wilkdesigns

100 Mile Finds Blog Feature

2012-02-13T16:47:00.001-05:00

A huge thanks goes out to Susan and Shirley of 100 Mile Finds for featuring my watches on thier blog! Check out the post here:

http://100milefinds.blogspot.com/2012/02/wilk-watchworks.html

100 Mile Finds is a great way to find local artisans, craftspeople, and all sorts of interesting small businesses in your area. Check it out here:

100 Mile Finds.com

Thanks again Susan and Shirley!

100 Mile Finds and Polar Stones

2012-02-04T18:12:00.001-05:00

I recently got accepted to have a listing/shop on 100milefinds.com and was found by another Canadian small business, Polar Stones, who wrote a nice little post about my work. They make whiskey stones to keep your drinks cool without diluting them. Thanks Polar Stones and 100 Mile Finds!

Find my shop on 100 Mile Finds here

Find Polar Stones blog here and their website here.

YYZ Living Feature

2012-02-03T11:37:00.001-05:00

YYZ Living e-zine has just featured one of my watches in their design find section. Thanks so much!

http://yyzliving.com/2012/02/02/design-find-scott-wilk-watchwork/

YYZ Living also has a Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/yyzlivingmagazine
and they're on twitter here: https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/YYZMag

2011: A Year in Review

2012-01-17T16:46:00.001-05:00

What a whirlwind 2011 was...I blinked and it was over! There have been a huge amount of changes for my business and for myself personally.

This past year was the first time that I partcipated in both the Spring and Christmas One of a Kind shows. Preparing for these shows was an insane amount of work, especially since it was the first full year of the launch of my watches. I have had some watches at shows in previous years, but they were prototypes, not like what I was showing in 2011. It was also the first year for my stainless steel watches, which I'm happy to say were well received. I also did a few other shows this past year, here's a list of all the shows I was at:

- Spring One of a Kind Show

- Queen West Artcrawl

- Christmas One of a Kind Show

- Sassy Little Craft Show

- Artscape Artbarns Holiday Market

- Movies & Makers Art & Craft Show

I hope to have more shows added to the roster for this coming year, but we'll have to wait and see which shows I get accepted to. I'll let you know as soon as I know!

This past year also saw my work featured in a number of articles from different websites. Thank you so much to those people who featured my work. Here is a list of some of the places I found which posted about my work:

- Candian Handmade Article

- Support Canadian Made Interview

- Design Buzz Article

- Cargoh 3x3 Interview

- Thrillist Article

- Work Live Play Cafe One of a Kind Show Article

- My collaborator Hugh of Moviesinhaiku on his blog

The other major happening in my life this past year was the arrival of my son! It's been so amazing seeing him grow and develop. Here's a couple photos of him, one from the beginning of last year and one just a couple days ago.

See the full gallery on Posterous

I think 2012 is going to be just as full as 2011 was, both on the Dad side and also on the creating side. I have lots of plans for the watches for this year and I'll be blogging about my progress and process. I'm very excited about the possibilites that some of the new materials I'm using will open up, but I'm not going to spoil any of the surprises about them. If you do want a little sneak peak, look at the On the Horizon section of my website.

I'm also planning on another series of blogs about some of the people I meet at shows and thier work and continuing my series about the different parts of watches. Will I have enough time to do it all? No idea. Guess you'll have to stay tuned. One thing is for certain though, my next show! It;'s the Spring one of a Kind show which starts March 28. More on that to come.

Wishing all the best to you in 2012!

Massive Website Update!

2011-12-30T22:14:00.001-05:00

Wow, I've been spending quite a bit of time updating my website with new designs and reorganizing sections with new content. There's lots of new, great things there and some news as well! Please check it out!

http://www.wilkwatchworks.com

I still have more posts coming about the shows I just did this past holiday season and all the fantastic people I met. Stay tuned for those!

Artscape Artbarns Holiday Art Market

2011-12-09T11:58:00.001-05:00

This coming Sunday I'll be participating at the Artscape Artbarns Holiday Art Market.

This is a one day show on Sunday December 11, 2011, which takes place from noon until 5pm.

Click here for their website about the event.

Click here for more information about the Artbarns.

Finally, click here for a map of the location of the show, which is on Wychwood Ave near St.Clair West and Bathurst in Toronto, ON.

I will also be blogging about my experience at the One of a Kind show that finished this past weekend. It was a great show and I met lots of great people but I just haven't had time to sit down and put my thoughts down about it. I'll also be highlighting some of the vendors I really liked from the show as well, but I may have to do it as a series of posts.

Hope to see you at the Artbarns!

OOAK Toronto Ticket Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-20T20:40:00.001-05:00

So I've done the draw for a pair of OOAK Toronto tickets and the winner is:

Zoe Theysmeyer

Congratulations! I'll be contacting you directly with all the details. Thanks to everyone who started following me on Twitter or liking my Facebook page. Hope to see you all the show!

OOAK Toronto Ticket Giveaway

2011-11-13T14:32:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note about my little draw for a pair of One of a Kind Xmas show tickets. I'm going to be doing the draw for the tickets whether or not I reach 100 follows on my Twitter account (@wilkdesigns) or 100 likes on my Facebook page (Wilk Watchworks and Jewellery Designs).

I've decided I'll just do the draw on Sunday November 20th at 5pm EST because it doesn't look like I'm going to reach the 100 mark. Remember if you both follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page, you'll be entered twice in the draw! Good luck everyone!

One of a Kind Countdown: 2 weeks to go!

2011-11-13T14:25:00.001-05:00

Well, it's about 2 weeks to go until I'll be at the One of a Kind Xmas Show. Things are coming together but of course, just like always, I think everything is going to come down to the last minute. I always worry that I'm not going to get everything finished that I've set out to do but it always seems to come together in the end. I've been especially ambitious this time around trying to complete 16 new watches for the show and it may be this goal which will be my undoing. As of right now I have 12 watches that should definitely be finished. Here are a couple snaps of the dials in progress:

See the full gallery on Posterous

I've got a mix of some new designs with some designs from my sterling silver watches. I thought I'd bring a couple of those designs over to my stainless steel watches to show that my watches are very customizable.

In terms of the customization available, it can be as simple as swapping one strap out for another or putting in a different movement or as complex as designing a new dial from scratch. I could even go so far as to make a case and dial for you, like the special client who is getting this watch:

This watch is made from sterling silver and has a 14k yellow gold dial and dial ring. The dial ring is hand engraved with a unique pattern. The dial will also have diamond markers and the case bezel is set with 60 diamonds. The strap pictured is genuine crocodile, but that may not be the final selection. This watch obviously is not finished yet, but it will be, and be at the show for your viewing pleasure. It won't be for sale, but if you'd like something similar, I can make that happen.

