Posts

Charleston Magazine Club Event at Helena Fox Fine Art – July 2022

charleston magazine clubcharleston magazine

helena fox fine art

Helena Fox Fine Art in downtown Charleston, SC

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

Charleston Magazine Club Event at Helena Fox Fine Art Gallery – July 2022

Charleston Magazine Club hosted its July gathering at Helena Fox Fine Art gallery in historic, downtown Charleston. The fun event was held two nights due to very positive demand and it was a private reception with premier American painter West Fraser and silversmith Kaminer Haislip.

West is the gallery’s featured artist for August with an exhibition of his recent paintings, so the group was able to preview his new artwork. Kaminer’s silver functional home objects, flatware, and jewelry is regularly carried at the gallery and she exhibited a wider selection than what they typically show for this special event.

helena fox fine art

Kaminer Haislip, West Fraser, and Helena Fox

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

Each night both West and Kaminer gave a presentation on their artwork detailing their inspiration, artistic process, background, and how their careers have progressed over the years.

kaminer haislip

Kaminer Haislip presenting her artist lecture

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

kaminer haislip silversmith

Kaminer Haislip presenting her artist lecture

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

west fraser artist

West Fraser presenting his artist lecture

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

 

west fraser artist

West Fraser presenting his artist lecture with

Kaminer Haislip’s silver tea and coffee service in the foreground

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

Charleston Magazine Club members were treated to delicious refreshments of wine, cocktails, and food by Goat Sheep Cow, Helena Fox Fine Art’s neighbor on Church Street. Kaminer Haislip’s silver appetizer fork and condiment spoon were used to serve the tasty meats, cheeses, and spreads.

silver appetizer fork

Silver Sounding Series Appetizer Fork by Kaminer Haislip

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

silver condiment spoon

Silver Sounding Series Condiment Spoon by Kaminer Haislip

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

After the artist lectures, the guests were invited to view the artwork in the gallery and talk to the artists.

charleston magazine club

Kaminer Haislip with a Charleston Magazine Club member

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

charleston magazine club

Kaminer Haislip with a Charleston Magazine Club member

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

Kaminer Haislip’s silver functional home objects were displayed throughout the gallery and her silver jewelry was shown in a display case.

silver tea and coffee service

Kaminer Haislip’s silver tea and coffee service, silver and glass Ziggurat Tray, and silver Charleston Rice Spoon

kaminer haislip silversmith

Kaminer Haislip’s functional silver objects

kaminer haislip silver

Kaminer Haislip’s silver serving spoons

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

kaminer haislip jewelry

Kaminer Haislip’s silver jewelry

Photograph by Marie Rodriguez Photography

silver bangle bracelets

Kaminer Haislip’s silver bangle bracelets

If your group is interested in hosting a similar event with Kaminer, then please get in touch with Helena Fox Fine Art. Kaminer really enjoys sharing her artwork and giving insight into her handcrafted silversmithing process!

Handcrafted Silver Spoons

Kaminer Haislip’s silver Flight of Fancy Serving Spoon

Handcrafted Silver Spoons

Serving up silver spoons for this Blog post! Since silversmithing has become an obscure craft, I have decided to write a series of posts that feature various traditional silversmithing processes I use to create my silver designs. As often as I am asked how I make my pieces, I have come to realize how little most people know about silversmithing. I took my first jewelry and silversmithing course over twenty years ago, so it has become extremely normal to me since I have done it practically every day since then!

The majority of the time, people only see my finished works and not the process, so they have no idea the amount of time, labor and skill that goes into making them. Through sharing some of my silversmithing techniques, I hope to give some insight into what it takes to craft my functional works of art.

silversmithing hammers jewelry hammers silversmith workshop jewelry studio
A selection of Kaminer Haislip’s silversmithing and jewelry hammers.

My journey to becoming a silversmith began long before my first college course and you can read about my background in detail on a former Blog post titled “How did you get into silversmithing?”. During my BFA studies at Winthrop University under Alfred Ward, an internationally acclaimed English silversmith, the first functional object I made was a silver spoon with laminated ebony handle. The spoon form has much significance to my functional work and I have continued to explore it since that first creation so many years ago. To view a selection of spoons I have made over the course of my career and the aforementioned first spoon visit my website Portfolio Spoons page.

silversmithing tools silversmith stakes metalsmithing workshop steel stake
Several of Kaminer’s steel silversmithing stakes

As covered in my previous Blog post on my forged silver cheese knife, all of my objects begin as sterling silver sheet and wire. For hollowing and forming silver sheet into functional objects, I hammer it over steel stakes that are the precise curve I need for an item, such as a silver spoon. The stake is held in a sturdy steel vise as shown below.

spoon stake silver spoon silversmithing technique handcrafted silver spoon
Spoon stake in vise

I use a rawhide mallet to form the spoon bowl, because it does not stretch the silver or leave marks in the surface.

traditional silversmithing technique handcrafting a silver spoon silversmith studio
Silver spoon bowl being formed over steel stake
sterling silver spoon charleston rice spoon serving spoon

Once the spoon bowl shape is formed, I planish it with a steel hammer to set the form precisely and work harden the metal, so it has strength when used to serve food.

Kaminer Haislip Charleston silversmith contemporary silver functional art
Silversmith Kaminer Haislip planishing the silver spoon bowl.

With the planishing technique I use small, light overlapping blows as shown up close below.

silver spoon bowl planish silversmith hammer silversmithing technique
Overlapping planishing hammer marks on the silver surface

The planishing process is one of my favorite silversmithing techniques! It requires focus, rhythm, and precision to hammer around and around consistently over the entire surface. I really enjoy planishing my silver spoons, but a coffeepot or teapot is an extensive challenge that I so revel in!

The two spoons highlighted in this Blog post are from my Flight of Fancy Series in which the handle design was inspired by the shape of a bird’s wing. The serving spoon (first image) has a traditional serving spoon length handle, but the Charleston Rice Spoon has a longer handle. The silver Charleston Rice Spoon, derived from the English Stuffing Spoon, historically had a long handle. During the 18th and 19th centuries rice was an immensely important crop to Charleston’s economy and the rice spoon was created due to it. My contemporary design is based on the historic form and gives a nod to tradition while still looking forward.

Both spoon styles are very popular wedding gifts, so be sure to check them out in my website Shop Home category. A handcrafted silver spoon certainly serves a purpose when stylishly entertaining!

DAR American Heritage Award – April 2017

DAR

charleston rice spoon

Charleston Rice Spoon honored with DAR American Heritage Award

I am so incredibly excited to announce my sterling silver Flight of Fancy Charleston Rice Spoon was awarded third place in Crafts: Jewelry and Metalwork category for the Daughters of the American Revolution American Heritage Contest! It is such an honor and privilege to receive this award for my artwork in relation to my family heritage.

DAR is an outstanding organization I am extremely proud to be a member of! For more information on DAR and their dedication to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children please visit http://www.dar.org/.

Portfolio Items