Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Aug 4, 2008 11:44:11 GMT -5
Wasn't sure where to post this, but here are four of my recent tree sculptures. These are just quick pix I took outside, so don't expect much! Blue Lace Agate:
26 gauge gold-toned wire, 804 blue lace agate leaves, 94 branches, serpentine slab base Amethyst
28 gauge galvanized steel wire, 580 amethyst leaves, 100 branches, purple slab thingy I got from stonesthatrock Turquoise (Commissioned)
26 gauge copper wire, 514 turquoise leaves, 81 branches, beveled mirror base: Green Quartz
26 gauge bronze colored wire, 491 green quartz leaves, 73 branches, serpentine end and serpentine slab base. Mucho thanks to stonesthatrock for cutting that 18# serpentine monster into usable slabs for my sculptures. Eileen ETA: updated to include number of stones and branches |
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Post by Michael John on Aug 4, 2008 13:01:59 GMT -5
I really admire your artwork, Eileen. Absolutely gorgeous!
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Post by krazydiamond on Aug 4, 2008 13:26:15 GMT -5
do you have any fingers left? those are magnificient! i tried one a long time ago and it was very labor intensive!
KD
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on Aug 4, 2008 14:42:30 GMT -5
Wow! Call me impressed. Do you tumble all the rocks yourself, or buy pre-tumbled rocks? Do you make these to sell? Is there a website?
Beautiful, original, one of a kind organic art - way to go!
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Aug 4, 2008 14:47:59 GMT -5
You've got some serious talent there. Man, it must take FOREVER to make one of those. Sure are impressive though!
-Don
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Aug 4, 2008 15:53:00 GMT -5
Thanks, guys! Yes, they are extremely labor intensive, but I really, really enjoy creating them. Most run between 40-80 hours of work. The one I just finished (will post it soon), was over 100 hours as it is two trees (prehnite and rhyolite) on one base. Fingers are fine  I'm actually a pastelist by trade and I got the idea to wear leather finger cots -- which are just the ends of white leather gloves -- on my index and thumb while I do the wire work. I get cut sometimes, but not often. I do have a web site, which sorely needs to be updated. Currently I have everything in a gallery on my Lipizzaner web site: lipizzanworld.com/mistybrae/main.php?g2_itemId=6202The gemstone tree album are the ones I've been posting here. It only has a couple of trees in it right now, though. I've about 20 sitting here waiting to be photographed. I'll add those over the next couple of weeks. Yes, I make them to sell. They usually run between $200 and $500, depending on labor and number of stones and branches. Most of the tumbles I currently buy, but I'm tumbling my own as well. A lot of the stuff I get from my sources isn't the greatest, so I often retumble them before I use them on the trees. Eileen |
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tombodc
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since August 2008
Posts: 88
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Post by tombodc on Aug 4, 2008 17:03:09 GMT -5
Wow! They look so nice! I want to make one for my mom!!!
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Aug 4, 2008 22:20:09 GMT -5
Thanks, tombodc Sure, you can make one for your mom. First thing you gotta learn is how to make the wire trees. Check out Sal Villano's web site: www.salvillano.com/He wrote a book called "How to Create Wire Tree Sculpture" -- best ten bucks I ever spent and it taught me everything I needed to know before I started doing my own versions. This is the tree he did that inspired my gem stone ones: www.salvillano.com/jade_cascade___1.htmCheck out the custom jade leaves. Awesome, but I'm not equipped to do that, so I decided to try industrial super bonder and stuff. Worked great! That should get you started! Eileen |
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Post by sitnwrap on Aug 5, 2008 13:59:52 GMT -5
Eileen, your trees are absolutely gorgeous. I would love to try to create a tree so thank you very much for the link. Now I'm going to take a peek at your link. Bet there's some wonderful items there.
Lori
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Post by akansan on Aug 5, 2008 15:32:00 GMT -5
I love the gem trees, but those windswept trees you do are also amazing!
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Aug 7, 2008 23:03:22 GMT -5
Thanks, guys.
I'm in the process of updating the gallery with new gemstone trees.
Going to start a new thread with one of my fav trees.
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Aug 8, 2008 2:11:51 GMT -5
Hi Eileen,
Those trees are absolutly amazing , you are very talented
Thanks for sharing and also for your help in sharing your tree making.
have a good day
Jack
Yorkshire UK
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Aug 8, 2008 8:09:49 GMT -5
I had no idea How a Gem Tree Sculpture looked. These are truly amazing! It shows that it is labor intensive. Very very nice.
Don
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Post by connrock on Aug 8, 2008 16:58:22 GMT -5
Well worth the wait Eileen!
They are all beautiful but I'm kinda partial toward the amethyst. It looks just like a white birch tree!
I tried the "tree thing" a long time ago and I think it may have landed by now!! LOL
Wooshhhhh,,,Out the door!!!!
Thanks for the pic's!!
connrock
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tombodc
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since August 2008
Posts: 88
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Post by tombodc on Aug 8, 2008 19:44:22 GMT -5
Thanks for the links Eileen! I had no idea that they sold for so much...
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darrad
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,636
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Post by darrad on Aug 8, 2008 20:20:18 GMT -5
Beautiful work. Simply stunning! I hope you share pics of the Amber tree when it is finished. It just seem so "right" to do one with Amber leaves.
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Aug 8, 2008 22:22:42 GMT -5
Thanks again, guys! I've posted another tree, but it's in the Tumbling Photos section instead of here. I thought it a better place. Tombodc: Well, Sal's sell for that much Once you start making trees you'll see why. The windswepts are pretty easy to do and then the willows. The oaks are hardest and those are the basis for the trees I make. The biggest difference, though, is in the amount of wire. Sal starts you off with 35 wraps for the skeleton and my *smallest* trees have 200 wraps (200 feet of wire for a 12" tree). The larger ones 300-400 wraps (18" trees, around 600 feet of wire). Plus add in the wire for wrapping, about 150 feet for small trees and 250-300 feet for large trees. I wonder how much wire his big, big trees use. Putting those little stones on those branches is a royal PITA, I tell yah. My floor is always littered with the ones that don't make it. As for the Amber -- I just ordered some rough from a site that was recommend by someone here and Yes, I'm going to make an amber tree. Connrock: I *love* that amethyst! It's going to my mother-in-law as a Christmas present and I just have to make another one soon. Eileen |
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randy
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2008
Posts: 117
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Post by randy on Aug 8, 2008 23:32:55 GMT -5
I'm impressed. You do very nice work.
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tombodc
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since August 2008
Posts: 88
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Post by tombodc on Aug 9, 2008 17:50:07 GMT -5
I just never thought that they might hold 500 stones, lol.
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Aug 9, 2008 22:15:59 GMT -5
ROFL! 500 stones are what my small trees average out at. I just made an Amazonite tree that has 934 stones on it. I'm aiming to break 1,000 for one tree at some point. That's a lotta stones Oh! And a new type, double tree on base -- I should post that one -- it's two trees on one base. One tree is prehnite and the other is rhyolite. I call it "Sisters" and there is a total of 1,059 stones between the two trees. Eileen |
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I'm actually a pastelist by trade and I got the idea to wear leather finger cots -- which are just the ends of white leather gloves -- on my index and thumb while I do the wire work. I get cut sometimes, but not often.
