Doc Mark
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
This was my Christmas Holiday project. The figures are based on the "Nymph and Satyr" (sometimes titled: "The Intoxication of Wine"), a small terracotta statue by Claude Clodion ca. 1775. Several of you have already seen it at Reno but I wanted to get as many critiques as possible. I learned the basics of cameo carving in Naples, Italy somewhere around 1981, while I was stationed on the USS Nimitz. I haven't touched it since then and I just happened onto some of my cameo shell blanks just before Christmas. So I thought, "what the heck" it will be good practice for Hobo nickels! I roughed the basic outlines out with rotary dental burs down to the colored layer of shell and carved the figures with standard flats and rounds. Cameo shell is relatively soft so the carving can be done with simple push techniques (more scrapping than carving). I was very happy to find the GRS graver push handle that uses the "Quick Change" collets, so that I didn't have to use anything other than my standard gravers. After I finished the cameo, I didn't know what to mount it on. Originally, I was going to use a simple Cocobolo slab but it looked too dark. Then I remembered that I still had a good supply of pre-embargo ivory. It's been sitting in my studio for over thirty years. Since I became more aware of the plight of the elephants, I haven't touched the stuff. But, I also felt guilty for owning it and NOT USING IT for some artistic purpose! It just seemed MORE of a waste. So I decided on an ivory frame in a rather Victorian style. I actualy spent more time on the darn frame than on the cameo itself!
The total project took about 45 hours of carving and polishing. The cameo is about 3" x 2.3" with a total framed size about 4" x 3.3". Unfortunately, the cameo shell began to crack before I could mount it in the frame but it doesn't detract too much from the total effect. I "doctored" the photos in Photoshop to eliminate the cracks in the enlargements. They just looked too big on the screen even though they don't seem so prominent in real life.
Hope you enjoy seeing it.
Mark
The total project took about 45 hours of carving and polishing. The cameo is about 3" x 2.3" with a total framed size about 4" x 3.3". Unfortunately, the cameo shell began to crack before I could mount it in the frame but it doesn't detract too much from the total effect. I "doctored" the photos in Photoshop to eliminate the cracks in the enlargements. They just looked too big on the screen even though they don't seem so prominent in real life.
Hope you enjoy seeing it.
Mark
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