Magpie finally captured

One of my woodland magpies caught in feeding frenzy action

I got rather excited this morning: for the first time I actually had my camera to hand when one of my magpies came a visiting.  I was actually trying to capture the blue jay that visits, but since this magpie has eluded me for so long and I've now finally managed to grab several shots of him/her, I'm a happy bunny:)

Sir Squawks Alot

The Studio in The Woods

This is my current studio where I create all my pretties: I've been building the contents of this for the last three years, and spend all of last year with this and me cramped inside a 6 foot square keeping cellar with no natural light.  Suffice to say this is a breath of fresh air (in more ways than one) and a definite improvement.  I'm surrounded by woodland here and as well as having the cats tearing in and out of the patio doors (along with my other half and his son, though, being human, they don't technically count or feature in my work much!) I have visitations by a lot of wildlife.  The latest has been the little wren who has a helluva lot to say, but more about him/her in later posts.  Daily visits come in the form of two magpies (presumably a happy couple), and these earrings are one of my latest pieces, in part homage to my two cheeky black and white visitors!

Titanium Magpie Earrings

These titanium magpie earrings have been hand cut using a jewellers piercing saw and coloured using a jewellers torch to create a vivid, iridescent rainbow patina. 
They are inspired by a nesting pair of magpies that live and forage in woodland around my studio based in West Yorkshire, UK.
The are hung from a pair of sterling silver earwires which have been hand formed and hammered into a swan neck shape.
In Jewellery making, titanium is valued for its hardness, durability and permanent vividly coloured patina: it is an extremely light metal, despite it's hardness, making it perfect for earrings.

The colours in these earrings are mainly yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue.

Gothic Whimsy of Wim Delvoye

Caterpillar

I recently came across the work of Belgian artist Wim Delvoye: to say I'm in awe and equally tickled by his playfulness is a bit of an understatement. I'm particularly enamoured by his 'Gothic Works', great metal structures imitating everyday machines (dumper trucks, cement mixers, flat bed trailers), imitating gothic structures reminiscent of cathedrals and churches: I'm not entirely sure which came first, the cathedrals or the machines that might contribute towards making them these days, but they certainly are impressive constructs: I'd love one in the yarden, maybe to worship in. (I accidentally spelled 'workship' and  had to amend, do you see what I did there? I probably would try and set up a workshop in one of these actually, if it was remotely feasible and I could convince Mr. Delvoye to install one of his masterpieces in my aforesaid, 'yarden'. Anyway, I digress)

Concrete Mixer

Nautilus

Mr Delvoye's 'Towers' are as equally awe inspiring, I particularly like this one: if only Kirklees council would invest in one of these beauties outside the train station, all would be right with the world! Ahhhh!

Tour (bruxelles)

Torre