Michael Manthey, Jewelry Alchemist, Tells His Story

From early childhood I had a curiosity where things came from and how they were made. I found that almost everything comes out of the ground to feed, clothe, shelter, and transport us. So I developed a trust with rocks and their knowledge, learned skills to transform them, and found that some rather beautiful and difficult things can be made in a surprisingly short time.

The decision to become a professional artist came at age forty while I was recovering from a broken neck injury. The discovery that the creative process gave me a vision of a goal beyond myself saved my sanity and my spirit. I am forever grateful for that.

My contact with the craft of jewelry came when Avishai Greis of Aion Manufacturing cast my first carved waxes into silver. Because he liked my designs, he offered me a traditional apprenticeship in his workshop. Avishai was trained by a Russian jeweler so I became part of a long tradition -- the craft of fire and metal, crystals and gems.

When I started to show my work at local and regional art & craft shows, patrons began commissioning ornaments to commemorate the important moments in their lives, from birth to death. I was asked to create symbols of beauty and durability, a source of joy forever. Trust is an important factor in this craft, not only for the tangible wealth, but also because patrons share their dreams, aspirations, hopes and visions with me. The artist becomes historian of these times as future generations pass on these ornaments, and the stories that come with them. I work alone in my studio, I do not have a production line, I do strictly one-of-a-kind and commission work. I cut and carve my own stones, and have made wedding bands from meteorite, amulets for pregnancy, a magic wand, and turned ancestors gold fillings into treasured family heirlooms.

So, that said, I would like to use this opportunity to shed some light on a question many people have: What makes artists tick? If we look back in history at a civilization where we do not know the language, customs, and religion, what is left to look at is the artist’s art. So artists are really historians who record dreams, aspirations, fears and hopes. This influence encourages us to use creative alternatives that work well and are needed to balance the precarious situation the status quo has led us to.

I would like to share some of my most favorite quotes with you. They range from Astronomer Johannes Kepler, 1619, to the Chinese dissident artist, Ai WeiWei, 2013.

“Throughout history aesthetic revolution has always been a harbinger of social revolution, that changes in the way artists portray reality lead inevitably to the changes in the way the common people think and behave.” Quote from the book, Hanging Man: The Arrest of Ai WeiWei by Barnaby Martin

“Artistic vision is a label for a difficult-to-define combination of close attention, perception, understanding, intuition, and ambition, and none of that counts for much unless it is combined with remarkable execution, or the communication of that vision.” Quote from Astronomer Johannes Kepler, 1619

“In a work of art there is a kind of merging between the precision of poetry and the excitement of pure science … and the greater one’s science, the deeper the sense of mystery.” Quote from A Muse and a Maze: Writing as Puzzle, Mystery, and Magic by Peter Turchi

“Shapes are in the archetype prior to their being in the product, in the divine mind prior to being in creatures, differently indeed in respect to their subject, but the same in the form of their essence.” Quote from Kepler’s Philosophy and the New Astronomy by Rhonda Martens

“We work in the dark, we do what we can, we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.” Quote from Henry James’ novel, The Middle Years

Out yonder is this huge world, which exists independently of us humans, and stands before us like a great, eternal riddle, at least partially accessible to our inspection and thinking. The contemplation of this world beckons as a liberation. The road to this paradise has shown itself reliable, and I have never regretted having chosen it.

This is Week 12 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Michael’s post today. To contact Michael please call him at 215-574-8121.

Note: All photo credit: Lu Szumskyj

Bernie Hebert, Fine Metals Jewelry Artist, Tells His Story

I have lived in Paducah, Kentucky, at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers for ten years, where there is a thriving arts and music scene. I have always had an affinity for moving water; ocean or river.

I watch my granddaughter several days a week, and this past summer we would walk to the Ohio River and gather stones and shells from the river’s edge. Throwing them back into the river is an activity she enjoys, and she always asks to go down to the river.  We often watch the barges pass by, and I delight in how the movement of the water fascinates her. We enjoy just being there, together.

This piece of jewelry represents fond memories of this past summer at the river.

Nu gold base, copper and sterling 34mm x 58mm

The textured brass element at the top of the broach represents part of Illinois. Below it is the Ohio River, which flows right to left, with the Tennessee entering from the right (by Livingston Point).  The silver element at the bottom is Paducah, right tight to the banks of the Ohio. Interestingly, the Ohio flows in a northerly direction as it passes by Paducah, before it turns south to meet the Mississippi.

My background in making jewelry began at a very young age when my mother, who had an elementary knowledge of the process, first showed me how to make a particular chain pattern. Formally known as a Byzantine weave, it is commonly called a box chain, or idiot’s chain. Individual jump rings are cut from a wound coil of silver wire and then assembled, following a pattern consisting of eight pairs of rings. It takes almost 50 feet of wire to cut approximately 700 rings. Once assembled, it makes an 18 inch chain which weighs just under 2 ounces.

Sterling Silver Byzantine Weave Necklace

Over the years I taught myself how to fabricate more complicated pieces, learning new construction methods and refining my finishing techniques. By my late teens I was making rings, bracelets and earrings for friends and friends of friends. In my 20’s I was doing flea markets and craft shows. I got married, started doing juried shows, quit my day job and started traveling the Northeast doing bigger and better shows. We lived on a farm in New Hampshire, had a couple of children, and we got by. 

The following three pieces were from that period. The chased and repousse box cover represents the landscape of southern New Hampshire, where I grew up.

Box- 78mm x 33mm

.

In 1980 the Hunt Brothers gained controlled of about 75% of the silver commodities market, and the price of silver shot up to almost $50 an ounce, from around $8 per ounce. Needless to say that pulled the rug out from under our operation, and it happened at a time of the year when most crafts people make the money they live on during the winter until the spring season starts. We packed up and moved to New Jersey where there was more opportunity.

Tube is 30mm long

.

I ended up getting a job in a well-known local restaurant, finding that I liked the work and that I had a knack for it. Within ten years I was running my own kitchen at a 200-year-old local inn with two outlets; one fine dining and the other casual. 

Twelve years in New Jersey plus one more child led to seven years in Phoenix, AZ. There I worked at The Phoenician Resort, a top 50 in the world destination resort. Then came five years as the chef of Sir Winston’s Restaurant aboard the RMS Queen Mary, permanently docked in Long Beach, California.

With the children now out on their own, we made the move to Paducah to be part of the local arts community. As part of a city-sponsored program, we acquired a historic house, renovated it and opened a café/catering operation, complete with a gift shop. Food and jewelry had combined and all was well for a while. However, changes happen and lives take different paths. Not everything is meant to be. Food and jewelry got left behind as I took on a full time job.

Ovoid is 30mm long

A few years later I retired. With extra time on my hands, I signed up for the jewelry/metals class offered at The Paducah School of Art and Design. The classes have given me a chance to better understand what I had been doing, as well as teaching me new methods and techniques.

Throughout my life, balance and harmony has been where I find peace. However elusive it might be, or even absent altogether at times, I keep trying. Working in metals has always seemed to be a part of that process. Interestingly enough, I am once again working in a restaurant. It all feels good together, here by the river.

This is Week 14 of 52 Artists in 52 Weeks. Thank you for reading and sharing Bernie's story today! To see more of Bernie's work, you can reach him at berniehebert49@gmail.com.