Jewelry Art: Raven Ring

Raven Ring-click image to enlarge view

I'd like to get back into the swing of things by posting this job I just finished - hot off the bench! I'll definitely be posting some of my best-sellers soon, but to keep it fresh, I want to put my current projects up, too.

This ring posed a small problem: Ravens are Dark ...Silver is bright. To keep the beak from becoming too glaring, I carved it as a series of polished ridges, keeping the main surface lower so it would hold the chemical oxidation - the dark patina that I usually use to bring out detail. Then I meticulously carved lots of detail into the feathers, so they would hold oxidation, too. When the dark areas contrast with the polished rims of the design, it forms a more dramatic image.

The ring stands up a bit on the hand - it's not a quiet, demure little accessory! It's what I call "bodacious". The eyes are black onyx inlaid into the carved head. Didn't have a model around, but take my word for it - it looks cool on the hand!

Price on this piece is currently $200, and I can make it for you in any size you want. I'll have a shopping cart set up soon, but until then, just call me personally at the studio - (505) 296-1400 - to place your order, or Email me at: David@StewartArt.com , and I'll be in touch!

RavenStone's Face

Here's a close-up of the face I carved for the sculpture below. I carved it in a smooth-grained wood (basswood), and then painted it with a rusty-red undercoat, followed by a splotchy covering of composite gold leaf. I wanted the red to show through the little gaps in the metallic covering, just as it did on the "spikes" on the lower body.
Note that it's not carved fully "in the round", but almost as a bass-relief piece in keeping with the almost monolithic shape I'm so fond of right now. These pieces are almost tablet-like in shape - something I find fascinating.

Sculpture: Raven's Stone

"Raven's Stone" (click image to enlarge)

I designed this piece with outstretched arms, so that the new owner can contribute to the look of the piece by hanging their own necklaces & pendants on them. Ravens & crows, of course, are known for their fascination with bright, shiny things - so I gave this one a large brilliant-cut cubic zirconia stone glittering in his beak.

The piece is constructed of ebonized oak, with carved composite gold-leaf accents. The Raven scene is carved in deep relief in basswood, and painted with acrylic. The base contains a layer of polished black beach pebbles.

This piece is still available at $5,800 - Email me for details.

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.