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: