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Dies Mercurius

Luna wn 78%v

1) Finally drafted the basic mentorship/instructor inquiry letter. I think it is pretty good, but am letting it sit for a day or two before editing further. It says what I want it to without telling my whole life story. Next- order and refine list of persons of interest. Make list of people who I know aren’t necessarily possibilities themselves but who may know someone who fits the bill to forward my inquiry on to, and a list comprised of artists to approach directly. Modify letter accordingly.

2) RACC website- calls for artists links page and other resources- bookmarked! From reading about a dozen show prospecti and entry forms I now have a better idea about what I need to have to be ready to enter a show (varies) and what I need to have to be ready to approach galleries for representation (at least one series of 10-12 pieces & good photos thereof). I’m still a ways away from having a decent 10-12 piece series made. That will likely be the next thing to accomplish once the current projects are done.

3) Have been getting a good deal of work done in the sketchbook and the studio, though I feel like I’m sitting on my butt in front of the computer screen or with my nose in books a whole heck of a lot. While I’ve balanced my time navigation in making, the next fun bit will be balancing research & wrtiting (& digesting that) time. I include work on the website and continuing legal/contractual, gallery and show research in that latter category along with research related to the conceptual part of making the work.

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state of the work

Dies Solis

Luna wn 97%v

M/end

1) Finished three pieces this week: the JB disk, the main TK garter buckle, and the first of the medals, aspiration. Roaring into three more: the other two somewhat simpler garter buckles (UO and MK), the sterling honeycomb padlock, and a talisman for a coworker. A seal disk for Khars is also exerting some pressure on my mind’s eye as well. We shall see. If I can get seven pieces done over this break and have a productive workshop at OCAC, I will be very happy.

The two buckles can possibly wait since they are not due until near the end of January, but if I can do them now so much the better.

Was reminded that cellulose acts as a catalyst in CA glues, and in some epoxy resins. Addition of jet dust to resin mix made it heat up and cure FAST. Faster than I could get it on the piece! Good to know.

2) Really have to do some work on the website. Just because it’s functional right now doesn’t mean it’s done. But I don’t waaaannaaaaa….

3) Have yet to get that intro & inquiry letter ready to send out to the first wave of prospective mentors. Why am I dragging my feet on this?

4) Ordered my own supply of nitric acid for etching silver plus asphaltum for the resist. It’s hotter than the other acid I use for copper & bronze at home (ferric nitrate chloride) so more care will be necessary. I tried being cheap and trying liquid resist wax that is usually used for ceramics resist but of course that didn’t want to stick to the metal and probably would have melted in the acid anyway. Oh well, at least I tried it. $3 sounded a lot better than $16 plus hazardous shipping charges, but if the cheaper stuff doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. No haggling over the black hen.

5) No work on the tarot pages. I thought I’d do a card a day, but other projects and work elbowed their way into that time slot.

6) Unconscious seems to be completely fixated on circles lately. The form is just THERE, behind everything else in my imagination, like a tired rhino that has decided to make a couch of the back of my mind. I’m not arguing with the rhino.

7) reading/research: rereading MTP, more sources for the $ project, continuing in the Arendt.

Library list: Eliade’s Sacred and Profane, a couple of art & business/law books, an MC Richards book of essays on art, ethics & community and some fiction.

It’s all been delightfully relevant and is kicking my ass.

8 ) Home with T all week, running around with him and hearing a lot of music, seeing a couple of plays. Has been just wonderful- I could get used to this, and I will miss it when I start the next show as I always do. I used to be sad about the fact that our personal circles did not overlap as much as they used to. Now I see they overlap even more, in different areas.

9) In touch with a friend and fellow artist who happens to be in-state for a little while this & next month. Excited to finagle a way to see her & trade adventure stories : )

10) Everything’s fine. I should draw more.

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medal 1: aspiration

pendant medal pin

bronze 220, sterling silver, nickel, carved amber heart, silk ribbon, glass beads

4.5 x 1.75 inches / 1.15 x 4.5 cm

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a prince among spirits

Dies Jovis

Luna wx 98%v

Construction and finish-work completed for JB seal disk. All that remains is the formal gifting of this piece to my hardworking familiar!

DISK: ebony, sterling silver, fine silver, 18k yellow gold, amethysts and garnets, miniature (glass) marbles, resin

BASE: thuya wood burl

The seal-side of the disk has an etched inlay of sterling silver from which I raised a thick layer of fine silver by repeated annealing and pickling. The fine silver is a layer of nearly pure silver as the copper had been raised to the surface by fire and removed by the pickling acid. The raw fine silver has a snowy, frosty white appearance and is extremely resistant to tarnishing (much more so than sterling, due to its higher copper content). The raised surface of the seal area was then burnished down by hand to produce a compressed and reflective surface. The fine silver in the channels of the lines of the seal retain their snowy appearance.

The reverse of the disk has a ribbon and ring motif carved in the ebony around a central “well” (the well hole goes all the way through the ebony). The bottom of the well is the back of the silver seal inlay on the obverse and was polished to a mirror finish.

The silver ring lining the wall of the well is of sterling silver with an area of 18k gold that has been stamped with my maker’s mark. The text stamped on the ring is as follows: PER MANUM NOSTRAM -maker’s mark-  JB A REGULUS AD REGENS

Within the well are six colorful miniature glass marbles fixed in clear resin.

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Dies Saturnus

Luna wx 68%v

Hand-set four 4mm stones into the disk yesterday, took my time about it. They were  two pair of Indian amethysts and garnets, both nice and rich in color but not too dark. Used the burnisher and for once did not manage to jab it into one of my fingers. Then I set about burnishing the thick fine silver surface on the obverse. Want a mirror-like finish with a little tooth to the surface. Managed a subtle “linen weave” texture by linear application of the burnisher and am pretty happy with that. The sigil form stands out clearly, that part unburnished and still frosty.

Also polished the mirror in the well on the reverse, did a bit of sanding and refining. I think two more sessions and this piece will be ready. It is small but has some nice heft to it.

Decided to cut the ivory legs on the base, they’re just not right. I am sure I will use them somewhere else. Have another pair of options in mind.

Then it’s on to the home stretch for the garter buckles! I feel the excitement for that project returning to me, very good timing for the upcoming break from work.

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today’s work

Dies Mars

Luna wx 29%v

polished silver mirror and inscribed ring prepared for inset

foundation for triangle base cut, first sanding (thuya burl)

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Dies Luna

Luna wx 20%v

rough obverse with silver piece, prepared for inlay

inscription ring lining, stones, miniature marbles, ivory triangle legs, burled/flamed wood for base

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Dies Mercurius

Luna wn 2%v

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