Walraven baron van Heeckeren
Full web site of Wal's jewellery and other productions

 
 
Walraven baron van Heekeren

Wal founded the School for Silversmiths in 1969 with the intention of raising the standard of Silversmithing in Australia, of providing quality tuition with a major emphasis on craftsmanship and the development of an individual’s creativity.

A HISTORY OF ACCUMULATED TALENT

Born 1944, Walraven baron van Heeckeren was sent to a ceramics factory by his grandmother, here he learnt to throw pots on a wheel whilst barely able to reach the flywheel with his feet. During his grade school years he was taught woodcarving, embroidery, sewing and knitting!! Living on a seagoing Dutch Tjalk, a 70 ton sailing boat, he learnt fancy rope work, knotting and tatting. His parents had 7 offspring and moved around the world, giving Wal further exposure to aluminium forming and low relief embossing and a part time job with an Italian potter.

A jewellery course in high school took him on to work with silver, brass and ebony, from there enrolling in a 4-year course at the highly respected Rochester Institute of Technology’s School for American Craftsmen, acquiring degrees along the way. Danish silversmith, Hans Christensen was his teacher, superb technician and master motivator.

Wal moved to Australia in 1968 working with Angus and Coote, then going freelance and with encouragement, in February 1969 opened the School for Silversmiths in a small ex-printing office (just 6 months after arriving in Australia).

Now based near Lismore in northern New South Wales, Wal continues to produce the finest works of jewellery art and still teaches.
This workshop was shared by three craftsmen: W.van Heeckeren, Zure Chambers, and Caroline Merten. The name of the workshop is Smith, Smith, and Smith. This name was arrived at because: "we didn't want one person's name at the top of the list, and we are after all, Smiths!". 

In April 2002, he moved the workshop once again, hopefully for the last time, to New Italy, which is on the Northern coast of New South Wales. A beautiful area of the state, 12 Km to the beach, and not more than 30 Km to the nearest city.