Pretty Things & Monsters

Dragon scales ring. I resisted the temptation to carve an in-your-face medieval dragon and went for a clean, contemporary look. 

tzilahjewishcultureandhistory:

Dragons!! Here are some examples of the dragons from the Medieval Rotschild Machzor (Florence 1490). See also this post.

Taken from the pages:  012v, 022r, 024r, 031r, 032v, 062v, 074v, 100v. Go check out the machzor to zoom in and discover all the other illustrations as well! (and all the other dragons)

(via queen-yetta-rosenberg)

I’ve always wanted to incorporate fossils into jewelry, but I don’t want to ruin the actual fossils, so I’m teaching myself to carve realistic-looking substitutes. This one took me less than an hour (before casting and everything else, of course).

1 hour of carving, 4 hours of casting preparations, 1 explosion, 20 minutes of gross sobbing, 7 hours of cleaning up after the explosion, 5 hours of tumbling, 20 minutes of polishing by hand. Et voilà.

I wanted an elf ring. I get what I want.

My work table for making models. The blue wax circle thing on the right is getting ready to become an elf ring.

This pretty thing went to a small Swedish village yesterday – there is a special kind of excitement in knowing that someone on the other side of the world is willing to pay international shipping, wait for ages, and then pay customs fees just to be able to wear something you made with your own hands. 

I saw this ancient bee coin from aleyma.tumblr.com on my dash, and I just wanted it so badly because bees. I made a silver replica to use as a pendant, and it’s all pretty and sparkly, but I’m comparing the pictures now, and of course – the 387-301 BC coin looks like a real bee, whereas my bee looks like a smiling, deranged lunatic.

I tried? 

I’m currently working on heart and puzzle pieces for the Autism Awareness Campaign (hence my lack of updates). This is just a wax model; the finished charms will be in sterling silver. It’s an honor for me to be a part of this project, I hope to do it justice.

cpnblowfish:

SH - The Strange Musician 

… almost done!

My crackpot writing has inspired the most beautiful painting. My purpose on tumblr. It has been accomplished. *cue a chorus of angels* You have freed me, dear artist, I can go towards the light now. XD

And it’s painted with tea. Tea. ♥ ♥ ♥

The drawings of butterflies done by Vladimir Nabokov were intended for “family use.” He made these on title pages of various editions of his works as a gift to his wife and son and sometimes to other relatives. In Brian Boyd’s words, “in these highly personal and affectionately playful drawings the scientific accuracy Nabokov needed in thousands of illustrations of the specimens he studied under the microscope was no longer relevant, and his imagination could take flight. In the butterflies Nabokov devised and labeled for Vera he mingles fact and fancy even more sportively than in his fiction.”

None of these drawings portray real butterflies, both the images and the names he assigns to them are his invention. The names often have some connection to the book that the butterflies adorn and, in most cases, play on words in English and Russian is used: “Paradisia radugaleta”, “Verinia verae”, to name just a few.

(via gyri-000000-deactivated20130506)

likeafieldmouse:

Leonora Hamill - Art in Progress (2009-12)

Artist’s statement: 

“Art in Progress is an exploration of art schools across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

I photograph empty studios in art schools marked with the richness of the activities undertaken by the students. These images, shot with a large format camera and printed analogically, are intentionally detailed, frontal and neutral. They invite the spectator to enter the studios in these schools and observe the freshly used tools of the trade which are perceived as traces that indicate, or allow us to imagine, the artistic experimentations that take place there.”

(Source: likeafieldmouse)

farewell-kingdom:

Lia Melia

archiemcphee:

These awesomely tiny and incredibly intricate violins are made by Scottish miniaturist David Edwards. The 1/12 scale violins measure a mere 1.5 inches long and are modeled after Stradivarius violins. It takes David a few months to make to make a single miniature violin. Head over to the BBC to view photos of his process.

“Edwards quit a career as a classical musician in 1983 in order to become a full time miniaturist. In addition to the violins he makes all manner of miniature handmade household goods. Edwards is now 76 years old and has “reduced” his daily work schedule to 7 to 8 hours.”

Photos via the BBC and David Edwards

[via Laughing Squid]