So it looks like for the next couple weeks I'm not going to be getting much sleep as I have loads to do, but I'll be at the show starting November 29th in booth # O-35. Please come by and say hi!

I'm still running my ticket giveaway, all you have to do to enter is follow me on Twitter (@wilkdesigns) or like my Facebook page (Wilk Watchworks and Jewellery Designs). Draw will be happening next weekend(Sunday Nov 20th at 5pm EST) regardless of whether or not I reach the goal of 100 followers on twitter or facebook. Good luck!

My watch picked as a Geek Chic Top 10 for the OOAK!

2011-11-10T16:04:00.001-05:00

A big thanks goes out to Heather Camlot from Workliveplaycafe.com for picking my one of my large stainless steel watches as a Top 10 Geek Chic pick for the OOAK this year! Check out the article:

http://www.workliveplaycafe.com/2011/11/top-10-geek-chic-goods-one-of-a-kind-show-sale/

Featured in an article on Thrillist!

2011-11-02T12:08:00.003-04:00

I've just been featured in an article by Thrillist!

Go here to check it out!

The watches that I corraboratively made with Hugh from Movies in Haiku steal the show here because of their awesomeness! Can't wait to make another watch with him.

Thanks again to Thrillist!

Featured in an article on Thrillist!

2011-11-02T12:08:00.001-04:00

I've just been featured in an article by Thrillist!

Go here to check it out!

The watches that I corraboratively made with Hugh from Movies in Haiku steal the show here because of their awesomeness! Can't wait to make another watch with him.

Thanks again to Thrillist!

One of a Kind Countdown: 4 weeks to go!

2011-11-01T19:44:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note about my preparations for the One of a Kind show. Not much has changed since my last post except that I should be getting my dials from the caster this week and then the real work starts!

I worked out some new packaging for this show! I have some new boxes for my stainless steel watches and new bags and custom tags for the bags. Here's a picture of what you'll get if purchase a stainless steel watch from me:

I know this is maybe not the most exciting blog post ever, so thats why I'm keeping it short! I'm sure I'll have lots to show next week and I'll document my process with step by step photos as well.

Oh and because Halloween just passed, here's a picture of my son and my wife with him all dressed up for his first Halloween ever! I had a lot of fun getting him ready even though the costume was way too big for him and I had to alter it...though I think I had more fun with the lightsabre than he did!

One of a Kind Show Toronto: Ticket Giveaway!

2011-10-23T20:03:00.001-04:00

As part my lead up to the One of a Kind Show this year I'm going to be giving away some free admission tickets! When I reach 100 likes on my Facebook page or when I reach 100 followers on my Twitter account I'll make the draw to the followers or "likers" of whichever reaches 100 first. This draw will be for one pair of tickets to the show! Good luck!

One of a Kind Countdown: 5 weeks to go!

2011-10-23T19:53:00.001-04:00

As I have for the Queen West Artcrawl, I'm going to be doing a countdown to the One of a Kind Xmas Show. I think this one will be another "right up to the last minute" kind of preparations. For the One of a Kind show, I was producing seven new stainless steel watches as well as having my sterling silver watches. For this years One of a Kind Show, I'm attempting to have about double the new stainless steel watches as well as having the ones I had at the Queen West(provided they don't sell between now and then). There was so much interest in the stainless watches at the Queen West that I've just had to go all out for the One of a Kind.

I guess I should really start with some of the particulars about the One of a Kind this year. It's taking place from Novemeber 24th until Dec 4th at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Please note though that I won't be there for the whole show. I'll be there for the final six days which are from November 29th until Dec 4th. I'm in booth # O-35 which is almost smack dab in the middle of the show floor.

So back to the watches. I've really been busy with coming up with new designs for my stainless steel watches for the show. I'll have new quartz watches, new mechanical watches, new large(above 40mm) mechanical watches and also I'll have new automatic watches, one even has a power reserve indicator! As progress is made on these new designs, I'll be posting some pictures and details regarding these timepieces. All I've got for you now is a couple pictures of the stainless steel cases I'm using.

Yes thats right, thats a PVD case right in front! If you are not sure what PVD is, just wait! It will be in one of my "Watch Parts" series of posts. Its basically a coating on the steel to make it a uniform colour, usually black. I'll have two of these watches at the show.

Stay tuned for my next post, it will most likely be the next in the "Watch Parts" series and then the post after that I should have some new progress news! Thanks for reading!

Watch Parts Series: The Crystal

2011-10-15T21:40:00.001-04:00

In this, the first instalment of my blog series about watch parts, I'm going to be examining the watch crystal or the glass of the watch. There isn't a whole lot to this topic, but sometimes the glass is not really glass at all!

In most watches these days, the crystal of the watch is made of one of three materials. First being mineral glass, the second being plastic, and the third being sapphire.

For most lower end watches, lower end being under $500, the crystal of the watch is made from glass. This is basically just like the glass used in the windows of your home but goes through a tempering process to make it a little bit harder and scratch resistant. In the watch industry a regular glass crystal is called a mineral crystal. They break fairly easily if they are hit hard enough or hit on a sharp corner. Throughout the course (so far) of my watch career, I've seen many mineral crystal with scratches or cracks. If you need to get a crystal like this replaced, it usually starts at $20 for a flat round crystal and goes up from there for domed or irregularly shaped crystals.

The second type you might see in a watch is a plastic crystal, basically like plexiglass. They are usually found on older watches or pocket watches and are generally domed. They are quite easily scratched but not as easily broken as mineral crystals. If you need to get the scratches removed, they can sometimes be buffed out or the crystal can be replaced. Fitting these crystals can be somewhat tricky because the plastic generally was made for a specific watch unlike mineral crystals which are just made at certain diameters and thicknesses. If you have a regular brand name watch, a replacement can generally be found.

The third type is the sapphire crystal. This is exactly what it says...it literally is a clear sapphire just like the gemstone, however, this sapphire is laboratory grown. Check out this Wikipedia article about sapphire and read the synthetic sapphire section. Sapphire crystals are very scratch resistant and are a little less prone to breakage than mineral crystals. I've seen a couple shattered sapphire crystals before, but only one scratched one. They are fairly expensive to get replaced, you can count on at least $60, but probably closer to $80 or $100. It is also possible to get your crystal swapped out to be sapphire in some cases if you are prone to scratching your crystal. I use sapphire crystals in all of my sterling silver watches and it is possible (for an additional charge) to have them put into my stainless steel watches.

