I continued my explorations of combining techniques in unexpected ways through the use of mokume gane and Eastern repoussé bound artist books of my calligraphic and collage work. My filigree increased in yet more dimension as I pushed those pesky limits of physics. I had given myself one big edge: producing and selling my Russian…
by Rauni Higson Victoria Lansford’s striking use of filigree to create complex sculptural forms evokes ethereal forces of nature, cosmic storms, and manifestations of the invisible threads holding together the universe. While I grew up knowing the Nordic tradition of filigree well and was drawn in by its details – domed shapes filled with endless,…
Books are wildly intimate things. Books can be funnels: small openings that lead into larger spaces. From the moment I open one, I sense an unfolding that draws me into a portal that expands my sense of time.
Creating books, however, has an opposite effect. Imagine starting at the open end of the funnel and having to compress all the information that narrows to the opening…
After becoming slightly obsessed with a chased gold cylinder from ancient Nubia that I saw last summer, I began experimenting with what I call micro chasing. I created this chased bead from seamless, sterling tubing (Rio Grande’s largest diameter). By slightly altering the order of Eastern repoussé steps I employ to refine my repoussé pieces…
Spring here continues in all its glory. The trees are nearly leafed out, which means soon I’ll be able to stop skimming oak flowers out of the fish pond. Skimming them does no good for the many displaced cervical discs in my neck, but it’s so calming that I can’t resist. This is how I…
2024 marks my 35th year as a professional metalsmith! To celebrate, I’m launching 2 huge projects! One is a retrospective of my artwork with insights and highlights about my most significant pieces from each year of my journey. This will be experienced both online and in print, so wherever you are, you’ll be able to…
In an unprecedented move of playfulness and exploration, I flew to the UK in early December and delved into all things metal, mud, and fun. One of the better ‘Coronabonuses’ of the last 4 years was the many airline credits and thousands of points my husband and I had racked up in our limited travel…
