Pendant
3in (high) x 1.5in (wide)
Inspiration
I gather inspiration from many places but as a retired Archaeologist, historical jewelry designs and their construction techniques are dear to my heart. Just as inspiring is Mother Nature’s beauty. However, I often start my search for inspiration with a stone from my collection.
The red jasper cabochon was the first stone that started the creative process. I knew that I wanted to create a bug and looking through inspiration photos, I found the Burnet Five Spot Moth. It is native to England, Scotland and Ireland. It has two sets of wings, the hindwings are red with black borders, the forewings are grey with five red spots on each and its body is black. I then chose other stones that would accent the Red Jasper and connect my piece to the moth.
I strongly feel that the decoration and construction of both sides of metal clay designs are what makes metal clay artists stand out in the jewelry market. This piece can be worn with either side facing out, creating a completely different look.
Techniques
The construction of the piece was determined by the stones that I chose. The Jasper and Onyx cabochons were traditionally set postfire. The red gems are Red Garnet Pyrope and were dry flush set in the wings, eyes, bail and clasp in the greenware state and fired in place.
The pendant, end caps, bail and clasp are constructed out of enriched sterling metal clay (960). The rest are leather, jump rings and sterling chain bought commercially.
The Red Jasper cabochon was created by Marc A. Widner.
Materials
Sterling silver clay
Red Jasper cabochon
Hessian Garnets
Black Onyx
Cubic Zirconia
About the Artist – Holly Cromwell, USA
I am a Metal Clay artist focusing on one-of-a-kind designs that push the envelope of what can be accomplished in Metal Clay within the confines of my ever-changing knowledge base.
When I first started my career as a metal clay artist, I found that my designs were way outside my skill set; thus I rarely succeeded in capturing the complexity of the images in my head and illustrations. My focus changed approximately two years ago at the beginning of the Pandemic. Online learning has become the silver lining to the tumultuous upheaval of the isolation and fear of Covid. I jumped into the zoom age and began studying traditional metal smithing techniques.
Now I examine my designs to determine the optimal technique to execute them. My options and designs have expanded and I routinely consider which technique and material (metal clay vs. metal smith) to complete my design. This piece is a perfect example of an that expanded skill set and the options used to achieve the design.
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