Lastly, some (generally higher end) watchmakers have been putting anti-reflective coatings on their crystals to reduce glare so to make the dial easier to read. I think we've all had someone in the car reflect the sun in our eyes from their watch. This can be lessened by anti-reflective coatings. Some manufacturers are even going to the extent to put the coatings on the inside and the outside of the crystal. In most cases, the coatings are not that durable, so having the coating on the outside is a risk. Getting the coating redone is next to impossible unless the watch gets sent back to the manufacturer, as this is not a service I've ever seen any watchmaker offer. Suffice to say, it would be quite expensive to get done...just think how much it costs to get done on your eyeglasses.

In the end, the choice for crystals isn't extensive but it can be expensive. Really knowing what is out there can help you make an informed decision if you are in the market for a watch. I hope this has shed some light on watch crystals for you. If you have any questions, please leave a comment!

Hodgepodge: A post about many things

2011-10-02T15:39:00.001-04:00

Hodgepodge, the word that came to me when I was thinking about what I wanted this post to be about. I guess I really just had a bunch of topics and couldn't make up my mind which one to choose, so I choose them all, and here we go:

I've been accepted to the Christmas One of a Kind show here in Toronto, which is taking place at the Direct Energy Centre starting on November 24, 2011 and ending on December 4, 2011. I will only be participating in the show for the second half which runs from Nov. 29 until Dec 4. I really wanted to be in the whole show but was only accepted for the second half...hopefully I'll get in for the whole thing, next year. If you wanted to get a better price on tickets than at the door, please use the code in the picture below to purchase tickets online at a discounted rate. Click on this link to purchase tickets for the show and enter the code at the top of the page. I also haven't found out what my booth number will be, but I should know in a couple weeks and I'll have it posted here and on my website.

Also for the show I'm planning on having about half my watches be stainless steel and the other half be my sterling silver designs. The stainless steel watches were a hit at the Queen West Artcrawl, so I've decided to make a bunch more with new, never before seen dials. Of course, just like the Queen West, I'm going to document my preparations for the OOAK here on the blog to give you an in depth look at my process.

I'm also hoping to start a series of blog posts about different parts of a watch, such as the crystal or strap or movement. These posts are meant to be educational for you and me, and hopefully spark some conversation about what people are looking for in a watch. I should have the first in this series next week on the topic of crystals (the glass of the watch). Not really a complex topic, but there are some tidbits I hope you find interesting and would love to hear your feedback on. If there are any topics you would like to see in a post, please let me know!

If you have visited my website recently you may notice that I've reorganized things a little bit. I wanted to add more of an emphasis on the jewellery that I offer which I've broken down into three categories. First is sterling silver jewellery, then custom jewellery, and finally engagement and wedding jewellery. For my silver jewellery, my designs can be purchased through on Etsy shop for jewellery. Over the next two weeks I'll be posting many many more pieces to this shop for your viewing or purchasing pleasure, just in time for the holiday season. You can also see some of these pieces here on the blog by following this link.

Well, thats all I've got for now. Thanks for reading.

Stainless Steel Watches posted....mostly!

2011-09-25T21:47:00.001-04:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I've posted three of my new stainless steel watches to my Etsy shop.

I've also reorganized my website and added these three new watches to it.

I will be updating my Cargoh shop with these watches as well, but not tonight because I'm getting really tired.

I also have two other stainless steel watches to post to all three of these spots, but that'll have to wait as well.

I've also decided that I'm dedicated to keeping this blog going(for whoever reads it and for myself) as my last few attempts at blogging have miserably failed. So I'm shooting at this point for one blog post per week on varying topics about watches and jewellery. I'll also try and have some more in depth posts about the process of making both my watches and jewellery. Thanks again for reading.

Queen West Art Crawl Aftermath

2011-09-20T11:53:00.001-04:00

The aftermath of a show, always a spectacle to behold...well, mostly me trying to recover from exhaustion. So, that's why I'm posting this on the second day after the show because if I posted yesterday, I don't think it would have been coherant. If it weren't for my parents and my amazing wife, I don't think I'd be able to do these shows, so I thank them so much for being there for me.

I'd also like to thank all the fantastic people I met during the course of the show. I had some great discussions with them about my watches and jewellery and a special thanks to all the people who purchased from me this weekend, I wouldn't be able to continue making what I make without your support.

As I mentioned to many, many people this weekend, I didn't get a chance to take photos of all my new stainless steel watches before the show. But I promise that sometime over the next week I'll have them posted here and on my website, Etsy, and Cargoh shops. Though what I can do is take a quick snap of them for you to see. Here you go:

From left to right: automatic, automatic, manual wind, quartz, quartz. I'll have lots more detail; about them after I post them officially. If you have been following my blog throughout the course of the QWAC Prep series, you may have noted that I was making seven stainless watches, well, two sold, so now there are five. Of course, I will be making more! The One of a Kind show is just around the corner and I will be there for the second half. More to come on that in another post.

Lastly, I would really like to thank everyone who helped to make the QWAC happen. I really like everything about the show from the organizing of load-in and out to all the performances that take place and all the volunteers that help. It really is a fantastic show and it couldn't happen without you, and you do a great job! Can't wait until next year!

Early morning on Day 2 of the show

QWAC Day 1

2011-09-17T20:38:00.001-04:00

Had a great first day at the show, wonderful weather, talked to lots of interesting folks who had lots of inquiries about the watches, so all in all, I had a blast! Great also to meet @TheArtOfLeitch in person, had a great chat with him and found out we have a common education at Bealart! Also saw Roz Hermant(wicked photography) and had a great talk(as always) with Margaret Rankin.

So I thought I'd post a couple pictures of our setup and my booth and some of the crowds. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

See the full gallery on Posterous

If you didn't make it to the show today, come on Sunday! The show runs from 11am until 6pm, and if you do come by, stop by my booth which is number C67 and says hello!

Featured as a 3x3 artist on Cargoh!

2011-09-16T13:23:00.001-04:00

My 3x3 interview has just gone up on Cargoh! 3x3 is this: 1 artist, 3 questions, 3 answers. A huge thanks to the people at Cargoh and especially Gabriel for making this happen! Check out their questions and my answers here:

http://www.cargoh.com/blog/3x3-scott-wilk

Featured on Support Canadian Made!

2011-09-13T14:25:00.001-04:00

Thanks so much to Support Canadian Made for featuring my watches and I on their website!

http://www.supportcanadianmade.com/2011/09/13/wilk-watchworks/

QWAC Crunch Time

2011-09-11T21:03:00.001-04:00

And here we are, the final week before the show, the time when real panic and hysteria sets in. Everything needs to come together, work(jewellery and watches) need to be finished, items for the booth need to be accounted for, packed and loaded into the car, check and double check the checklist, breath...sometimes I really wonder if its worth it to do these shows. Of course, once I'm there and set up and I start seeing people react to my work(hopefully in a good way), its all worth while(and making a few sales helps too!).

