Julia Perhaps, to Her Humility) That British Artist Julia Rai Has Con- Sidered Herself an Artist for Only the Past Two Years Or So
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journal of the pmc guild fusion The Journal of the International PMC Guild It is a testament to her com- mitment to learning (as well, Julia perhaps, to her humility) that British artist Julia Rai has con- sidered herself an artist for only the past two years or so. Never mind that many Rai people have viewed her as a leader in the field worldwide for much of the past decade. Rai, who holds the Higher Metal Clay Diploma, Art Clay 13 Senior Instructor status and has 2010 /3 fusion thirteen completed three levels of the Masters Registry program, directs the Metal Clay Academy, the U.K.-based independent, online resource for all things metal clay. During a recent correspondence, Rai was asked, “How long have you considered yourself an artist?” The question stumped her a bit, and caused her to pause. “Very good question,” she said. “Probably only for the last two or three years, since I began working on the Masters Registry projects.” At the time of this interview, Rai was finishing projects for Level 4 of the Masters Registry, and was planning to pack her work for a trip to the United States for an evaluation at the PMC Guild Conference. She said the Masters Registry has helped her become a fully formed artist because it has forced her to try challenges she might otherwise have allowed to pass. “I very quickly realized this was like nothing else I’ve ever done—it constantly pushes me into new areas, and I’ve done things I never would have without it, like combining plastic with metal clay. I’ve had to attend lots of courses and read extensively to meet the technical and design challenges of the Registry and it has moved me forward as an artist,” she said. “I want to get to the end then revisit some of my earlier projects that just scraped through. And I’ll be very disappointed when it’s all over. It consumes my thoughts constantly.” Beyond her accomplishments as an artist, Rai is best known for her work with the Metal Clay Academy. Along with Lisa Cain, she helped get the enterprise up and running. In creating the academy, their goal was to provide an unbiased and non-affiliated learning site for people interested in metal clay, from beginners to experts. It has hundreds of pages and includes listings for teachers and suppliers, links to resources including video tutorials, page 2 downloadable and web-based tutorials and projects for all levels. There’s a journal of the pmc guild PMCguild International business section with links for people who want to make metal clay part of their livelihood. There is in- The PMC Guild is a formation about design and creativity and an area for members organization with beginners to learn how to start working with metal the mission of providing support, education, and clay on a small and affordable scale. The site’s ever- exposure for artists working popular What’s New page is updated daily. in Precious Metal Clay. Rai’s job, among others, involved setting up the website, and she continues to run and update it. “We want to be the first place people look when PMC Guild they need information about metal clay, including sup- 1921 Cliffview Lane pliers, teachers, tutorials, and technical resources,” Rai Florence, KY 41042 said. “I also aim to provide a framework for training standards in metal clay so potential students can make Executive Director an informed decision about the training they choose.” Jeanette Landenwitch As an artist, Rai said she finds inspiration in the [email protected] work of others. She sees things in history and also in science fiction and fantasy that inform her work. “My Treasurer sketchbook is never far away when I’m watching TV or Darnall Burks [email protected] a movie; as shapes, colors and textures catch my eye I have to record it,” she said. Communications Her favorite artist is Roger Dean, an English artist Tim McCreight who is best known for his album covers of bands from [email protected] the 1960s and 1970s. His work is a constant source of Journal Editor inspiration, Rai said, adding, “I have a number of his Bob Keyes picture books and flick through them for ideas.” [email protected] Rai began working with metal clay in 2003, while taking a beginner’s class as the Mid Cornwall School Chapter Liaison of Jewellery. She enjoys working with the material Jobie McCreight Fagans [email protected] because it is both forgiving and challenging. Its poten- tial reveals itself in new ways over and again, she said. Web Manager “It’s held my interest because it allows me to very Sadelle Wiltshire quickly realize ideas. And I really love the fact that a [email protected] person can spend hours building something, find it doesn’t work or he doesn’t like it, it can be chopped up and reused.” She is excited about the future of metal clay, and To Join, Renew, or Edit Info Online is paying close attention to the work of Hadar Jacob- www.PMCguild.com son, whom Rai credits for “pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with metal clay.” The variety of clays Membership Questions now available is leading to new techniques, and Rai (toll-free) says students are asking for more courses and infor- 866–315–6487 mation about using colors on metal clay. page 3 Speak with the Director 859–586–0595 fusion thirteen Alison Lee Alison Lee laughs, and you can almost see her smile on the other end of the phone, when she is told that a mutual friend referred to her as “the Terry Gross of the craft world.” “Oh, that’s sweet,” gushes Lee, host of the weekly podcast Craftcast with Alison Lee and a featured speaker at the PMC Guild’s conference this summer. She is clearly pleased with the comparison to the host and producer of the popular public radio interview-format program “Fresh Air.” Lee has long-admired Gross, listened to her for years and learned a lot from her by just paying attention and being a fan. Lee’s approach to getting people in the craft world to open up and talk is much the same as Gross’s approach on the radio. “You just want to talk to people to make it a conversation. It’s not really an interview. I call it more of a talk with someone.” Lee, who has spent most of her professional life in advertising, began the internet-based podcasts in 2006, mostly because no one else was doing it. Industry tumult forced her to make changes in her life, and she seized that opportunity to pursue her interest in and passion for crafts, particularly jewelry-making. Her son, then in college, helped her tackle the initial technical hurdles, but Lee took off on her own quickly. She had no choice. Just as her son was helping her learn like a pro, he went off to college and left her to figure things out on her own. “It was a ridiculously sick learning curve,” Lee confides, “where people would not want to be around me on certain nights.” page 4 journal of the pmc guild She learned about sound recording, became familiar with Skype and near-fluent in web design, and eventually put a small studio in her base- ment. And now, not even five years later, she has clicked past 500,000 downloads. “This is not at all what I had in mind,” she says. Craftcast works because Lee is a master conversationalist, yes, but also because she is a sophisticated craftsperson. She is passionate about her subject, and has been most of her life. “I’ve always liked making stuff,” she says. Because she is engaged in her subject, she is naturally curious. Her subjects come easily. “I’m always scanning, always looking for new things. I see people all the time, and I ask them, ‘Who would you like me to talk to? People know who they want to hear, so I listen.” Craftcast also works because Lee is not daunted by technology. She embraced the concept of podcasting in its formative days, and saw its potential. Similarly, she sees big growth in a segment of her enterprise that involves live web-based hands-on classes. She offers 90-minute live workshops, with questions and input from participants following along on their computers. As part of the class, participants also receive a Quicktime recording, so they can watch again later. Lee is already offering classes through Craftcast.com. She believes it’s only a matter of time before demand catches up with supply, she said. “Right now, people are still trying to wrap their brain around the concept that my classes are live online with visuals. People do not understand what that looks like – that you can go to your computer, click a link and have that computer turn into an interactive TV.” But they will, soon, she said – just as they have embraced podcasts, Skype and other developments that have changed how we communicate and learn. Although she is a jewelry maker, Lee has not mastered PMC. She has dabbled. “I have taken a class in PMC, and played around with it. I know enough about it that I really admire the people who can work with it and make beautiful things,” she says. In addition to speaking at the PMC Conference in July, Lee is dedicating her summer to retooling her website. A new and improved Craftcast.com will launch in August, she said.