Where it all starts.
Ever since I can remember I had a fascination with Death, and I've never really seen it in itself as something grim, but rather pictured it as a natural step in what we call a life cycle.
Many beautiful and poetic ideas may stem from here, but what I like most is that it is a reminder of how frail and similar we all are.
I don't remember where I read that "Death is equal to all, that's what makes it so frightening", but it stuck with me as a pleasant reminder that we are all equal as human beings. Possesions, titles, power, personal ambitions and even hopes and dreams all fade in comparison to Death's sheer scale , universality & perfection. Another of my favourite quotes is "Death is a good fellow and keeps open house." Go figure.
Another wonderful thing I find is linked to Death is that it is also a reminder that Life is precious. Make the best out of it, live it how you find fit, do what makes you happy and try to be nice with everybody. Or at least don't harm anybody. But I guess this is the same feeling you get from Memento Mori artworks , right?
Having this in mind, I have always been an inquisitive kid. Curiosity sometimes killed the cat, but it also sometimes brought the cat close to dead things. And since I have been making accessories as a way of relaxing and spreading the love of things DARK, I've decided to include all stated above in that.
Raw material
I always use animals which have died of natural causes, carrion found in forests, fields and parks. Yes, I'm that freak in your local park that is happy when seeing animal corpses and takes them home with her.
They usually looke like this, sometimes fresher, sometimes more disgusting. But I'm not one to be disgusted easily, so I collect my materials and proceed to work on them. I use two main techniques now:
- mummifying (for the claws and tallons)
- boiling (for cleaning bones)
Boiling is a difficult procedure at times, especially since you can imagine my kitchen does not smell of roses during this operation. But hey, it's one of those rare moments when I cook so I still get wife material bonus points, right?
Duration
It takes a lot of time (and a lot of work) to complete a single piece. Between gathering the raw materials, preparing it, working on it and finishing it up, it can take even up to three months per piece.
I also use varnishes, cleaning solutions and paints to make them pretty.
Besides work, I put a lot of love in my creations, so the final item is a unique combination of the beauty and death and the love of life.
WHY? OH GOD, WHY?
Another interesting question is of course " why? "
It's quite often that I get that "shuddering in disgust" look .
I'm not too much of a fan of finding explanation for everything, but to put it short, I love it. I love that new life can be put in lifeless remains. I like to show others that death and decay are not only natural, but they can lead to beauty.
Do you have something you would like to ask me or do you want to comission stuff from me?
Leave a comment below :)
