More gifts from the sea

My friend gave me two of her old rings for a face lift. She's the best kind of patron (and person) for her willingness to trust the process. She allowed me to work without a clock (she gave me the rings several months ago) and to work with whatever the metal wanted to do.

I cannot find a detailed photo of the denim lapis I set inside the first ring I worked with. (I stole the photo to the left off Sydney's facebook...and yes, that's a Valentine spoiler, too). When I look at the piece now, I see some very feminine lines (as O'Keefe would say, this is not a conscious decision)...and I like it all the more. Pairing those lines with a gentle, healing, expressive blue (again, not conscious) just makes so much sense. This piece is a disarming yet bold statement. Perfect for its wearer.

The second ring was "supposed" to have a bronze topper for a mixed metals look. After making a mold twice and firing the kiln a few times only to have the starfish crumble three times, I decided the starfish didn't want to be bronze.  I actually got very far with one of the bronze pieces---it was soldered and all---just tried to bend the metal one tiny way and it cracked. This, you can imagine, is very disappointing and feels like failure. I remember closing the door on the studio that day...months ago.

A few weeks ago I found and purchased a silver starfish (it's cheaper than using silver metal clay). On Sunday afternoon I turned to my scrap pile and found the base circle (*now on the ring) and discovered it matched pretty well with the starfish. I slightly domed both, soldered on the starfish and then soldered the ring to the base. It went as smoothly as it possibly could have, and just like that, it was done. This is a solid ring.

*The circular base for this ring was created on a Saturday back in the fall. Andria was over and the studio doors were open. I'd spent a lot of time making this base for another piece. I was trying to set another friend's sapphire on top of it. I burned through two baskets before deciding the setting just didn't look right together anyway. I remember telling Andria it would work out for some other piece---and I also think Andria would tell you I was totally annoyed and frustrated and disgusted with the amount of time I put toward all of it that day. The best laid plans of mice and men.... The metal will tell you what it wants to do. Trust the  process...trust the process...trust the process.

It was always supposed to be as we now see it.

Sure looks like failure....