Look Above - in progress, Part Two, completion

Welcome back. OK, now we'll see this piece through. 

As the wooden structure is glued with woodworker's glue to bond the layers, it gets put aside while I work on the back plate and get it ready.

The etched plate is attached to the brass armature.

Drawing and realized object.

Seen from the front...

..and from the back. Notice the cut-away in the center. This was done to lighten the structure up, as that area will be covered by the wooden assembly. The outer pierced areas will act as windows for engraved imagery.

I've made a decision that will greatly impact the overall look of the piece - all 19th-century color lithographs will be used. These have intense and saturated color.

 Mica panels will be placed over the images to protect them.

Rinsed after patination.

The images in place and ready to rivet into position under the mica. 

Now clamped to the wooden assembly to rivet all together. 

 Tube rivets being prepared.

 The sandwich is together and awaiting clean-up/registration.

 Another tube rivet readies a revolving element for the top of the neckpiece: a medieval bronze spur.

The spur in position. Now the back brass structure will be bent around to prong-set the elements.

 

 The lower prongs being bent.

 A good moment as the structure comes clear for the first time. Note the brace for the spur to spin  on top.

 Now as the top steel plate is about to be riveted down, the lower chamber (backed by a litho eye) is filled with raw sapphires (the intended owner's birthstone).

 The steel tacks complete their oval around the porthole.

 And another unusual tension-setting: the hole in the bottom of the steel plate locks a round labradorite bead between it and the floral work in back (see next image).

 The cord being made next.

 A tiny rivet about to be made.

 Beautiful 1930's copper-plated steel chain riveted into the key.

And hung up to check balance.

 

 The last two elements are attached - the title plate and piece of coral.

 To view the finished piece, follow this link.

Thanks again for coming along for the journey. I'll be back in the studio in the coming weeks for more.

Cheers,

Keith

Look Above - in progress, Part One.

Apologies for the month-long absence here... I'm only hours back from my US workshop tour. Let's jump back into it. Here's my latest commissioned neckpiece as it comes together.

Launching off with a small decorative plywood ornament from a visit to Home Depot, I saw it down and shape an animal trap part to lay over it.

Weathered and stained. A tube rivet has been finished on the left side and the hole drilled for the right.

The color is now more harmonious between the elements.

Panels of dyed paua shell are laid in and the middle cradle 'V' shape will house a beautiful little piece of brain-like coral found in Hervey Bay a few months back.

 Like so.

 Searching for a suitable backing, I cut and modify one of a set of four hand-carved folk-art coasters from the 1930's, seen here as a spike of red and wooden texture sprouting up in a triangle at the top.

The coaster being shaped...

 ...and anchored together.

 

Now time to design a brass scaffolding to prong-set the piece and give it its exterior structure. I'm working on a copy image of the assembly - this allows me to experiment with possible shapes. The next several images show the drawing developing around the object.

Tightening up the drawing onto some tracing paper.

 

 A signature plate is etched and formed from copper and will rivet to the brass backing.

 The drawing ready to be executed in heavy brass.

Piercing the forms.

It's starting to look like something. I love this part of the process.

The sawing finished, I can turn to shaping and finishing the brass.

A heavy texture is applied.

 Ready to receive the signature plate.

The elements have a meeting.

Next week, the piece brought right to finish.

Ciao!