Nolan was packed into a very large crate last week and is now en route to a beautiful house on Oahu. A final touch, the eye is a piece of abalone shell from New Zealand. The surface of the octopus reflects the color of whatever is near it, much like the way the octopus camouflages itself in the water. I believe he's just been waiting for his opportunity to let us know who he is…what else could I do?'ĭetail showing the etching and paua shell eye Work in progress, Nolan slinking over a cart in the studioĭuring the process I asked our client if she'd like to give this noble creature a name, and she immediately wrote back: 'Nolan came blazing through the ether like a shot…I was completely powerless to do anything else.
The suckers of the tentacles are gilt with 22 karat gold. The thickness of this metal allowed me to etch the details through it using a cross-hatching pattern very much like etching a printing plate. The body of the octopus is gilt with aluminum leaf arranged in a random broken pattern to create the texture of the cephalopod's skin. photo by David PapasĬommissioned for a home in Hawaii, Nolan is a very large octopus, gilt, etched, and painted on the reverse of a 5 foot high slab of glass using a set of techniques known as verre églomisé. Églomisé mural (~5 feet high) by Lynne Rutter.
