Bonnie L. Blandford

Artist Statement
I didn't start out in life to be a jeweler but I've always loved interesting jewelry. As a teenager I spent a lot of time and money searching out just the right pieces of both Scandinavian and handmade jewelry. I went to college to be a dental assistant and found I really enjoyed the lab classes, carving wax teeth and making crowns for teeth. Once I was out of college and working in the dental profession I had a great idea for a ring but couldn't find anyone to make it for me. Since crowns for your teeth and rings are both made by the lost wax casting method, I decided to try making it myself. I found a community education class where I could use their casting equipment and a new love was fostered.

My work has gone through a lot of changes over the last 28 years. I started with all sterling silver, lots of rings and then added some gold. I then switched over to all gold, concentrating on rings with asymmetrical stones, and a large line of earrings. Then after many years of being primarily self-taught, I went to Taos New Mexico and took a class from Harold O'Connor. One thing he said to me was that I was no longer a metalsmith but had become a wax worker. (All my rings were made using the lost wax casting method where they are carved out of wax first). I took offense until I realized that he was right. I was spending more time working in wax than metal. So Harold opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me when he taught me to fuse 24k gold (pure gold) to sterling silver using a mouth-held blowtorch. I went back to being a metalsmith. I've taken what I learned there and from subsequent classes from other people, and totally changed my work. It's much harder, but since 1988, I've concentrated on my mixed metal jewelry, which I really love. It's the most satisfying!

www.bblandford.com

Grand Rapids, MI

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