Myra
Tulonen Smith - Testing Her Metal
By Sally Hansen
Metal Artist Myra Tulonen Smith approaches each new commission
as an opportunity to push her creative and technical capabilities
even further. "Every piece of jewellery I've made has
had special significance for its owner. People choose custom-made
jewellery as a unique way to celebrate and commemorate special
events, and I really enjoy contributing to their pleasure.
It's an honour and responsibility that I take seriously."
When she first went to Sheridan College School of Design,
Myra thought she would probably become a potter. Metal became
her medium of choice shortly after she found that turning
on a potter's wheel made her dizzy. She loves the controlled
malleability of metal, and discovered that its qualities
suit her personality. "I really can't stand doing less
than my best. The plasticity of metal allows time for reflection.
Glass blowers, for example, only have a few seconds to make
their design decisions. With metal, I can return to a work
in progress and experiment with a new idea."
Myra pulls, pounds, squeezes, melts, pours and otherwise
forms her metals into sculptural shapes, sometimes building
wooden forms or fashioning wax moulds to achieve the exact
effect she desires. She uses the time-honoured metalworking
techniques of chasing and repoussé to detail the
surface of many of her pieces. "Over time my eyes have
learned to see more acutely the beautiful shapes, planes,
angles, curves and reflections in the metals that I use,
and my hands continue to grow more skilled and able to accomplish
what I see." Recent pieces reflect new influences garnered
from her classes in Middle Eastern creative movement with
Parvaneh Rowshan in Carleton Place.
Thirty-five years of exploring artistic expression and perfecting
technique have given Myra the confidence and ability to
present clients with designs perfectly tailored to their
unique experiences and tastes. Her design process involves
a careful exploration of each client's motivation and expectations
for the commissioned piece, and can involve iterations of
drawings, wax models or base metal maquettes to ensure delight
with the final result. She creates custom pieces to evoke
fond memories, and her designs incorporate elements of nature
or other symbolism that has special meaning for their wearers.
Early in her career she apprenticed herself to leading Canadian
silversmith Lois Etherington Betteridge, and later honed
her techniques doing bench work for five years in the commercial
jewellery industry. "Doing repair work was good discipline,"
she told me. "I learned to design my pieces in a way
that allows for the possibility of eventual repair or modification,
such as replacing a stone or changing the sizing."
In addition
to having pieces in many private collections, Myra's work
has appeared in a special exhibition on gemstones at the
Museum of Nature, and she created the copper and brass prototype
for The Royal Canadian Mint's life-size tulip sculpture
to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ottawa Tulip Festival.
As a metal sculptor, Myra particularly enjoys creating wearable
art and pieces that can be viewed from a variety of perspectives.
The Keffer Gallery in Almonte (68 Mill Street, 256-2676)
currently is displaying (among other pieces) her wonderful,
wearable, flower vase pin wrought in sterling silver. Perched
on its delicate stand, it can adorn your home as well as
your lapel, and it is aesthetically pleasing from every
perspective. And yes, it holds water so you can wear a lovely
fresh flower or three.
A Commitment to Community Culture
Myra and her husband Steve moved to their home in Almonte
12 years ago so he could practice his cello at 2AM without
disturbing the neighbours. Culture is paramount in their
lives, occupying every nook and cranny of their time as
well as their space. Myra's passion for her art is exceeded
only by her conviction that cultural deprivation in a wealthy
society like ours is inexcusable. "People who don't
value art and culture are unaware of the profound influence
they have on every aspect of life. Artistic decisions are
at the base of everything you see and use. Unfortunately,
we often only realize its importance if it is taken away!"
When Myra's three kids reached the point in school when
they were expected to perform community services, Myra paved
the way by volunteering her services to the Almonte Valley
Players, a non-profit theatre group that shares its earnings
with charitable organizations. She has served her community
well as a board member of many arts organizations, but her
current role as volunteer Coordinator of the Mississippi
Mills Summer School of the Arts (MMSSA '05) is proving to
be her most challenging gift to the community yet. Her willingness
to cut deeply into her own creative time to provide an opportunity
for 31 artists to teach 47 courses in the Almonte area this
July is a measure of the importance she places on this type
of activity.
"I love teaching art. You can't imagine the excitement
and energy when someone discovers they can do something
they didn't think they could do!" Myra developed her
teaching skills early in her career as continuing education
instructor in the jewellery studio at the Nova Scotia College
of Art and Design. She also teaches children during summer
sessions of kefferkamp in Almonte.
Test Her Metal
Drop in at Keffer Gallery to see a few of the pieces of
wearable metal sculpture that Myra Tulonen Smith has created.
A few more are visible here,
and several more images are available at www.almonteartists.ca/myra/myra.htm.
If you happen to be looking for a great way to celebrate,
commemorate or decorate with wearable art, email Myra at
sesmith@igs.net to
initiate a delightful process of cooperative design consultation.
