Gathering

I admit to moping a bit about missing the ISGB Gathering this past weekend. For the last several years, you'd find me glued to the demos, meeting new friends, and selling my latest creations. This year I really looked forward to presenting my new carved electroforming. Alas, a family wedding takes precedence, and deservedly so, but still I moped.

So this morning the concept of Gathering in a different context popped into my head as I added a few more cicada wings to my recent collections. Now I'm feeling a little better since I realize I didn't miss the Gathering after all.

I realize how many more gatherings I left out of the photo, as well -- the porcupine quills and bird nest from Italy, for example, and the large scorpion that I electroformed and gifted to Gordon Uyehara, who tried to rescue it from hairspray and Lysol (where's my photo, Gordon?). For the squeamish, I left the rattlesnake and coral snake in the freezer. I'm still pondering how to harvest the skeletons, skins and rattle. And I just love the feathers above all, especially that teeny red down feather from a cardinal that I witnessed being banded. That treasure is destined for a special piece of jewelry.