Here’s a little something I would like to relate -

I teach jewelry making classes.

The classes I teach are project based.

The project is a vehicle to teach a series of techniques and skills.

When I teach a class I give the project away in a sense and it makes no sense to me to restrict a student from making the project as I have taught it.

However I think it is a bit strange when I see a student’s web page, etsy page, or online gallery page with a piece that is my design and or project copied directly and presented as their own work without any credit or explanation as to where the design came from. And in some cases I have seen the student take complete credit for the design and offer personal inspiration that manifested the design idea.

As I said I give the project away. But I do think that an artist should take the techniques and skills learned in the project and make it their own before they present it as their own.

I know this is a subject of wide debate and everyone has their opinion and as teachers of art we open ourselves up to this sort of thing. But if one wants to be taken seriously - I feel it is important to be serious and do the work to make ones work your own.

I am flattered when I am copied and given credit. I am offended when copied and no credit is offered. 

In this year 2012 most if not all things have been seen and done and as they say (whoever they are) “There is nothing new under the sun”. We are all influenced by others, there is no getting away from that. I see art, I see jewelry that blows my mind and I go into my studio to make a piece and I am influenced by what I have seen. But I do not copy other peoples work. At least not deliberately and without credit. I seek my own vision and I hope I always will. I am a teacher, I am a student, I am a human.

For what it’s worth -

Carl

Gold Slip Fusion Pendant 2006