Leo Handpainted Wireworked Pendant

This is the first post in a bit for me, lots to do and not enough time to get things done, just like the majority of folks out there I assume.. :) This pendant I have been working at on and for some time. The lion is painted in acrylics on a flattish stone.. I did this way back in 2003, had it on a necklace with a glued bail and one day I noticed the bail was loose. So I carefully pried it off and then kept looking at the loose stone for months.. started a Toodles wire weave wrap on it and made some mistakes in measurement so had to start it over again not once but twice!

Everyone I am sure has heard The Lion, King of the Jungle! well lions are really animals of the savannas.. preferring flat grasslands to jungles in most cases... but the term has been so ingrained that I thought a good way to display Leo was to have him peeking through some foliage ... A friend of mine saw this yesterday and did get the concept,,, "Oh it's like he is coming through jungle vines!" YES!!!!! I did manage to convey my concept... HURRAH!!! Whew!

Leo, or The Lion is now available for purchase in my Etsy shop at www.atabbycatarts.com
I will have him listed for 100.00 dollars, he is wearable art and the combined time to create not just the painting but the pendant setting was over 12 hours. The Lion can also be displayed as a small miniature painting or is of a good size to display in a vintage pocket watch stand. An interesting gift idea for a loved one who may be a Leo. :)

Ginger Cat

This is one of my newer pieces, the cat picture was painted on a flattish river rock in 2003, but I didn't use it as I didn't like the way the cat ears came out, but I like the eyes so I just stuffed it in a drawer and found it a few weeks ago, I usually will scratch the "offending" painting off and reuse the rock. But this one was perfect for what I wanted to practice which is a style of woven bezel, taught by a cool Lady, Sherry Dancingfether... the woven bezel style called the Toodles Weave which was published in a Step by Step wire jewelry magazine last year.. the technique can be time consuming to do but it is wonderful for fragile stones or items that need a little more protection versus regular wire wrapping.