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Holly Gage specializes in creating gorgeous Precious Metal Clay (PMC) jewelry--and teaching/writing about PMC techniques. I first saw her work on the Ganoksin Gallery website but Holly is also a regular contributor to the Orchid forum where so many opinions and jewelry making information are freely shared. And, by the way, if you don't already subscribe (free) to Orchid, sign up immediately! It's a fascinating, inside look into the world of jewelers who are daily confronting the technical and business challenges of our times.
Holly shared with me some of her PMC work and insights:
Precious Metal Clay is a little more than 10 years old and there is so much to be explored and learned. My non-traditional way of looking at things has been an asset in working with metal clay because I am always asking "what if?". I've developed a couple of new techniques that have been springboard ideas for new directions in the medium and I find that very exciting.
I love its diversity. Its moldable quality brings a world of possibilities to the jewelry artisan. It allows traditional metal smiths to add a new arsenal to their toolbox, as well as allowing a whole new breed of talented artist to emerge in the jewelry community. The real strength is in the doors it opens to new creative discoveries in the field.
You mention that you like to enlarge small details in your work...tell us about this.
I like to explore the forms of everyday things. When I abstract them, I take something real and accentuate it allowing people to look at it in new ways. I think it is neat to take the viewer right into the symmetry of a form, its folds, shadows and colors that one might not notice unless an outside person pointed it out to them -- that person is me.
Just like the many sides to your personality, there are several styles of art that I like to work in. I have my "Botanical" collection, which explores my immediate environment and experiences. My husband selects and grows plants that he thinks I'd like to draw, photograph and then sculpt into jewelry. This is a line that allows me to express myself in a more poetic form. The process of carving is slow and meticulous, but very satisfying. While working on it, I am reminded to appreciate the little things in life, such as the small flowers that appear before the peas arrive in the garden or the sound of the outdoors when my eyes are closed, or the warmth of my husband's arm around me when stealing three minutes on our hammock. They are small slices of life, but nevertheless important.
The other line of jewelry I have is the "Metal Clay and Rainbow Titanium" line. There is an interesting energy that bubbles up when I work with it -- it is hard to explain, but ideas fly and I often have several pieces going at the same time. My Titanium has a fabulous sculptural quality. This rare form of Titanium has an amazing play of light on the crystalline surface with saturated and subtle hues of color. Because it is named after the Greek Gods for its mighty strength, I often play off this theme in my jewelry designs to empower and celebrate the strength of the human spirit.
You seem to have a thriving side business selling components, beads etc...what do you enjoy about this aspect of your business?
I like to make components that are elegant and something you can't get elsewhere. The pressed bead caps for example came about because I was making a lot of lentil lampwork beads, but there were no caps that I could find on the market that could fit the narrow profile, so pressed bead caps were born. The sole companions came about as a, “what if?” idea. I love to collect artisan beads and I just thought the idea of combining glass and the metal clay seemed very natural. Well, the look was neat, but the process is a bit more involved -- certainly some trial and error initially, but the results can be very eye catching.However, in general I like to provide the market with items that are new, unique and different. It’s a thrill when someone sends me a picture for my “Customer Gallery” of his or her finished creations.
You seem to thrive on the teaching aspect of this work, with numerous entries to the Orchid forum, your web site filled with tutorials and student work and the classes...what about teaching is special for you?
I like the idea of helping others express themselves through their art. I know it has been very freeing for me to find my inner voice. Through my art, I speak in a language that comes easier to me than the written or spoken word. I also know that there is a drive for creative people to express themselves. I'm afraid if they deny this inner need, then they find something is missing in their lives. Usually they cannot figure out what is missing until they find their comfort zone and create with a medium that lets it all flow. You can actually see it in a student's face when they arrive in that really neat place, and this is the gift my students give back to me.
Tell us about the concept behind your When Peace Talks jewelry.
The original design of When Peace Talks© is a personal expression of hope and peace. I asked myself, if peace could talk, what would it sound like? Its voice would be rich with meaning, speaking a universal language that transcends the borders and boundaries of countries and nationalities, bringing together different faiths and races, and uniting opposing political parties and systems. When peace talks, it speaks of love, equality, preservation of and respect for art, science, and religion within different cultures, and world unity passed on to future generations. This is the calming message I wanted to spread around the globe and the symbols that I researched and chose to incorporate into the design on the surface reflect those beliefs.
