The Quiet Ones
A breastplate.
[sterling, copper, enamel, silk, pink coral and thread]
The Big Cocoon
April 1, 2011 by
I know. That’s probably too many images of this necklace around my neck but it’s rather difficult to photograph this piece on a white board because it just winds up looking like a pile of beautiful insanity.
This is The Big Cocoon. I’ve been working on it every day this week. It’s built of recycled sari silk, sterling, copper, enamel, resin, coral, silk, and wild rose twigs off the side of my mountain — the copper pods that hang from the cocoon actually slide open to reveal the resin set twigs.
I roughly sketched this idea out and then once I started to make it, I wound up drifting into a huge departure from the original plan. That large departure drifted into many smaller departures until I wound up with this finished piece. It’s large and elaborate with my standard textures riding the surfaces of nearly all the components.
It is, of course, inspired by spring, renewal, rebirth, rejuvenation…the fresh unfolding of new wings.
Transformation.
It bears hope for:
the world, my friendships, my summer, my garden
This afternoon whilst working in my open doored studio, two bees blasted through the door and then flirted with each other in the tendrils of hair that framed my face before zipping back outside into Idaho blue skies. There’s a shadow of green on all I see, even the fields of my soul.
Big Color
February 21, 2011 by
I managed to do a bit of enamel work this morning, man oh man, it felt good. I’m keen on big color lately. We’ve had a couple weeks of warm weather here and when I look out the studio window the world is awash with drab colors and a pale grey sky. In the distance, the mountains loom white but they can’t pull me out of moods that are sometimes rooted in color desperation. Someone please, pour this chromaphile a rainbow.
When times get color rough, I make my own color.
Big color.
These earrings are really rather huge but they maintain a pretty light feel on the lobe. They’re enameled a glorious nasturtium orange hue and have a glamorous weight and length. I created them for a lady who beckons spring, bathes her soul in color, and eagerly awaits the banishment of the winter hum drum drabs!
Built of sterling, copper and enamel.
Hydraulically formed, hand sawed and sifted, counter enameled and fired multiple times.
They’ll be in the shop in a few scant minutes!
xx
PS Orange makes me bonkers batty cakes.
Is anyone else affected thusly by the hue?
PS Orange makes me bonkers batty cakes.
Is anyone else affected thusly by the hue?
A Quick Discussion On The Topic Of Chandeliers
February 17, 2011 by
Whilst skiing the other day, I had a daydream about enameled chandelier earrings.
The daydreams persisted like mountain water on route to the sea, in my mind’s eye, until this afternoon when I finally sat down to make a set out in my studio.
I sat about sketching and cutting templates for the enameled components,
filed, forged and cleaned my metal.
Sifted, fired, sifted, fired, sifted and fired the enameled pieces over and over again until I had a color and surface finish I loved.
I attached the enameled portions to lightly domed sterling posts and dangled pairs of domed leaves from the base of the earrings.
After fabrication, these chandeliers received a patina bath and I left the sterling smooth and black for added contrast and perhaps a bit of romance…
The enamel is the most pale and delicate pastel green you could ever imagine.
These earrings are somewhat elaborate while maintaining a lovely organic edge — the enameled components almost look built by bees, spun by silk worms or nibbled upon by hares.
I’ll be making more.
Monday Brings Color
February 7, 2011 by
I’ve had two showers in two days. This is an incredible feat since I do not have a shower in my house still. Because of the showers, I’ve been enameling (I like to shower after enameling to get all of the wee glassies off my body and out of my hair). My kiln has been singing opera — it has felt so neglected over these past two months. Here are the items that are finished and ready to fly. I’m probably going to list them within the hour.
…maybe, except for this necklace…I need to hold onto it for a few days yet…just do do some bonding:
Fresh Snow Late Shed Necklace
This piece is meant to depict a freshly dropped mule deer antler on a puff of powder white, Rocky Mountain Snow. This is the time of year when those magnificent beasties begin to drop their ivory horns. I think it’s so fitting. They begin the new year bald, shed the old, grow the fresh and brilliant new to carry through the next rutting season — isn’t that what we’re all doing (or should be doing)? This totally fits my current pondiferous theme of shedding my old self and putting on the new cloak of me, day to day, if need be — constant and steady refinement at the hands of my friends, family and God.
A story of rebirth, growth, and new generation is alive in this piece. It’s totally magical.
I built it with copper, enamel and sterling, from scratch. The larger of the two enameled plates has had a layer of enamel sugar fired for a gorgeous snowy texture in some places.
I love this piece.
I hate to say it, because it goes before a fall, but I’m kind of proud of the imagination behind this design.
I made a truckload of earrings.
I have been enameling like a barn on fire.
In point of fact, I just had to moisturize the palms of my hands while photographing these earrings because they were white and pumice carved. By the way, can I get a nurse over here? I’ve been in klutz mode and am wearing three huge band aids on three of my fingers on my right paw. Ow. Woof.
Bug on a String Earrings
Pod Earrings
A brief word about this hue — it is a beautiful peached pink and it over fires to a light violet hue. MAGICAL! It’s probably my favorite color to enamel with. I just wanted to let you know.
This is all to say: Monday brings color.