Spider Plants

Ron Hunt, my dear friend and a gifted artist, brought me these empty white frames one day.  He said he thought I would know what to do with them.  I cannot resist a challenge, so I decided to make vignettes that might fit inside a real window.  The one on the left has hanging spider plants (that really swing) over a fish tank; on the right, ivy climbs in front of a swinging parakeet cage.  Everything is made of paper.  The frames were about 4″ high and 3″ wide, and 1/2″ deep. private collection.

Shell Necklace
[singlepic id=54 w=222 h=300 float=]

This shell pendant is made entirely from paper.  I hand-cut the strips from acid-free charcoal paper.  The part that looks yellow is actually edge-gilded with 23k gold.  I coated the inside with clear varnish to protect it from wear.  This won “Best of Show – Crafts” at the Maryland State Fair.  It is about 2″ x 2″, with a gold chain.  Artist’s collection.

Gazebo Bessamin (Spice) Box
[singlepic id=55 w=300 h=171 float=]

This is a bessamin, or spice box, to hold fragrant spices during the Havdalah ceremony that marks the end of the Sabbath.

The box is made of quilling paper, with the roof built of rice paper and the base of foam board.  Quilled rose vines trail down the trellis and around the roof.  The roof comes off, and there is a plastic canvas holder for the spices that fits inside the box.  It measures 3″ x3″ x 5″.  Private collection.

El Adon

“He called unto the sun and it shown forth light; he looked and formed the phases of the moon”.  This is a verse from the hymn “El Adon”, one of my favorite Sabbath tunes.  It is more abstract than my usual work, and features torn paper and quilled letters on a painted background.  It is also a mizrach.

9 x 12, private collection.