Noble Jewels

I love these jewels that speak of another time and place. Here are two of my favorites from the Sotheby's Auction.

A Magnificent and Extremely Rare Emerald and Diamond Tiara...

formerly in the Collection of Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck Achieves

$12,736,927 (Est. $5-10 million)

...also Represents a World Auction Record for a Piece of Emerald Jewelery

Among other highlights of the Noble Jewels section were jewels from the Collection of the Excelentísima Sra. Condesa vda. de Romanones, a Grande de España who was recruited to become an OSS agent in Madrid during World War II before marrying Don Luis de Figueroa y Perez de Guzmán el Bueno, Count of Quintanilla in 1947. From the Countess of Romanones collection was an emerald and diamond demi-parure from the 1960s, which was competed for by six bidders and sold for $409,230 (lot 407, est. $103,000-147,000), a ruby and diamond necklace/brooch combination from the 1970s, which sold for $192,479 (lot 409, est. $81,500-147,000)

Dream Tool

As a resin artist I spend an inordinate amount of time hand sanding. I am always looking for ways to cut down my sanding time. The Wolf Sander $179 is the work horse of my dreams. It has specialized belts that you can use with plastic and resin which do not scratch the surface. It will take the finish down to a 400 microfiber sanding grit, cutting in half my original hand sanding time. It also is great for sanding fine/sterling silver again with few scratches on the material.

Here is the link for the specialized sanding belts: http://www.ottofrei.com/store/search.php?mode=search and here is the link for the sander http://www.ottofrei.com/store/product.php?productid=16863&cat=0&page=2.

New Resin Bangles

I am continuing with the theme of resin bangles with my new work entitled Oh Bangle! I have been able to increase production by using OOMOO to create molds. It doesn't leave the fuzzy surface that most two part molds do and it is a lot less expensive. However, I must admit it is messy! I am still cleaning this stuff off of the floor of my studio.

Addicted to Reading

I have begun reading epic fantasy and science fiction novels as if they were part of the air I breathe. The good news is I am having a great time. The bad news is that it has taken time away from my work. I am attributing this to my winter hibernation instinct. Here are some of my favorites.

Kushiel's Dart Legacy Trilogy Series by Jacqueline Carey.

A Game of Thrones, Trilogy by George R. R. Martin.

Daughter of the Forest Trilogy by Juliet Marillier

Gallery Show

My work is on display and for sale at the Velvet da Vinci gallery's Plastic Show in San Francisco. For a preview visit http://velvetdavinci.com/shows.php.

Forces of Nature

Great photos of volcanoes and natural settings.
Фото и рисунки, арт и креативная реклама - StumbleUpon

Artist Chris LaPorte Wins $250,000 "American Idol"-Style Grand Rapids ArtPrize - ARTINFO.com

Artist Chris LaPorte Wins $250,000 "American Idol"-Style Grand Rapids ArtPrize - ARTINFO.com