What have you found to be the most challenging part of trying to make a living at jewelry design? Most enjoyable?
Well, there certainly is a different pace when you make jewelry for your living verses a hobby. I'm not a particularly fast worker and I need to kick the "little devil" off my shoulder -- my conscience that nags me constantly about working too slow. I needed to figure out a way that I can enjoy my slow carving work without worrying about the clock. When I came up with a line of casted items, that allowed me to work as long and slow as I'd like on carving the prototype without worrying so much about the clock. It also allowed me to have a lower cost line of jewelry, freeing me up to create involved one-of-a-kind pieces, which is my real joy.
How has the price of metal (and PMC in particular) and the economy affected what you are doing?
The prices in the market are very volatile. I try to watch the market and buy when the prices are lower, however that is rarely practical, so I buy in quantities that give better price breaks. My prices do not change daily, but I do adjust my prices when I need to. On my site I have a link to a page that explains the metals market to help buyers understand any fluctuation. I try to be fair to the customer and fair to myself. I think as artists, we should respect ourselves as much as the customer and pay ourselves a fair wage. I think it is a shame when I see artists underpay themselves in order to make a sale. In the long run I don’t think they will be able to continue doing business that way and making a living. I must admit the current economic crisis has put me on edge – psychologically it isn’t good for anyone. Up until this point things have been on a steady pace, but instead of waiting for the shoe to drop, I’ve been trying to prepare by keeping a nice balance between shows, teaching, and internet sales, so all eggs are not in one basket.
What have you found to be the best way to find clients?
I like to go to shows. I’ll meet more qualified people in a weekend then I could by any other means. In addition, the personal interaction with my customers makes them in turn feel more comfortable buying from my website at a later time.
What advice do you have for fledgling jewelry designers?
Be passionate, be persistent, and be stubborn about your own success. In my other life before going full time into jewelry designing, I was surprised to seize a big account with my graphic design and publishing business. My attitude was to pursue this client even though in the back of my mind, I really didn't think that I would actually get the account. I went for it, putting my best foot forward. I guess they saw something in me and my work and I ended up having a successful 10-year relationship with this customer. It taught me not to shut the door in my own face ever again. Obviously, it is uncomfortable to face rejection, however cutting short your own opportunities by not trying is the worst thing you can do to yourself.
I think having a plan is a great idea too. I know the words, "Business Plan" make people want to run in the other direction, however there is a lot of validity that comes with "writing your plan down" It forces you to think about the intricacies of what you need to do, not just the overall picture. It will also create a sturdier foundation. As a creative artist, it is easy to go into many directions, but a plan will keep you focused on just one.
I have tremendous respect for what Holly has been able to accomplish! Her work is amazing and her website is one of the most sophisticated and content-filled of any I've seen from jewelry artists....must be that graphic designer still lurking within Holly!
Holly's next show is coming right up at the 12th Annual Craft and Art Festival at the Nassau County Museum of Art Oct 11 - 13 Sat., 11 - 6, Sun., 10 - 6, Mon., 10 - 6 Booth 215 and her work is in shops from New Jersey to California and many states in between. Holly has also published numerous pieces on PMC, most recently a self-published calendar, The Art and Design of Metal Clay Jewelry and More 2009.
What a talent Holly is! I enjoyed meeting her greatly.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sally Jewett-Brocato,
For the Love of Jewels
Holly B. Gage, owner of When Peace Talks Jewelry in Bowmansville,
Lancaster County, donates a percentage of her sales to the international Adopt-A-Minefield program
Reading Eagle Newspaper, Business Section, Page D8, January 9, 2006
PEACEMAKER
Artist promotes goodwill through designs and charity
Lancaster County’s Holly B. Gage, owner of When Peace Talks Jewelry, incorporates harmony into her work and donates a percentage of her sales to nonprofits.
By Michelle E. Arevalo Reading Eagle correspondent
From ancient amulets and religious medallions to birthstones and mood rings, jewelry often has had a special meaning. Artist Holly B. Gage, owner of When Peace Talks Jewelry, Bowmansville, Lancaster County, understands this connection.
Her work promotes peace through her designs and charitable donations.
“There’s a spiritual element to making things and a connection made when someone wears something handmade,” Gage said. “My work is more than just a pretty piece of jewelry. It has meaning behind it.”
When Peace Talks has a mission that is about more than a product. Gage donates a percentage of her sales to the international Adopt-A-Minefield program, which was founded in 1999 and works to clear the globe of land mines.
