Greetings!

Poirier Geometric Chuck

We are pleased to announce that Phil Poirier is returning to present at our 2025 Fall Gathering!

 African Blackwood complex turned box with enameled silver guilloche 

The artist craves complete creative control over their process. For Phil Poirier, this starts at the molecular level. With the exception of gold karat, the average layperson has no appreciation for alloys, the metallurgical recipes that have been developed since the Bronze Age. Phil is a master chef of metals. The foundation of every project is an alloy he has mixed specifically for the job, giving him control and predictability at every stage of the creative process. Phil’s work displays a reverence to the material and an appreciation for the history of his craft.

"Starry Night" Damascus pattern pendant

18-karat gold locket with "Woven Lightning" guilloche pattern

Phil’s approach to jewelry is also alloyed. The rigid, structural thinking of an engineer is balanced with the ductile, creative thinking of an artist. This perspective is further mixed with a broad skillset including gold smithing, gem cutting, repoussé, granulation, complex turning, and toolmaking.

Damascus steel and gold sculpture ring

Tension set diamond Damascus earrings

Since first taking a silversmithing class in high school, Phil has explored nearly every aspect of jewelry making and metalsmithing over his nearly fifty-year career, building a wealth of knowledge and experience that he is eager to share.

Not one to be limited by what is available commercially, much of Phil’s efforts have gone into developing custom tooling. He has a knack for combining historic techniques with new technology without loss in fidelity. This is not a pursuit of cold efficiency, but an expansion of the possible, especially for an individual craftsperson or small shop.

"Pick-up Sticks" gold bracelet

As the CEO of Bonny Doon Engineering, Phil worked to scale the “deep-draw” process of pressing sheets of metal into vessels or raised forms with industrial drop presses, to a bench-top hydraulic press with a range of economical dies. This allows for the technique to be used for small productions or one-off pieces, a previously prohibitive proposition for all but the best tooled and funded.

Lattice silver bracelets in different finishes

The freedoms of material mastery and custom tooling are manifest in Phil’s work. Steel is made a precious metal in tight Damascus patterns, while silver is enriched with a dark patina to an almost ferrous effect. Gold is more richly yellow when standing in contrast with Damascus steel. Standing alone, it is presented in delicate, fibrous forms woven in airy light. Custom processes deliver unique designs. Deep, crisp textures and lattices are precisely cut into stock that is then pressed into shape.

On one bracelet, hundreds of tiny silver beads that look ready to roll off the polished silver stand in a perfect grid, begging the question of how. Phil’s designs are informed by their materials, inspired by the history of craft, and made possible by the ingenuity of a tool maker.

Bracelet with small beads in patinated silver

Phil on the straight line engine

Tension set sapphire Damascus ring

 Titanium complex turned belt buckle 

To see more of Phil's work, especially his complex turning, follow him on Instagram. Learn more about his jewelry work on his website.

Sincerely,

David Lindow

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