18 Mendocino Arts Magazine

Teacher, jewelry and nature lover, Ron Pickard has been designing and creating unique jewelry for almost 40 years.

It was a stormy January day on the Mendocino Coast. Although Mendocino was without power that day, Ron and I sat in front of the fireplace at the Mendocino Hotel and had a hearth-warming chat.

Born in San Francisco, Ron has lived in Northern California all of his life. Ron currently divides his time between Fort Bragg and Paradise, California, with his wife of 50 years, Patricia – a textile designer.

He attended San Francisco State College and UC Berkeley, grad-uating with degrees in history and biology. Although he did teach history for about ten years, as he says, “I gave in to the calling of the right side of my brain and switched to art.”

Ron has studied jewelry design and

techniques with Alan Revere, Harold O’Connor, Florence Resnikoff and other notable jewelry designers at California College of Arts and Crafts (now California College of the Arts) and the Mendocino Art Center. A lot of it, he just “picked up along the way!”

Ron developed a jewelry program and taught at Solano and Butte Colleges. He’s proud of the fact that a large number of his students are now active in the jewelry industry. Although now retired, he continues to work and

teach out of his studio, Manzanita Cottage in Paradise.

What l ed Ron to become a jewelry designer? “I just had a desire to put things together, create. I’ve always loved tinkering and making little things and fell in love with the idea of making some-thing that somebody would want to wear. I went to craft shows for

Ron Pickard . . .A W A K E N I N G Y O U R I N N E R J E W E L E RBy Debbie L. Holmer

Ron Pickard working in Manzanita Studio.

Spring/Summer 2017 19

many years with my wife who is a textile designer. Because of her artistic bent, I also became involved in the crafts shows. It just snowballed from there.”

For his jewelry, Ron draws on his love of the sea and the out-of-doors as a source of inspiration. Whether it’s fishing, hiking, gardening or beachcombing, even in his spare time, Ron is always on the lookout for interesting and new materials to incorporate into his unique one-of-a-kind pieces.

Many of Ron’s pieces are double-sided. He especially loves working with abalone. “The lowly snail is basic and humble and just so pretty.” He’s currently working on an opal piece surrounded by gold leaf. “I also enjoy working with lapis. In my pieces, I try to focus on the stones themselves. My jewelry is somewhat eclectic.”

There is no set pattern as to how Ron begins creating a piece of jewelry. “I try to communicate with the stone and think what I can do with it. Sometimes I make several pieces before I get to the final piece.” There is no mass pro-duction involved here.

His favorite materials to work with are metals, silver, gold, exotic stones, found objects, and, of course, everything natu-ral. “Perhaps I’ll use a little bit of copper, some brass. It varies from

piece to piece. It’s intricate work and takes a good deal of patience and concentration.”

What does he recommend for the beginning jeweler starting out? “Take my class! Seriously, persevere and express yourself. Take classes and build your skills. Avoid trendy things.”

Speaking of taking his class, Ron is offering a class at the Mendocino Art Center, May 19–21, 2017: Awaken your Inner Jeweler: A Class for Beginners. For more information, visit MendocinoArtCenter.org/Spring17/Pickard.html.

Our world is in such a turmoil. What do Ron’s creations have to do with all of this? “I’m trying to bring out some beauty, doing my part to brighten the world; per-haps just changing the world one piece of jewelry at a time!”

What makes a piece of jewelry stand out from the others? Ron answered: “I guess it’s the unique-ness of it. If I can make just a few people happy with my pieces, then I’m happy.”

I n o u r a r e a , R o n’s jewelry can be found at the M e n d o c i n o A r t C e n t e r, Mendocino Gems, and Sacred Woods. His jewelry can also be seen on Etsy, etsy.com/people/Ronissomo or may be viewed on his website at ronissomo.com.Necklace, 14k gold, opal.

Page 18: Left and middle: Double-sided necklace, sterling silver, abalone, pearl, hand-crafted sterling chain. Right: Necklace, 14k gold, boulder opal, with 14k white gold accent. Page 19: Left and middle: Two-sided Necklace, sterling silver, fossils, sapphire.Right: Necklace, 14k gold, fire opal.

20 Mendocino Arts Magazine

A gallery of unique furnishings for your home!

