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rgyoung — Frog Bone Bracelet
Published: 2012-04-03 03:17:11 +0000 UTC; Views: 3329; Favourites: 68; Downloads: 23
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Description
This bracelet is something that I've been working on for on-and-off for several months.I started out by taking a mold of part of the pelvis of an African Clawed Frog. As I pulled waxes from the mold and began lining them up, I realized that they could be links in a really neat-looking bracelet. After quite a bit of work carving the waxes and adding elements that would make it possible for me to assemble them into links once cast, I cast them. A whole lot of cutting, sawing, polishing, assembly, more polishing, and patina later, here's the end result.
I couldn't be happier with how this piece turned out. I also learned a ton about casting and wax-work from just this one project. Even though this whole project was extremely labor-intensive, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Cast sterling silver with a black maxx patina, about 8" in length.
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Comments: 39
I stumbled on this while browsing the newest deviations page and the first thing I thought when I saw this was "THIS IS AMAZING! There is no way that person made this by themselves." Hence the 10 for Impact. I imagine this bracelet would also catch my eye if I saw somebody wearing it. It reminds me a lot of a bicycle chain bracelet turned macabre.
The patina on the silver gives it an air of prior use that works well for this piece as opposed to being simply plain silver. The idea is not wholly original, but I like that you took the time to find an animal bone that is certainly not used often in jewelry. If you just decided to use a frog pelvis on a whim, ignore that last compliment.
Regarding your technique, It is quite hard to judge, but given the shots given here it seems completely functional. Overall I think you did a professional job on this.
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Thank you very much for such a thoughtful critique! I really appreciate that you took the time to write all of that, and I'm incredibly honored that my piece spoke to you to such a degree.
Incorporating animal bones into my jewelry is something I've been doing for a while, and I specifically wanted to do something that incorporated a frog pelvis. When my instructor told everyone in class to do some waxes using organic forms, that's immediately what I went to. The idea to do a bracelet is definitely something that came after I began pulling waxes from the mold I made, but I started out with a desire to use this specific bone because of its symmetry and strangeness.
The bracelet is quite comfortable to wear; its weight feels very good on my wrist. I'm actually missing wearing it at the moment because I just submitted it to the annual student art show at the college where I take jewelry classes. I'll be happy if it makes it in, but I am really looking forward to having it back so I can wear it again.
Thanks again for such a great critique!
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Don't mention it, you did a fantastic job!
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I would also love to buy a copy of this bracelet. I'd probably pay between $20 and $100 for one, if that helps you with determining if it's worth it. Obviously lower prices mean more people might be able to buy it.
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Unfortunately, I don't have access to the equipment needed to make these bracelets. Even if I did, because this piece takes a huge number of hours of labor from start to finish, I would need to ask more than what you're willing to pay, even for a version made of bronze or copper.
Sorry I don't have better news for you, but I'm really happy to know you like this bracelet!
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Would you be willing to collaborate with another artist that does molding in brass? I know a girl that does amazing skull casting. Not sure how busy she is, but it could work.
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Really, the expense/type of the metal used would only be part of the cost.
The fact that you know someone who does brass casting is great, but it doesn't bring the costs for this hypothetical project to within the price range you mentioned initially.
The cost of my labor (in other words, the time and thus, money, it would take to make the wax prototype for each link, and then to prepare and assemble the cast links into a bracelet) is more than you said you'd be willing to pay.
Sorry.
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Too cool, I would wear this in a heartbeat! I've always been a fan of all things skeletal, I have quite a collection of things I've picked up in the woods myself. Might I ask wear you happened to acquire a frog pelvis?
Also, if you do end up making these for sale, how much do you suppose you'd charge?
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Thanks! I'm glad that you like it.
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I like the thought that you put into the design. It looks like it would be comfortable to wear. Wonderful metal work.
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Thank you! It is indeed comfortable to wear; it's got a nice weight to it, and the links move pretty freely, so it contours to one's wrist pretty nicely. Glad you like it.
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wow thats pretty awesome
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Thank you; I'm glad you like it enough to want to buy it. I may make it available on etsy. Not this exact bracelet (because I'm keeping this one), but I'm working on a master mold so that I can make the links more easily so that I can potentially make them to order. If that works out, I'll be sure to make an announcement here on dA.
Thanks again!
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ur very welcome
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Thanks! It's really comfortable; it's got a really nice weight and contours really well to one's wrist.
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wow...that is really stunning! and what a cool idea.
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Pretty damn good, considering. Recovering from the second surgery has been much, much easier than the first, for some reason. I was able to get some sleep this time around and the nurses were better about managing my pain, so it could have been a combination of those things. Also, I had a private room, so my husband, was able to stay overnight with me. It was really reassuring to have him there, even though he konked out at midnight and didn't wake up until 7 the next morning.
I was discharged Friday afternoon and have been home resting ever since, but I feel pretty normal. Maybe just a little more tired than usual, but I'm not in much pain at this point, thankfully. I'm really looking forward to having the bandage off; it's starting to get pretty itchy, but I have to wait until Thursday.
Thanks for asking.
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Great job on this Rachel..it's beautiful.
It's so cool that you used the casting of a frog pelvis as well...makes it even more incredible!
All my best to you,
Take care
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Thanks, Randy! Glad you dig it!
Oh, by the way, huge congratulations on making it in to Spectrum! Have you found out yet which piece they are putting in the book?
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You bet Rachel...
Thanks again for the congrats.
I don't know which piece they want yet...(please be the fish)
I hope to find out soon.
Have a great week!
Take care
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Looks awesome. I have no idea about how to make a mold and all that, so I really wonder how you put all the single pieces together without falling apart.
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Thank you! I'll try to post up some photos of another wax I'm working on that was pulled from another frog pelvis mold I made so you can see what I did to make these fit together. Basically, though, each link in the bracelet has two pegs and two divots, and the preceding link's pegs fit into the divots of the link in front of it, all along the length of the bracelet. You can see one of the divots if you look at the link in the center of the spiral in the bottom photo.
I don't know if I'm explaining it well, but hopefully that makes sense. If it doesn't, maybe the picture I'll be posting of the wax will help.
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