Discovered Steampunk Artist : Diarment from Barcelona

I see a lot of steampunk Artist . Recently i stumbled on one that i have first met on DeviantArt .

I often look on ETSY to see what new steampunk stuff comes out and i was very happy to come across what i had previously seen on DeviantArt . So i purchase one of the clock . What i especially like is the aestestic that make this functional piece of art look like it is powered by some ancient mysterious technology .

Tell us a bit about yourself name, location, affiliations, personal stuff?

My name is Rafa Maya, I'm known as diarment on ETSY and DeviantArt. I am a multidisciplinary artist, based in Barcelona (Spain).

My artistic career began with drawing and painting, activities that i will not give up; but my ideas and projects will be expanded soon by computers, music, photography, modeling techniques and all that is close at hands .

Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc ?
First, I am influenced by things I see and feel: movies, pictures, events, etc.. the idea is taking root in my mind, once I vocetos, then gather parts, recycle , model with putty and cardboard, then it all comes together and add the magic of painting, the work comes to an end.

How did you first become interested in the Steampunk Culture and - Why do you like it ?
I've always been fascinated by the making of machinery, especially those that seems somewhat useless or actually fantastic and impossible , it is one of the qualities that I find interesting to Steampunk world, along with the imaginative freedom from ancient technologies , and try to translate those impressions in my works, some on canvas, sculpture, cardboard and scissors, and others with computers .

What is your favourite piece of work by yourself ?
The favorite piece is always the last in which I work.

Also accept orders for a living, portrait, cartoons and design in general.

Name one of your favorite steampunk artist ?
I could name many artists (most of them are on deviantart) but I will appoint one, which is not anything long, his name is Oscar Chichoni, an illustrator with qualities very steampunk.

What are your goal , project , plans for the future ?
My plans for today, tomorrow could change at any time and are uncertain.

What advice would you give new artists?
I'm not locked in a very defined aesthetic, a style such as Steampunk has to offer a wide range of possibilities .

Thank you very much and see you soon.

This is the clock i purchased

New Steampunk Jewelry designs of the week

New Steampunk Jewelry designs of the week

This week i made a few more designs with some of the Czech Glass Button i kept in my studio . I choose these button for their Retro , Modern and Victorian style. Some of them i had for a few months and i didn't have all the matching color of beads to make them . I still have much more that i need to list in my Etsy boutique this weekend . I have some amazing new Tie Tacks , some gorgeous labradorite ring and much more .

Spiral Button

Urchin Button



This is my newest Steampunk Bracelet with Brass watch movement . I want to make more like this , I plan to add similar bracelet in 4-5 weeks .



These are some of the new rings with slightly larger stones (10mm diameter).
So far i offer them with Green Amber , Red Fire Agate and Opalite.

New Steampunk Jewelry designs of the week

This is a ring that sold on the same day it was listed on ETSY .
I used Blue fire agate and a rare watch movement crown with a sapphire jewel.


This is a One of a kind ring i made with a
Golden Slit pupil taxidermy reptile Glass eye



Here's some new ring with Labradorite . The first one is very mechanical . I choose a contrasting copper metal to accentuate the color of the stone .



This is a ring in my Orbit model in which i use Labradorite centerpiece and 2 Spectrolite satellites


This is a new necklace of my Victorian Steampunk collection . I used Victorian style antiqued metal and atomic alien green beads to create a sci-fi look .
The pendant is made of an supreme quality peridot glass .



This is one of my favorite of the week .
This Victorian steampunk necklace is made with Antiqued metal and RARE iridescent fossil Ammonites . That specie existed around 400 million years ago and is now Extinct

Labradorite and Scarab bracelet :


This is a new Steampunk Tie Tack pin with a bulova watch face.


This is a pin with a watch movement .

Those are my newest Reptilian Tie Tack

Steampunk Jewelry : Topaz Ring

Steampunk Jewelry : Topaz Ring

Yellow orange Topaz is the stone for November and Blue Topaz for December . In the upcoming month i will be adding more topaz ring to my ETSY shop as i receive new colors .

Brandy yellow Topaz


Blue Mystic Topaz


Blue Mystic Topaz


Swiss Blue Topaz

Color and varieties

Pure topaz is colorless and transparent but is usually tinted by impurities; typical topaz is wine, yellow, pale gray or reddish-orange, blue brown. It can also be made white, pale green, blue, gold, pink (rare), reddish-yellow or opaque to transparent/translucent.

Orange topaz, also known as precious topaz, is the traditional November birthstone, the symbol of friendship, and the state gemstone for the US State of Utah.

Imperial topaz is yellow, pink (rare, if natural) or pink-orange. Brazilian Imperial Topaz can often have a bright yellow to deep golden brown hue, sometimes even violet. Many brown or pale topazes are treated to make them bright yellow, gold, pink or violet colored. Some imperial topaz stones can fade on exposure to sunlight for an extended period of time. Blue topaz is the Texas state gemstone. Naturally occurring Blue Topaz is quite rare. Typically, colorless, gray or pale yellow and blue material is heat treated and irradiated in order to produce a more desired darker blue.

