Influences: MONSTER and Aileen Wuornos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq70brIQP40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=VHY48ANeJ2k&feature=fvwp




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yi2dbaQ3mM

I think this anger developed inside her. And she was working as a prostitute. I think she had a lot of awful encounters on the roads. And I think this anger just spilled out from inside her. And finally exploded. Into incredible violence. That was her way of surviving. I think Aileen really believed that she had killed in self-defense. I think someone who's deeply psychotic can't really tell the difference between something that is life threatening and something that is a minor disagreement, that you could say something that she didn't agree with. She would get into a screaming black temper about it. And I think that's what had caused these things to happen. And at the same time, when she wasn't in those extreme moods, there was an incredible humanity to her. - Nick Broomfield, Director of Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (From Wikipedia)

In Progress Pictures

Here are a few in-progress pictures of my piece. There is much more information about it in the previous post below.

Top view and Top view with simulation of blue enamel.

Simulation of the internal decking that has a designated place for the phone charger.

Inside view without the interior decking faceplate.

Phone Charger Locket

I am creating a locket that holds a phone charger and uses the power cord as the neck cord. It is a copper, octagonal box form with an internal piece that holds the plug head. The top surface of the box will be decorated by an enameled plate.

My concept is based on how our lives have been streamlined and simplified from the days of having multiple personal objects that were carried daily (ie pocket watch, cigarette case, lockets of loved ones, snuff boxes). These objects were often beautifully made and today hold a vintage appeal as collector items. My idea arose from the idea that today with cell phones, phone apps, decrease in tobacco use etc, we have decreased our number of personal effects and those items we do have tend to be cheaply mass produced. I am trying to create a conceptual art piece that combines that vintage aesthetic, namely of a snuff box, with something that is important and useful today.

I am now looking for feedback on my piece. I originally made a design using an Ipod as well but desided on the phone charger since Ipod cases already exist. Do you think that there is another object that could better express the concept of a modern necessity? Would the Ipod have been a better choice? Also is there a different vintage/antique object that could better demonstrate the difference between modern and antique?

Containers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommydearest/sets/72157627612812882/

Sea Texture Tiles

I finally got a photo of my first project from J2 to post on here. They are 3" square copper and brass tiles mounted on a faux-finished pine board. The techniques employed were solder inlay, hammer texture, roll-printing, piercing, etching, lamination inlay and liver of sulphur and other patinas. There are a few tiles that have other techniques worth noting:

The Nautilus shell tile (second row, center) received its eye-catching pink and green color by essentially burning an excessive amount of flux and rather than pickling it off, it was cooled and then sprayed with a lacquer.

The coral tile (third row, center) was created by repeatedly drilling holes from the reverse side in the coral shape. The color was then achieved by painting the coral shape with a concentrated liver of sulphur gel. The background was then painted with diluted liver of sulphur.

The starfish tile (bottom row, left) was achieved by repeatedly hammering a nail across the reverse side of the tile in a starfish shape. The background was painted with concentrated liver of sulphur and the starfish was shined with steel wool.

The faux-finished "driftwood" board was created by scraping out the soft pulp of the wood with a wire brush. An emery disk drill attachment was then run repeatedly on its edge over the surface to further roughen it. The board was finished with a mix of 5 different acrylic wood stains and sprayed with lacquer.

DIY Ice Pendant: a summer treat

I would argue that this is the most eco-friendly jewelry a person could wear. It's DIY, it's simple, it's unique, it's a great way to cool off and undoubtedly a great conversation piece...just don't wear it with a white shirt. If you don't get it, you never will...

you can read more about this and find other great eco-fashion and jewelry pieces here: http://www.ecouterre.com/

Narrative Pendant

Here is my finished Narrative Pendant. It was inspired by an incident that took place when I was about 5 years old and got lost for an entire day at the beach in Nags Head, NC. I was with my cousin who was the same age and we wandered off counting jellyfish and before we knew it we were completely lost. We roamed the shoreline for hours until the sun went down and everyone cleared the beach. At some point during the night we decided to approach a stranger who was on his back porch and we explained what happened. Soon after the police arrived having been contacted earlier by our horrified parents. We were then driven back to the beach house and reunited with our frantic family.

The materials used are copper, brass, freshwater pearls and brass wire rivets. The techniques used include chasing and repusse, sawing and piercing, riveting, jump ring making and soldering, pearl epoxy setting and liver of sulphur patina.

The concept of the piece is that one side is the front of a nautilus shell, an obvious representation of the beach and the other side is a cut-out maze design, which is symbolic of being lost. One side is dark (copper with patina) and the other side is light (shined brass) which symbolize day and night and also a dark time and a happy ending. In certain light, at certain angles, the brass "maze" catches the light and causes the pearls to become slightly "lost" inside the shell. At other angles the bright pearls become more prominent against the dark patina inside of the shell, as if found again.