Silver and stone rings - Spring 2014

This is a grouping of silver rings from this spring.

Each is a little different, but there is a continuity or theme.

The stones are Chalcedony (orange),  Welo Opal (center) and Moonstone (grey)

There were going to be four, but I got a little overzealous with the torch on the last one....

planning.........

The Welo Opal, from Ethiopia, is so good that it looks fake, or maybe like there are batteries in it somewhere, but it is difficult to get a good photo.

This picture probably shows the colour the best.  It is unaltered, the photo and the stone, that is.

I like this one, even though it is not a normal shape for a man's ring.  This picture is before the stone was set, it doesn't sit so high on the last version.

Eye and heart Pendant - Sterling enamel and Ellensburg Blue

This is a piece I made for a co-worker as a present to his wife for their aniversary:

This side eventually held a stone, but maybe I didn't get a final picture.

Here are some pictures of the process:

Hammered Gold Ring 18k

This is another hammered gold ring, this time in 18k

This is a picture I took in my photography studio utilizing some innovative lighting techniques.

Actually my photography studio is my cell phone and the ring is sitting on an envelope on my desk.  The flash hit the shiny gold and made a pretty flower shape.

Anyway....   In my travels I came across this ring:

Marked Hidalgo 750.  750 is the European marking for 18k gold.  18/24 = .75%

 I looked around the dang old internet and found this: 

Repetition and Variation - Sterling Necklace

This is a Sterling Silver Necklace (with cording) that I made mostly for the CWU Student Art Show this spring.

Here are some pictures of the process used to make it:

Punch out some circles

made them into domes using the dapping block and hammers

aneal

this is the belly button technique.  once the dome is made, flip it over (anneal first) and push back through the center of the dome.  maybe a couple of times each way

I think they are more interesting visually of they are offset or just not perfectly alligned

sterling pendant

This is another of the belly button type sterling pendants:

Like the surface of the moon!

 Construction:

Pitch.  Like tree pitch.  It smells really good.

Chasing Hammer and Chasing tools.

Ellensburg Blue Agate Pendant for Yuri - Sterling and Gold

This is a Pendant I made for a friend in Tokyo.  It is a strange little stone, yet very beautiful.

I kind of like things that are not symetrical

I made the back out of 14k gold, which seems like a waste at first glance, but there is a window behind the blue agate.  When the gold color is behind the stone you get to see more of the pinks in the stone.  So I added a faceted rhodocrosite in pink at the top.  The thing is that these blue stones just look so much better in sterling or any white metal than the generally do in gold.

Basic construction layout.

calvin's project - St. Pat's School in Tacoma

This was part of my nephew's eagle scout project.  He refurbished the outdoor recreation space at St. Pat's school in Tacoma.  We were supposed to paint a triangle, circle and a square as targets to kick balls at.  I thought is would be better this way.

Flame Job Wheelbarrow

Yep.

Full Custom Wheelbarrow

First Friday Artwalk show at the 420 Gallery - Downtown Ellensburg Wa

I'm lucky enough to have been invited to show some of my work this February at the 420 Gallery in Ellensburg.

Here are some pictures of me getting set-up.

 

 

This should be fun!

Fire Agate Pendant with Chased Setting

Fire Agate Pendant with Chased Setting

Front View

Back View

I bought this exceedingly good Fire Agate on ebay:

That is an actual picture I took.... wild stone.  I probably should have cleaned the stone first, those specks aren't chips but lint.

So I set about trying to figure out what to do with an abnormally shaped stone with just strong uhmm...  power(?).

I decided to make a pendant with citrines, to complement the stone, and attempt to re-create the stone in sterling on the back of the setting.

So, first some chasing:

That seems about right.

Now a setting:

Little More Better

The chasing is all the way through the metal, so it shows from the inside.  I had to figure out how to keep the base fairly level and still have a lot of depth on the outside.

Now add (set) some citrines:

This was a super fun and fairly successful project.  It probably took about 30 hours, believe it or not.

A few more photos:

my wife goofing off at the art show

centaur midwife

Awesome.