The following articles featuring members of the Club have appeared in the Sun Lakes “Splash” newspaper.
April 2022 – Gourd Awards!
AWARDS! GOURDS! EXPLORED! AWARDS: Seven members of the Sun Lakes Rock, Gem & Silver Club entered their Gourd Art in the Arizona Gourd Society’s Gourd Art Competition & Show, and brought home eight ribbons. Gourds can be crafted for any number of things: this year’s entries included a votive candle holder, vase, music box, decorative bowl, wall hangings, fine sculpture and even a fun peacock. Ribbons are not the goal – and it sure was nice to see our artwork displayed and admired by festival attendees. GOURDS: The Arizona Gourd Society’s Competition and Show is held annually during the Wuertz Farm … Continue reading →
May 2021 – Artist Linda Murray
Who does not love jewelry? Imagine designing and making your own unique one-of-a-kind pieces. Shown below are some of the gorgeous pieces made by Linda Murray. The lapis lazuli pendant is a piece you can learn to make in the silver one class. A bezel is cut to fit the stone and then soldered to the backing. These stones are cabochons. You can learn to make them in lapidary class at the Club. The design for the copper pendant with a silver tree scene is cut with a coping saw and sweat soldered over the copper piece. The bale is … Continue reading →
April 2021 – Artist Jan Meyers
Delicious free time! What does an artistic and creative person find to fill their time with! Jan Meyers retired from a career in finance and travel in 2010 and was looking for something to grab her interest. She found an outlet for her creativity in glass of all kinds. And she discovered the wonderful opportunities to do this at the Sun Lakes Rock Gem and Silver Club. Her first course was in mosaics and she was hooked. She followed up with classes in stained and fused glass. In her words “Glass is fluid, expressive and filled with color. You can … Continue reading →
March 2021 – Artist Fred Jonasz
The motivation to take up residence in Sun Lakes, like most, was avoiding winter weather and in Fred’s case the hospitality of the Oakwood Murphy’s, relatives whom they frequently visited in AZ. Fred and his wife Gelene have been Snowbirds for 14 years; their permanent residence is Arlington, VA. Fred grew up n Queens, NY where he avoided truancy by attending all required public schools and then onto New York University where he earned a BA degree in Economics. Mandatory Military Service, better known as the “Draft” was in effect in 1953 and he qualified but preferring blue to khaki … Continue reading →
February 2021 – Artist Don Hall
Don Hall was born in California where he met and married his wife Pat. He is the father of three children. He previously resided eight years in Nevada and thirteen in Oregon. Don has spent the last 28 years in Arizona. He retired after thirty-eight years as an estimator/project manager in heavy construction. He and Pat enjoy music, photography and exploring historical sites. Over the years they have collected rocks at gem shows and rock shops; he now incorporates these findings into art and jewelry. After joining the SLRGS club in 2014 he took lapidary 1 class where he learned … Continue reading →
January 2021 – Artist Henry Huss
A Hobby or A Labor of Love? Forty-five years ago, Henry joined an adult class in basic stained glass; nothing complicated, simply enjoying each other’s company. He went on to take other classes taught by experts in their field. One classes was wood framing where he developed the skill of making 18th century ship models from scratch. After finishing his 12th master level model (some taking him 12 months to complete) he moved on to other hobbies. Henry William Huss was born in the fall of 1933 in Lakewood, a quaint winter resort in central New Jersey. He graduated … Continue reading →
December 2020 – Artist Susan Carter
Susan’s last name is Carter Carter. That’s right. Susan Carter married Michael Carter in 1971, thus making her a double Carter. Susan is one of our more seasoned artists, and comes to us from the East Coast where she moved around growing up, ending on Long Island. Art is her major passion, but she was also involved in athletic swimming, running, and now playing tennis. Susan has a master’s degree from Pratt Institute and bachelor’s from Hofstra University, both in New York state. Having spent a summer studying in Tokyo at Sophia University, she developed an appreciation for Japanese art. … Continue reading →
November 2020 – Artist Doug Williams
Doug Williams identifies himself as, “an 80 year old curmudgeon who likes Turquoise and Silver.” Do not for one minute believe it! This man has traveled the world escorting VIP tours in his 36 years as marketing manager for United Airlines. He has been a silversmith jeweler who specializes in Turquoise and Silver since 1965. Blessed to be creative, he fell in love with the look and feel of .925 STERLING SILVER, TURQUOISE and the ART of jewelry in a SOUTHWEST STYLE. Doug took his first jewelry class as an ART major at Colorado State University and graduated with a … Continue reading →
October 2020 – Artist Jim Marquis
JIM MARQUIS was born in Flagstaff and spent most of his childhood and teenage years around that area graduating from Flagstaff High in 1965. He enlisted in the army in 1966 where he attended airborne school making a total of ten jumps, one in the providence of Kom Tum. He served in Viet Nam with the 101st Airborne then on to Ft. Bragg to finish his 3 years. Jim moved to Page AZ for an apprenticeship with the Bureau of Reclamation as a Power Plant Mechanic. His position involved maintenance and repair of mechanical equipment (turbines, pumps, air handlers, rotors, … Continue reading →
September 2020 – Artist Tony Thompson
Meet “The Faceting Fanatic” After 36 years in banking in Northern Nevada, Tony Thompson made the move to Sun Lakes, Arizona. He became a member and a student at the Sun Lakes Rock, Gem and Silver Club in 2014 and contributes regularly as a volunteer instructor and helper in the various shops. He and his wife Judy enjoy much of what Arizona has to offer: the arts, theater, sports and the great weather. They also enjoy traveling and discovering the history of the area. While traveling they always find rock shops to browse through finding material to bring back and … Continue reading →
August 2020 – Artist Vic Hermann
Vic Hermann is our August Artist Who Aspires to Inspire, and he does just that. He discovered his talent in the area of lapidary in 2006 after taking a field trip with the Sun Lakes Rock, Gem and Silver Club with his wife who was a club member. He began by taking a Lapidary I class learning to make cabochons, followed by a class learning bears and bookends. With his creative mind, he dreamed up various techniques to make handles for letter openers and pens. His talents were immediately recognized, and he was recruited to teach his skills to others … Continue reading →
July 2020 – Artist Anita Metzbower
Anita Metzbower, “Nita” to her friends (“I needa help” to her students), is a humble, quiet lady who prefers channeling her thoughts and words into art. Imagination, dreams, and other realities express who she is and has become. Born and raised in Michigan in a Leave it to Beaver-type family, she graduated from Central Michigan University with a BS degree in art and science. Nita left Michigan after college and began a career which lasted 40 years, teaching art to all ages from small children through senior citizens. She shares, “I truly loved what I did and continue doing it … Continue reading →
June 2020 – Artist Nancy Hibbard
Learn Stained Glass from this Lass Nancy Hibbard grew up in South Portland. Maine, and still speaks with that delightfully distinctive accent. She enjoyed the snow in winter and the short walk to the ocean in summer. Graduating from South Portland High School, she then attended Westbrook Junior College. As a young woman, she married and raised two children. spending time volunteering for many different organizations from Little League to Social Service agencies. She had yet to discover her inner artist. In 1985, Nancy and husband lrv purchased a home in Sun Lakes. They visited a few times a year, … Continue reading →
May 2020 – Artist Richard Sanderville
Richard Sanderville was born in Browning, MT, and is a member of the Blackfeet tribe in Browning. Because his father worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, he moved to several reservations during his childhood, so he learned the customs and traditions of several tribes. After graduation from Haskell Indian College, Richard and his wife moved to Albuquerque to work at Sandia National Laboratories, a research and development facility. He worked in nuclear and energy field testing, laser engagement systems development, and video engineering. After 35 years of service, he retired and bought a winter home in Sun Lakes. After … Continue reading →