“While working towards completing the Jewelry + Light Metals certificate program, the project that challenged me the most was the final project in Jewelry II [Jewelry + Light Metals II: Process and Practices]. Our prompt was to choose two terms that were opposites; tall/short, hot/cold, remember/forget, etc. and then create a piece reflected or implied each term.
There were multiple aspects to consider that would inform the success of the project: First, settling on two terms that would suggest some form. Second, deciding whether I could create that form with the skills I had and the materials I could obtain. And third, completing the piece within the time allowed. After seeing a display of beekeeping supplies, I chose the contrast of sweet and sour. The hexagonal shape was interesting and inspired me to make a honeycomb-like structure (sweet) into an earring. Sour was not so easy, but in the end it worked out. It took many hours of work, several failures and re-tweaks, and was ultimately very rewarding in terms of the excitement of completing the project and understanding how difficult it was to do so.
In my creative process now, I’m more conscious of shapes. Much of that has to do with what I’ve learned in the core courses over the past few years in the RISD CE certificate program. I’m intrigued by everyone responding on some level to shape, texture, color and context. So when I see something now that ‘hits’ me, like a rock with a hole through it, or a large sculpture with multiple facets, or a stained bobber from an old fishing rod, I want to explore it and push it into something memorable.”
—Tom Peirce, RISD CE Jewelry + Light Metals certificate program ‘17
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