Meet Chapin Dimond | Metalsmith/Jeweler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chapin Dimond and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chapin, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Being an artist (metalsmith/jeweler) has been a positive challenge. I love working with my hands and making shiny things. Metalsmithing lets me play with fire and experiment with the properties of different metals. It is a lot of hard work to make my art (jewelry). The process is not quick and the attention to detail is immense. Putting in the time is the best learning for me, the more I play the better my skills become. It is a good thing I see my profession as fun, since I have not learned how to balance my life yet. Hard work as an artist is very rewarding. In my studio I get to play continuously learning.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Since the pandemic down sizing, I’ve had more time in my home studio. Playing in my studio has been a positive change. Developing relationships with new local designers making their creations has been nice. I love telling other’s stories through jewelry. I’ve had some new clients with interesting ideas. Lately I’ve been able to create more of my own designs; playing seems to be my theme. My wedding bands and jewelry for family members made from mokume gane took a lot of time, and were very special projects. I’ve expanded my Games series and mixed metals pieces. I have been able to spread the joy of what I do through my teaching at BoMA and private consulting/teaching lessons/in-studio experiences. The most challenging part in 2020 was knowing my business was my only income and the unknowns of the market/economy. There were so many aspects of a business that I had not addressed with such detail. Learning is fun, so I have enjoyed the challenge and progress with my business journey, C Dimond LLC. I am looking towards the future and see what adventures will come.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. In your view what are some of the most fun, interesting, exciting people, places or things to check out?
When meeting up with a friend, we head straight to Double Happy, the best Asian food restaurant in Louisville. Mai Hong Trinh greets us, she always makes me feel like a very special guest. The food is yummy… everything is SO GOOD. Double Happy has been in Louisville for over 40 years. After dinner I give a tour of my home or I should say studio… due to the size of the rustic old home that was built in 1893, my studio feels like it is the whole house. I do a demo and let them feel the magic of metalsmithing by swinging a hammer to forge out a trinket. In the morning, we walk over to Moxie’s for fresh Kouign Amann (baked goods). We head for Memory Square Park to roll some botchie, throw some horseshoes, play some disc golf, and sit under the grand old trees. The Louisville Art Center is next to the park so we check out the Art show put on by the LLA (Louisville Art Association). Next we make our way through old town stopping at the Louisville History Museum to check out the model of the town in the 1900’s. My house is even smaller looking at the miniature model of the town! Meandering around the streets of Louisville is a great adventure. So many old architectural structures mixed in with the new modern buildings. The familiar sound of the train’s whistle as it passes through town is a good reminder the day is rolling along. We head to the Coal Creek Trail and hike in a short way to rest by the creek in the shade before our next adventure. We pick up sandwiches for lunch, “Hot Mess” and sweet potato tots from Lulu’s BBQ, then drive to the mountains. Eldorado Canyon State park is my favorite; the stream has such a relaxing sound. We watch the rock climbers on the canyon walls, enjoy a nice hike on the mountain trails. Sticking our feet in the cool water, we watch the fly fishermen catch some brownies (brown trout). For dinner that evening we play games, share stories, and eat antelope burgers cooked over a fire in my backyard. For dessert walking over to Sweet Cow to get some delicious homemade sherbert. The next morning we drive to Littleton’s Historical Museum; it is an outdoor historical site that represents and reenacts Colorado long ago. If you aren’t from Colorado this farm is the place to go! Here we see and learn about the 1860’s farm life and the 1890’s blacksmith shop. And see the historically accurate farm animals and learn interesting facts from the interpreters. And have a nice late lunch at the Damascus Grill down there. Sharing these wonderful places helps me as an artist to stay connected with so many great and amazing people. The interaction keeps the artistic mind flowing. The history of Colorado is shown through the expression and craftsmanship seen in art found in Louisville, and the greater Colorado area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The Louisville community as a whole has supported me my entire life. Impact on Education connected me with Kit Hollingshead for my jewelry apprenticeship in high school and college years. Metro State College in Denver, Colorado metalsmithing and jewelry design program allowed me to experience and play with metals in their studio under Yuko Yagisawa and Anne Hallam Jones. I continued to hone my skills at Todd Reed Inc. for over 9 years. Regularly Teaching at BoMA (Boulder Metalsmithing Association) now lets me share the magic of metalsmithing with others. Creating special pieces for C Dimond LLC and other local designers (Cornelia Livelky Designs, Mary Ellen Vaughan, Evergreen Angel Project) is what I do. You can see my art at Balefire Goods- Arvada, The Gold Market Jewelers- Longmont, The Walnut Gallery- Lafayette, The Evergreen Gallery- Evergreen, and R Gallery (BoMA Cases)- Boulder. Thanks to the LCC (Louisville Culture Council) I have new video/photo equipment so I can share my work with others online.

Website: www.CDimond.com

Instagram: @cdimonddesigns

Facebook: @CDimondDesigns

Image Credits
Sandra Jimenez Reyes Unik Photos (CDimond Cory&Chapin details) Katherine Hill Photography (pearl wedding necklace)