This Isn't What it Looks Like.....

Copper Cross Ancient Relic Ring by York Avenue Studio

I was very lucky to have been contacted by a lovely customer who was interested in a design for a ring that would include a Nautical theme, specifically a Trident.  As I started to get ideas, I drew sketches, doodles, drawings of all sorts of Tridents.  I had little papers all over the house with little hand drawn tridents, some pointing sideways, pointing down, pointing up, etc.  I started to see Tridents and three pointed objects almost everywhere I looked.   Leaves while out on walks with three points, my son's fuzzy slippers with three claw toes, details in furniture, it seemed like my eyes were searching for these shapes more so now. 

One of my sketches, looked nice so I made the design with Copper metal clay to get a better idea of the size of the Trident.  When it was finished, it looked much more like a cross and the Trident wasn't "there" unless I knew to look for it.  That is how the Copper Cross ring was created! 

This picture shows a glint of gold on the floor coming from in between my office desk and a cabinet.  It caught my eye and I saw it as a Gold Trident Ring.  I drew a sketch of what I thought it looked like, then went to investigate what it really was.  The bottom left sketch shows a Trident that is facing up, more like a crown.  That's how I saw it.

It turns out, that gold glint was a torn piece of candy wrapper, a mini Snickers bar!

One more example of how it may not be what it looks like........

Here is another Trident inspired design for earrings with a glass bead that captured on a wire that is soldered in place.  I hammered the design with little vines and swirls on the top half, leaving the bottom silver shiny.  I love these and they aren't for sale.  As soon as I took the photo, I realized that my Trident looked very much like a man's....um...a male part.  I don't want to end up being tagged over on the Regretsy site!

Hope you can see that inspiration comes from all over, and it's fun when our eyes "see" something as if searching and seeking for it.
Kathy