I started Ninth Wave Metalsmithing during the covid lockdowns…
It was very much a return to motifs that had been much on my mind (and the insides of my eyelids) since my university days. The Ninth Wave is the wave that crashes the barrier between this physical world and the next and I was quite ready to discard my past work and break on through to the other side on the final leg of my artistic journey of the last 50 years.
These pieces are to help us break through to the other side of consciousness, both in the inner world and the external. Think of them as totem guides for a turbulent world, they can be unique tools for developing mindfulness.
Many of these mystic creatures depicted have no eyes…yet they do not lack perception. They understand the environment and find harmony within the tidal pool of reality. Let them show you a way.
The techniques involved with these pieces is a lot of serendipity. Each piece is individually hand-sculpted in wax, sometimes from an initial pencil drawing or sketch, but never with recourse to any computer or mold duplication. They are then cast on a centrifugal caster or gravity pour in the lost-wax casting process. After polishing and depletion gilding the sterling silver, 24k gold leaf is sometimes applied (Kuem-boo) by hand with a stone burnishing tool and tweezers. Some pieces are hammered and further manipulated with hand tools such as saws, files and engravers, and accenting stone settings or findings added by torch soldering. Colorful patinas are then induced, again with a lot of serendipity. No two look completely alike, they come out as these entities wish to be revealed!
Since each is a one-of-a-kind, bear in mind once a piece is sold, it is impossible to make another identical to it, even resizing or alterations cannot be done. If commissioned, the best I can offer is to make one that hopefully comes out similar.
Feel free to contact me about pieces either seen here or for commission. My studio time is often divided between the UK and New Orleans so email or text is the best means to reach me.
