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on-line mini workshops

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This is a series of short essays on the direct process of working metal.  Included in this catagory will be forging and fabricating iron, hollow forming copper and bronze sheet, making special tools and who knows what else.

What I hope to achieve with this series is an on line  workshop that will  instruct, as well as enlighten.  In lieu of a hands on experience, I will attempt to engage you as best I can in this particular format.  So I'm hoping you'll feel that you are participating right here in the studio with me.

The first part of this series is focusing on hollow forming sheet metal, mostly copper and then later, some iron.  As each set progresses from one sculptural piece to the next, there may seem to be some repetition in the demonstration. Don't be misled by this because when you read the copy there will be new information each time, as the details are elaborated upon.

It's the cumulative effect in this series that I hope will be useful in a practical way, in order to learn something of the process on your own.  This is my experiment in a method of off site teaching, so I'm learning something as well, right along with you.

There are no grants or other benefits provided for this program.  It's simply something that I wish to do.  It's also important to me that each of us who may have some experience in working metal as it relates to the arts pass this tradition on to others coming up behind us.

Academic training has its place but it's no substitute for an apprenticeship.  Unfortunately, it's impractical for many of us these days to take on apprentices so this is a modest effort to compensate for that.

Chris Ray