Autumn Years Spring 2024

The lily-pond light fixture.

interesting. He says it is like a muscle— the more you work when you create something very satisfying, then you feel you are what you have done. They keep an open mind about products because “Different people look at things with different eyes. An imperfection might be an inspiration,” Jacky says. Project fabrication and finishing, including making patinas, is done in the creatively messy studio. Drawings and sketches for projects hang from shelves. A wood-cutting table has been adapted for cutting bronze, and over the years the cuttings have left the floor sparkling with metal flakes and spirals. Equipment includes drills, supplies, polishing tools, planter prototypes, a Dura press, plus a box of bubble wrap—for when they send projects to customers. Etching requires caution, and Jacky says the best way to be safe is to have experience. He also wears heavy gloves and is OSHA certified. In their home, surrounded by their own creativity, their skill at taking ideas from design to completion is shown in their custom-made bannister of steel and glass, and the lily-pond light fixture over their bar area. The lily pads hang upside down, so to appreciate the effect, the viewer must stand under the fixture and look up. Their canine visitor, a deep

MJ menorahs are Anne’s specialty.

Jacky and Anne say the business is growing up; however, they are selective about their work. “At retirement, we do what we want to do,” he says. They do not want to own a big business—just enough to keep them happy. For the past 10 years, Jacky has been building his skills in the art of metal furniture, combining techniques such as forging, metal etching and delicate finishes. Anne’s passion for craftsmanship and sophisticated design means that often she comes up with ideas, and then he comes up with the technical solutions to make her ideas a reality. They find satisfaction in working together and are both happy to be getting back into the arts. Jacky says the nature of the work is to be messy and that makes it more

SPRING 2024 I AUTUMN YEARS 33