Wednesday, March 16, 2016

"Viking Shield Maiden Ring" Design Idea II

Second in a series of design ideas featuring my new Signature Texture Plates


"Viking Shield Maiden Ring" is inspired by the long lineage of women unafraid to embody their own strength and power. 


This original design features my "Circle of Life" Celtic Design Set 3. The stone is a hand collected and cut Sustainable Stones Quartz crystal by Steve Tieken.



This ring was constructed out of PMC 960, while the bezel wire was formed using a laminated piece of PMC Paper. Pasted together lightly in their greenware state, they fired together perfectly. PMC 960's strength (as compared to fine silver) allows the ring band to be rolled thinner, in this case textured down to 2 cards thick. The intricate knot work is cut in deep relief in this texture plate, so the clay details translate thicker, approximately four cards thick. This thicker detailing acts as an additional support structure for this thin ring band. 

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Design Idea: "Spinning Prayer Wheel"

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some exciting design ideas featuring my new SignatureTexture Plates! 


This piece was created using Asian Design Set 1 "Henna Bloom"


"Spinning Prayer Wheel" is a new custom designed piece for a long time client and collector of my work. The inspiration came from this piece of beautiful Nephrite Jade I brought back from Thailand and traditional Tibetan prayer wheels. 
 The stone is a hand cut Nephrite Jade donut and the the bail and ornamental elements are riveted through the center, allowing the stone to spin freely in it's setting.

CONSTRUCTION: The bail is 4 card thick PMC 960 slab with the texture "Peony Border" in PMC FLEX appliquéd on top. These two clays meld well in the greenware state and fired together perfectly. PMC FLEX is excellent for these kinds of textured elements as it allows for a longer working and refinement time. The small "Henna Bloom" plate was fired separately and riveted through the entire assembly.




This design features my "Henna Bloom" Asian Design Set 1 

(available for purchase HERE)