When we build canes, we always slice and bake a few dozen pieces for
use in mosaics. Bryan is the one who does all the
application work.
So far, he has completely covered a Head, a Radio Flyer Wagon, a full
size Guitar, an Electric Bass Guitar, two violins,
and a Banjo. (shown at left).
He also covers furniture! He's done several lamps, clocks, and considers
commission decorative work.
In addition to sculptural (non-playing) instruments, Bryan is also able
to do custom work on electric solid body guitars, or other instruments
that do not suffer acoustic loss through being given a layer of polymer
clay.
The Mother of Minnie Pearl Banjo has many tiny
cane slices, buttons, and mother of pearl discs glued carefully into place,
along with crystal pearl glass beads--and white telephone wire for "strings".
Its style is reminiscent of an English craze from days long past when
Brits known locally as "Pearlies" would sew thousands of antique
Mother of Pearl buttons onto their spectacular costumes!
From their hats on down to their spats, the small white discs of shell
buttons made for a most spectacular look.
The Mosaic deMigraine
This "heady" piece of work contains thousands of individually
placed and glued slices, and in between each is embedded a small black
glass bead on a pin.
There are more than 2500 pins in this head--we finally stopped counting!
We think this item is well-named (if that many pins stuck in a head
isn't the definition of a Migraine then what is?) Each glass bead was inserted
individually, using a sequin pin and a great deal of patience.
This work was photographed with Sun and Moon Earrings and a two lovely
"techno-tribal" style necklaces of polymer clay beads.
The instruments and other large items forming the basis for these mosaics
were never themselves baked--but the covering pieces were. Then each was
individually picked and affixed.
Varathane is used sometimes as an adhesive,
though super-glues (cyanoacrylate glues) and PVA glues (PolyVinylAcrylate)
like Sobo, Aleene's, and Titebond are also used for firm adhesion, and
the Varathane is then used as a final finishing coat.
The extruded "binding" on the guitar is glow-in-the-dark clay
with glitter inclusions...there are also thousands of tiny pieces of glowing
clay scattered throughout the front and back of the guitar, so it's
even fun in the dark! This piece took months to put together, and is encrusted
right down to the glass and polymer beads on the strings...which deaden
any sound. But THIS instrument is loud anyway!
To explore the music of Bryan Helm, click here.
