Together with Artengine, Awesome Ottawa is giving two special $1000 Awesome Maker awards to support exhibitors at next month’s Maker Faire at Landsdowne Park. The first of the two is to Chris Manning, for demonstration of the dying jewellery making arts of guilloché and enamel.

“For the past 15 years,” says Chris, “I have been experimenting with various methods of jewellery making. Sadly, in our rush to find the latest and greatest techniques, many old skills are dying. One hundred years ago there were tens of thousands of guillocheures in North America, but now there are fewer than a dozen of us, and even fewer enamellists who can work at a high level. The last generation of craftsmen to work with the masters are now dying off, with few people to take up their art.” Chris will perform live demonstrations and introduce attendees to these techniques.

Chris is an Ottawa-based jeweller and pen maker.