Though this last week before the show is going to be a doozy for me. During this week is my wedding anniversary(8 years married to my wonderful wife), doing all of the regular things like looking after my son all day, cleaning, getting groceries, prepping the house for my parents to stay(they are coming to help at the show...couldn't do it without them), cooking and loads of other things I just can't take the time to think about, plus I've got to get ready for the show. I've also been asked to do online 'interviews' by two different websites(I'll have links to them when they are posted). So, no rest for the weary. But you don't need to hear about my hardships! I'm sure you'd like to see the progress I've made on my watches.

So, the watches. Everything seems to be going well, but I think it's really going to come down to the wire for a couple of them. I discovered at the end of last week that the hands that I ordered for a couple of them weren't the right ones. So out of my mouth poured some profanity and in goes an order to my supplier. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it arrives on time, if not, there are going to be some strange hands on two of the watches, be warned.

The rest of the watches have been coming along nicely. I even have one finished! Here's a couple photos of some of the dials which are pretty much done and the finished watch. I also tried to take a photo showing the luminous property of the finished watch, but the photo was terrible so I haven't included it, just know that it does glow in the dark!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Seeing as I have so much to do, I'm going to cut short this week's blog. I will be posting another blog just before the show and I'll also be blogging during the show for those people that can't make it can see what they are missing out on. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you all out at the Queen West Artcrawl this coming weekend!

QWAC Prep Part 3: 11 days left to go!

2011-09-05T21:52:00.001-04:00

Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

With only 11 days left until the QWAC, a foreboding sense of panic breaches the surface of my thoughts: Will I finish everything in time? In my last post, I was very worried that I wouldn't get the required parts in time to be able to finish them. Well, the powers that be have shined favourably on me this past week and everyone came through for me. By the end of last week I had rough castings of 8 dials in my hands. I was very happy that this was accomplished, but I was feeling not elation but something akin to disappointment. Why? Then it hit me...I can't go to the cottage and enjoy three lazy days beside the lake, I have to stay home while my wife and son go. And so, I lived the life of a bachelor once again for the long weekend and spent a majority of it down in my studio, working on the dials. Here's a photo of what I was missing out on...

I also later found out that my father-in-law cooked steaks and the whole family went out to outdoor art show in the area and tootled around the lake in the boat...nah, I'm not jealous at all.

And so, back to what I did all weekend, the dials. I really shouldn't complain though, I enjoy working in the studio on my own work. So below are pictured six of the dials in their rough state.

See the full gallery on Posterous

You can't see it from the pictures, but there are jagged cut-off points on the backs of the dials where the sprues for casting are positioned, so the first step is to saw those off. After those are removed, a rough sanding on the front and back of each dial is done to flatten both sides and smooth them out. Here they are pictured after that process on my bench pin and another rough dial with the sanding dust from another.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Next step is to solder on the dial feet which hold the dial to the movement or mechanism of the watch. These have to be precisely positioned on the back of the dial or they won't fit into holes on the movement. This process is difficult at the best of times, even using a jig I hand make for each different type of movement. Needless to say I ended up cutting off a few (or more) dial feet because they were slightly out of alignment, but in the end, I won out. Here's a photo of the dial feet soldered into position on the backs of 2 of the dials.

You might be thinking 'Wow those dial feet are long!' and you would be right! They get trimmed down to different lengths depending on the type of movement used, I just leave them long while soldering because they are easier to hold that way. After trimming I drill the centre hole larger to allow all the posts to stick through and then the process get interesting...it's time to add colour!

For the colour in my dials, I use a resin type of enamel, basically it's a special type of coloured two-part epoxy that you can cure in an oven or allow to cure in the air over a 2 day period. I generally just let them air dry and I have to when using luminous powders. I'm not really sure what would happen to the luminous material if it was heated, so I just play it safe. So I mix up some colour, and apply it to the dials, putting on a generous amount because it shrinks while drying. Here is what the dials look like when they are coated in goo.

See the full gallery on Posterous

And here is the blue one up close and with the lights turned out!

See the full gallery on Posterous

You might be having another thought after seeing those pictures: ' Wow what a sloppy guy, those look horrible!' Let me reassure you, this is only temporary. After the resin has cured, it's very hard, so I sand it down flush with the surface of the dial to give it a more pleasing appearance ;-)

So that's as far as I've got this past long weekend, it definitely was a labourious one..............I know, that was terrible. haha.

I also think this may be the time to address another question some of you may have: 'That seems like a lot of work! Are all watch dials made that way?' And the answer is no! I don't think I've ever seen anyone make watch dials this way. My dials are solid sterling silver. Most dials are made from very thin brass that has all of the details/markings printed onto it by a machine using paint or luminous paint. The only part that's really touched by someone on most watches are the little hour markers. On most watches those are made by a machine that stamps them out of a sheet of metal and then they are glued onto the dial either by machine or by hand. I wanted to make dials in a different and interesting way, so as to give the watch a different look and to let the owner know that this watch was handcrafted. I found a YouTube video of how Frank Muller makes their dials to give you an example of how the dial for a watch that costs tens of thousands of dollars is made. As you can see, my process is completely different, not necessarily better, just different.

I'd love to hear your comments about my blog and also if you have any questions regarding any of my processes. Hope you all had a great long weekend.

11 days till the Queen West Artcrawl!

My QWAC Preparations Part 2

2011-08-29T21:50:00.001-04:00

Well, one week has past and not much has happened. The timeline that I had planned has been rewritten and it's looking much much tighter. When making things as complicated as watches, I unfortunately can't do everything myself and unfortunately one of the people that helps me in the process had an emergency this past week which is why the dials of my watches are not in my hands yet.

However, all is not lost! There should still be time(barely) to get the stainless steel watches I mentioned in my last post finished. I did get the rest of the parts and materials I need for them today, which I'm very happy about! New straps, more cases, some different coloured luminous powders and some other items. Here's two photos of the luminous powder...love that stuff!

See the full gallery on Posterous

I've also been working on my showcases...making some slight modifications here and there to spruce them up. Can't have them looking shabby for the Queen West Artcrawl!

I also got my new credit card terminal up and running. I used to use the old behemoth credit card imprinter...you know those ones that you have to run back and forth over a card which has an imprinter slip over it, I always called it the chunka chunka machine because of the sounds it made. But not anymore! Through the miraculousness of technology I can now do Visa and Mastercard transactions through my iPhone! I'm so happy to finally be part of the 21st century. I even have a swiper thingy that attaches to the iPhone. Here's a picture to show you what it looks like:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Only 18 days left to go until the show and things are looking a little worrysome but we'll just have to wait and see what this week holds. I'll have more for you next week and as always please visit my website, the Queen West Artcrawl website and if you have a spare moment, follow me on twitter!

