Joe Silvera
“I graduated with a BFA in Metalsmithing with honors from California State University at Long Beach in 1991 and then apprenticed as a goldsmith. Altogether, I've been a metalsmith for almost 20 years. Although I studied fabrication, soldering, casting, blacksmithing, goldsmithing and silversmithing, my favorite technique is lost wax casting. I love to carve detailed sculptures of animals, people, nature, etc. and wax let's my imagination run wild.
“In college, I was the guy around the studio who couldn't help himself - I always helped the other students with their projects. That experience and my six years of teaching metalsmithing workshops around the San Francisco Bay area have helped me to become a good teacher. I squeeze a lot of material into my handouts and classes, and I'm fortunate to have a good following for my beginning metalsmitihing, soldering, and stone setting classes. Teaching jewelry is exciting for me, because I get to pass on the art of jewelry to my students, which links us all to a craft that has been around for thousands of years.”
