The Journey
The Adornment Passage is ultimately a journey of finding and refining your creative voice through the medium of jewellery. It's a personal practice that takes time to develop, built on two parallel paths — ✦the making and ⟡the meaning, with live interaction forming an invaluable third part.
It begins with six intensive weeks, releasing one module each week that includes practical and conceptual lessons and projects to complete.
These are not craft-style projects with fixed instructions but techniques that empower you to develop your own designs and bring your ideas to life. I start by showing how to achieve results using simple tools and materials and expand into more advanced techniques and equipment, encouraging experimentation and play all the way ⋆˙⟡.
The course adapts to different working styles and rhythms.
Group sessions focus on the conceptual side, so everyone can participate fully, regardless of where they are on the practical side of the program.
The six weeks culminate in an open studio, where participants present their work focusing on the process and transformative experience rather than the final product.
Access to all materials and the group space continues for a full year. After the initial six weeks, you are encouraged to keep developing your work and return to present your progress at the open studio of the next intake. Everything happens online.
Below is the module outline and topics for live group sessions.
Week 1
✷ Group Session
⟢ Introduction to each other and the journey ahead
✦ The Maker's Table
⟢ My Tools - my personal selection of essentials
⟢ The Base - for making rings and pendants
⟢ The Wax - the different types and their purpouse
⟢ Wax Melting Tools - from basic to professional
⟢ Wax Carving Tools - hand and machine options
⟡ Inner Symbolic Language
✧ Symbolic Language - connecting symbols in the collective and personal unconscious and their power
✧ Finding your inner symbols - to serve as foundation in developing your creative voice
✧ Active Imagination - a Jungian-inspired exercise in working with personal symbols
Week 2
✷ Group Session
⟢ Answering practical questions and discussion on inner symbolic language
✦ Chaos and Flow
⟢ Band of Chaos - making your first ring in a state of play
⟢ The Flow Technique - my method for working with the additive technique
⟢ The Dragon - my technique using free flowing wax
⟢ The Child - a different stylistic approach
⟡ Concept Research
✧ Primary Research - conducting quality research that leads to original and meaningful ideas
✧ Concept Board - a tactile approach to visualising your research and developing your concept
Week 3
✷ Group Session
⟢ Discussion on concept research and development
✦ Order and Refinement
⟢ Origins Ring - making an adjustable ring using a combination of the additive and subtractive methods
⟢ Coin Pendant - making a classic pendant base and bale
⟢ Carving Techniques - incised and relief carving approaches
⟢ The Core Pendant - a demonstration of layered relief carving on a double-sided pendant
⟡ Form Study
✧ Form Study - building on concept research, we explore the forms that emerge
✧ Design Development Board - my method of experimenting with wax forms to generate design ideas
Week 4
✷ Group Session
⟢ Display of progress for feedback and discussion on form study
✦ Anamulet
⟢ Anamulet - the creation of a personal amulet as a reminder of an inner truth
⟢ The Magic of Making - entering the sacred space of making personal jewellery with meaning
⟢ The Flow Ring - the evolution of a ring design made with an advanced technique
⟢ My Anamulet - an example of a personal story of making
⟡ Adornment as ritual
✧ Anamulet - the philosophy informing the practice of amuletic adornment
Week 5
✷ Group Session
⟢ Sharing the work and discussion on the making of your Anamulet
✦ Casting Metal
⟢ The Casting Process - understanding the entire process of transforming wax to metal
⟢ Outsourcing - I share my experience, advice and trusted contacts
⟢ Calculating the Cost - a formula for estimating the cost before sending off wax to be cast in metal
⟢ Sending off for casting - proper packing to ensure against breakage and wasted work
✦ Finishing Silver
✧ Removing Sprues - cleaning up after casting with different methods (cutters and a hand saw)
✧ Deburring - removing imperfections by hand and machine (rotary tool)
✧ Smoothing - refining the surface using a rotary tool with my recommended burrs and attachments
✧ Patina - applying surface effects through oxidation (silver blackening and other effects)
✧ Polishing - the final stage from matte to high shine
⟡ Finding Your Voice
✧ Creative Voice - going beyond style to internal point of view
Week 6
✷ Group Session
⟢ A celebratory Open Studio event where we share our process and experience
✦ Material Play
⟢ Cold Enamel - I share my personal technique of adding resin to silver to embellish and create additional pieces such as earrings.
⟢ Cold Enamel - You’re encouraged to experiment with materials and develop your own technique that make your work stand out.
⟡ Staying Connected
✧ What's next - The journey doesn't end here. Everyone is encouraged to continue making their pieces over the next weeks, building on the foundational techniques, fast wax pieces in metal if more time is needed, stay in the community and invited to share their progress at the Open Studio event of the following cohort.