When I was at Davide Bigazzi's studio, Diane did the Ginkgo Cuff. After we got back, I helped Diane start the Dogwood flowers, which I had done and she got me started on the Ginkgo's. Today I finished it.
Along the ways I started to look at other Ginkgo leaves - actual and those done in metal and i was not happy how mine were looking so I took a week's break having only chased three of them so far. When I was done with my investigation, I redid my original three leaves and then finished up the remaining 6 leaves and the branch/stems.
Today I took the cuff out of the pitch and removed the extra silver. Then it was time to file and sand the edges. After that I did three good polishes thinking that I would keep the area around the leaves a bright shiny silver along with the high points of the leaves and the patina would be in the shadows and texture I had done around the leaves and within the grooves of the leaves.
After all the polishing I then bent the cuff into shape, did a final cleaning to remove any remaining polishing compound and then mixed up the patina.
After the initial dunk and darkening in the patina I took pumice to the silver and as I did that, the "background" had a nice matt pewter look to it which I found interesting but I was still leaning towards that bright silver look. I rinsed off the pumice and went back to the patina again and suddenly I got this amazing gold color in the background; pale browns, blues and raspberries in the textured areas next to the leaves and darker gold/browns in the grooves of the leaves. I knew I had to stop then and there.
I then rinsed and took my steel wool and started to knock back the patina on the high points of the leaves, stems and branch leaving the color in the grooves and around the leaves. It is a stunner!
Give me a few days to admire it but this one may be up for sale.
As usual, below are some process pictures. Enjoy.
Along the ways I started to look at other Ginkgo leaves - actual and those done in metal and i was not happy how mine were looking so I took a week's break having only chased three of them so far. When I was done with my investigation, I redid my original three leaves and then finished up the remaining 6 leaves and the branch/stems.
Today I took the cuff out of the pitch and removed the extra silver. Then it was time to file and sand the edges. After that I did three good polishes thinking that I would keep the area around the leaves a bright shiny silver along with the high points of the leaves and the patina would be in the shadows and texture I had done around the leaves and within the grooves of the leaves.
After all the polishing I then bent the cuff into shape, did a final cleaning to remove any remaining polishing compound and then mixed up the patina.
After the initial dunk and darkening in the patina I took pumice to the silver and as I did that, the "background" had a nice matt pewter look to it which I found interesting but I was still leaning towards that bright silver look. I rinsed off the pumice and went back to the patina again and suddenly I got this amazing gold color in the background; pale browns, blues and raspberries in the textured areas next to the leaves and darker gold/browns in the grooves of the leaves. I knew I had to stop then and there.
I then rinsed and took my steel wool and started to knock back the patina on the high points of the leaves, stems and branch leaving the color in the grooves and around the leaves. It is a stunner!
Give me a few days to admire it but this one may be up for sale.
As usual, below are some process pictures. Enjoy.
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