Found rocks are adorned with sterling and bronze jewelry castings and accented with gemstones.
I have collected rocks for years. I don’t think there is a single trip I have taken where a small stone didn’t come home in my pocket. I am drawn to the stones for their unique personalities; there are no two alike. The shapes, colors, patterns and the textures all work together to create a simple yet lovely piece of art all on their own. Tumbled by the ocean or a stream, the rocks have taken a long journey to the point where they were collected; a metaphor of life’s journey.
When I first started the rock sculptures, I envisioned simple forms. This idea quickly grew into more complex designs as you can see in the small collection of work shown here. The rock sculptures are constructed using diamond tools. Some are cut with a diamond saw so that they stand upright. Others are carved into, creating a pool in which a miniature scene is constructed out of precious metals such as sterling and bronze. All rock constructions are drilled with diamond drills, pegs are inserted for strength and then the designs are bonded together with epoxy.
Sculpted by nature and enhanced by the artist’s touch, these simple stones are transformed into one-of-a-kind sculptures.
Rock Sculpture #1
Learning to Fly: Three black beach rocks have been tumbled to a medium shine. A mother bird stands guard over her nest containing a pearl egg, while a baby bird is learning to fly on the rock below. The birds and nest are cast in sterling silver. The rocks were arranged artfully and put together with rods, to hold them in place. Holes were drilled into the rocks with diamond drills, the rods were inserted and then epoxied in place. The birds and nest have pegs soldered to them and are attached the same way as the rocks. This piece is small enough that it can be held in the palm of the hand. It measures 2 1/2” tall x 2 1/2” wide x 2” deep. $240