Melysa Gonzalez
Woolwich Twp., NJ

"The Lord of the Sky"

This is the egyptian falcon god "Horus", I decided on an egyptian theme for my project once I saw the lead camel. Horus stands 13 inches high, 8.5 inches wide, and 10.5 inches deep. This has been one of the most difficult projects I have ever attempted, not only because it has over 370 very small pieces, but because I decided not to use a pattern and just "wing" it. I started construction on the falcon with his beak, which I formed from clay to use as a mold. I fitted the mold with sheet foil and soldered all the seams. I removed the mold and filled in the hollow beak with solder. And the rest is history...50+ hours of history.

Use of Theme Items:

(1) Camel Lead Casting - Is the centerpiece on the back of the throne. It was painted gold to look like it was carved out of the glass.
(1) Pair of Filigree Wings - Is part of the centerpiece on the front of the throne, behind the Pharoah's bust. It is also accented with gold and black paint.
(1) Orange jewel - Is incorporated on Horus' head. I painted it red and used BritBak tape to make the color stand out. Glass selection: Mainly consists of Spectrum: White Opal, Teal and White Opal, Black Cathedral, Light Amber and White Opal, Red and White Opal and Textured Gold mirror.

Roadblocks and Hurdles: Once again, the biggest hurdle had to be working without a form or pattern. The bird was entirely formed by eyeing the symmetry and structure. A small roadblock occurred when I had to make the legs. This was accomplished by creating wire legs, adding foil and lots of decorative solder. Both Horus and his throne are hand painted and fired using glass paints. Also, both are completely covered in decorative solder and painted in Bright Gold Color Magic.