In 1578, underground tombs containing the remains of thousands of Christian martyrs were discovered in Rome.

In an effort to replace holy relics that were destroyed during the Protestant Reformation, many of those skeletons were sent to Catholic churches in Europe where they were carefully enshrined in jewels and crowns, gold lace and armor, as an earthly reminder of the treasures of the afterlife.

Those beautifully macabre remains were my inspiration for this piece.

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."- Francis Bacon

Designer Tips:

(1) To clean modelling paste/ crackle paste off of any undesired areas, it's easiest to do while it's still wet.

(2) When planning a piece in which you plan to use found objects, hold an "audition". Gather your pieces first that you think may work and try them out in a dry run. That way you can see what works best without hassle .

Materials:

Video One:

Relics & Artifacts skull, Ancient Soul set

Relics & Artifacts Bohemian Jewels, Diamond

Kroma Crackle

Frank Garcia's Memory Hardware powders: Vauserroux, Parthenay

E6000 (strong, clear adhesive)

salvaged jewelry

small rhinestones ( the kind used in fingernail art)

Video Two:

Relics & Artifacts Ostensorium

Relics & Artifacts Dresden trim: Daisy Chain Large Gold, Gold Crown

Baroque Art Gilder's Paste: silver, german silver, antique gold

Golden Crackle Paste

Galeria Heavy Carvable Modelling Paste

That's Crafty Dinky Stencil, Moroccan

E6000

black acrylic paint

scrap of velvet fabric

salvaged jewelry