My “Princess Ananka’s Ring” is finished…

I’m very pleased with it!  I have always loved the rich color of bronze.  When I removed the ring from the kiln, the color was a beautiful bright yellow gold, but I wanted it to look ancient, as if it had been unearthed after being buried a thousands of years.  I dipped the ring in a bath of Jax Brown-Black Darkener and this is the result – a rich deep bronze with dark recesses that

accentuate the carved areas.  Compared to the many bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry that I have made and photographed, I have only made a handful (no pun intended) of rings and I have found they are quite challenging to photograph.  After taking over fifty shots, I settled on these two photos.  The prop in the bottom photo is actually a stenciling brush that I covered with polymer clay, then textured and painted.  Finding the right prop isn’t always easy.  Unless, you have perfect “hand model” hands, photos showing fingers usually detract from a piece.  There are, of course, acrylic and velvet covered ring forms, but I had neither so I was somewhat pleased to find this brush while searching through my toolbox.  I think it a good marriage, although the textured prop may compete for attention.  Still, I see the ring as the focal piece in this photo, so I'm  thoroughly contented!