Cockatoo skull casting

The upper beak of parrots is hinged while the lower one has a sliding pivot from a short arm joined to the skull. Both are connected by a complex process of the palate and the result gives these birds an incredibly dexterous beak, capable of doing a lot of damage with great co-ordination.

To do a lost wax casting like this is very painstaking - a rubber mold cannot be made of the whole thing because it couldn't be removed. So the skull is trepanned and dissected, very thin sections are built up and molds made of the components. The whole is then easily assembled from the resulting injected wax parts and investment cast.

Sterling silver cuffs

Three different versions of a hollow cast slip-on cuff. The whole thing is a refinement of a lobster's tail with diminishing segments. The one with the stone was a request -another lab ruby. The steam punk version rivets are just droplets of wax size-matched, scraped off a metal plate and welded to the wax model.

Mabe Pearl Fish

This cast silver broach incorporates a cutltured Tahitian Mabe pearl.

Beetle Necklace

At dusk these introduced South African dung beetles leave their dung pats and zoom around looking for a better one. They are lousy pilots and they are regularly seen to have impaled themselves on fence barbs. They are a scarab, black and irridescent blue. This is all in sterling silver, the beetles are hollow cast and blackened. Its very punk, dangerous to wear - for a dangerous woman who has ended at least four relationships.

The Chattering Classes

An automaton in welded steel and machined brass workings. It is hand operated and represents a paradigm that has come to the end of its useful life. Even though it's flesh and many bones have fallen away it has a life of its own, and when the crank is turned the jaw flaps, making a bleating noise.

Fish and mabe pearl brooch

This sad critter is in sterling silver (cast) with a cultured mabe pearl face.

Kali (Hindu goddess of destruction)

Preliminary for a bronze copy, this sculpture is 50 cm. high in welded steel. In the tantric visualizations of Kali she is portrayed with a necklace of severed heads representing victory over various temptations. She dances on a dead body symbolizing the renunciation of rebirth. The sword cuts off disturbing thought processes and the skull cup in her other hand is filled with inexhaustible bliss.
This lady is much sexier than the usual fat and demonic figure, has in fact no triumphs to declare and her skull cup is upside down and thereby empty.