“The organization also helps mine victims get prosthetic limbs, and restores areas by building roads and schools,” Gage said. “I’m thrilled to be involved and at actually being able to help.”
Gage also works with other charities to help them raise money for peaceful causes.
“There are three ways I work with nonprofits to help them out: a fundraising event where I sell my work in a space they’ve set aside for me, and they get 20 percent of sales; I can give them space on my Web site, so sales from that [portion of the] site earn them 10 percent of sales; or a 50-50 arrangement in which they buy the pieces from me outright and keep all the sales,” she said.
Gage said her desire to have her work contribute to making positive changes started a few years ago when she and her husband, Chris, were publishing Parents’ Source, a monthly regional parenting magazine they founded in 1994.
“I had written a series of articles on peace-related issues — such as nonbullying, anger management and domestic violence — and I realized those ideas only could be taken so far under the theme of parenting,” she said. “At the same time, I was growing and my children were getting older, so I wanted to get back to my artistic roots, and saw a need to help develop more peace.”
The Gages sold the magazine last year. Holly, who has been creating jewelry for more than 20 years and teaching jewelry making since 2004, began When Peace Talks out of her home, two miles over the Berks-Lancaster county line.
“Through the magazine, I had worked with many local [non-profit] agencies and knew they had little staff, resources or money, and I wanted to help,” she said. “I researched the symbols extensively and wanted to include those only with no negative connotations or political associations. So I felt I couldn’t include the popular ’60s peace symbol, because it will always be associated with those times.”
Instead she chose a triad of dots inside a ring that symbolizes peace: the past, present and future encircled by eternity. “It also represents the preservation and respect of art, science and religion within different races and cultures,” Gage said.
Gage creates other types of jewelry as well, but has made When Peace Talks separate from her other business, Gage Designs, to preserve its socially conscious mission.
“I feel that peace starts with the self, then moves to the family, the community and then the world,” Gage said. “It’s a way of passing it on to the next generation.”
When Peace Talks Jewelry
Address: P.O. Box 614, Bowmansville
Phone: 717-445-5755
Hours: By appointment
Information: Necklaces, bracelets and earrings designed by jewelry artist Holly Gage, featuring seven different symbols of peace. The medallion, which is available in sterling silver or pewter. Gage donates a percentage of [web sales that are purchased from the "Fundraising Opportunities" portion of her site] to the international Adopt-A-Minefield program, which clears land mines and aids mine victims.
Where to find: In addition to jewelry shows and home parties, When Peace Talks Jewelry is sold at retail stores, including Earth Rhythms in West Reading, Sisters’ Gallery in Adamstown and the Lancaster Museum of Art.
Prices: From $25 to $99.
Web site: www.WhenPeace Talks.com
Contact correspondent Michelle E. Arevalo at 610-371-5049 or business@readingeagle.com.
January 18, 2008
Silver Prize Winner in the Art Clay category
"Nature's Renewal"
16"necklace, 87 mm x 34 mm hand sculpted Fine Silver focal, (5) 4 mm white cubic zirconia, freshwater pearls, hand sculpted clasp
There is a marvelous symmetry and structure to pods and their natural design. They start as vibrant flowers and then the beautiful flowers die, which is sad. The pods dry and most people don't think twice about them, but within the pods are seeds and the potential for new life and a renewal. It's amazing how the life cycle works.
Holly Gage
Second Place in the Mixed Media Category for
Sea Urchin
45 mm x 20 mm, Fine Silver hollow focal with (6) 4 mm Alexantrites and crystalline rainbow titanium.
This year the esteemed judges were jewerlry artist and author Valerie Hector, glass and fiber artist Gail Crosman Moore, and designer and author Margie Deeb. We're so grateful for their time and expertise in selecting this year's winners. It was a challenging task to choose from among so many wonderful works of art, but clearly several pieces stood out as particularly outstanding in their craft, design and application of the materials. Congratulations to the winners on your achievement!
