MINERALARTS:

Catsoul

Posted by request…there is more, but this is enough for now. Catsoul is vast and mysterious, containing domestic cats as well as the little fierce wild ones, the great lions and panthers, and the ancient sabertooths and their ancestors. It is the tabby kitten curled up on a pillow, the starving stray waiting on the…

ironwing

March 29, 2012

Cats, graphite drawing, Scratchboard

cats, death, feline, rescue, spirituality

Tree Book: Childhood Roots and Miniature Branches

Two more Tree Book pencil drawings: On the left is Petrophytum caespitosum, Rockmat or Dwarf Spiraea. It’s essentially a miniature tree, only about six inches tall. It is primarily a Rocky Mountain plant, rare in southern Arizona, where it is restricted to ridgetop outcrops of pure limestone and marble in the Huachuca, Whetstone, and Empire Mountains. The…

ironwing

February 6, 2012

graphite drawing, Nature

A Book of Trees in a Dream

I have always wanted to write an illustrated natural history book. It began long ago, when I began to see scientific illustration as more than just an old-fashioned art form, and started to work on it as a spiritual practice. Science. Nature. Art. Spirit. For me there is no division between these things, although Science typically argues otherwise,…

ironwing

January 17, 2012

graphite drawing, How-To, Nature, Scratchboard

art, drawing, lichens, Nature, pencil, writing

Tucson All Souls Procession 2011

Last night was Tucson’s annual Day of the Dead celebration. Some of our photos (and many others) can be viewed on Flickr’s ASP group page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/tucson_all_souls_procession/ As usual, we walked in the procession but skipped the finale. This year’s finale was held at a new location, so the procession route was longer (2 miles one…

ironwing

November 7, 2011

Cats, Iron & Metalwork

Ring: Ogun as a Silver Miner

Ogun as a Silver Miner is a forged sterling silver ring that pairs a rusted 19th century handforged horseshoe nail with a natural goethite pebble set in a fine silver bezel. Goethite is an iron ore and is also one of the iron oxide constituents of rust. This shiny dark brown metallic pebble is…

ironwing

June 29, 2011

Iron & Metalwork, Lapidary

Tucson All Souls Procession 2010

More photos from last night’s procession can be seen on the Flickr group for this event: http://www.flickr.com/groups/tucson_all_souls_procession/ This year I had neuropathy to deal with as well as the usual asthma, so I decided to carry a walking stick. I strung my iron bells on a staff made from an agave stalk, and decorated it…

ironwing

November 8, 2010

Cats, Iron & Metalwork

All Souls Procession Costume

We walked in the Tucson All Souls Procession on Sunday night. We put our items in the urn but did not stay for the finale, which is almost impossible to see unless you’re on the front row of the crowd, and there is at least an hour’s wait for it after the procession while the…

ironwing

November 11, 2008

Cats, Iron & Metalwork

Lepidolite Shisha Mirror

Here’s an experiment with shisha mirror embroidery, since I want to use it in several projects. Instead of the usual glass mirrors, I tried a thinner version cut from a sheet of polished aluminum that was left over from one of our tubular skylight installations. It’s easier to work with than glass, and I can cut it to any size or shape. In the…

ironwing

August 18, 2008

Cats, Needlework, Uncategorized

Three Curved Blades

Finished these three high-carbon steel claw-shaped blades today. The two small ones are SILK CUTTER, 3″ long, wirebrushed as forged and drilled (not polished); CAT CLAW AMULET, 3″ long including copper spiral loop with African bronze bead; edges and holes have a high polish. The large blade is SERPENT’S TOOTH, nearly 7″ long. It was forged some time ago…

ironwing

June 28, 2008

Cats, Iron & Metalwork

Rainbow Bloom

We hiked in Bisbee on Sunday and came across this Arizona Rainbow Cactus (Echinocereus pectinatus var. rigidissimus) in full bloom. These small cacti are common on rocky slopes in desert grassland and oak woodland. They only bloom for a day, and this is only the second time I’ve seen one in full flower. The cactus in…

ironwing

May 28, 2008

Uncategorized