More Chucho, Is that Chuchissimo?

The radio is rocking with Paquito D'Rivera as I finish off these photos and begin to think of how I shall list the necklace and bracelet set.  I like them so much, somebody should snatch them up before I decide to keep them!

A cobbled long necklace of rosary chain, a bit of old red tin, a picture hanger, a milagro, two tribal bits, one brass from Africa, the other silver from Afghanistan, some sort of steel thing from an automobile found in the street, to which is riveted (with a gold ball ear post) a resin inlaid picture of Mr. Eyebrows With Hypnotic Gaze in a local brew bottle cap, and a funny little black seed with reclaimed bead cap.  I have papered over the backs of the tin, the bottle cap, and the front of the whateveritisautomobile thingy.

You see a combination of modern, commercial chain, dead stock (the red beaded brass chain) and bits of a well worn black rosary with connector medal.  It's chucho again:  old and new, all mixed up with ethnic sources, found objects, precious and profane materials.

Here's the back with text from an 1800s Wilson's Reader having to do with human physiology.  I like the way it is framed by that thingy and draws attention to words that may explain what it is all about.  But, querida, it is chucho, and it may be about nothing, or about something so abstruse words are useless.

Abstruse, that's recondite.

On to a bracelet combo that I have held onto for awhile.  A wide fold formed copper cuff that has been left work hardened so it has a bit of spring to it, and the thin recycled thrift bangle that has been transformed with a small collection.  On steel jump rings are a tourist's souvenir faience scarab, a bright chunk of sponge coral topped with a fossilized sea skate gill plate and next to that a piece of crinoid stem (the local folk call them "corkscrew critters" where I found this one near Athens, Georgia).  I love the natural finish of the copper left from the last annealing, and everything has been generously waxed with Renaissance Wax to preserve the finish and create a soft luster.

A hint to my friends who struggle with pix of your work:  add a small bit of white paper to the shot and use it for white balance when you do the digital fix-up; it helps to remove that gray cast that makes for a dull photo.  There are many ways to tweak your pix to make them more interesting; my favorite is Photoscape, which is downloadable free and easy to understand.  I have the other photo program but it isn't so user friendly, and I just gave up on it.  A few sessions with Photoscape, though, and you will have photos that will present your work well.

It's all about compensating for lighting, which is hard to get right in a home studio.

Lighting is what shows off those textural details that make your work interesting, like the hammer marks here.

See the little scalloped piece of paper in the back?  It isn't so intrusive, is it?  I think it actually adds something to the composition.

And this is one fat, special, chucho copper cuff.

All to be listed soon in my Etsy shop.

Back to the bench.  I'm on a roll with this chucho idea.