Tags
birch, buck, deer, fir, holly, ivy, jewelry, king, leaves, maple, oak, peridot, silver, silver clay, stag, tree
I have just put this pendant in my shop, and my first thought about it is “finally!” I started sculpting this one when I finished my Halloween pieces (Sangria and Absinthe) last year as a Christmas piece, and then lost interest because I didn’t know how to finish it. The two little deer sat on their index card, gathering dust and being passed over for other designs, until I finally decided to give them a home.
I call it “Kings of the Forest” because of the two stags, and because the title can also refer to the important trees in a forest. I originally I had a set of leaves (oak, maple, birch, holly, and ivy) drifting down on either side of the fir tree, but after seeing it in silver, they were so tiny that I decided they were distracting. I removed them from the sculpture and here’s the result:
I chose a trillion peridot because it was a new shape for me, and because the golden green color reminds me of sunlight coming through leaves or new plant growth. Here is a shot of the prototype with the patina, and I think it really shows off the stone’s color. The kiln firing shifts peridot’s color slightly, giving it a more golden hue.
I wanted it to be plausible as a winter piece, but also for the other seasons. I went to a local park where there are lots of wild deer and beautiful woods and took a few photos, at the expense of numerous mosquito bites. My husband was utterly amazing and stuck it out with me, brushing mosquitoes off my back and holding the piece still amid clouds of the vermin. He’s probably never going on another “picnic at the park” with me again.
In looking ahead, my next piece is going to be another one I have had waiting in the wings for a long time, and one I think is going to be one of my best designs to date! *sounds of bees buzzing*