“Kabuki Kachina Sing’s
The sun’s strength
To earth…
She lifts the forest,
The seeds,
Every living being.”
Kabuki Kachina Sun Songs by Marianne Hunter of twenty-four karat gold foil and fine silver foil, argentium silver, enamel, rutilated quartz, rutile.
Marianne Hunter
CONTEMPORARY PRECIOUS
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Marianne Hunter has been crafting her miniature spirit totems for over forty years. Her enamel firing all takes place in a little toy kiln, a trustworthy implement for bringing her painterly creations to life. Hunter has an excellent eye for color, and she uses unusual and diverse semiprecious and precious stones as compliments to her enamel illustrations. Her Kabuki Kachina pendants/brooches wear many coats, from political protest to harkening back to old art styles. Art Nouveau is a source of inspiration, and René Lalique plays into her work both figuratively, and literally, as found medals cast by the noted craftsman, mostly medallions from World War I, find new life as the centerpiece of her brooch.
Marianne Hunter begins her piece with a sketch, filled in with colored pencil. She then begins to create the components, comparing it with the 1:1 scale sketch, and positioning them with gems and semiprecious stones.