I’m Don Partch
I met Harriet in College and I graduated with a degree in Art Education in the spring of 1968. We married that same year. My passion was wheel thrown pottery and while teaching elementary art I pursed a Masters Degree in Art Education with an emphasis in studio ceramics. We were both required to take a jewelry class as part of our under graduate degree and Harriet received her Masters in Art Education with an emphasis in jewelry. While she was preparing her one woman show as part of her post graduate work, I did some of the grunt work associated with the casting process for her. I have always enjoyed the the element of anticipation when you open a kiln after the fire and when you quench a flask and and see that your hard work has been successfully transformed. After more than a half century that same level of satisfaction is still there.
The decision to make the switch from high temperature ceramics to jewelry was not a difficult one. We both sold our work and it became apparent that our style of jewelry could be a nice side gig while teaching, and jewelry is way friendlier to the low back. The skills required for both lost wax casting and ceramics, while different both appeal to me. I thrive on the discipline required to prepare a wax model for casting and the many steps required to present a piece of jewelry to a patron, be it my design or Harriet’s.
We are Wax Welders. Wax has traditionally been carved by using hard wax and removing wax to release the shape that you are trying to produce. Wax welding requires that you melt the wax and build up layers of wax to produce the desired form. This method or working with wax produces a more organic organic shape. Our use of natural shapes and textures lends itself to the more organic use of wax. I heat a needle and melt a small drop of wax and then use the surface tension of the liquid wax to build the piece I am see in my head. The process feels similar to starting with a lump of clay and using the potter’s wheel to make a vessel. The work you see is a true collaboration. We both recognize that we have different skill levels and we have always been able to be willing to combine those skills to produce work that we are proud to show.
I’m Harriet Partch
Don mentioned that we met in college in the mid 60’s. Let me flesh that out with HOW we met. It was in the marching band. Don was an excellent percussionist. It seems that the band director made up the marching formations for football season based on how many prospective freshmen indicated an interest in the band. When band practices began, there weren’t quite enough people to fill out the drills, so the word went out that anyone who had friends, who were willing to march in the band and just carry an instrument, could go to all the away football games. Sounded good to me, so I carried an old trumpet. The rest is history. We’ve been married for fifty-five years, and I still have great admiration for people can actually march and play an instrument at the same time.
When we were in school, the only art-ed class in jewelry was offered in our senior year, so there was no opportunity as an under-grad to take more jewelry classes. Our excellent teacher was Mr. Henry Katswinkle. On the first day, he passed out tool kits, and explained that our first project would be making our “wax modeling tools.”
I thought, “What do we need these for?” Along with most of my classmates, I had never heard of “Lost Wax Casting.” Casting was Mr. Katswinkle’s area of expertise, so we faithfully made several suggested tools out of welding rods, and two of them are still my go-to tools for working the wax.
It was like boarding the Hogwarts Express! I was entering my magical niche! Anything I could sculpt in the wax could be transformed into metal.
As I embarked on my Master’s Degree, I settled on the idea of using plant materials and natural crystals. Turns out I was actually pretty good… make that “damn good,” at the wax, weeds, and seeds combo. After all these years, I still keep my eyes open for natural materials that might cast.