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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A three-day workshop has given participants a new appreciation of the time and effort that goes into hand-made jewelry.

Jackie Zinger uses a flexible shaft drill to make a hole in the raven-shape pendant she made during a silver jewelry-making workshop in Fort Simpson. The event was organized by the Open Sky Creative Society. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photos

Five people spent the last three Sunday afternoons attending a silver jewelry-making workshop the Open Sky Creative Society organized. During the first class on Nov. 27, Fort Simpson artist Tracy Brown gave each participant a 2.5-by-2.5-centimetre square of silver.

By Dec. 11, after nine combined hours of work, the plain silver squares had been transformed into a raven pendant, a polar bear pendant and a set of leaf-shaped earrings. None of the participants had done this type of jewelry making before.

A bit stressful

Cathy Oulton, one of the participants, said she was surprised by how much work it took to create her finished product, a polar bear-shaped pendant.

Oulton said cutting the design out of the metal square using a jeweler's saw was a bit stressful because she didn't want to make a mistake. You have to be very precise and can't rush, she said.

"It was fun," Oulton said of the workshop.

Jackie Zinger said the workshop gave her a new appreciation for Brown's artwork now that she's seen the skill and time that goes into making pieces. Zinger said the workshop was a unique opportunity to learn more about this type of art.

"It's nice that local artists are sharing their work with others," she said.

Zinger came to the first day of the workshop knowing she wanted to make a raven pendant. After creating and printing the right design on a piece of paper she glued it to the silver and used it as a guide to saw around.

Cutting the intricate details, including the space between the raven's legs and its feet, was the most challenging part, she said. The rest of the workshop was spent sanding the silver and applying finishing touches.

Kellie Myers, who made the earrings, said she'd never really thought about the amount of work that goes into jewelry like this.

It's neat that the opportunities to do something like this are available in a small community, she said. Myers said the small size of the group meant everyone got a lot of personal attention and help from Brown.

Brown has been creating jewelry since she was young. Growing up with a father who was a welder and an ironworker, Brown said she always had access to bits of metal to work with.

She added silver jewelry making to her repertoire while in arts college.

"I like being able to wear stuff that I've made," she said.

People in the workshop are making things that have a story behind them and they will treasure them, she said.

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