Now blogging on Wordpress

2010-03-21T11:37:00.001-04:00

Hello,

Just wanted to say that I'm now blogging on Wordpress here. I'll probably be posting on both blogs for a while but more than likely shutting one of them down. I just got a Wordpress app for my iTouch so it'll make my posting of posts a little easier and I can do it on the go.

As for new work, I will be posting my new line of work on the blogs soon, but if you go to my website or my Etsy shop you can see some of the new line already. Enjoy!

Time to get back to it

2010-03-13T15:48:00.003-05:00

Sorry for anyone who has been checking my blog only to find out that I haven't posted anything in over a year. I know, for shame. Well, I've been renovating my house, and I let my jewellery slide a bit but now I'm ready to get back to it.

So the first thing of note is that I am now selling my jewellery through Etsy. Please go check out my Etsy store here.

I also started posting on twitter, follow me here.

Other than that, I'm waiting to hear about which shows I've been accepted for and when I hear about them. I'll let you know.

September Shows

2008-09-08T20:32:00.002-04:00

Hello! Just wanted to let those of you who peruse this blog know about the next upcoming show which is the St.Clair Artwalk which is happening the weekend of September 27 & 28. Here's a link to their website for all the info:

http://www.stclair-artwalk.org/

Thanks to those who braved the terrible weather and came out to see us at the Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts Fair this past weekend.

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2008

2008-06-22T12:37:00.003-04:00

The next show that I will be at is the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. This event is held at Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall in downtown Toronto. The exhibition is happening on July 11, 12 & 13 and my booth will be located in spot # 541. Here's a link to a map of the show:

Show & Exhibitors Map TOAE 2008

Hours for the show are as follows:

Friday July 11: 10am - 8pm
Saturday July 12: 10am - 7pm
Sunday July 13: 10am - 6pm

If you'd like any more info about the show, please visit the website here.
Hope to see you at the show!

It's been way too long

2008-04-13T21:12:00.003-04:00

Hello!

It's been an obscene amount of time since I posted last and I do apologize. The xmas season was insanely busy in a personal and business sense. Thanks to everyone who helped make 2007 a great year for Wilk Jewellery Designs. On a personal note, my wife and I bought a house and moved in just before xmas, which added to our work load considerably. I also started working full time which has added to my stress and hence the tardiness of my posting. I've been trying to figure out how to make a full time job, house maintenance and my business work harmoniously, and well, it's not easy but its working. Anyways, I really just wanted to let everyone know of my next upcoming show! Here it is:

The Clothing Show
May 2, 3, & 4, 2008
Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place
Toronto, ON
www.theclothingshow.com
My booth is in the boutique section # 506

Hope to see you there!

December Show Posters

2007-11-25T11:55:00.000-05:00

Hey! Here's the posters from the two shows I listed in my last post. Please click o the poster to see the image larger.

December Shows

2007-11-16T14:50:00.000-05:00

The holiday season is coming, or its here, depending on who you talk to! Just wanted to let everyone know about the two shows I will be participating in this December. Here they are:

Sassy Little Craft Show
The Victory Cafe, 2nd floor
581 Markham St.(near Bloor and Bathurst)
Toronto, ON
Friday, December 7th, 7pm - 12:30am
Saturday, December 8th, 12pm - 5:30pm

Stitch 'N' Kitsch Show & Sale
First United Church
Waterloo, ON
Saturday December 15th, 11am - 7pm

Hope to see you there! As always check out my website for the latest designs: www.wilkdesigns.com

Upcoming Show

2007-10-30T15:29:00.000-04:00

My next upcoming show will be the Lunchtime Beauty Bazaar at the Design Exchange in the Financial District of Toronto. Please check out the shows website here:

http://www.beautyandbliss.ca/events/lbb.html

The show runs on Wednesday November 14th from 11am until 4pm. Hope to see you there!

New Work

2007-10-04T18:16:00.000-04:00

With all of the shows which happened during September, I didn't get a chance to post up some of the new work which I made for the shows. Below you will find some unique gemstone pendants and other miscellaneous types of jewellery. I will also have my website (www.wilkdesigns.com) updated soon with new work and a brand new loose stones section. Below you will also find some of those loose stones whcih will appear at wilkdesigns.com. Enjoy!

Quartz with possible chlorite inclusions, sterling silver

Quartz with possible chlorite inclusions, sterling silver

Rutilated Quartz, Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver Cuff Links

Rose Quartz

Golden Quartz

September Shows and show in November

2007-10-01T11:29:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post a quick note to say thanks to everyone who came out to the shows this past month and showed enormous support for Wilk Jewellery Designs! I was happy to see many familiar faces, and many new faces as well! Also a huge thanks to my wife Jolene, Dave G., and Paul M. for helping with setup, take down, and booth assistance. Couldn't have done it without you.

The next show I will be attending will be mid Novemeber at the Design Exchange in the Financial District in Toronto. More info about this show will be posted soon.

Upcoming Shows

2007-08-28T16:47:00.001-04:00

I have three shows coming up in the month of September and I'd love to see you at one of them! Here's the list:

Queen West Art Crawl
September 15th and 16th(Sat and Sun)
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Queen St. W at Strachan
Toronto, ON
11am - 6pm

Stitch 'N' Kitsch
Saturday, September 22nd
First United Church
Waterloo, ON
10am - 5pm

St.Clair Artwalk
Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th
Corner of Wychwood Ave. South & St. Clair West
Toronto, ON
10am - 5pm

I hope to see lots of familiar and unfamiliar faces! As always, check my website www.wilkdesigns.com for the latest pieces from my workshop.

Gemmology Exam Results

2007-08-28T16:37:00.000-04:00

It's been almost a month since my last post which is really unforgivable, but hopefully this news will make up for my negligence. I am now a gemmologist! Yay! It was a tough exam but I squeaked through on the theory portion and did moderately well on the practical section. I'd like to say thanks to all the people in my class, I know without their support, it would have been much tougher. Also, Circle and Jennifer, good job filling my brain with science. So after all this, whats next? Pretty much the same as it always was except now I can put FCGmA after my name and have people ask "What the hell is that?". And thanks to Jolene, you knew I could pass even when I didn't think it was possible. If you'd like to become a gemmologist too, the course I took was great! Check out their website www.canadiangemmological.com

The Galleries List

2007-07-30T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Just though I'd put together a listing of all the galleries which carry my work across the United States and Canada. Here they are:

MetalUrge: A Metal Arts Company
1225 Yonge St. Toronto, ON
www.metalurge.ca
416-323-0047

Influx Jewellery Gallery
201-100 7 Avenue SW Calgary, AB
www.influxgallery.com
403-266-7527

The Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts
200 South Madison St. Wilmington, DE USA
www.thedcca.org
302-656-6466

Made You Look
1338 Queen St W. Toronto, ON
www.madeyoulook.ca
416-463-2136

A.K. Collings Gallery
41 John Street Port Hope, ON
www.akcollings.com
905-885-2001

The Red Pepper Squirrel
215 S. Second St Clarksville, TN USA
www.theredpeppersquirrel.com
931-648-5547

And the newest addition:

Glitz
586 Academy Rd. Winnipeg, MB
204-487-3444

New Work update

2007-07-12T09:48:00.000-04:00

Since the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is finished, I thought I'd take some time and update my website with some of the new jewellery I made for the show. Unfortunately not all the pieces have made it up on the website because I sold some of them at the show before I took pictures, but I will be making more of them soon(especially more cuff links). So I thought I would post some of the new work here on my blog as well, and if you like what you see, please go on over to my website and check out the rest!

