12 Questions with Kaminer Haislip

We sat down with Kaminer to chat about her life in silver. We are thrilled to be hosting her for our fourth annual silver trunk show marking the beginning of the holiday season for Helena Fox Fine Art!

1. Can you tell us about a specific moment or experience that sparked your passion for silversmithing?

I grew up in my family’s hardware and appliance business and from a young age I was exposed to tools, equipment, and working with your hands. Those experiences directly influenced me to take the Industrial Tech class in high school, so I could learn to weld. From there I started making very early metal sculptures and jewelry pieces.

For both my BFA in Jewelry and Metals and MFA in Silversmithing and Design, I studied under Alfred Ward, an internationally acclaimed English silversmith from London. He taught me everything I know about silversmithing and introduced me to making functional objects and hollowware. I felt it was a way to combine my early interest in jewelry and sculpture, so it was the main focus of my studies and has been the basis of my career.

2. Can you walk us through your creative process when designing a new piece?

I always draw my designs before moving to precious metal, for my functional objects, I make a paper model to figure out the three-dimensional form and template for the silver sheet to cut out. It is easier and faster to change it on paper than in metal, and less expensive! Depending on the design I have in mind or the custom piece a client is commissioning from me, I research the topic.

3. What’s one tool or technique that you’ve come to rely on over the years, and how has it evolved or changed your workflow?

Fabrication is the process I use most often for creating my functional objects and jewelry. Many of my hollowware pieces are asymmetrical forms, so fabrication lends itself to those types of shapes. The possibilities are endless, and I can create new and original designs each time I create a piece no matter the design inspiration.
Fabrication is the process of manipulating the shape of a solid metal, starting in the form of a sheet or wire.

4. What advice would you give to new silversmiths or young artists trying to carve their own path in a competitive field?

There is no shortcut to experience! Being a successful artist no matter your medium takes time, dedication, discipline, and ambition. It is very difficult to make a living as an artist, so you must have good business and practical skills as well.

5. While teaching, what is one thing you absolutely want your students to learn from you?

I enjoy sharing my knowledge of metalsmithing and experiences as a business owner with my students to help educate the next generation of craftspeople. Many of the crafts taught at American College of Building Arts, ACBA, are obscure with very few people in the United States having the skills to teach them. I was honored when they invited me to teach an elective metalsmithing and jewelry class to provide the students with a new learning opportunity. The students at ACBA are extremely talented, enthusiastic, engaged, and eager to learn. It has been a very fun and rewarding experience that gets me out of my studio and into the world once a week!

6. Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Retired and reading the massive pile of historic silver books that are on my nightstand! Even though I will not be able to sustain the physical demands of silversmithing in my older age, I would still enjoy doing lectures on the topic and writing for publications such as Silver Magazine, which I wrote my first article for last fall!

7. What’s your favorite color?

Grey, which is probably why I love silver!

8. Now that your rice spoon is in the Charleston History Museum, what are your next artistic goals?

It truly is an honor to have my Charleston Rice Spoon join the Charleston Museum’s incredible collection of South Carolina silver. Currently, my main artistic goal is to expand my knowledge of Guilloche and add another skillset to my toolbox.

9. With Guilloche, what’s next in your artistic path?

I am very excited to have been awarded a grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission that will provide me the opportunity to study Guilloche in Switzerland with one of the few experts in the field. I will hone my skills on the machine and enhance my craftsmanship with this extremely challenging technique. Additionally, I will learn more complex patterns, which will expand the creative possibilities with the process.

10. What are your hopes for the future of use with the guilloche machine?

Currently, the machine needs some updates to the part that creates diagonal and radial patterns and the chuck, which holds the workpiece. Once we get those aspects dialed in after I go to Switzerland to study Guilloche, then the options will open up dramatically. I am excited to see where it takes my work!

11. Where do you gather inspiration for the future from?

Currently, I am focused on learning Guilloche and taking the class in Switzerland, so after I get back and have time to update the machine, I feel new designs will start flowing. ACBA purchased many of the tools and equipment from my late professor Alf Ward’s estate, so there are some other tools I am refurbishing and getting to run again. Once I can really take a deep dive into those techniques, I feel they will impact my work in a new way.

12. How does living in Charleston and the history of this area influence your work?

I am the only practicing silversmith in Charleston and my process is directly tied to the city’s immense craft traditions. While living and working in Charleston, I am carrying on the legacy of the city’s rich history by employing techniques that have been used for centuries. Additionally, my family’s ties to Charleston and South Carolina history have influenced my work, specifically through my Gorget and Palmetto Jewelry Series.

Join us for an open house on November 30, 2024 from 12-6pm and for the Charleston Gallery Association First Friday Artwalk on December 6, 2024 from 5-7pm where we will have the full range of Kaminer Haislip’s silver objects.