"Stone Creations" by Marlys Mallet and Michael Redhawk

The idea for these "Stone Creations" came as a result of Michael's affiliation with gemstones as a jewlery designer and Marlys's natural attraction to the abstract patterns found in so many mineral specimens. The final result of their collaboration is a new genre of unique, three-dimensional works of art which present collectable quality stones in an elevated and artistic format -- an exciting expansion from their "Unison" series.

At an international gem show in the summer of 2015, while on a quest to purchase smaller opal gemstones, the couple came across two rather spectacular agate specimens. Although the stones were too large to be used in jewelry, they purchased them anyway.

For over two months the stones were set aside and unused until one morning, on their deck, while polishing off a thermos of coffee, a creative spark was lit and and the artists began to develop a plan. Excitement ran rampant as they began to approach problems, discuss solutions and ultimately come to the idea for a final presentation. Both were anxious to get right ot work to bring their idea to life. Driven by their "creative spirit," their first mixed-media paintings began to take shape within two weeks.

As each work evolved, the artists developed new techniques. Marlys found ways to reproduce the druzy pockets and gold deposits of the specimens in acrylic painting mediums. She positioned the stones and painted an environment for them, inspired by them. Michael became the engineer behind the project, developing a way to securely mount the stones of ever-increasing size, and preparing the final finish. Once completed, he even gets to use some of his favorite tools: the miter saw and the power drill.

The artists are now on a quest to find better and better collectable mineral specimens, searching the world, connecting with miners and importers, as well as discovering unique polished slices of petrified wood from as close as Arizona, and from as far as Madagascar. Selecting the stones and imagining the compositions for their future works is a joint endeavor enjoyed by both artists.

Redhawk Mallet