I made this for a close personal friend whose hobby interest is playing and somewhat collecting guitars, Gibsons preferably. I free-lanced this design but it is Gibson-like. I call it "no strings attached " for obvious reasons.

This ring is 100% hand carved from a block of wax. Total effort, working a few hours at each session, was about a week, start to finish.

There is a bit more information on this project at: Ramblin' Dan's Workshop.

I am now confident with the lost wax casting process. My intention is to work on more detailed designs, since I have less fear of losing my work in a bad cast. It's become a lot more relaxing and fun to do. Actually, it always has been fun ;)

I have taken the big step and retired from my construction and energy management career. Now begins the time when I get serious about further developing and exploiting my artistic desires. The key word in the previous sentence is time.

Time is a very valuable resource that is already receiving lots of external pressure. I have mentally set some priorities and limits on my time. Now fully into retirement (all 6 weeks of it at this writing) I see time has to be managed as much as ever. It can easily be squandered.

I place time management at a high priority, but I will admit not as critical as when working within a large corporation. I like being my own boss again. I am going to enjoy my retirement and not create high pressure critical path time goals. I just need to manage my time and not let it manage me.

An old adage is still true. Practice makes perfect. My new abundance of time allows me to practice my artistic desires. I am far from perfect and consistent practice is the key of improvement, same as an audition at Julliard. A different kind of art, but the path to acceptance is the same.

My goal is to be an accepted artist. I can claim it all I want but it is really something that has to be earned. Practice will get me there. I am getting serious…  ;)

Last project before Christmas 2014. This is handmade, no CAD or CNC just subtractive hand filing and carving. Size is 1.5 x 1 inches and rather thin, about 0.125" where the ribbons cross. The wax and sprue together only weighed 1.4 grams (in wax). 9.7 grams finished as shown with bail.

Wife Gloria has most of the silver items I make (so far) but she needed something with her name on it. She liked the Tessa heart but I decided to do a ring. This ring is all hand carved, no machines.  A ring was the first silver I ever cast and now this is only the second ring. I should do more. :)

My granddaughter (age 6) has been watching my silver work and wax carving. When she asked me, "What are you going to make for me, Papa?" What was a grandfather supposed to do? Of course, design one of these.

She had mentioned that Rose was one of her favorite names, so there is a little secret in the design of this little girl pendent.