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About the Artist
It would be natural to assume that Colin Hamer's passion
for working with pewter grew out of his career as a metallurgical
engineer and scientist. But, in fact, the path he followed
to the craft of the pewtersmith was a little more meandering.
Seeking
an outlet for creative expression, he first showed his work
as an artist in 1972 -- and sold only one painting. Concluding
that there were a lot of good artists around and that he was
not one of them, he went on to experiment with candle making,
batik, wood, and metal sculpture.
Then,
in 1976, he finally discovered his avocation under the tutelage
and guidance of the man who would become his friend and mentor,
master pewtersmith Doug Shenstone. From that time until his
retirement in 1995 from Natural Resources Canada, pewtersmithing
was a passionate hobby. Since taking early retirement, it
has been his profession.
His Work
In
working the metal, Colin forms the hollow shapes by spinning.
In this process, he mounts a flat disc of pewter on a lathe.
As it rotates, he carefully shapes the metal to the desired
form by using hand tools to apply pressure to the metal as
it presses against a chuck.
By
welding shapes together with pewter rod, Colin may combine
simple shapes to make more complex forms such as tea pots,
jugs, candle holders, and oil lamps.
Casting
in high temperature silicone molds is used to produce handles,
stems, and hinges.
Some
designs call for the surface of the pewter to be planished
(or hammered) which gives the metal a "dimpled"
texture. Then, in the final polishing stage, Colin uses a
buffing machine to give each piece a smooth, high lustre finish.
His
designs range from traditional to contemporary to far out.
In the time-honoured tradition of the pewtersmith, all pieces
are stamped with the maker's hallmark or "touch",
in Colin's case, a symbol inspired by the traditional Guild
symbol of the miners and smelters.
More
about pewter
Learn
more about pewter from this article in the Encyclopedia
Britannica.
See Care
and Cleaning for more details
FROM COLIN'S STUDIO: (click on the image to view details)
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