Cold

A project I have been working on for the last weeks, is my submission to GreenLion Gallery's upcoming exhibition “The Kiss: Inspirations from The Cure”, running from September 15  to October 15, 2011 at GreenLion Gallery, 150 E Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI, USA, to which I have just been informed has been accepted!

Transparent and opalescent enamels over fine silver,
onglaze paints, sterling silver, amethyst, quartz.

 My submission is titled Cold, after the The Cure song of the same name from the album Pornography (1982) which is one of my favourite albums by them.

everything as COLD as silence
Part of the lyrics (below) written on the inside of the piece

Scarred Your back was turned Curled like an embryo Take another face You will be kissed again I was cold as I mouthed the words And crawled across the mirror I wait Await the next breath Your name Like ice into my heart

A shallow grave A monument to the ruined age Ice in my eyes And eyes like ice don't move Screaming at the moon Another past time Your name Like ice into my heart

Everything as cold as life Can no one save you? Everything As cold as silence And you never say a word Your name Like ice into my heart Your name Like ice into my heart

For this piece I worked over silver, even though I most commonly work over copper, since I wanted to work with very cool hues for obvious reasons, and I also wanted to preserve the reflection of the metal below.
The following are a few work in progress pictures and explanations. The pictures can be clicked to enlarge:

Working from a photoshopping I did years ago,
sketching, choosing enamel colours and stones. 

Shaping the silver base over plasticine.

First two (three) layers. First I enamelled the back and then
the front with silver flux.  Here after firing a layer of purple
enamel for the hair.

Here showing the opalescence, changing with the angle.
This has about 15 layers (firings). 

The system to hang the quartz needles from, and tube rivets
for a cold connexion of the enamel, fabricated in sterling silver.

I had to drill these natural quartz crystals that I have had for
many years, with diamond bits. Quartz is very hard, this long
 job was very hard on my wrists!

I was happy to see the little prisms diffracting the light!

After painting details with onglaze oil paints, another 4 firings.

Lettering on the inside, also done with onglaze oil paints.

Finished! 

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