This is the first piece made with direct help from our new and first shop member other than myself. He debarked the wood, did most of the sanding and gave input into the overall design of the piece as well as assisting on other projects. It measures 65” or 5’5” from the base to the top of the glass crystal. Several pieces of amethyst were added along the underside of glass crystal for stability and aesthetic reasons, but really only the central stone remained visible of wrapping it with leather rawhide. The spiral running along the length of the staff was hand carved with a steel file and then highlighted with a silver paint pen and touches of copper too. Small blemishes and imperfections that didn’t come out with intense sanding were filled in with the copper paint to add a little more overall texture and nuance to the piece. Along the top of the spiral, I then used a wood burning tool to create the Elder Futhark rune set and the three larger runes symbolizing (from left to right) good luck, protection, and strength. There’s also a five pointed star and three sided knot on opposite sides of the top. I finished it by rubbing some boiled linseed oil along the length of the staff. And since I liked the accidental darkening effect of the oil on a previous staff (and because I already got some on the rawhide anyway) I applied some to the rawhide wrapping as well – which as I mentioned in another piece may not be the best idea, but shouldn’t be a problem for what the leather is being used for.
Artist: J.R. Goslant
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Astrolabe Arts 