Vera wood sculpture with metal details

[Jim Kelso]

So more or less done and dusted on this one. I call it Kinship of Cherished Ephemerals.

My aim with this work was to evoke the mystery and fleeting beauty around the relationship of seemingly unremarkable bits of nature. Thoreau wrote much about the value of looking closely at our home ground for inspiration: “The discoveries which we make abroad are special and particular; those which we make at home are general*and significant. The further off, the nearer the surface. The nearer home, the deeper.” [Journal, September 7, 1851]

It's mostly wood but I thought you guys might enjoy the metalwork. Overall length is 13 inches. Vera wood with copper, shibuichi, shakudo and 18k gold.

Here is a link to a gallery with more photos: http://www.jimkelso.com/albums/kinship/album/

And a tutorial of how the feather was made:
http://www.jimkelso.com/tutorials/feathertutorial.html

The wood-carving resolved into an area on one end suggestive of weathered wood or sculpted stone in a stream-bed, or perhaps both, and on the other end as a small area of moving water flowing between mossy patches. Rather than be too literal I would rather leave interpretation to the imagination of the viewer.

The metalwork also evolved very differently than usual, the end result being the third generation of concept. Initially I had thought of a larger piece of metalwork but decided that small details would be better as the wood is so powerful. I chose to portray specimens from the animal, vegetable and mineral worlds to illustrate the harmony and relationship of elements (Classical or Asian mode).

[Steve Lindsay]

Hi Jim, Beautiful and amazing work! As always

[SEngraver]

Hi
Amazing and beautiful work Jim.
SE

[Jim Kelso]

Thanks very much Steve and SE!