A Tool in the Hand
My first instinct was to go with a basic hand tool that has come to feel like home in my hands. Simple, portable, versatile, ancient, I choose a center punch (though in my studio I use this small tool in many ways). It is a key to success of much of my work. I use it for its intended use: to mark the center of a point – the essential step before drilling a hole in a precise spot (grids!). I use it as a scribe, burnishing lines into metal (argyle!). I tap it with a hammer to press into metal – spreading and dispersing it, creating pattern and dimension (texture and facets!).
![Julia Obermaier, image courtesy of the artist. Obermaier says, "For me a disco ball is a sign of pure love ... Always moving, sparkling, exciting, [it creates a] good mood and has millions of facets."](https://artjewelryforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Julia_Obermeyer-800x600-1-300x225.jpg)
