Auburn Magazine - Issue #9

The level of craftsmanship from these
two artists is hard to put into words, the
level of detail is breathtaking. Michael
and Doug are the best in their fields
and I cannot wait to see what comes
out of this new space in Auburn.
I will say what really stands out for me
is the tools. They are as beautiful as
they are functional. Michael and Doug
both explained to me that you cannot
buy these tools you have to make them
and there is no substitute. In order to
achieve this level of craftsmanship,
you have to put the same time, energy
and skill into making the tools that
help you create a masterpiece.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Michael R. Kosinski is a professional
goldsmith. He has over 35 years
experience in jewelry manufacturing.
He apprenticed at Van Craeynest, Inc.
in San Francisco where he learned the
art of carving, chasing and piercing
fine jewelry.
Douglas Pryor works as a Repoussé
artist, primarily making armor. When
possible, he uses only hand tools
to mimic the authentic conditions
of ancient time periods. His main
techniques are sculpting, raising,
chasing and repousse. He’s been
selected as one of the demonstrators for
the ABANA 2016 Conference in Salt
Lake City. Douglas works mostly with
10-12 gauge steel because many of his
pieces must be able to hold up to full
contact sports. He almost exclusively
uses hand hammers and tooling versus
pneumatic tools to make the process
more historically authentic.