 today....  and yesterday The poet Derek Walcott died on Friday at the age of 87. He is regarded as one of the greatest poets in the English language. In 1992, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. Walcott was a playwright and a painter. He died at his home on the island of St. Lucia, a place that figured prominently in his work. It's where he published his first poem in a local newspaper at the tender age of 14.
 So, I found my Mexican ring under an armoire, and since I have been snowed in (again), I have been busy.
I've been mordanting silk and wool for an upcoming workshop with India Flint and putting many coats on the beauties above before I sculpt the bails and hanging loops so that they can become pendants.  I lost one of my favorite silver rings today..nothing fancy, just an old vintage Taxco piece that I really loved...So cold here..my ring slipped off without my even noticing...maybe it will show up, I'm tracing my icy footsteps today in hopes that I find it...
 ...ten inches of drifting snow.. a slide down to the creek and quiet moments of gently blowing snow
 ancient ammonite fossil
I have been working with spiral patterns all week; paper nautilus, fiddlehead ferns and ammonite castings. A customer asked if my ammonite fossils could be drilled. Well, they certainly can be!
My goal with this one was to get a large, at least 5mm hole, so that it could be worn on any of my vintage chain necklaces. I have always been drawn to ammonites and have collected them at rock, gem, even antique shows and flea markets over the years. My collection was relegated to a dusty drawer in my studio until yesterday. After drilling the fossil, I realized it could never be worn without leaving a dusty, rusty spot, so I sealed it (the surface and the hole) with several layers of professional jeweler's lacquer. Not only will it preserve the finish, but it really enhances the beautiful color and texture of the ammonite without changing it all. I'll be spending some time in the studio today, drilling and lacquering more of these beauties to be worn my favorite way, on a simple leather cord....the perfect accessory for summer: easy and natural! The crew working on our CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program) was here this week and planted trees and other native shrubs along the creek and in the wetland pasture to enhance the woodlands, wetlands and stream on the property.
Thye did an amzing job and now I can't wait for things to start growing |
Ellen Dooley...little tidbits Archives
June 2019
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