My first introduction to learning the basics of silver work began in a high school jewelry class. Shortly after, in college, I was exposed to my first rendezvous and Revolutionary War reenactment where to my benefit, I had the privilege of coming in contact with silversmith Walt Miller. During a brief conversation, he graciously planted the seed which has grown into a thirty year pursuit in the historical craft of hand hammered trade silver, and my current passion with custom trade silver.

My favorite question is, Can you make a...? As a rule, this pushes me somewhere I have not been and often takes my work to a new level. Whether creating a custom piece or uniting my silver with another artisan's work, my desire is to offer sentimental and historical significance through the creative process. The beauty in collaboration is the opportunity to create a piece that is greater than the sum of its parts. I am a firm believer that one plus one equals three.

You can find additional examples of my work @ flickr.com then under mburleigh custom trade silver.

PROFESSIONAL BIO

Mark A. Burleigh, assistant professor of Advertising and Graphic Design at the Columbus College of Art & Design, is a freelance graphic designer with an agency background as senior art director, and packaging graphics designer. He has received honors from a variety of professional organizations which include the Clio Awards and The Canton Advertising Club's Addy Competition. He has exhibited works at the Detroit Historical Museum, Ohio University, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.