During this workshop, you will make a real silver ring with a finish of your choice. You will be introduced to all the steps from slab to ring: measuring, marking, sawing, filing, sanding, bending, soldering, and finishing. You will work the material according to your own vision: a texture with hammers or a pattern with various stamping tools. There are various examples available to choose from. You will go home with your own ring.
Sacha Ofman has been a goldsmith since 1999. She trained at the Vocational School for Goldsmiths in Amsterdam.
She designs and creates unique jewelry in her own distinctive style using traditional craftsmanship; from organic shapes to wearable works of art. She also transforms old buttons from grandmother’s button box into jewelry, as if they were gemstones. Seven years ago, she started teaching at art house Fluxus in Zaandam, where playful learning and enjoyment of the process are paramount.
Participation at your own risk. Do not wear highly flammable clothing!
From a hard piece of metal, a seahorse is born through heat and force.
After a brief explanation from the blacksmith, you will forge a seahorse yourself. A provided strip of metal will be heated in the fire, and then you’ll hammer your very own seahorse on the anvil. This will be done with extensive guidance and example drawings from the blacksmith.
Having started as a freelancer in the metal industry, Cees Pronk conducted research on blacksmithing courses in the Netherlands in 1999/2000. Finding that a good vocational training no longer existed, he developed a blacksmithing course himself. The end terms he wrote, approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW), served as the basis for compiling and writing teaching materials for the Blacksmithing Course in Andelst and the establishment of Mondra Training. In addition to the Blacksmithing Course, various workshops and masterclasses are also offered for young and old, artists, and primary school students. All of this takes place at the Smederij Cornelis Pronk, the place to gain knowledge about forging techniques.
As of January 1, 2024, Smederij Cornelis Pronk has been handed over to his daughter Lotte Pronk, keeping the business in the family.
Practical information
Participation at your own risk. Do not wear highly flammable clothing!
After a brief explanation of the history of the poppy, you will create a flower from copper yourself. Using a hammer, you will work the provided copper petals on an anvil into graceful flower petals. The petals are then shaped on a hollowed-out plastic disc. The brass stem is threaded so that the petals can be attached to the stem.
In addition to iron/steel, several other metals can be used for forging, such as copper, aluminum, bronze, and tin. Copper is one of the metals that we work with in our forge. Copper is a relatively soft material that is easy to work with. We shape the copper by hammering it on an anvil and a plastic mold. Sometimes copper is heated to process it properly, but relatively thin copper can also be worked as is.
Having started as a freelancer in the metal industry, Cees Pronk conducted research on blacksmithing courses in the Netherlands in 1999/2000. However, a good vocational training no longer existed, which led him to develop a blacksmithing course himself. The end terms he wrote, approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW), served as the basis for compiling and writing teaching materials for the Blacksmithing Course in Andelst and the establishment of Mondra Training. In addition to the Blacksmithing Course, various workshops and masterclasses are also offered for young and old, artists, and primary school students. All of this takes place at Smederij Cornelis Pronk, the place to gain knowledge about forging techniques.
As of January 1, 2024, Smederij Cornelis Pronk has been handed over to his daughter Lotte Pronk, keeping the business in the family.
Practical information
