Last night I was blown away when I was sent this picture...it's my Kudzu Band.

The bands now adorn these beautiful
hands on her wedding day.  We worked together casting my leafy bands in white and yellow gold and they were just
beautiful...so I thought, until I saw this photo, I know now what "beautiful" really means, it when my bands are part of this wonderful day, her wedding.

In her words,

Dear Don & Dawn,

Just wanted to thank you again for the beautiful ring. I love it!
I thought you might like to see it in action;)

I hope you are all well.

Matching Starfish Ring

FINISHED!

 

Starfish Ring in wax and only half finished, still chunkie looking but it's going to be awesome!
In my opinon...when it's cool looking in wax and fits the finger nicely...it's going to be awesome.


The three legs curve under the finger and the other two legs create an "S" on top of the finger.
It will have the same dot texture as the Starfish Cuff.
...more later.

 

The Starfish and Fan Coral Cuff is taking shape...

What can I say...just dots but once polished
they will take on a pearl look.

 

Well after 10 hours of solid work...it's still far from being
completed but loving the concept of this design. I had my doubts
when I took a cut into a perfectly good starfish but
I realized my fan coral always looks pretty
crappy in the beginning so I kept cutting!

New Project...Updated with Sketch

After a week of thinking, I've decided to incorporate my fan coral design into my
starfish design.  It will be a combination of an embossed as well as
cutting through the wax as if you were looking through the fan coral.
I'm sure it will change...atleast 20% once I start cutting, so hopefully
tomorrow I can show off the finished wax piece.

My Inspiration Photo for a Starfish Cuff requested by
one of my customers.



Only a quarter finished but I'm trying it on for size...another great
quality about sculpting a wax model.



No detail on the starfish yet, still working with
character, comfort, legs before I continue...

 

Which one will she pick?

I was asked to come up with an "Asian inspired design" using her 44 beautiful 11mm round Jade Beads her husband surprised her with several months while on a trip overseas.

The first thing to come to my mind was the dragon but I wanted to put a bit of a spin on the traditional Chinese Dragon plus consider the Koi as well...so here is what I came up with...also, before I forget...I want to thank all of those Tattoo Artist for their inspiration as well, my hat is off to their wonderful talents!

Butterfly Koi

Lady Koi



Dragon Koi

Each design incorporates a single Jade Bead within the design...sort of my trademark on that one...anyway, each pendant will be sculpted about half the size show and my talent will be in removing the wax from the back to reduce the weight to hang properly!

I have put this on a one day delay because she will be seeing them for the first time on her Sept. 1st Birthday and hopefully she will like one of these designs.

Finished product will be VERY three-deminsional and then cast in Sterling Silver with gold accents (maybe) and each bead, hand knotted by Frances...she's the best!

Custom Bamboo Pendant & Earrings



Bamboo Pendant
14k Yellow Gold & Sterling Silver

Total height including Bail 2.5"
1.25" wide

Bamboo Earrings
14k Yellow Gold & Sterling Silver



Bamboo Set



Original Sketch

About Ametrine
Quartz which occurs in bands of yellow and purple has been given the name of ametrine (amethyst + citrine).

Initially cutters favored windowed emerald shapes with a 50/50 split of colors, and much of the rough is still cut this way.

For additional information, please call or e-mail me.

Ok, so I'm a matchie matchie jewelry designer...

This ring exhibits the natural features of a 12mm South Sea Pearl wrapped up in a very daring contemporary design with Sterling Silver Fan Coral and 14K gold starfish accent.



...the other side.



Showing the Tahitian Pearl



 This striking Sterling Silver cuff features a very
contemporary design, yet retains the natural look of
fan coral as it wraps around the wrist as if it grew that
way in the ocean currents.



Chrysocolla stone and starfish add
color and contrast.



Sideview showing overlapping fan coral,



...even the back is pretty.

For more information, just e-mail me at dawnvertrees@gmail.com

May 11th Lionfish Update

...still tweaking.

I'm still about half finished but here is my latest Pics...

For my base (also not finished) I have started sculpting my Finger & Cabbage Corals which will sit on black granite.

Sooo much work to do...a lot of smoothing out, filling in and tweaking.

Updated...

I'm taking my art in a new direction...I'm still making my jewelry but just flexing my art a bit and trying my hands on a new "Bronze Lionfish Sculpture". My galleries have said to go for it...and I am!

I'll be starting next week and I'm so excited! I have decided to use wax instead of clay...wax is just comfortable in my hands.

This is Next Week...

Well after another three days of work...he's starting to take shape but he's a long way off from being completed. I know I have at least a week of just cleaning him up. More later...

May 6th 2011...I started on the side fins yesterday...and I now know why I haven't seen but a few bronze Lionfish sculptures especialy realistic ones...all I can say is that this is tough to do!

This is about 3 days of work but he is starting to take on a bit of personality.

Don had to make a wooden cradle for this guy, he's about 15" long and starting to take shape.

Getting better at sculpting him, it's a bit different from sculpting jewelry but I'm enjoying this project. Today I'll be working on adding some more personality to his fins. The part that makes me a bit nervous at this point is the side fins...the part that makes him so unique.

I'm sculpting this guy based on around 100 photos and this is the main photo...this is what the end product to look like.

...and this is what the side fins will look like. Needless to say, I want to get as much practice in before I attempt these awesome fins.

more later!