I have been fascinated with pewter since my childhood clandestine experiments melting my fantasy lead figures. It came up again during my MFA at Cranbrook as I became focused on combining metal spinning with woodturning. In 2018, I finally began incorporating into my studio practice, first by casting and then with spinning. To share my enthusiasm, I co-curated an exhibition, “Wearable Pewter” with Teresa Faris that traveled internationally. To assist others creating new work for that exhibition, we gathered a variety of resources I am sharing here. In the past, pewter was not included in undergraduate curricula because of its potential contamination to other higher temperature metals. We have been including it in our curriculum at UNT for several years now and have had no significant issues. There are several other contemporary metalsmiths, such as Logan Woodle and Thomas Bosse, who share my evangelical passion for pewter and believe in its tremendous potential. I continue to be challenged and inspired by its unique nature and encourage others to give it a try—I promise you won’t be disappointed!
James' Intro to Pewter handout.pdf
SNAG_44-3_pewter article by Ana Lopez.pdf
Wearable Pewter exhibition catalog.pdf
SNAG Technical Article: Pewter, The Other White Metal.pdf
RESOURCES: PEWTER-RELATED
© James Thurman
Contact: jathurman@hotmail.com