Enamel Poppy Buckle

This is a piece I made when I was learning about etching and enameling.

  

It is entitled "reproduction" and has a sort of, well.... double image.  There are the pods, the fresh buds, the full bloom, then the end of the life cycle when the drooping flowers drop the seeds in hopes of reproducing.  Then there is another picture.

Here is the back.  I placed the bolts through the front in strategic places to meet this design on the back.

 I actually won the "Kitty Moe award for 3-d art" at Gallery One in Ellensburg  for this piece.  A money award.

I think it was for this piece, but when they set up the show they switched the name cards on the two pieces I entered, so i don't really know.  They didn't ask at the bank so maybe I don't care.

I bought a jeweler's bench with the money. :)

 Neat and orderly.... a place for everything, and everything all over the place is what I always say.

But anyway, here is a glimpse at the process:

I drew one side then made a mirror image using the GIMP software

More pictures after the link

Then expanded

Added the flowers

had to add some junk.  I mean the pods and stalk.

made an inverted black and white image so that I could print that onto circuit board paper,

transferred the circuit board paper to copper and put it in the acid bath to etch.

All tolled, I probably had 50+ hours on this one project, including the drawings and making the buckle itself.