• $147 or 2 monthly payments of $80

Matryoshka: Nesting Hollowforms

  • Closed
  • Course
  • 47 Lessons

Sculptural.  Architectural.  Hollowforms create a striking visual impact without the weight and expense of extra metal.  In this course inspired by Russian nesting dolls (Matryoshka), students will learn to design, create, and interlock these fancy forms to create tiered totems fit for pendants, earrings and more. 

ALL Project-Based Courses Open for Registration Oct. 28th - 30th

What's Covered:

Students can expect a review of basic bench skills such as sawing and filing, as well as more advanced techniques like pinpoint soldering, hollowform construction and alteration, along with the mathematics involved in making the function work with the form.  Textures and edging options will be demonstrated as in the sample pieces, and further embellishment possibilities will be discussed.  Students will also become cognizant of what considerations are needed to adapt this design into a ring or brooch, as well as what factors to keep in mind when creating their own tiered designs. 

What's Included:

All the usual perks:
  • lifetime access to all course contents
  • ample high quality video demos, all prerecorded so  you can go at your own pace
  • detailed PDF handouts for benchside reference
  • templates for project use as well as practical tips to help you create your own designs
  • community support via a private FB group
  • all shopping links for tools and raw materials
  • exclusive discounts and offers for students only
Have a question?
Samples are shown in both brass and sterling silver; however the course project is demonstrated in sterling only.  Students may substitute base metal if desired.

Requirements & Specs:

Level:
Intermediate

Prerequisites: Some experience with sawing and soldering

Student Supply Lists:
Raw Material Requirements
Tool Requirements

A Word on Torches:
Detachable torch heads with disposable butane canisters will be sufficient for this course.   These should be Sterno (or comparable) heads paired with collared butane canisters that are NOT refillable.  Please note that small culinary torches like Blazers will not be efficient for the full scope of this project.  Dual fuel rigs and larger torches such as the Smith Silver Smith and Little Torch, and comparable systems, will work as well.  For more information on my favorite soldering tools, including many used in this course, visit this blog post.

Have a question?

Bonus Lesson:

How do you take a segmented, stepped design made of multiple hollowforms and adapt it into something requiring a level back?  Learn the alterations necessary for turning this pendant project into a statement specimen of a ring!

Contents

Hi + Welcome!

WELCOME!
Helpful Tips & Quick Links:
Some Notes on Safety

Course Resources + Links

Join the Facebook Group
DISCOUNT CODES:
BENCHSIDE REFERENCE cover page
Matryoshka Raw Materials.pdf
Preview
Matryoshka Tool List.pdf
Preview

Part One: The Template, The Design

Pendant Templates PDF
OPTIONAL: Layout Template PDF
Laying out the Template
Piercing the Faces
Walls & Mathematics
Quiz: WALL MATH
Part One: Benchside Reference

BONUS TEMPLATES

Five Tiered Pendant
Tiny Tiers Template
Triple Petal Template

Part Two: The Walls

Filing the Walls
Soldering the Walls
Rounding & Refining
Start at the Bottom
Cutting & Shaping the Marquise
Part Two: Benchside Reference

Part Three: Attaching the Faces

Soldering Faces & The Marquise
Piercing & Filing
Soldering the Second Face
Piercing & Filing Revisited
Part Three: Benchside Reference

BONUS LESSON: Adapting to create a RING

Prepping and Adjustments
Soldering it Together
Considerations, Options, Next Steps
BONUS: Adapting for a Ring (Benchside Reference)

Part Four: Assembly

Marking the Center
Divots & Drilling
Adding the Structural Support
To Crimp or Not To Crimp
Embellishments: Things to Consider
Part Four: Benchside Reference

Part Five: Bail Options

The Bail: Option A
The Bail: Option B
The Bail: Option C
Part Five: Benchside Reference

Part Six: Adding Texture

Adding Texture
Part Six: Benchside Reference

Final Thoughts & Notes:

Thank You!

Credits

Kevin Kolbe Media

Silversmith || Storyteller || Creative Performance Coach

If it matters, I hold a Bachelor of Art & Design from NCSU's College of Design, am a trained Creative Performance Coach through an ICF-accredited program, have taught thousands of students over the span of thirteen years, and have been a full-time, self-employed metalsmith since 2007.

More importantly, I don't subscribe to the idea of the starving artist. I believe we design our lives and ourselves as much as we do our work. In addition to project-based technique courses, I create immersive coaching programs and provide 1:1 containers for highly motivated, action-oriented creatives who want nothing less than intentional design, authentic expression, smart structures and studio systems, and full alignment between who they are and what they do. You build durable, valuable, expressive art. You ARE durable, valuable, expressive art. To speak with me about coaching and learn more about how I can support you, schedule free a Connection Call below.

POLICIES:

  1. Due to the immediate access to written instructions, video demos, templates and other resources, I do not provide refunds for online courses under any circumstances.  Please make your course selections carefully.
  2. Online courses are a privilege to teach and take.  Ethical behavior is non-negotiable.  Sharing passwords, downloads and other materials with anyone who has not paid for this course will result in your immediate removal from the course, nor will you be permitted to register for a future course of mine.  Please note that this website tracks login geography- if you log in to your account from North Carolina in the morning and log in from California an hour later, the system will notify me of potential user abuse.
  3. I reserve the right to dismiss any student at any time from this course if the above ethical guidelines are in question or not met.  Other reasons for dismissal from this course and/or future courses include rudeness/disrespect to fellow students, to me, and teaching this course as your own.