Saturday, November 10, 2012

god of the palest flowers

one of the most beautiful poems i've ever read is "the kookaburras" by mary oliver. it is also one of the saddest and truest; it hit my soul hard...is there anyone who has escaped this feeling of profound regret, not for something done, but for something not done that she describes? i don't think so...

this past july i began work on a piece named "god of the palest flowers", named from a line in this poem. here is the finished piece, which i'm honored to say is in the upcoming art and design of metal clay 2013 calendar by the innovative artist and teacher holly gage.

when you turn the crank, the little bird in the cage flies up and down, while the little figure just moves a bit and stares.  he is unable to help the wild bird, but the wearer can open the door to the bird cage if they wish...the monkey lock that holds the "wooden" doors closed is my favorite part--it's actually somewhat functional! both the tiny chain and larger chain are hand fabricated of sterling silver...


god of the palest flowers
bronze, copper, brass, mica and sterling and fine silver
2012

god of the palest flowers
bronze, copper, mica, brass, sterling and fine silver
2012



god of the palest flowers
bronze, copper, mica, brass, sterling and fine silver
2012


god of the palest flowers
bronze, copper, mica, brass, sterling and fine silver
2012

god of the palest flowers
bronze, copper, mica, brass, sterling and fine silver
2012



now here are some process photos;  nothing looks neat and pretty here!




this little guy is bird number three; the first two just didn't work out for various reasons...

i love tiny parts!

little bird with his flying apparatus

a first step in housing construction...


getting comfortable...

getting the bird's mechanism together

the cage:  this was my second try--the first was genuinely sorrowful and utterly useless. yellow ochre was my best friend here, as ambivalent as that makes me feel about my skill level!

coming together...

sweetness!

assembling lots of parts...things are starting to happen here!

the back, which i love...

door parts

so close to finishing! 
now go back to the top again to see how it all came together! i would give myself a b- on this mechanism--it functions well, but does have a tendency to hitch every now and then.  i'm sure there are better ways to make a bird fly, perhaps i will have a chance to try again with different and perhaps happier subject matter :)

digging into my treasure box of brazilian stones...

does anybody else out there do everything backwards? all of the time? years before i knew how to set stones i accumulated gorgeous slices, cabochons, octagons, squares and other stone oddments, somehow knowing that i would develop the skills that i needed to put them into jewelry, while at the same time knowing that time simply did not allow for this to happen--such a conundrum!

prong setting, here i come...start with a rustic, earthy and ethereal pair of faded lilac included quartz slices and finish with a primitively elegant setting worthy of my favorite pair of jeans, which unfortunately it's too hot for me to wear at the moment...the trade winds will be coming through any day now i hope!  more details on etsy here

included quartz earrings
quartz, fine and sterling silver
2012


"The untold want by life and land ne'er granted

"The untold want by life and land ne'er granted,
Now, voyager, sail thou forth, to seek and find." Walt Whitman

many do not hear the call of these words, so busy are their lives...i've heeded them, but in a very unorganized and oafish way, stumbling along following only my heart. it helps if you use your mind too; i learned that one too late for it to do much good for me.

so far i've made two pieces in my now, voyager series: the timid bunny, sadly is a metaphor for me...more details on etsy here


now, voyager bunny talisman necklace
sterling and fine silver, tourmaline, garnet
2012

reverse of now, voyager bunny talisman necklace
sterling and fine silver, tourmaline, garnet
2012

now, voyager fool in tarot talisman necklace
sterling, copper, tourmaline
2012


the second piece is a talisman with the tarot card of my heart, the fool, the essence of the beginning of a journey followed with all of your being...more details on etsy here


now, voyager fool in tarot talisman necklace
sterling, copper, tourmaline
2012

there is a third piece in this series, which i've assembled but have yet to construct, and it is mechanical, sort of, and will feature a monkey...