#890 Inocente...

Jerry Miller was the 200th
person released from prison
freed by DNA evidence.
He served 25 years...this unusual
pendant is available....
Learn about Jerry Miller....

#888 Stardust.....
written in 1928....music by Hoagy Carmichael....
recently recorded by Willie....
The head and frets are gold on silver with garnet knobs
and an unusual metamorphic stone.....with the
appearance of looking into Stardust.....has an
Austin, Texas home....

Slim often plays his jazz leads in some winged, sparkly $1.99 sunglasses that were guady even in the 60's....
When you want to listen to all that jazz, what a pair. Slim-Meaux Jeaux and friends......Austin's finest.

#881 Dia de los Muertos
The Priest's Penance

November 2nd is the annual Day of the Dead...this Mexican celebration of the dead
is a colorful, festive event throughout Mexico and the Southwest. One of my favorite band names
has always been The Grateful Dead...we will all certainly find out. He/she is all sterling silver
with black onyx stones and a silver chain with black onyx beads. The earring is a glass bead, the
headstone is a hematite stone. You can click the photo for a larger view which includes the chain.
This bola resides near New Braunfels, Texas.

#880 Early Explorer....
This creature dates back a couple of million years ago...
He/she is silver with brass leg wrappings and black onyx eyes, his legs swing, he's moving.
Columbus gets so much credit but this creature discovered "land" not simply a new continent. Give credit
where credit is due......This creature lives in Austin, Texas.....probably sitting on a limestone shelf getting
ready to plunge into a clear Texas river.
.

#879 Sunspot

#868 Undercurrents
A Texas hill country river...

.

#877 Revenge of the Birds

Coexistence

Man has a responsibility to keep the environment safe for all species of life.
This pendant is of gold and silver with an amber eye and a chrysopraise body.
This avian creature is flying in the Austin vicinity.

Another avian creature recently completed follows.

#867 Survivor

This creature is represents the interconnectedness of the human and avian population.
In this case the surviving bird which may carry the avian virus which under extreme circumstances
has been passed on to humans who deal directly with birds who have the virus.
The virus is having a devastating effect on some bird species.
The pandemic fear exists if humans in the future become contagious to one another with this dangerous virus.
This bola tie/pendant is constructed of sterling silver, gold and has a carnelian eye...Sold...
Texas Hill Country, Old Settler's Music Festival

UT Longhorns 2005 National Champions "InVINCEable"

# 869 Orleans
This is a reminder of the place and the people who are New Orleans.
It's made in memory of those who perished and survived Katrina because of
and in spite of our federal officials. Vote for regime change.

This saxman is playing a 14K gold sax with an australian opal centered.
(The fire isn't showing, it's beautiful.) He's probably playing in Preservation hall in the
late afternoon. He's wearing silver shades with copper lenses. He is a mulatto mixture of
gold, silver,brass and copper with a dangling gold earring. He is 2 1/2 inches tall.

He is titled just Orleans, not New Orleans because it can never be as it was,
perhaps New2 Orleans,
not Old Orleans because the music will always be there,
just Orleans...the spirit of the people and the place.

This piece has been donated to be an auction item at the Boogie Benefit
for New Orleans survivors at Austin's La Zona Rosa on Sunday, Oct 23rd.
More info at the website: Austin Helping New Orleans. Org

The Sunflower
Sitting in a God's eye vase of silver with a gold base and petals,
this turquoise sunflower has a home.

Native Mask
Root of Psychology
Discovery

Hard Eight
Gary/Carl

Two compadres, now one is rolling the dice for the other in Florida.

Nightshade

Seeing the Truth

She is copper with gold lips and a silver ear adornment with black onyx and antique coral..
The bottom half of her eye is sculpted from a US silver dime. Her necklance is a long strand of precious stones.
Her excellent vision enables her to see past the retoric to the truth.

#857 Jacob's Well

#856 Bird of Pray

A dove always lays sets of two eggs, this nest of stamped brass. She is sterling silver with a garnet eye in front of a 14K gold sun. The winged hands espress her faithfullness and hope. She has a pin back and a loop suitable for a chain. She has flown to Australia. Her sister is available in all silver.

Reflections on a War with Iraq...April 2003
three pieces completed during the days of bombing.....

# 851 Flower in Chaos Will this flower root or will the destruction lead to more instability...time will tell and only time will heal. Sterling silver and copper with stones of turquoise, amythest and carnelian. It is hung on a beautiful stone necklace of many colors and type of stones.	#854 "Fishes and Loaves.... share with the hungry" The hands and arms frame the beautiful slice of abalone, the loaf is hand hammered brass and the fish is wax carved and cast in 14 K gold with a garnet eye. It is on a chain of faceted amethyst beads. Share with those less fortunate. Not available...	# 853 The Homeless Dove No place to land in these troubled times. The Iraqi people...caught between Saddam and an invading/liberating army... The Homeless Dove is sterling silver, approx. 2 inches long, the beak and eye are gold and the stone is a beautiful mexican opal. It has a pin back but it also is balanced and can be worn with a chain. This dove has a new home.

This armadillo, horny toad and rattler bola tie is hand hammered from a US silver 50 cent piece.
It comes with a leather bola cord and sterling silver tips. It is available for a new home. The pieces
displayed on the Workbench are one of a kind and numbered consecutively.

12 Noon
following the sun...sterling silver with gold leaves
This was made for a volunteer of the
Texas Master Naturalist

#846 Temperature
Because he's hot....8 Mile and beyond..He's available....

#845 Passion Fruit

It's legal...it's not safe to drive on...it's been enjoyed thru the ages...
the grapes and the wine...
This pin/pendant is a wine glass full of Labradorite with amethyst
and garnet bubbles rising or grapes descending. It's an excellent
glass of wine...Passion Fruit makes it's home with the
family of the Winemaker for St. Geneivieve's...Fort Stockton, Tx.

More Food For Thought

This was made for a very special principal.......silver and turquoise....
Available in all silver.

The Sisters

The sisters to the native americans were the corn, squash and beans. These three foods together provide all the nutriets for a balanced healthy diet in the absense of meat. The corn and squash were two of the foods originating in the americas. This was a custom piece for Austin's JimO...the vegetarian cooking artist.

The Storyteller

The Storyteller knows the stories you need to hear. She's the griot, the African village storyteller. She can look at your palm and by what you say or don't say she can guide you in a new perhaps untraveled direction. Her crown ornament is a pink soapstone, with gold earloops, silver palm talismans with a lapiz necklace. She is on a hand hammered copper background with brass skin and turquoise eyes. She has a home.

 

 

 

#832 The Watermelon Man

This character on the left is one of my favorite street photos I've taken over the years. This fellow is eating a boiled egg with a pocket knife. He is a vendor at the Halstead street market in Chicago in 1966 selling spinning trinkets. He was oblivious to the public including my photos.. His belly button is almost visible although it wasn't particularly in style to show it at the time. I have 3 good photos of him. When I recently made the Waternelon man, I recalled the EggMans physique and thought I would add his photo here as well...The bald head certainly matches. The WaterMelon Man possesses a gold body except for the stomach which is brass. The eye is carnelian, the watermelon is ruby and chrosite, the necklace is sterling and he hangs as a pendant from his silver earring. He has a new home..

 

 

 

#837 The Right Note
A special order from my favorite fiddle teacher who also works with the American Field Service
arranging for our visiting high school exchange students. This is an Australian opal
that she has kept for years waiting for the right moment to have it set.
Do you have a special gem hidden away?
A pin with opal and silver with gold knobs.

 

#828 The New Species
What if our political leaders instead of saying how much arsenic we are allowed
to drink would instead make a campaign promise that at the end of their
term the air would be cleaner and the water more pure...what if we
expected as much...what if we demanded as much...and we
didn't rate our success on the number of species we
have left but look forward in wonder at
.....The New Species.....

#821 The Muse at Sundown The muse always rests just beneath our consciousness, usually in slumber but always ready at the slightest provocation to whisper in your ear, turn off the tv, wake up, picture nothingness then open your eyes and go "wow". I've often thought of creating a cartoon where the person is suddenly on his deathbed and his life flashes before him and it was a succession of snippets of tv series. Hell on earth. Smell the roses, listen to some live music, weed your garden or maybe let a couple of weeds live and stop calling them weeds at all. Must everyone follow directions! This muse is this minute wondering/wandering in Houston where he/she is most needed. Not available.

 

 

A Very White Rabbit

Rabbits jump the gamut in American music from the classic bunny hop to the Jefferson Airplane anthem, White Rabbit, a symbol of 60's excess and parental nightmare. Thanks to Lewis Carrol for putting this hare on the map in Alice in Wonderland. Thank this creation to a request from Austin musical artist Karen Abrahams. Karen's band typically ends each set with their rendition of White Rabbit. Where do we go from here? It's a combination of gold (mushrooms and tie), silver, sunglasses of brass and copper, turquoise with stampwork and construction techniques. It is worn as a bola or on a chain. Rabbits multiply but this one is one of a kind. See more of the rabbit collection here.

Kerrville 2000- A Memorial The Kerrville Folk Festival is a very special place and event in Central Texas. For nearly 30 years singer/songwriters have performed onstage and played the campfires with the other music lovers and musicians night after night during the festival. Dyanne Cortez recent book "Hot Jams and Cold Showers" documents this musical paradise. This was a commissioned memorial piece from the son of a 70+ music lover, Mattie Sue, who had returned year after year until the spring festival. We'll miss her. The medallion is silver, gold, copper and brass. See you at the Kerrville Festivals.

 

 

At Home This pin back endangered creature has a turquoise body with amber eyes, a gold beak and a nest and tail of silver. This creature has found a new home in New Jersey.

 

 

Being Lyle© I recommend the movie "Being John Malkovich". Being Lyle is in the same realm. This image is a metaphor for the extent Texan Lyle Lovett is into his music. It's built in two layers with a 3D guitar between. His brass hair does what it wants. His earrings are gold. The face of the guitar is brass with a carnelian stone, the neck is silver and brass and the textured face is cut from 90% hand hammered US coin silver. The eyes are turquoise. It's a bola or can be worn as a pendant from a chain. The bola is black corded with silver tips. Being Lyle resides in Texas.

Cajun Melody© This cajun melody surrounds a unique Louisana opal. The photo doesn't do it justice. The frets and loop are cast 14K gold, the musical staff and guitar head are sheet gold, the knobs are gold spheres, all on a sterling silver base. It's playing music in San Antone with the musical metal sculptor Don Drake.

The Sunflower These petals are 14K gold, the center is petrified dinosaur bone ane the sculpted hand is sterling silver. This piece can be worn as a pin or pendant and is available and looking for a lover. Would you like to hand this flower to a friend? Not Available.

Shotgun Willie (bola) Willie is sculpted from a silver quarter, the hat is hand hammered copper with an engraved silver hat band, the scarf is brass with a turquoise stone. I am a fan of Willie's great songwriting talent and performance and his creative efforts to benefit farmers and the working man. I respect him for his generous spirit and his compassion. This is the first of 3 Willie pieces. It is not available, it has a gig. The second Willie image is titled "Willie...In Another Time"...a 1500's Willie gone to sea when only rumors existed of what lay beyond the visible horizon...a seeker in the new world. It also has a new home. A third and final Willie is on my mind. I'm thinking as well making a concho belt with the likenesses of 10-12 famous Texas musicians, ie. Willie, next will be Bob Wills.

This instrument of music has a gold head, silver frets, a turquoise body with a copper hard case. The handle is silver. It just found a new home with Doug, one of the sponsors of the Old Settler's Music Festival outside Austin in the spring.

A Woman Becoming Wise© A source of unconditional love, headache, joy, worry and a reflection of you that you can't avoid, our children are our greatest teachers. When you look back at it you could have given up most any of the material glitter but you couldn't have imagined it without your children. Let it be.

 

The Gift© The giver is the fortunate one. This pin backed gift bearer of a mexican jelly opal has a 14K gold face, silver feather ornament, brass arms and braid, silver bracelets and a turquoise eye and headpiece. Not available.

 

African Queen of a Free Congo I recently read a book titled The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a powerful novel set in equatorial Africa that also helps explain the difficult history of the colonial congo up to modern times. This free lady is obviously living in the pre-colonial congo, her jeweled treasures haven't been traded for food. She is hand hammered copper, with a silver brass headband holding in place her amber treasure, her hanging earrings are palmwood and a gold sphere. Her movable necklace is three bands of brass with a silver medallion centered with gold. She is about 2 1/2 inches long and hangs from a handsome silver chain. She has relocated to Texas.

Are you ready for the Capitol 10,000 race? This Greek sign represents "three-legged" and is associated with progress and competition. It originated in ancient Greece where it was used on coins. Today it is used on the coat of arms of the Isle of Man. Information from Dictionary of Symbols by Carl G. Liungman. The background silver is a hand hammered silver US 50cent piece, the central stone is a chrysopraise. The footprints are stamped into the coin from my original stamps. The three legs are 14K gold. This runner has a home.

Trinacria

Austin/Guitar Town I wonder how many guitars there are in Austin. There are around 300 - 500 active bands at any one time, original live music every night in 20 - 40 clubs, we call it The Music Capitol of the World. Of course we Are in Texas. You might see this guitar with George Devore, one energetic, magnetic Austin singer/songwriting rock and roller and the tight Roam. Nobody works harder than George Devore and the Roam. Rock..et. Watch out in your neighborhood or on your tube. There're roamin.

Waiting For Monarchs Two gentlemen from the Mexican state of Michoacan are discussing the arrival of the wintering Monarch butterflies y las muchachas tienen arte de nuestras mariposas. To learn of the life and travels of the beautiful monarchs go toMonarch Watch. This butterfly is of sterling silver with carnelian ear pieces and gold wire chin ornamentation. The antenna are gold and centered with amber from yucatan. This butterfly is now flying to Lexington, Kentucky.

The Elephant at the Tea Party The Elephant at the Tea Party © is a jubilant, welcome guest. He sports a jauntily cocked hat or rather tea pot lid of tigereye, his bulk is turquoise while his underpinings are amethyst and silver spheres. For his size he moves gracefully while maintaining a cordial air. His trunk is cast in silver, his 3D handle and hat are hollow being made from multiple sheets of silver. He is not a one dimensional character, after all. He is tethered to a beautiful silver chain. Comments of a new owner... "An Elephant came to tea today. He seemed to live in two worlds: part of him was cultured and refined, with a subtle sense of humor, but there was still the underlying jungle beast lurking just below the surface. He's been an interesting and thoughtful guest. I served him a high-quality Lapsang Soucha, and much to my delight, he decided to stay." This beast of beauty now lives in the jungles of Seattle and helps remind his owner of a childhood growing up in eastern Africa.

The Peyote Garden (bola) The peyote cactus awakens God's spirit in man for a look from within and without. This cactus has an honored place in theThe Peyote Way Church of God. This is a hand hammered silver US coin, sculpted and engraved with spines and centered with a turquoise bloom. The last couple of days for me the latter part of the Grateful Dead lyrics "sometimes the lights' all shining on me, other times I can barely see" was appropriate, followed by "what a long, strange trip it's been"..., always appropriate. Then today the Peyote Garden found a new home from a caller in Montana and I'm thinking of the Frank Zappa lyric "moving to Montana soon, want to be a dental floss tycoon"...Maybe he is. Life is stranger than fiction. I'm working on a piece today titled "There is no normal." Figures.

 

Evolution...

I was creating the pin Moonlight Over Quetzaltenango (Guatemala) for a couple to help celebrate their beautiful relationship and memories of their travels by foot in the mountains of Guatemala...celebrating the village life and the importance of corn in the life of the Maya. The moonlight is Guatemalan jade from the source of the ancient maya jade. Then the question occurred to me could man have ever created a raised area, a temple closer to the gods where lightning might strike igniting wood and providing Fire From the Gods? Ingenious man and his inventions. On this bola/pendant the sun rays, lightning, fire and treasure inside the temple are gold. The background is copper, the temple and clouds are silver. The border is brass. You might see this bola at the professional computer arts studio Animatrix.

 

The Public Discourse (bola) Every culture has a place where man has come to express the opinions of the day. Austin has it's Treaty Oak. Other cultures often used the architectural marvels of the day. This gold domed forum I constructed for The Gilder's Studio. They reapply gold leaf to many historic structures around the world from the cradle of modern man in the Mideast to the United Nations Headquarters in Washington.

Street Talker I made this piece under the influence of Chris Chandler, a New Orleans poet who passes thru Austin a couple of times a year on tour. He will make you think twice about the status quo with an energetic and visual delivery backed on his recent tour at Austin's Cactus theater with multitalented vocalist/guitar/hornman Frankie Hernandez and vocal powerhouse Laura Freeman and drummer Chad Austinson. It's poetry, music and theatric carnival. Not for the timid. Not available for purchase. Visit Chris's website.

The Trio This trio with the feminine lead is into harmony. They are strong with two backup singers. This is a fresh sterling guitar with gold notes, garnet eyes and a pink shell head. The neck is copper and it plays from a silver chain. Ready to gig. Not available.

Too Much Coffee!!! You may see this pendant at the Toni Price Hippie Hour just celebrating it's 7th year of Tuesday entertainment at Austin's Continental Club. My favorite queen of the funk. A seven star performance. Too Much Coffee written by Gwil Owen is on the Hey CD. You can hear some of Toni's new song samples from Low Down and Up.

 

Matter and Music Isn't it beautiful in an infinite space where attractive matter has given birth to creatures who express a language of emotion called music. This piece of silver, copper, gold, amethyst, turquoise, pearl matter is a bola tie and is occupying space in Manhattan where Gabi sings a color of emotion, the blues.

Maya Necklace - Hunab Ku - The Unnameable I was introduced to this glyph by the webmaster of Jon Anderson's, leader of the music supergroup Yes, Opio Foundation. Searching the web for a description of the Hunab Ku glyph I found these interesting link comments. That article came from a site called Lakota - The Wisdom Garden which includes many interesting articles exposing our humanity and lack of. The Hunab Ku glyph was made from two layers of silver, the upper layer cutaway is a hand hammered silver coin, the lower sterling. Both the bead and central cabachon are jade from the Guatemalan mine, the source of the Maya jade.

Once in a Very Blue Moon (bola) A blue moon ....a second full moon night in a given month and more... this is a rare year for two blue moons, January and March...listen to the folklore. I was inspired to create this moon, thinking of Nanci Griffith singing a song of that title, and listening to an interesting discussion of blue moons on Austin's public radio morning music/interview program, Eklektikos, and in real time on the internet, KUT.org. Home of Earth and Sky. Listen, it's live radio. The Blue Moon is made from a sterling silver disk with a hand hammered brass peripheral band, the character is copper with silver eye brows and a 14K gold earring and a turquoise eye, scenic elements are brass and silver, the musical note is sterling silver with a lapiz accent. It's a pin and now resides in Newfoundland.

West of the Wind (Bola Tie) I made this recently while the Kosovo Albanians were hiding from their Serbian killers and NATO bombs were being dropped on Yugoslavia in retribution. Running through my mind was also the knowledge of the indigenous people of north america who were slaughtered and left homeless by the expansion of settlers to the american west. The same story, different chapters. Scrambled into the equation of this piece of art is the explosive issue of concealed weapons and gun control. This beautiful Arizona sedimentary stone is called wonder rock. The hat and rattler are brass, and the suntaned character is copper, and trigger is sterling silver. The stone reminds me of looking out in any direction from northern New Mexico. The bola cord is 4 stranded black leather with sterling silver tips. This bola is living in Houston.

 

Christ, Community, Chaos This Easter cross is copper with a silver stamped US dime centered. The feet and hands are stamped into the copper and filled with silver solder. The title is engraved on the reverse side on a silver disc. The chain is heavy silver.

Roman Goddess of the Moon - Diana
The jointed, pendant of Diana, the Roman Goddess of the Moon, is dancing at her studio in upstate New York.
At the other extreme is the life