Sterling Silver, 10k gold watch, leather strap

Detail of the engraving on the back of the watch

59.5ct Sacred Seven Quartz, Sterling Silver

Sterling Silver, Colourless Topaz

43ct Tourmalated Quartz, Sterling Silver

65.5ct Rutilated Quartz, Sterling Silver

After the TOAE

2007-07-10T19:17:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd write a post to say thanks to all the people who helped me at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition which helped to make it an outstanding success! Thanks to the 'rents, Taryn, Dave, and Paul for all your help with manning the booth and setup, couldn't have done it without you. Of course, I also have to thank my wife Jolene, I wouldn't be making jewellery and other baubles if it wasn't for her. She also helped me with setup and take down of the show almost every day! She's an amazing person, and I'm a lucky guy. Anyways, if you couldn't make it to the show, here's some pictures of my booth and the show early one morning before the show started.

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition

2007-07-01T12:22:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is quickly approaching. It is taking place at Nathan Philips Square on July 6, 7, & 8, which is less than a week away. I'll be participating in the show this year and have been given booth # 511 which is right beside the Peace Garden. Check out their website at www.torontooutdoorart.org. With over 450 vendors, its bound to be a great show. Hope to see you there!

Also, I'd like to congratulate a couple of my clients on their engagement. Unfortunately I was unable to post the entire amount of work I had made for them because the ring box I made for them had the bride-to-be's new fashion label logo engraved on the side of it. So, to make sure I didn't spoil the surprise, I withheld the photos of the ring and box and only posted the pictures of the ring. Here are all the photos for your perusal.

Sassy Little Craft Show Poster

2007-05-30T14:55:00.000-04:00

Here's the poster for the Sassy Little Craft Show. Yay!

Sassy Little Craft Show & Sacred Seven-a-thon

2007-05-25T19:03:00.000-04:00

The work just keeps pouring off my bench in anticipation of two upcoming shows. The first is the Sassy Little Craft Show held in Toronto on Friday, June 22nd starting around 7:30ish at the Victory Cafe & Bar on Markham St, just near Bathurst and Bloor. Its a one night affair, nothing fancy, just a bunch of people selling their wares, "maybe" having a drink or two. Second show is of course the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, which I mentioned in a previous post, but now they have posted all the vendors for the show, including me! Anyways, here's another Sacred Seven piece.

Sterling Silver, Sacred Seven Quartz

Rutilated Quartz

2007-05-16T14:48:00.000-04:00

More new work! Here's two pieces I made with some good sized(around 40 carats each) rutilated quartz.

Sterling Silver, Rutilated Quartz

Sterling Silver, Rutilated Quartz

Ammolite, Quartz and Sapphire

2007-05-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

I just finished a bunch of new work and thought some of you might like to take a gander. More Sacred Seven pieces which are going to be bridesmaids gifts, an ammolite pendant for the mother of the groom, and a custom order for a set of earrings and pendant with blue sapphire. Enjoy!

Sacred Seven Quartz, sterling silver

Sacred Seven Quartz, sterling silver

Sacred Seven Quartz, sterling silver

Ammolite, sterling silver

Blue Sapphire, sterling silver

Blue Sapphire, sterling silver

SNAP Beaches Magazine

2007-05-10T11:23:00.000-04:00

The studio where I teach some classes got a little bit of press recently about its grand opening in SNAP Beaches Magazine. Theres a really awful picture of me with the other metalsmithing teacher Suzanne. Anyways, check out the link.

http://www.snapbeaches.com/display/7161/124/

Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition

2007-05-09T22:32:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I've been accepted into the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition this year. It takes place at Nathan Phillips Square(just in front of city hall) on July 6, 7, & 8, 2007. I'll be in booth # 511 right beside the Peace Garden. Hope to see you there!

On a side note, I didn't get into the Archiving Beauty Show, but if you are in Calgary, go check it out anyways!

Archiving Beauty Show

2007-04-02T16:06:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to show a piece I'm submitting for the Archiving Beauty Show at Influx Jewellery Gallery in Calgary. They are having this show to celebrate "2007 Year of Craft in Canada". Its another piece using the sacred seven quartz. Hopefully my piece makes it in the show!

Wedding Band from Tattoos

2007-03-26T16:49:00.000-04:00

A client came to me a while back and asked me to create a custom wedding band based on his tattoos on his wrist. I've made a pictorial comparison showing his tattoos versus the different sides of the ring I made. This is one of the few instances where I cast the ring because I couldn't make it any other way. The stones in the piece are ruby and emerald.

Two Pendants

2007-03-26T16:43:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post up a couple of pendants that I made a little while back but never got around to posting. Both stones in the pieces are Sacred Seven Quartz which I mentioned in a previous post. Here they are:

An interesting cut with inclusions unlike any I have seen so far in this type of stone

A large stone(around 45-50 carats) with a fantastic amount of amethyst.

Jewellery Fabrication Classes

2007-02-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

I'm proud to announce that I will be teaching some jewellery making classes at a new studio opening up in Toronto called Margie Jewellery Studio. The classes should commence in the middle of March and continue from then on. Other classes including Glass Flameworking, Glass Fusing, and Beading are also available. Please check out the studio website for all the info including dates, times and pricing!

Margie Jewellery Studio

Hope to see you in one of my classes!

Step by Step Ring

2007-02-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

So I decided with one of my clients to take step by step pictures of her ring being made. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out as well as I would have hoped and I also didn't have a tripod at the time. In the near future I will be making another series like this to illustrate the enormous effort that goes into one of these pieces. Its all done by hand folks. This is not how most jewellery is made.

This particular client wanted me to take a diamond from an existing ring she had and make a new ring for it.

Step 1: Cut the diamond out of the old ring.

Step 2: Gather all of the pieces needed for the ring. This is all 14k white gold.

Step 3: Take the big piece, measure and cut it to the correct length, bend it around and solder it. The picture is just after soldering.

