Ladybugs

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,Your house is on fire and your children are gone…

                After much thought over the years as to how to colour these little insects, I am finally beginning my ladybug collection! Recently, I have found a product that makes enameling at home far more conceivable, not to mention affordable. The product also has the ability to cling to 3-Dimensional surfaces, one of the major limiting factors I have been encountering when trying to colour coat the sloped backs of my insect jewellery.
                Technical Overlay: I carved a master beetle from wax, without legs, and hand constructed the legs and antennae from wire. I chose this method, perhaps more timely initially, due to the greater level of detail I can accomplish through hand fabrication as opposed to wax carving. A little more work up front pays off in the long run. After the assembly of the master, next comes the mold making process; inevitably allowing me to make multiples of the original. The intriguing part of this ongoing collection is the versatility these units possess; whether they function as earrings, a pendant, or cufflinks.
                Ladybugs are most notably thought of as red, but they also come in varying shades of yellow, orange, white, black, gray, and brown. I am excited to begin working with the iconic Ladybug, as I hope to represent both the immediately recognizable red beetle, as well as other obscure ladybug species. As you can see from the image (below), the variety amongst species offers endless sources of inspiration through striking patterns and colour combinations. The Ladybug’s Latin name, Coccinelid, comes from the Latin word Coccineus, meaning “scarlet”. Their influence has been recognized throughout various cultures around the world, being viewed as a symbol of good luck in many and being represented in folklore.  
                After making the rubber mold and casting quite a few of these little guys, I cleaned them up and have since been working away on them! Below are the final pieces. I look forward to experimenting with these beetles.

Coral Crabs

It has been a while so let me bring you up to speed...

    A new influence has slowly surfaced in my artwork... the world of aquariums. I have recently entered the hobby of aquarium keeping, specially salt water reef systems. I have fallen in love with this passion (albeit expensive!) and have begun to incorporate this into my jewellery practice.

    My first introduction of reef tank critters is that of a Pocillopora/Acropora Crab. These tiny little crustaceans are accidentally and unknowingly introduced as they "hitch-hike" in on coral purchased from local suppliers. They have become one of my favorite additions to my tank. Another fascinating thing associated with crustaceans are their perfect moltings they produce (which I always fish out of the tank, spread, and dry to use as reference material). These crabs engage in a commensal and symbiotic relationship with coral, cleaning and maintaining it where water flow may be restricted. Coral Crabs defend the coral and prolong the life of its host, as they themselves depend upon it for survival. The crabs come in a variety of colors and patterns. The picture (above right) I found online is representative of the ones in my tank (I have a mated pair).

Thanks to the moltings I collected, I was able to carefully carve one of these crabs in wax and cast it. I then made a rubber mold. Images of the wax and final product before rubber molding are shown above. Now that I have the mold I look forward to being able to play with metal coloration techniques and plating to create some of the amazing patterns and colors found within these crabs. This mold also lends itself to a variety of different applications, from cufflinks to pendants. Shown are two uses so far; an 18kt Yellow Gold crab holding a Ruby and a pair of Sterling and 18kt Rose Gold plated cufflinks.

Grad Piece- Golden Orb Weaver

    My Grad piece; the Golden Orb Weaver. Fabricated in Sterling Silver and 18k yellow Gold, including a 33pt. Diamond, this piece pays tribute to the startling Golden Orb Weaver spider species. These spiders spin golden colored silk that can be harvested and used to weave tapestries. The brilliance and sheen that the silk possess is very similar to that of the 18k yellow Gold used within this metal piece. The pendant clips off to function as an object.
    It is intriguing to me as the artist to see people's reactions while I wear the piece. I often hear things like "I hate spiders, but I love your necklace!" and similar comments. This was my intent; to make the viewer see the beauty and intricacy found within the design of these creatures. A sub-species of this Nephila family was recorded at being 2.7" in body length (not including it's legs) and was able to catch and consume small birds. As large as they may be, they are considered as "Gentle Giants" as their bites are difficult to provoke and are not fatal to humans.
     I enjoy creating my pieces with insects that are often feared, even disgusted, or perhaps overlooked and simply misunderstood. It is my hope that perhaps in making these objects these creatures might earn a little more respect or at least some form of admiration.

Honey Bee Collection

As a part of an attempt to create several commercial lines, I came up with a Honey Bee Collection line. It features pins, pendants, even rings. I made a rubber mold of bees and wings (the wing master was originally constructed of wire) separately and this allows me the freedom to design and incorporate as I please. As of now they are made of sterling silver but I hope to make some in 18k yellow soon.

One of the most unique aspects of these pieces is that the Bees were in fact cast from a real Honey Bee. These Bees were sourced from the Chinook Honey Company (logo below), south of Calgary and just outside of Okotoks. Working with a Bee Keeper to obtain these specimens (essentially a jar of dead Bees) was interesting and a learning process in itself as I got to meet the Keepers and see the hives. This line also addresses the preciousness and importance of Honey Bees and how they are being severely affected by the Colony Collapse Disorder. For more on the Colony Collapse Disorder follow the adjoining link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder

Organic Casting- Cross Orb Weaver Spider

I just received a real spider, from the Shuswap region of British Columbia, and wanted to put it to good use. To keep it fresh, it has been sitting in my fridge for the past month so I thought it would be best to get a move on and stop reaching for it thinking it was leftovers. In the past, I have had mixed results with the success of my organic burn out casts. An organic cast is when you make a mold from something such as a spider, a flower, twigs etc. and burn it out of the mold leaving an area for molten metal to fill. A great amount of detail can be achieved through this process. One of the main issues is porosity, which can be avoided through several tricks. For a brief explanation on how to cast organic matter, click on the following link:

http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive/201102/msg00403.htm

And this link for a how to on general purpose “Lost Wax” casting:

http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/lost-wax-casting-notes.htm

Having had this spider, I wanted to make sure it’s sacrifice would not go to waste. After further research I concluded that it belongs to one of the Orb Weaver spider families, an incredibly diverse and fascinating branch. Their bodies alone can reach up to 2.7” in some regions of the world (inspiring!). I believe that this spider in particular is a Cross Orb Weaver. To learn more on this family of spiders follow the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb-weaver_spider

And specifically the Cross Orb Weaver: