Classes and Resources
Jim has been teaching one or two workshop per year but has been decreasing his teaching to focus on his studio work and research. If you would like Jim to teach at your local art center or school, please have the school contact Terry Binnion at 360-756-6550.
2013 Classes: As of December 2012, Jim has no classes scheduled for 2013.
2012 Classes: Jim has no classes scheduled for 2012.
2011 Classes: Jim took 2011 off from teaching.
2010 Classes
Jim taught two classes as part of the Master's Symposium at the Revere Academy in San Francisco in April 2010. He taught "Creating Mokume Gane" April 19-23 and "Patterning Mokume Gane" April 24-25. The classes were full and reports are all learned a great deal during these classes.
2009 Classes
Jim took 2009 off from teaching.
2008 Classes
Jim took 2008 off from teaching.
2007 Classes
In February Jim taught a three-day workshop in Tucson focusing on the creation of patterns in mokume. Students started with laminated billets and created patterns using processes such as chasing, repousse, chip carving, drilling, grinding and forging to develop a variety of patterns.
Jim taught a five-day workshop at Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, NJ, August 24-28, 2007. This workshop focused on the creation of patterns in mokume. Students worked with laminated stock and created patterns using a variety of techniques, both traditional and modern.
CLASP: a convergence of jewelers. CLASP was a jeweler’s conference that was held September 14-16, 2007 in Denver, CO. Jim gave a non-mokume related talk entitled, "Metals and the Metalsmith". He was also on a bench tips panel.
Jim has placed a copy of one of his papers on mokume from the Santa Fe Symposium online on this site, here.
INFORMATION ON MOKUME:
The following are some resources about mokume and the some resources specifically about the work Jim has done in mokume.
“Designing, Building and Testing a Thermal Expansion Mismatch Torque Plate (TEMTP) System for Diffusion Bonding Mokume Gane Billets: "The Poor Man's Hot Press" By James Binnion, James Binnion Metal Arts, Andrew Nyce, Andrew Nyce Designs and Stewart Grice, Hoover & Strong Inc.; published in Proceedings of the Nineteenth Santa Fe Symposium; edited by Eddie Bell; 2005. Available through Rio Grande 800-545-6566.
"Mokume-Gane: Manufacturing Works of Art, Part 1" by Mark B. Mann with technical contributions by James Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts LLC in October 2004 issue of Professional Jeweler. This article reviews Jim's manufacturing process illustrated by photos of the process and pieces of Jim's work.
"Mokume-Gane: Manufacturing Works of Art, Part 2" by Mark B. Mann with technical contributions by James Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts LLC in November 2004 issue of Professional Jeweler.
"Non-Traditional Mokume Gane Materials: Diffusion bonding of Iron to Precious Metals" by James Binnion; published in Proceedings of the Eighteenth Santa Fe Symposium; edited by Eddie Bell; 2004. Available through Rio Grande 800-545-6566.
"Mokume Gane: An Ancient Technique Brought into the New Millennium" by James Binnion; published in Proceedings of the Sixteenth Santa Fe Symposium; edited by Eddie Bell; 2002. Available through Rio Grande 800-545-6566.
"Creative Bonding of Platinum with Other Metals" by James Binnion; published in Platinum Manufacturing Process Volume XI; Platinum Guild International USA; 2003. Available through Platinum Guild International USA 949-760-8279.
"Pattern Recognition" by James Binnion; published in April 2003 issue of AJM magazine. This article provides information on a variety of methods used to obtain pattern in mokume.
"Forming a Bond" by John Shanahan; published in July 2001 issue of AJM magazine. This article includes an interview with Jim Binnion.
Mokume Gane by Ian Ferguson; 2002; available through www.amazon.com
Mokume Gane A Comprehensive Study by Steve Midgett; 2000; published by Earthshine Press. Jim wrote a section in this book on making mokume gane in an electric kiln. This book is currently out of print.
