Kind of Strange

Short, old poem, but one that I still relate to.

Seen the Sea

I have seen the Sea

Shining bright through thick and thin

Golden rays of sunlight

Burnished slick on silvered skin

 Proud, strong, confident

Surging ever without shame

So happily accepting

Its neverending game

I would like to follow

The example of the Sea

And work at what I love

For me, and only me

I recently took part in a post-apocalyptic tarot card project photoshoot.  You can see me in the bone mask as a set of twins here:

http://www.shotinthedarkphotography.com/art/Tarot/Cards/queenofpent.jpg

A few days before the photoshoot the artist in charge asked whether or not any of the participants had a ‘bone crown’.  I didn’t at the time, but the idea picked at my brain as something I could create. 

I somewhat obsessively buy very worn, aged leather belts whenever I find them at the thrift store.  There’s a certain aesthetic and tactile feel in well worn leather that you just can’t replicate with any ease. or regularity.  One of these would serve as the base… Within days I was commited to the idea and started poring through my random supply trunk to see what else could be used.

On top of that, I hand sawed, bent and shaped a large, brass coated door hinge I picked up at Home Depot.  I’ve been eyeing those for future projects for ages and was far too excited to finally have a reason to get one.  Once in the right shape and size, it was coated in stain, which took many days to dry.  Once dry, the surface was scuffed up with a brass brush and paper towels.  From there, the hinge was secured to the leather strap using some generic brass rivets, and a set of snaps added to the back in order to allow for size adjusting.

An opossum skull, tusks and pheasant feathers were bound to the crown using faux sinew and patience.  A set of three chains on each side were added.  Pearls and crystals were strung using sterling wire to hopefully add a small amount of regality and a bit of out-of-place elegance. 

The result: (click for larger)

While the aesthetic did not fit and the piece was not able to be used for this particular project, I will certainly get plenty of use out of it in the future.  The short weekend exercise was great and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

One day I will learn to take progress photos as I go along.  That day is not today!

Photos of the recently finished wisdom tooth ring posted previously.  It was created as a gift for a dental hygienist friend of mine from one of the four wisdom teeth I had removed several years ago.

I wanted to create something of a ‘rot’ effect on the sterling silver, without going too far with the concept.   I really need to try creating a light box for photos, but for now the natural sunlight and backdrop of my patio herbs will have to suffice.