Beadworks Magazine, July 2008
Editors of Beadworks Magazine, a publication by Interweave Press, chose the best beads and findings available on the market. Presented in themed groups, the editors picked their favorites and gave consumers bead-buying and design advice . Eight silver components and focal pieces were chosen from the Gage Designs Collection by Holly Gage
Focal Centerpieces:
Dakota Grasshopper
Butterfly Wings
Secret Places
Botanical Silver Components Collection:
Pod Charm
Domed Floral Bead Caps
Floral S-Link
Funky Spiral
Dear Chris and Holly,
I am very pleased to inform you The Peace Pendant from Gage Designs has been named a 2005 Narcissus Award Finalist by New Age Retailer magazine, the premier trade magazine serving the New Age and body/mind/spirit marketplace.
category winners will be announced in the New Year issue and not
released to anyone beforehand.
To describe the process: Our selection criteria focused solely on the published reviews by our independent reviewers. Ten finalists were selected in each of three categories: books, giftware, and music. Unlike other award programs in our marketplace, Narcissus Award nominees pay no fee for consideration. In fact, all products reviewed in a given year
are eligible for the awards. Of course, our independent review-consideration process continues to be free for wholesalers. We believe producers of great body/mind/spirit products deserve honest, dignified recognition, and we hope the Narcissus Awards serve to support and promote the specific products honored, the authors, artists, and
companies that created them, and the New Age industry as a whole.
Congratulations, again, on being named a 2005 Narcissus Award Finalist,
and thank you for your fine contributions to our marketplace.
Sincerely,
Ray
Ray Hemachandra, editor in chief
New Age Retailer magazine
2183 Alpine Way
Bellingham, WA 98226
http://www.newageretailer.com
Press Releases
Socially Conscious Jewelry: Look Good,
Do Good, and Feel Good!
Help Adopt-A-Minefield® Clear Deadly Landmines with the Purchase of When Peace Talks© Jewelry
Whoever thought a jewelry purchase would have so much impact? With their announcement of a new partnership, When Peace Talks© Jewelry, and Adopt-A-Minefield® are empowering consumers to help clear war-torn areas of deadly landmines.
When you purchase any item from the special When Peace Talks© Jewelry/Adopt-A-Minefield® Store located at http://www.whenpeacetalks.com/fund/aam.html, Gage Designs, manufacturers of this unique jewelry line, will donate 10% of your jewelry purchase to support Adopt-A-Minefield®. What better partnership
than Gage Designs and Adopt-A-Minefield® to offer socially conscious purchasers the opportunity to do even greater good with a portion of the sale of each item going towards the clearance of minefields in countries around the world and assistance to survivors of landmine accidents.
Adopt-A-Minefield® is a campaign of the United Nations Association of the USA, which engages individuals, community groups, and businesses in the United Nations effort to resolve the global landmine crisis. The campaign helps save lives by raising funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance and by raising awareness about the landmine problem. Every dollar raised for mine action is forwarded to the United Nations and their partners in the field for mine clearance and survivor assistance. A school re-opens, a crop is harvested, a family returns home – all because a minefield was cleared.
When Peace Talks© Jewelry was developed as a personal expression of hope and peace for all people around the world. “We discovered that those with whom we have shared this symbol were uplifted and further motivated by its deep meaning and now people have the ability to make a profound statement, not only when they wear their When Peace Talks© Jewelry, but also in the mere act of buying When Peace Talks© Jewelry. We see the immediacy of spreading the ideals of peace and love, and using our jewelry to support peaceful efforts like those of Adopt-A-Minefield®. This is our way of spreading the positive message of peace in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, and around the world,” says owners Chris and Holly Gage.
If peace could talk, what would it sound like? Its voice would be rich with meaning, speaking a universal language that transcends the borders and boundaries of countries and nationalities, bringing together different faiths and races. When peace talks, it speaks of love, equality, the preservation of and respect for art, science, and religion within different cultures, and world unity passed on to future generations. This is the calming message Chris and Holly Gage would like to spread around the globe.
Each piece in the When Peace Talks© Jewelry line incorporates a concentric representation of peace and love symbols from around the world emblazoned on the front, and comes with an artist’s information statement that fully details the layers of symbolism. Available are Fine Pewter and Sterling Silver Pendants, Sterling Silver Earrings, and Sterling Silver Bracelets. To make a purchase and automatically donate a portion of the sale at no extra cost to you, go to the When Peace Talks© Jewelry/Adopt-A-Minefield store online at http://www.whenpeacetalks.com/fund/aam.html.
For more information contact, Holly Gage at Gage Designs, 717-445-5755, P. O. Box 614, Bowmansville, PA 17507e-mail: hgage1@ptd.net • http://www.WhenPeaceTalks.com
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