Tucson Electric Park Learning Center

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi everybody,

Time at last to let the pigeons fly out of the hat. Not before time
for that matter either.

Some of you may recall my mentioning some months ago the new
“Electric Park Learning Center”, a stand-alone dedicated show tent
offering three-times-a-day scheduled (and free, open to all comers)
presentations, demonstrations, introductions of new machines, new
jewelry and lapidary materials and techniques.

It’s fifteen full days of public show-and-tell, watch, talk, learn
and meet people. There’s nothing quite like it at Tucson, not as far
as I know.

The web site is at last up. It’s not complete. There are blanks in
the schedule, and in the presenters’ biographical But it
is solid enough now that I can at last take the wraps off, and here
it is:

electricparklearningcenter.com

Be aware that the schedule will change some but probably not by much
as Tucson approaches, so keep checking.

Now as to those blanks in the schedule. Are there any of you
estimable Orchideans who might like to give a session? I’d very much
like to see one on the topic of effective jewelry display for
example. This is a skill I believe many of us need and me more than
most. How about enameling? Any enamelists with time and inclination
to give an introduction to the art? Beadwork, lampwork - what else?
I’d be grateful if you’d let me know your suggestions, proposals,
ideas. Email me off list. Or make it an on-list discussion. I think
it’s going to be a great beginning but it is a beginning, so to know
Orchidean’s thoughts on what kinds of topics would be most useful
would be tremendously helpful in structuring the programs of future
years.

That being said, now to the opal inlay. Some while back in a thread
on the subject I called opal inlay “the lapidary’s friend” because
they tend to need repair often enough to help pay the lapidary rent.
At the Electric Park I’m going to be doing a Learning Center
presentation (which is not yet in the schedule) on making/repairing
an opal or other inlay. But I don’t at this moment have a broken one
to work on. Would any of you folks have one that you might be willing
to lend to be repaired in that public demo? For this, definitely
email me off list.

Cheers all and a great two-double-oh-seven to all of you.

Hans Durstling
Moncton Canada

2

Hi everyone,

Thought you might enjoy a glimpse ofl the Orchideans giving
presentations at the new Electric Park Learning Center in Tucson.
Here’s what we have lined up so far:

  • “coralnut” Don Dietz doing show-and-tell for the Graves Company,
  • Chris Ploof doing a presentation on benchtop mokume,
  • Mark Zirinsky giving a high-energy workshop on gem carving
  • I’ll be doing one on repairing/ making opal inlay and another on
    setting a stone within a stone and still another on how silver
    behaves,
  • And last (at this moment) but by no means least we have Merle
    White, Editor of Lapidary Journal, giving a talk on new directions at
    the Lapidary Journal.

There are still some open slots in the program.
www.electricparklearningcenter.com

So if you have a a show-and-tell you’d like to give, whether
technical presentation, workshop, or a slide show of your travels to
exotic gem locations or to the jewelry workshops of Bali, do contact
me off list.

Oh yes and since we’re a bit late in getting off the ground in this
the very first year - check the web site and if the concept appeals,
do please tell your friends, associates, neighbors, relatives unto
the 79th degree - and tell them all in turn to tell theirs.

Cheers all, and see you at the Learning Center.
Hans Durstling
Moncton Canada