Credenza: Evermore, Nevermore

"Evermore, Nevermore" (credenza) (click image to enlarge)

Left Panel close-up

Right Panel close-up

Turquoise Mosaic Knob close-up

This piece is a decorative Credenza (sideboard) custom-made for a client in Scottsdale. Titled "Evermore, Nevermore", it is about 5 feet long by 1 foot wide. I used solid oak for the structure of the piece, textured to emphasize the grain, and ebonized black. The panels were carved in deep relief in basswood, and polychromed in acrylic with composite gold-leaf accents. The knobs were created by first carving the faces in river-rock, and then cutting & fitting turquoise stones, piece by piece, to cover the surface.... the assemblies were then ground, carved & polished as a single large stone, and then mounted in a handmade siver bezel and suspended slightly above the surface of the panel. A turquoise cabochon set in silver accents the center post. A comparable piece would run in the neighborhood of $20,000.

Objet d'Art: Spirit Egg

"Spirit Egg" (click image to enlarge)
......was a custom piece done for the famous actor & artist, Anthony Quinn. He collected Eggs, so I designed this one in my own style. I first created a large egg in sterling silver, with a hidden hinge that allowed it open & close with no evidence of the fact on the outside. I then cut individual turquoise pieces to fit together perfectly and covered the entire surface, and then ground & polished the outside smooth. One piece of turquoise was carved in a spirit face and inlaid amongst the other stones. The inside of the egg was encrusted with silver "teardrops", which were polished to contrast with the patinated background, like stars in the night sky. Hidden inside the egg are loose individual carvings of more spirit faces, done in mammoth ivory, stream pebbles, and turquoise. (See post below for photo of inside) A similar piece today would run about $7500.

(Spirit Egg: open)

"Spirit Egg" -(open)
(click image to enlarge)
This is what the egg looks like open, showing the invisible hinge mechanism - the interior is encrusted with little silver "teardrops", polished to contrast against the patinated silver backgound. Contained within the egg are loose carvings of spirit faces, done in stream pebbles, mammoth ivory & turquoise.