to be considered is for how long will my hosts enjoy having the mind numbing clanging of metal against metal emanating from below?  So contemplating a possible exit strategy is not totally uncalled for.

Only the most essential tools.  I think.

Another factor in determining my tool set is even though Dresden has one of the densest concentrations of jewelers/metalworkers in Germany there seems to be no basic supply store in town and most order what they need on-line.  The lag time waiting for orders and the inability to impulse buy when the mood strikes may turn out to be somewhat limiting.  Hardware stores are readily available, but do not stock the unique tools of my trade.  My initial impulse to bring along my electric drill (4 lbs) to create a sturdy hammer table upon which to work, and my table vise (13 lbs) to hold my T-stakes and mandrels had to be forcibly suppressed.  I'll beg, borrow or steal these once I get there.  I'm still drooling over the lovely little 35 lbs anvil I was ogling online the other day.

So, despite all my best efforts the tool box tips the scales at just under 58 lbs.  My 20 lbs of copper and brass sheet will have to be inserted into my clothing bag bringing it to a total of 46 lbs.  I'll just lump it and pay the fines.  That's what the stipend is for.

Determining what is essential, superfluous, readily available locally, or requires navigating German metalworking supplies web sites still remains somewhat ambiguous.  Yet I'm mostly confident that I'm prepared to face whatever Germany has in store for me.  This will be a great opportunity for exploration.  Also getting myself out of my comfort zone will be a good thing.  At least that's what people keep telling me.