RD's Art - Bone Jewelry

 

One of my favorites of RD’s work with bones is the jewelry he made. It was a long process from raw bone to finished earrings. I remember the drying, sanding, and drilling of the bone which he did in the basement at his worktable. The odor that came up from the basement when he drilled and sanded the bone was very similar, too similar, to the odor that fills my nostrils when my dentist drills my teeth! He said he doesn’t mind that part, in fact, really enjoys choosing the right piece of bone and working with it until it is just the right shape, then rubbing his own special dye into the bone until it is the color he likes.

 

 

 

 

RD’s model for his jewelry was Toby, a young nurse, and a friend. She wears it well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He made the necklace with trade beads he bought at a local Mountain Man shop on College Avenue in Fort Collins. Some of RD’s friends may remember John Messineo who worked at that shop and who also took the photo of RD I used in the previous post about the painting of Lori, where RD is wearing a red bandana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The backdrop for this photo is a trade blanket. His mother designed and sewed him a really wonderful cloak made with a genuine Hudson Bay trade blanket which he wore on a float at one of the Wellington's Well-o-rama parades. It makes a nice background for his jewelry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the earrings RD gave to me. I love the look and the feel of them, just the right weight to remind me I am wearing them and the feel of bone earrings is interesting, cool and slick. When you clack them together they sound like old clay poker chips.