Step 4: Time to make the circle design elements which will be on the top of the ring. Take some of the gold, cut small lengths, bend them around and solder them together. This is the same process as making the band, just smaller. The picture show some of the small bits prior to soldering.

Step 5: Hammer the ring into a round shape and sand it to a nice smoothness. Usually this requires going through at least 4 different grits of emery paper. Do the same process on all the little circles that were made in step 3. Also, take one of the round bits that were made in step 3, solder on some square wire to make a setting for the diamond. Pictured is the main ring after sanding, the circle bits before sanding, and the stone setting before sanding.

Step 6: Solder all the little bits onto the ring.

Step 7: Drill out the holes in all the circles and the setting. File down some of the tubing so that they get shorter as the continue around the circumference of the ring. This is necessary so that the little protrusions don't stick into the side of your finger. Drill some extra holes on the band to make it look even better. Sand and polish the ring until nice and shiny. Cut the seat for the diamond, these are the little notches the stone sits in. Set the stone. Round the prongs and sand and polish them. Get the ring plated in rhodium if it needs it and voila! Finished Ring!

So, the finished ring. In the end it turned out great. The hardest part for me was sanding and polishing in all the little spaces and crevices . That took a lot of patience and was still frustrating. The thing I really like about working like this is that I have a direct connection with the metal I'm working with. I form it, I joint it together, I create its surface. As I said at the beginning, this is very different from the way most jewellery is made.

Most commercial jewellery(ie. Birks, People's, Mappins, Wal-mart, etc...) is made by first creating the jewellery as a wax model. Its then made into a mold and a limitless amount of wax models can then made which are identical to the original. Usually several hundred to a couple thousand wax models are made. These models get put onto a "tree" and a crucible is made. After the crucible is made, its basically a reverse cavity or impression of the wax model. Molten metal is then poured into the crucible and allowed to cool. The mold is removed from casting and you have yourself a "tree" of several hundred to a couple thousand pieces of jewellery. The jewellery is cut off of "tree" and is generally sanded and polished by machine, not by hand. So, in the end, most jewellery is not even touched by someone until the very end. A great place to check out this process with pictures and a much better explanation than my own is: http://pblinc.com/steps.asp

Now I do have to say I use the casting method upon occasion to make items which either cannot be made like the ring I made above, or are just suited to the casting method. I do not use the mass production casting method in my jewellery making, with the exception of pieces, which in my opinion, benefit from the increased stability of structure which casting provides. To date, I have only used this method once, in one of my bracelets. All other uses of casting my jewellery are limited to unique pieces in which I hand carve one wax model which is cast as one single unique piece which I could not have made using a fabrication method. The first wedding bands in the previous post was made this way.

Anyways, that was a rant and then some. If anyone has any questions about my jewellery making methods, please feel to contact me. And as always, check here and my website www.wilkdesigns.com for all my new pieces.

Wow, its been a while

2007-02-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm sorry that its been so long since my last post, I guess I'm just really bad at this sort of thing. This is definitely a good way to show ideas and such, but I just get bogged down with other things, mostly of the video game variety. Anyways, here's what I've been doing over the xmas holidays and the beginning of 2007.

A wedding band for a client whom I made an engagement ring for. This band is for him and his fiancee's engagement ring matches it. 14k White Gold

Another wedding band, but this one is like no other ring I've ever made. The client wanted a plaid pattern out of 14k pink and white gold. The pattern penetrates halfway through the ring. It's made through a technique called, ironically enough, marriage of metal. What this means is that different metals are placed side by side, or fitting within each other and soldered together. So each individual line of pink you see on the ring, is a slice of pink metal and the same goes for the white. This probably the most technically challenging ring I've ever made. The pattern continues around the other side of the band.

A sapphire and 14k white gold ring with circle design elements.

Sterling Silver and Sacred Seven Quartz. A piece I made for a the Metal Arts Guild of Canada's travelling exhibition as 2007 is Craft Year in Canada. Now whether or not the piece actually makes it into the show is questionable. Also, about the stone. Its called a Sacred Seven stone because it is supposed to contain seven different minerals within the stone, and its supposed to contain spiritual and psychic properties. If you believe in that stuff, great. What really interests me though, are the seven minerals. They are: amethyst, cacoxenite, clear quartz/rock crystal, smokey quartz, rutile, geothite, and lepidocrocite. An interesting stone to say the least.

Anyways, more to come very soon!

Show this Past Weekend

2006-11-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the Style Revolution show at the Design Exchange in Toronto. Thanks to Paul and Martha for coming out to check out the wares! For all those who didn't make it to the show, here's a picture of me at the booth I was sharing with my sister who is Anatomy of a Skirt.

Anyways, more to come soon!

Pendant and Watch

2006-11-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

So I' finally starting to get back to my blog(3 posts in one day!) and I wanted to finally post the pic of the watch I made and also a new pendant that was a commission piece. So here they are:

Turquoise and Sterling Silver Pendant

Sterling Silver Watch, 10k Gold Dial with Diamond

Anyways, hope you enjoy the pics, sorry the watch pic is not the best, my light was fading quick but I really wanted to post it. Anyways, hope to see you at the upcoming shows!

In the Newspaper

2006-11-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

Well, to my surprise, and with the help of my darling sister, my work has made it into the Kitchener/Waterloo newspaper called The Record. Woohoo!! The article is about the upcoming D.U.D.E. show in Kitchener at the Walper Terrace Hotel. Unfortunately, the article is only available online to subscribers or else you'd be viewing it right now!! Anyways, thanks to The Record for featuring my work in their paper!

Shows-a-Plenty

2006-11-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

I'd like to announce that I will be participating in 3 shows over the holiday season. They are:

The Style Revolution Show

When: Saturday Nov 18th & Sunday Nov 19th, 2006

Where: The Design Exchange
234 Bay St, Toronto, ON

Website: http://www.goldfishandco.com/

D.U.D.E. - Kitchener

When: Friday Nov 24th & Saturday Nov 25th, 2006

Where: The Walper Terrace Hotel

1 King St West, Kitchener, ON

D.U.D.E. - Toronto

When: Friday December 8th, Saturday December 9th & Sunday December 10th, 2006

Where: Latvian House

491 College St West, Toronto, ON

Website: www.dudeshow.com

I hope all can make it out to a show and see some of the new pieces I've been working on! See you there!

AK Collings Gallery

2006-10-03T15:24:00.000-04:00

Sometimes things do work out. I was contacted out of the blue by Aurelie Collings of the AK Collings Gallery in Port Hope, ON. Its a new gallery for the Ontario art scene and they are carrying some fine craft jewellery and she asked if she could carry my work in her gallery. Huzzah! Jubulatory euphoria filled me and we met today to discuss the details. Anyways here's the particulars about the gallery:

AK Collings Gallery
Fine Art and Contemporary Crafts
41 John St
Port Hope, ON
(905) 885-2001
www.akcollings.com

So, if you are in Port Hope, please go check it out! Also, I will be posting that picture of the watch I recently made soon, but I've been busy because of the artwalk show, which went really well even though the weather didn't really co-operate. A big thanks go out to DRG for all his help, couldn't have done it without ya. And, of course, my wife Jolene, I really couldn't have done it without you.

