Peaceful Surroundings
Photo Credit ~ Daniel Krucoff
Another pendant in my Soul Searching Series, this one I call “Peaceful Surroundings“. I have been able to complete a number of art jewelry pieces over the holiday break and it’s nice to reveal this one at the beginning of 2010. I feel it represents many of the good things to come in this new year.
The stone in this setting is Dendrites in Limestone that I purchased from Gary B. Wilson at the Gem & Mineral Show in Denver this past September. I textured the metal to carry the dendrite markings from the stone into the surrounding setting. This is set in Sterling Silver and I added 24kt Keum Boo to the top piece. I thought the gold was a nice touch to sort of extend the rich color of the limestone into the top piece. I oxidized the sterling with a liver of sulfur and as I worked with it, I wanted to emphasize the texture I had added to represent the dendrite extensions into the metal.
I find that the name for a piece is an interesting process for me. Sometime it comes to me as I start the design. In other cases, nothing manifests until it is complete. This time, it was the latter. As I looked at the completed pendant, I saw some of the gentle grasses that line the hiking trails in the Tetons. I always feel at peace when I’m in the Tetons and there was my title, Peaceful Surroundings.
Wishing all of you a healthy, happy, and peaceful 2010.
Until next time, aspire to be more as an artist and a person.
11 comments
January 2, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Lexi Erickson
Wow! It’s beautiful. I love that stone and your extension of the pattern of the stone makes it very elegant. You are so lucky to be working, as I wish I was today. I miss my torch! We’ll be back to Colorado late, late tomorrow. But visiting family has been fun. Much love, Lexi
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January 2, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Kathleen Krucoff
Thanks Lexi!
Safe travels back home. Looking forward to seeing you.
Love, Kathleen
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January 2, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Sandy
Kathleen, this is beautiful! I love the stone and the setting enhances it so gracefully. Well done!
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January 2, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Kathleen Krucoff
Thanks so much Sandy!
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January 5, 2010 at 7:49 am
Don
What a lovely, well designed piece! You have taken a lovely stone and made it into a beautiful work of art.
-Don
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January 5, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Kathleen Krucoff
Thank you Don. I always look forward to your view of my work and you have really made my day.
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January 7, 2010 at 1:06 am
Tracey
Absolutely exquisite…..
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January 7, 2010 at 2:02 am
Kathleen Krucoff
Thanks Tracey! I’m so glad you like it…this is one of the ones that will be published in the book, Just Jewelry, thanks to you! 🙂
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January 14, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Wendy Edsall-Kerwin
It’s really wonderful how you brought the texture into the setting to match the stone. The keumbo matches too! When you start to add the little details like these, it really transforms a piece. Keep up the good work!
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January 14, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Kathleen Krucoff
Thanks so much Wendy. I will continue to strive to do my best with all of my work. I greatly appreciate your assessment.
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January 24, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Finding My Way « Mystical Mythical Metalwork
[…] one piece, that fed an idea for the next in the queue. Things evolved from piece to piece. In Peaceful Surroundings, I added Keum Boo and then that confirmed I needed Keum Boo added to this piece too. For Finding […]
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