Logan Louis

My art is non-functional personal adornment. It is to trigger the unconscious and evoke an emotional response in the beholder. Items that were alive once and now dead are resurrected in silver, symbolic sections removed–riveted or stitched patches taking their place–becoming an object of immortality. Leaves, twigs, bamboo pieces, shell fragments, found stones and pebbles, driftwood, beach glass nearly anything I find around me works its way into my work. Anything that will burn I cast in silver. Found objects strong enough are used as-is. Something intriguing that can be strengthened and enhanced in the process is used. My Pierced Shell Necklaces area good examples of this. I find an interesting shell fragment on the beach near my home in Beaufort and drill a large hole in its center using a diamond core bit. I find a long oleander leaf that will fit through the hole and cast the leaf in silver. I find a flat stone the right color and texture on the beach and drill two round holes using diamond bits this will be the toggle. I also find two small pebbles or beach glass one for the end of the handmade chain and the other decorates the rivet that holds the necklace together. I find just the right twig on the nature trail behind the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium and cast it in silver for the toggle bar. I saw away a section of the cast oleander leaf and make a chased copper patch that fits exactly where the section was that I removed. I do my low fire enamel process with the patch and when I like what I’ve done I rivet the patch into place in the leaf. I hand make two chains, one for the toggle and one for the decorative dangle, attaching the pebble to its end. I hand wrap a bail to the stem of the cast oleander leaf. I patina the whole item and then remove all the patina from the raised surfaces. Then, using a single 16 gauge rivet, I attach all of the items together, completing the necklace. From crawling around beneath an oleander bush, walking the beach and hiking the nature trail to casting, fabricating and finishing is about a three week process.