Art: Up Close & Personal: Ben Caldwell @ Williamson County Library March 9 2009

Art: Up Close & Personal

* Co-sponsored by Williamson County Public Library & O'More College of Design *

Williamson County Public Library
(main conference room)
1314 Columbia Pike
Franklin, TN 37064

We are proud to present a new evening series for 2009. Some of the most renowned local artists will share an up-close and personal glimpse into their lives and their work. The evening starts with a powerpoint presentation, followed by a question and answer period.

March' s Guest:

Ben Caldwell, Copper/Metalworker

March 9

6-8 pm

Ben was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. His interest in art was sparked by his parent’s passion for all things well crafted and beautiful. The weekends of his childhood were spent in antique stores and the studios of artists and craftsmen across the country. Being dyslexic, school was difficult and art became the oasis he went to for sustenance. He studied painting in Boston and New York. After graduating from Tufts University, he spent ten years building musical instruments. Then he apprenticed under Terry Talley, a nationally known coppersmith and silversmith in Bradyville Tennessee. The most important thing he learned from Terry was how to earn a living as a fulltime artist. Today he lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee and supports himself and his family with his art.


Description of Process

Ben starts with a large sheet of copper and applies powdered enamel to create a design. The enamel is torch fired to the copper section by section at temperatures between 1500 deg. F and 1800 deg. F. This allows the copper to oxidize and mix with the enamel and change color. After the copper cools, it is then shaped with a hammer. It is then re-enameled and shaped while still red hot until the final shape and color are achieved.