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22 Mendocino Arts Magazine

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Spring Irises, oil, Graydon Foulger

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Melting Glacier, Michael Barnes

24 Mendocino Arts Magazine

ceramics

4/7–9Alissa MittlIntroduction to Sgraffito and Surface Carving

4/11–16MAC Ceramics StaffWood Firing

4/20–23Bruce KittsBuilding the Surface from Greenware to Glazing

5/4–7Jacque AdamsMold Making for Beginners

5/12–14Judith GreenleafThe Expressive Figure

5/18–21Cliff GloverDemystifying the Japanese Tea Bowl

6/3Amber NelsonPolymer Clay the Fun WayFor Children and Adults

6/8–10Susan BeinerSlipcasting Fusion

6/12–17Lynn WoodArt for the Garden

6/19–24Cliff GloverThe Tao of Teapot Making

6/26–7/1Marc LancetYohen – Changed By Fire: A Wood-Fire Train Kiln Workshop

7/3–8Brian RansomCreating Whistling Water Vessels

7/10–13Yon ReganPortrait Sculpture

7/17–21Michelle GregorImprovisation in Figurative Clay Sculpture

7/22Amber NelsonPolymer Clay the Fun WayFor Children and Adults

7/24–29Dave ZdrazilWood Fired Surfaces

7/31–8/6Rocky LewyckyAlternative Clay and Finishes: Stretching the Creative Process

8/9–12Eva ChampagneSoda Surface Workshop: Flux – Weave, Unravel, Express, Obliterate

8/14–18Jackson GrayPatterns, Seams and Darts: Sewing up Pots with Personality

8/19Amber NelsonPolymer Clay the Fun WayFor Children and Adults

8/23–26Cliff GloverThe Many Shades of Shino

8/28–9/1Forrest Lesch-MiddeltonCreating Content Through Volumetric Image Transfer

fiber arts4/8–9Sam RussellNeedle Felting Fun

4/28–30Tricia GoldbergTapestry Weaving for All Levels

5/5–8Merridee Joan SmithExplorations of Botanical Printing on Protein and Cellulose Fibers

5/19–21Sandra WagnerGarment Construction from Repurposed Material

6/11–13Kiranada Sterling BenjaminPatterns and Textures in Rozome: Japanese Wax Resist

6/15–18Kiranada Sterling BenjaminRo-Kata Intensive with Natural Dyes

6/23–26Gasali AdeyemoTraditional Yoruba Batik, Adire & Tie-Dye with Indigo

7/1–2Pavlos MayakisThe Halo Effect and Shibori

7/8–9Suzanne PunchOmbre Color on Silk

7/10–12Suzanne PunchAdvanced Painting on Silk

7/21–22Lauren SinnerEmbroidery: Drawing with Thread

7/23–24Lauren SinnerMending: Repair as Art

7/27–31Jane DunnewoldThe New Complex Cloth

8/4–6Mickie McCormicImage Transfer Mix on Fabric

8/12–16Pavlos MayakisScreen, Paint, Forage & Stitch

8/25–27Ana Lisa HedstromShibori: Layering of Color Using Dyes & Color Remover

fine art4/1–2Dale DombrowskiDrawing You In

4/7–9Mary-Ellen CampbellFearless Creating: Computer Tools for the Artist

4/8–9Phawnda MooreBrush Lettering

4/21–23Brian DavisLuminous Oil Painting

april–august 2017 classes at

Spring/Summer 2017 25

4/28–5/1Dale LaitinenThe Language of Landscape

5/5–7Nancy CollinsFuchsias Done with Flair

5/5–7Evelyn KleinEncaustic Monotype and Mixed Media

5/6–7Lynn Gimby-BougerolPaint Your Pet: Animals in Watercolor

5/12–14David WeitzmanThe Telling Line: Turning Art Into Stories

5/19–21Wayne JiangPaint Like the Old Dutch Masters in Acrylic

5/20–21Peggy MagovernColored Pencil and Collage – Real Meets Imagined

6/9–11Patricia Martin OsborneBreaking the Rules in Watercolor

6/10–11Donna WatsonWabi Sabi and the Spirit of Collage

6/16–18Mira M. WhiteThe Abstract Beauty of Black

6/19–23John HewittPlein Air Watercolor

6/23–25Cat KaufmanSpackling Encaustic Relief

7/1–2Erin DertnerPalette Knife Painting (oil)