Mystic topaz is colorless topaz which has been artificially coated giving it the desired rainbow effect.

Localities and occurrence
Topaz Mountain, Utah

Topaz is commonly associated with silicic igneous rocks of the granite and rhyolite type. It typically crystallizes in granitic pegmatites or in vapor cavities in rhyolite lava flows like those at Topaz Mountain in western Utah. It can be found with fluorite and cassiterite in various areas including Ural and Ilmen mountains of Russia, in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Flinders Island and the United States.

Some clear topaz crystals from Brazilian pegmatites can reach boulder size and weigh hundreds of pounds. Crystals of this size may be seen in museum collections. The Topaz of Aurungzebe, observed by Jean Baptiste Tavernier measured 157.75 carats.

Colorless and light-blue varieties of topaz are found in Precambrian granite in Mason County, Texas within the Llano Uplift. There is no commercial mining of topaz in that area.

Etymology and historical and mythical usage

The name "topaz" is derived from the Greek Τοπάζιος (Τοpáziοs), the author of one of the first systematic treatises on minerals and gemstones dedicated two chapters on the topic in 1652.In the Middle Ages, the name topaz was used to refer to any yellow gemstone, but now the name is only properly applied to the silicate described above.

Many modern English translations of the Bible, including the King James Version mention Topaz in Exodus 28:17 in reference to a stone in the Hoshen: "And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle(Garnet): this shall be the first row."

However, since these translations as topaz all derive from the Septuagint translation topazi[os], which as mentioned above referred to a yellow stone that was not topaz, but probably chrysolite, it should be borne in mind that topaz is not meant here. The masoretic text (the Hebrew on which most modern Protestant Bible translations of the Old Testament are based) has pitdah as the gem the stone is made from; some scholars think it is related to an Assyrian word meaning flashed.[citation needed] More likely, pitdah is derived from Sanskrit words (pit = yellow, dah = burn), meaning "yellow burn".

Steampunk Jewelry ,How it started ?

In April of 2008 i started to make rings just for fun after Catherine (My better half) learned how to make simple wire rings during a 2 hour lesson. I just watched how she made it and tried. Since then I spent several hours every day perfecting and developing my own technique to create an original design. I quickly started to make very retro-futurist model of rings. At that time i decided embarked into this adventure , quit my job and try to live on my jewelry full-time .

Someday a friend told me what i was doing was Steampunk . I research the subject and fell in love with this culture . I always liked Steampunk but i didn't know there was a name for it . Recently i had the chance to have a short feature of my cyberpunk ring in the fashion Magazine Clindoeil (French) and an article about the steampunk movement and me in the newspaper Le Voir (French).

A few years ago i had the chance to travel to over 18 countries . During my travel I developed an interest for photography .Today I'm happy that photography is now part of my daily routine.

Now i enjoy sharing my most artistic pictures of the jewelry i make on Flickr and other online portfolios like DeviantArt . It is a great tool to learn about photography and also a useful extension giving direction to my artistic/creative development .

Recently i made a steampunk Spider Sculpture that was featured in Daily deviation on DeviantArt :

Steampunk Clockwork Spider by *CatherinetteRings on deviantART

Sincerely

Daniel Proulx

Steampunk Jewelry Giveaway : What is your favorite stone ?

*** Thanks for Participating ,
The winner have been contacted ***.

Steampunk Jewelry Giveaway
What is your favorite stone?

This is a quick survey and giveaway , Ending on the 31st of august 2009 .

Please indicate which stone is your favorite from the list below , the color of Metal you prefer . There will be 1 winner for every 100 participant . The winner will receive the most popular ring from the result of the survey .

LAPIS LAZULI with Gunmetal with Natural Copper

SMOKY QUARTZ with Gunmetal with Natural Copper

BLACK ONYX with Gunmetal


CHAROITE with Gunmetal


SERAPHINITE with Gunmetal

RED CORAL with Gunmetal

AMBER with Gunmetal

Steampunk Jewelry : Pendant Crucifix

Steampunk Jewelry : Pendant Crucifix

I must confess this was my friend's idea and he told me that vampires
are very popular nowadays . I think it is true and that vampires in a steampunk setting would be very interesting to see . I made the Crucifix using antiqued metal , copper , brass , amber and clock parts .

Steampunk Clockwork spider Sculpture # 2

Update 11 august 00:14 am
All the legs are done next the head and chelicerae

( The Chelicerae are mouth parts of the Chelicerata, an arthropodsubphylum that includes arachnids, Merostomata (horseshoe crabs), and Pycnogonida (sea spiders). Chelicerae are pointed appendages which are used to grasp food, and are found in place of the chewing mandibles most other arthropods have. Additionally, some chelicerae, such as those found in spiders, are hollow and contain (or are connected to) venom glands, and are used to inject venom into prey or a (perceived) threat. ) : From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelicerae

Steampunk Clockwork spider Sculpture # 2

This is the second spider and this time I'm putting even more details into it .
I made the legs quite complicated pattern but i feel it will be more realistic , each pair of legs takes about 1 hour and half to complete .
I have 2 more pair to make . Hopefully they will be done by Wednesday . The spider will be approx : 4 inches in diameter .

First spider