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Welcome to BlacksmitHER Radio, spotlighting male and female blacksmiths around the world.

 

We’re committed to providing a host of resources to male and female blacksmiths of all ability levels through podcast interviews spotlighting your fellow blacksmiths. The podcast interviews are designed to help improve your metal working skills while providing an opportunity to connect with others who share your passion of blacksmithing!  

May 9, 2016

Fred Zweig is a talented chasing and repousse artist from Tucson Arizona.  Fred is a self-taught metalsmith, practicing since the early 1970’s. He has been involved with teaching others for over 35 years and has a sincere passion for the process of metalworking and all of its traditions and possibilities.

His desire to give homage to those who proceeded him and his desire for information have led him to moderate several historical metal forums including the Society of American Silversmiths and Society of Arts & Crafts website. A creative innovator of materials and tools to create unique designs, Fred has attended and assisted in many workshops in metal and other media.

His focus in the past 30 years has been teaching metals classes.  Teaching is a natural extension of his desire to share with others what he knows.

What We Talked About

  • Fred started working with copper in high school making small sculptures.
  • He continued his art career by being a bench jeweler and also a teacher.
  • His first teaching job was with the Arts and Prisoners program in Anchorage, Alaska. He also taught a metals class with the Tucson Arts and Recreation program for 19 years.
  • He has made copper outdoor fountains for a living in Tucson, now Fred currently makes brooches that entail landscape designs.
  • Fred will be a demonstrator at the ABANA 2016 conference, he will be demonstrating chasing on 20-gauge copper.  He will also be teaching a hands-on workshop there and he is prepping 10 pitch bowls with 20 sets of bumping and texture tools for the student’s stations.
  • The most memorable times for Fred while teaching and working with students, is when they have that “ah-ha” moment.
  • His desire to give homage to those who proceeded him and his desire for information have led him to moderate several historical metal forums including the Society of American Silversmiths and Society of Arts & Crafts website.
  • Fred has become so talented in chasing and repousse by respecting the process of the techniques. He designs around a process and he works in multiples (makes 3 of the same design).  This allows you to give yourself the freedom to explore different areas with different end results.
  • These days, Fred works as a mechanical designer and teaches art on the side.
  • Fred recommends some chasing and repousse books such as:
    • Marsha Lewis – “Chasing” book
    • Adolf Steines – “Moving Metal – The Art of Chasing and Repousse”
    • Nancy Megan Corwin – “Chasing and Repousse”

Guest Links

Zweig Video on Chasing & Repousse

fredz49.blogspot.com

A Big Thank You to today’s sponsor – ABANA 2016 Conference, www.abana.org/2016slc .

 

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