The next show that I will be participating in is the Style Revolution show at the Design Exchange in Toronto on November 18th and 19th. I hope to see you all there!

Artwalk, watches & gemmology

2006-09-16T10:04:00.000-04:00

Well, I've been a little negligent with my blog over the past month or so, but only because I've been working to create exciting works for the St.Clair Artwalk which is quickly approaching. I hope to see you all there.

The other reason I've been so busy is that I've been playing with the idea of making watches for quite some time and now I have finally finished my first watch. And the proud owner of the first watch created and fabricated by WilkDesigns? My wife of course! An anniversary gift for her. She always ends up being the guinea pig for new designs and ideas, though I don't think she really minds. Anyways, no picture of it as of yet, but that should be posted sometime this weekend.

Lastly, I've started my nighttime gemmology course with the Canadian Gemmological Association. The first couple classes have been okay, I'm the only guy there, which is fine by me. Putting that aside, the course looks like it should be much better than doing correspondence, though it means I can't be a slacker which in the end, will be of benefit. Anyways, that's what is going on currently with Wilk Jewellery Designs, though soon I'll have to change it to Wilk Jewellery and Watch Designs, haha well, thanks for reading.

St.Clair Artwalk

2006-08-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

I am proud to announce that I have been accepted to the 2006 St.Clair Arts Festival and Studio Tour Show. This takes place on Sept 30 and Oct 1 on St.Clair W just west of the St.Clair W TTC station in Toronto. Could I have the word west any more times in one sentence? For the first time ever they have organized an Outdoot Art Market to run in conjunction with the festival. Please visit their website for more details : www.stclair-artwalk.org

Hope to see you there!

New Work

2006-08-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

There is new work for your viewing pleasure at www.wilkdesigns.com. In the future, every time I post new work on my website I'll also post it here with a little blurb about each piece. Usually these blurbs will contain information about the process of making the piece or the materials used. Anyways, on with the pictures!

Sterling Silver and a Pearl Pendant. This piece is made by soldering together two hemispheres at angles to each other and stringing a pearl onto a sterling wire, feeding the wire up through a hole in the top of the hemispheres.

Sterling Silver and Pearls Earrings. Made by the same process as Sterling Silver and a Pearl pendant.

Double Hemisphere Ring. Sterling Silver. This ring has two hemispheres, one inverted into the other and soldered.

Double Hemisphere Ring with Keum-Boo. Keum-Boo is an ancient Asian technique of applying 24k gold sheet to silver without the use of any adhesives, unlike gold leafing. Keum-Boo is also more durable as the gold leaf or sheet used for Keum-Boo is thicker than traditional gold leaf.

So those are the latest pieces to come from my bench. These pieces will be making their first appearance on the market at Made You Look(as per my last post) and other shops and galleries in the near future.

New Gallery

2006-08-12T19:06:00.000-04:00

After a successful meeting yesterday, I'm proud to announce that my work will now be carried by "Made You Look" in Toronto. Their website is: www.madeyoulook.ca. You should be able to find my work there within the next couple of weeks. My work is now available at five shops and galleries throughout Canada and the United States. Here's a listing of them for you:

MetalUrge: A Metal Arts Company, Toronto, ON, www.metalurge.ca
Influx Jewellery Gallery, Calgary, AB www.influxgallery.com
Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE www.thedcca.org
The Red Pepper Squirrel, Clarksville, TN www.theredpeppersquirrel.com
**NEW** Made You Look, Toronto, ON www.madeyoulook.ca

If you are ever in any of those places, please take some time and check them out!

2006-08-09T20:10:00.000-04:00

Well, seeing as this is my first post, I should explain why I decided to blog and the general purpose of this blog. This blog will be a supplement to my website: www.wilkdesigns.com. As I cannot post long explanations about this and that on my website, I thought this would be a good forum for that. The reason for explanations is that I would like to document the everyday workings of my business, Wilk Jewellery Designs. I hope to post ideas about my work and the path my work is taking and give you insight into how some of my work is created and the different services that I offer. Anyways, I hope to keep this fairly up-to-date, but I know thats probably not going to happen, so if I've neglected this blog, please email me and tell me to wisen up! Anyways, please feel free to post your thoughts and suggestions for/about my work. I look forward to hearing from you.

Anyways, onto the explanations. I guess I should explain a little about me first. I'm a jewellery designer. I guess I never really thought all those eons ago that I would ever be a jewellery designer, but I like it. I originally got into the arts in high school, more as recreation than anything, but because I did poorly in some of my classes I didn't get into the university courses that I originally applied for(sciences, etc...) So I repeated some classes to upgrade my marks, got into the programs I originally applied for and then decided to go to art school instead. I went to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design(www.nscad.ca) and studied jewellery making and printmaking. And so I did my four years and emerged with a piece of paper that said I had acquired a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Yay. During that whole education process, I also got engaged to my now wonderful wife. So she moved to Nova Scotia for school and I got stuck at a crappy job(www.convergys.com), but thats okay because it did show me that I never want to work in the corporate world ever again. Then she finished her Masters degree and we moved back to Ontario, moved around Ontario for the next year or so and finally settled in Toronto. And so my business began.

I've been running my business for about a year now and all seems to be going well. I really enjoy being my own boss, though a strong work ethic is required, and I falter sometimes. But never the less I continue and enjoy my work. Also I have been taking a gemmology course through the Canadian Gemmological Association(www.canadiangemmological.com) and just finished my first year and found out today that I passed my exam! Yay! Onto year two...

So thats enough about me and my history, onto the jewellery. The work I create tends to be made from sterling silver, though I do work in gold, platinum and other metals. I also try to incorporate some gemstones into my work but not with every piece that I make. The work generally tends to be simple and clean as my tastes usually correspond to that kind of aesthetic. I really don't like items or art which are extremely busy and so my jewellery shows my tastes. I also am fascinated by moving gadgetry and so I attempt to bring this interest in the work upon occasion(which has led to my recent obsession with watches and watch repair). The other part of my job I really enjoy are the custom jobs. Those jobs where I can work closely with a client to make a piece that reflects both their and my interpretation of their personality and visual interests. Of course I try and put a little bit of myself in there too.

Well, I think thats quite enough for one post. In the coming posts I will keep you up to date with my business happenings, new work, new galleries carrying my work and shows which I am going to participate in. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!