BMAG
Instructors
Steven Anderson
Metal Mysterium
Steven has been a metalworker since 2005, working in the CNC manufacturing industry. Always dabbling in the arts for his creative self-expression, more recently he has decided to share his talents with others.
Working with the Metal Arts Guild has allowed Steven to continue his personal education in metalsmithing, as well as afford an avenue to give back to the wonderful community of metalsmiths here in the Pacific Northwest.
James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
Jim’s love of craft started in his grandmother’s home. A furniture maker and weaver, she inspired him to use his creative talents, which he’s been doing for more than 30 years as a jeweler. Though he learned jewelry basics in high school, Jim has spent his entire adult life expanding his knowledge of jewelry making.
Jim was always drawn to the beauty and workmanship of Japanese craft. And once he saw mokume for the first time in the early 1980s, he knew he would make mokume; he even pioneered a technique for making electric kiln-fired mokume gane.
In 1991, Jim established James Binnion Metal Arts (JBMA), working exclusively in mokume. He has consulted with other mokume artists and metallurgists to develop his theoretical and practical knowledge of metallurgy. Today, this metalsmith, engineer and periodic beer-maker continues to refine his process and designs while also passing on the knowledge he’s gained to the next generation of jewelers.
Sacha Bliese
Sacha Goldsmith Designer
A Minnesota native, Sacha received her Bachelor’s in Art with a focus in metals from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in 2000. Sacha worked as a bench jeweler for a few years before opening her own business in 2003. As a goldsmith, she specializes in custom fabrication and one-of-a-kind designs.
Sacha’s spent numerous hours working in volunteer positions and leadership roles of many kinds. After graduating from Seattle University’s MFA Arts Leadership Program in 2015, she served as the Business and Operations Manager of Equinox Studios in Georgetown. Sacha is a consultant and advocate for the physical studio needs of visual artists. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the annual GSR Fine Art Festival in Mankato, Minnesota, and serves on the Bellingham Metal Arts Guild board as the Treasurer.
Lisa Dailey
Silent Sidekick/Sidekick Press
Lisa has always been a maker. From an early age, she cooked, crocheted, beaded, built, photographed, designed, wrote, and planned. In 2016, she discovered metalsmithing and has never looked back. She is drawn to organic forms, raw natural gemstones, fused and hammered metals, unconventional materials like rock, shells, driftwood and beach glass, simple and complex. Perfection is in the not so perfect.
Lisa currently serves as Secretary on the Bellingham Metal Arts Guild Board.
Marie-Claire Dole
Marie-Claire Jeweler
Marie-Claire is well known for her unique, delicate, and one-of-a-kind, fine jewelry and for her pastels and oils.
In both her work as a goldsmith and as a painter she expresses joy with color and detailed craftsmanship. Each of Marie-Claire’s exquisite fine jewelry creations is made by hand and is one of a kind reflecting a deep and personal artistic vision. “Creating a piece of jewelry often starts from an inspiring colored stone,” she says. Sometimes her creativity leads her into inventing a hidden side or a movable part or a little world of its own, giving her pieces surprising and delightful touches.
She makes use of all four of the precious metals and a variety of gemstones in her work, and she likes to use several metals on a single piece for color contrast. Often it is Sterling Silver and Yellow Gold or Rose Gold accents.
Karen Espeland
Karen Espeland is a mixed media artisan, working primarily with fused glass, jewelry metalsmithing, and PMC. She enjoys exploring new techniques in various mediums and gaining a deeper technical background to apply to her work. This includes becoming a Certified PMC Instructor, learning from many local and nationally known artist/instructors over the years and sharing ideas with other people interested in the arts. Her inspiration comes from natures flora, fauna, shapes, sounds and textures. She is an active volunteer at the Bellingham Metal Arts Guild and the Whatcom Humane Society.
Walt Hekala
WE Talking Stones
Walt came to metalsmithing after careers in federal law enforcement and then in international development projects focused on trade facilitation for less developed countries. After retirement, he took his first formal training in metalsmithing at the Bellingham Metal Arts Guild (BMAG). As a student, he has participated in nearly all course offerings at BMAG to learn multiple techniques for metalsmithing and jewelry making.
