A First Step

A pendant in the early stages of wrapping.

Sometimes I make pieces spontaneously. I pick up a stone from my workspace because it speaks to me, and before I know it, I’ve created a pendant. Other times, my creation process is much more deliberate and slow going. When I get a stone that feels special to me, I want to make sure I am putting my best effort into complimenting its natural beauty with my wire wrapping.

The stone that inspired this piece is the one in the center. Its a fire agate. Fire agates are similar to opals (my favorite) in the deep shimmery quality that they have. Its referred to as their fire by mineral enthusiasts. I started this piece around the fire agate, then I pulled other stones to compliment it in color and shape. I spent some time arranging the stones on my desk before I even touched the wire. Its important to me to have a vision of the shape that I’m trying to achieve by bringing the stones together.

As you can see here, my first step was to secure my main stone. I find it easiest to work that way. I like to build a solid foundation around the biggest stone I’m working with, then I look for good places to wrap the littler stones onto. Getting to this first step is sometimes the hardest part. These stones have been sitting on my desk for weeks, all planned out and waiting to be wrapped. Taking the first step can be hard. Most of the time it involves admitting to myself that the pendant isn’t going to turn out exactly the way I imagine it. Its a hit to my ego, but that’s part of what I love about my artistic process. It involves letting go, and getting out of the way of my passion to let it flow through me.

Artist- Sarah Orlik