Hawk and Owl Jewellery- The Inside Track
Why Choose a Life as a Jewellery Artist?
Nature, Art, Beauty and Gemstones are just a few of the things that inspire me.
The desire for independence and the liberty to "do my own thing" in my own time had me always looking for ways to find fulfillment in the way I could live my life.
Then on a day back in 1988 a gentleman by the name of Al Aube invited me to the Hastings Rock and Gem Club in Vancouver to learn how to cut gemstones on the clubs' lapidary equipment.
He handed me an uncut slab of flower porphyry and a gemstone template of shapes I could choose from and with an aluminum pencil I traced out a rather large oval by positioning the template in just such a way as to show a balanced display of 3 flower rock crystals.
Phenocryst is the geologic name.of these radiating crystals so delicately displayed on the stark black volcanic background matrix.
Ominous that having returned to Salt Spring Island about 12 years ago, I frequently find these interesting local BC rocks while strolling any one of the many beaches both here on Salt Spring and on Vancouver Island. I have gathered quite an assortment of different varieties and continue to cut, set and promote this local stone in my jewellery.
Nonetheless I can't help but remember my friend Al and the day I cut my first stone and subsequently dove right into this stony art form loyally going to the club every Tuesday night. It wasn't too long before I had accumulated a batch of thirty or so smooth domed cabochons when Al asks me if I want to learn to set one in a silver pendant.
Did I mention that I like rocks, art and nature??
Jumping gleefully at the chance I returned to the club a week later and Al showed me how to make a silver setting for a beautiful piece of Cherry red cinnabar.
I think it took me about 3 evenings to complete this first silver pendant and when I saw it finished, set and polished I knew right then and there I had found my "special purpose". I went home anticipating finding and purchasing a used set of jewelry tools and thought right away of a guy named Dale Hannah that sold his jewelry at Granville Islands' Public Market.
I was working on Granville Island at The Crystal Ark a local trendy crystal and gemstone shop so at lunch I sauntered over to the market.
Dale wasn't there but his son was so on asking him if he knew anyone that I could get some tools from and as providence would have it, it turned out that he had just replaced his tool kit and offered to sell them to me.
That was easy...
Being somewhat a compulsive individual I dove right in utilizing all my spare time in the next 6 months cutting rocks on equipment I bought from Al and setting them in mostly pendants in those days with the fundamental set of jewellery tools I got from Dale Hannahs' son.
It wasn't too long after that that I had created my first batch of pendants and even a few rings I had begun to make and I showed up one day at an impromptu bootleg market at the Vancouver Folk Festival. Selling a few of my first jewellery wares to actual people that appreciated them only greased my wheels encouraging me to keep at it.
So here I be folks 32 years later and I am still cutting stones and making jewelry, and living on a small island place on the west coast of BC Canada.
So grateful for the many folks that have helped, taught, encouraged and supported me over the years and especially to the many patrons and customers I have met personally or through my websites and social media accounts.
I intend to incorporate into this blog the many direct and indirect influences and inspirations that I am blessed to experience and to keep interested friends, patrons and associates up to date with jewelry I have created, gemstones I have acquired and the many inspirations I experienced being a self taught jewellery artist living on Salt Spring Island BC.
Gratitude and Blessings
Bill Fedoriuk