Since joining BMAG, he has been an active volunteer in duties ranging from studio maintenance to serving two terms on the board of directors. As he progressed in metalsmithing, lapidary, and jewelry making, he recognized he had skills to share as well. He leads workshops as a facilitator freely sharing his limited knowledge and assists others in trying out techniques in metalsmithing.
Judy Laub
Metal Arts Tile
Judy is from Southern California, where she was fortunate to have the opportunity to take jewelry making classes throughout high school.
Her first job was working as a bench jeweler at a small jewelry manufacturing family-owned business. From there she went on to work at Altobelli Jewelers in North Hollywood, a fine jewelry salon.
After this Judy wanted to create her own designs and stepped away from the commercial jewelry industry. Recently Judy has become intensely involved in the art of moving metal through the study of Repousse. Judy is interested in working on a larger scale than jewelry allows and Repousse has become the vehicle for this. Primarily self-taught in Repousse. Judy has taught at Pratt Fine Art School, Jansen Art Center, and Bellingham Folk School, and BMAG.
Leah Meleski
Leah M. Handcrafted Jewelry
Leah was born and raised in Connecticut. She moved to Massachusetts in 2004 to pursue her dream of creating jewelry. After going to a liberal arts college for a year and not finding her passion, she happened upon Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Leah had not realized it was possible to study jewelry and actually become a working living artist. By 2008 Leah earned her BFA in metals/3D and art education.
Leah creates her work in her home studio located in Bellingham, WA. You can find out more information about what she is currently working on through her website.
Brandon Milton
Three Six Nine Wire Design
Brandon is relatively new to the art world. A Father of 4 children, only when his youngest was almost 15 years old, he started to weave wire He’s been a rockhound all his life, and wanted to be able to share some of his favorite agates he has collected over the years. One thing lead to another and 2 1/2 years later he is creating fine works of wearable wire weaved art with crystals, minerals, and gemstones.
Victoria Roberts
Etsy: VictoriaRoberts
Victoria is originally from St. Louis, MO, she moved to California in 2006 where she discovered Sea Glass and has never been the same since. Victoria started making and designing jewelry in 2007. She is mostly self-taught but attended an extensive fabrication class at the Revere Academy in San Francisco and has taken many classes at local galleries and bead shops. She makes beautiful jewelry using wire wrapping and weaving techniques, metalsmith techniques, and PMC. She is also skilled in Viking Knit and Chainmaille methods. In 2011 she moved to Bellingham.
In addition to her jewelry, she crafts whimsical ornament sun catchers; mermaids, angels, seahorses, and whales, just to name some of her unique designs. Her Jewelry and Sea Glass Whimsical Ornaments are available online and at Village Sea Glass, Capitola, CA and Marina Gift Shop, Semiahmoo, WA.
Adrienne Sheard
YouTube: Adrienne Patrice Sheard Metalsmith
Adrienne was born and raised in the Pacific NW with a love for adventure. She carries her sense of adventure into each piece of jewelry she creates. Before becoming a Metalsmith, Adrienne was a Shipwright traveling and working from Alaska to California. In 2014 she received a Fine Arts degree and Certificate in Jewelry Design from NSCC and settled in Bellingham. You can find Adrienne on most Saturdays showing and selling her work near the Bellingham Farmers Market.
Becky Williams
Becky grew up in beautiful Anacortes and headed off to the University of Washington after high school. Art classes were the one constant while bouncing around from the Architecture, Geology, Outdoor Recreation and Physical Education Departments. After receiving a BA from the Udub, she later earned a BS from WWU in Industrial Design. Becky has had varied work history from union carpenter to retail to piping designer for an engineering firm.
Working in glass has been her enduring love. She started the Glass Peacock stained glass business in the 70s, adding fused glass and now focuses on enameling and cloisonné while learning silversmithing. Learning new skills is such a joy and having great instructors is a blessing.