Amulet
2.75in (length) x 1.25in (wide)
Weight: 63g
Inspiration
Native American tribes have used mushrooms for healing and spiritual rituals for centuries.
Mushrooms are the fruiting body of mycelium, so in creating my sacred healing amulet piece, I wanted to showcase some of the diversity of the world of fungi, carefully modeling, carving, and crafting each mushroom and all the other elements.
The tree symbolizes life, the dichroic green cabochon is the tree life spirit, our soul, and the circle of life occurring through its transformation.
The bird skull is showing the decomposition that happens in the fungi world. The bird has passed but mycelium is transforming it into food for the plants in the forest, while the snail is thriving and traveling curiously, happily nourished by the forest, and the moss is growing vigorously and bright due to the nutrients delivered by the mycelium network.
Mushrooms are sprouting all over the tree; gracefully offering healing, wisdom, and growth.
Techniques
Inspired by the documentary Fantastic Fungi, I started drawing a tree trunk covered with many different species of mushroom fruit, displaying the circle of life, and the diversity of the forest.
From my drawings I started the creation process, so I hand modeled, carved, and shaped each of all the mushrooms on the piece. I also shaped and created different sizes of moss patches.
I hand modeled and carved a bird skull and a snail. I used a Bic lighter and straws as forms for the body structure of this piece, connecting them and then I carved a very detailed tree bark texture on the whole piece, making it as realistic as I could.
I also constructed a lid for the piece where a lot of the elements went on top of the lid, creating a captivating experience for the wearer, not just the observer at a distance.
Once the piece was fired and sintered, using a very small brush, I applied vintaj patina paints to some of mushrooms, moss, and snail to add color to bring the piece to life.
Everything in this piece was handcrafted by me, with as much detail I could add to create a unique wearable piece of art that gracefully displays the beauty of the world of mycelium.
Materials
PMC flex/PMC3 50/50 ratio
Dichroic glass cabochon
1mm cubic zirconia’s
Vintaj patina paints
Liver of sulfur
About the Artist – Dani Ferreira, USA
Dani Ferreira has been working with metal clay and silversmithing since 2018 and continues to evolve and refine her skills.
In her art, she likes to capture the beauty of nature, our planet, the universe, and its obscure aspects.
Inspired by the fascinating diversity and complexity of things that are strange and unusual, these have always piqued her curiosity.
Superbly Sintered: Masterful Designs in Metal Clay celebrated the very best designs from metal clay artists around the world.
22 pieces of exceptional work were chosen by a distinguished jury. The exhibition was shown at the Sinter Conference in Pittsburgh, May 2022
