in flight

I'm almost done with my second attempt at champ-levee. I really like it and the beautiful gray, blue's and mauve leaded enamels...they are quite pretty.

Of course this piece did not come without it's lessons. I mistakenly, or more naively, thought I could get away with 20 gauge in the first layer of silver. I didn't have 18 gauge so I used thinner metal. In champleve, for one not to have the counter enamel the back you need a thick underlayer to hold the expansion of the enamel.

So I decided to play on the front design and do that free form on the back to provide the cushion. thus the enamel no longer cracks! Still...no excuse for using thin silver.
Below are the beginnings sketches. I finally got it right.

And above are sketches in continuation of the feather, spiraling toward a concentration of spirit.

The theory behind the bird/feather series is the transformation of animal to formless spirit. Many ancient cultures believed the bird to carry ones spirit to the heaven's or an incarnation of spirit. Pin It