7/1–2Nancy CollinsEscape and Paint Mendocino

7/10–14Robert BurridgeStart Abstract Painting Today

7/17–21Robert BurridgeLarger and Looser: The New Master’s Program for the Postmodern Painter

7/22–23Karen LeGaultBotanical Drawing and Painting

7/28–30Jeannie VoddenJars and Posies

7/28–30Carole Gray-WeihmanAbstracting the Landscape

7/31–8/4Birgit O’ConnorLand and Sea

8/4–6Paul KratterFrom Sketch to Finish

8/5–6Debbie AbshearValue Studies Captured in an Accordion Book

8/11–13Sara PostPainting with Abstract Layers: Oil and Cold Wax Mixed Media

8/12–13Sandy OppenheimerPainting with Paper: Pets and Portraits

8/12–16Pavlos MayakisScreen, Paint, Forage & Stitch

8/14–18Jacqueline SullivanFinding Our Muse

8/19–20Peggy MagovernFabric – Realism Achieved with Values

8/19–20Mark EanesExpressive Mark Making – The Human Figure

8/25–27Carolyn LordDynamic Florals in Watercolor

8/26–27Arlene Reiss and Kate DonohueThe Art of Intuition

jewelry4/8–9Nancy GardnerRecycle Your Precious Metals/Make Your Own Stock

4/14–16Trevi Alohilani PendroSculpted Wax to Silver – Step-By-Step Centrifugal Casting

4/17–19Harlan SimonFun with Fire: Flamework Glass Bead Making & More

4/20–21Tom BoylanBasic • Boro • Beads

4/22–23Suellen FowlerGlass Flame Working: An Intimate Art

4/28–30Mary Neuer LeeBracelets, Rings & Boxes with Metal Clay – Three Days, Three Projects, Two Metals

5/12–14Suzanne PughSublime Contrast – Steel & Gold

5/19–21Ron PickardAwaken Your Inner Jeweler – A Class for Beginners

6/5–9Jeanie PrattDesigns in Woven Metal

6/10–14Jeff GeorgantesStone Setting Sampler

For complete class descriptions, please visit the Mendocino Art Center’s website at MendocinoArtCenter.org/classes or call 707 937-5818 x10.

mendocino art center

april–august classes

6/15–18Eric BurrisMokumé Gané – Wood Patterns in Metal

6/19–20Trevi Alohilani PendroYouth Metals – Small Objects and Jewelry

6/22–25Rachel ShimpockElectroformeriffic! Make Your Own Electroformer with the “Kitchensmith”

6/26–27Trevi Alohilani PendroYouth Metals – Small Objects and Jewelry

6/28–7/2Sandra EnterlineSculptural Jewelry: Hollow Form Techniques

7/5–9Valerie MitchellCement, Enamel, and Electroforming Intro for Art Jewelry and Small Objects

7/10–11Trevi Alohilani PendroYouth Metals – Small Objects and Jewelry

7/17–21Andrea Harvin-KenningtonThe Investigation and Making of Tiny Containers

7/24–28Jennifer Jordan ParkClassical Jewelry – Enameling, Granulation, Chain Making

8/11–13Brandon HolschuhTool Making, Maintenance and Repair

8/15–19Thomas MannFound Object Sandwich – The Photo Assemblage Brooch:Telling a Story Through Personal Pin Making

8/22–26Harold O’ConnorSurface Embellishments: Bringing the Surface to Life

8/28–9/1Ronda CoryellGold on Argentium

sculpture5/4–7Jacque AdamsMold Making for Beginners

5/12–14Judith GreenleafThe Expressive Figure

6/9–11 Craig M. BlackSculpture’s a Beach

7/10–13Yon ReganPortrait Sculpture

7/14–16Elder JonesWet Carved Concrete

7/17–21Michelle GregorImprovisation in Figurative Clay Sculpture

26 Mendocino Arts Magazine

Spring/Summer 2017 27

The Gallery MendocinoFeaturing Local Artists!

45050 Main Street Square(On the garden path)

thegallerymendocino.com(707) 357-4810

Tzutujil Mayan Paintings

April 2017Mosswood Café & Bakery, Boonville

July and August 2017GOODLIFE Bakery & CaféLansing Street, Mendocino

Basket by Carolyn Zeitler