Larkin cut this cabochon from a piece of petrified wood found by our family near our home in southern Oregon. They left the front raw to highlight all the glorious woody texture while polishing the sides and back smooth and shiny. The rough front naturally left some gaps in the frame, which allowed Larkin space to add extra mushrooms and creeping ivy vines. A natural druzy seam is just barely visible making its way from the bottom ivy leaf on the left to the top mushroom cap on the right.
Larkin equipped this magical portal with a tiny handle and a matching bail of hammered sheet metal adorned with a tiny ivy sprig.
And... can we talk about that back for just a second? (Who am I kidding, I'm gonna! 😅) This kind of sculptural technique is brand new to Larkin as well as this piece!
The following photo of the back shows the twig Larkin used for inspiration, resulting in a fantastically realistic solid silver twig that neatly complements the roughness of the front of the stone.
This piece has such fantastically fine detail, it's hard to remember just how small it is! Larkin's grandparents always remark on the dainty size of Larkin's work when they see it in person after seeing it in photos, enlarged on their computer and phone screens. That quarter is about as wide as this piece! The frame and all sculptural elements are hand-fashioned from solid argentium silver that has been oxidized to highlight its dimensionality and polished.
