Lightning Rod !!
The customer was struck by lightning hiking in Florida, his aluminum staff melted, he survived, and I designed and sculpted this staff to commemorate this amazing event! So, I sculpted lightning bolts raised above the surface 1/8th of an inch, gilded them in real silver leaf. I sculpted a cumulus cloud for the lightning to emerge from, downwards and also upwards into the blackness of outer space as sprites do. i capped the top with real bone, I gilded the sun showing behind the cloud with 23 karat gold leaf, I sculpted the date of the event and the geocache team emblem and gilded those with real silver. Also, since three white translucent orbs appeared in the photograph taken seconds before the strike, I mounted three rainbow moonstone cabochons on the front of the staff.
Finish
- white
Material
- silver
Base
- metal
Material
- aluminum
Meet the Maker
ralph mitchell
furnishings of intoxicating beauty
Working alone, I state working alone because nearly everything that I design and make are works of art made by me alone and signed by me for 20+ years, Ralph produces furnishings and signs rebelling against "mechanical mediocrity" refusing to work within the limitations imposed by machines and produce objets d'art which can only be accomplished with many hours/days/weeks/months of hand tooling.
To summarize, I am an artisan, not merely a furniture maker. Thank you for your interest in my fascination.
Customer Reviews
Michael Contus
Jun 17, 2014Ralph of Furnishings of Intoxicating Beauty was amazing to work with. He crafted exactly the piece I wanted -- a custom carved cross in a traditional ethnic design. The finished piece is beautiful, elegantly hand carved with a superb finish. Ralph is a professional and a true artist. He took the time to make sure he understood the requirements of the job and offered suggestions that only made the final project better. Thanks again, Ralph!
Nicholas
Nov 24, 2014It was a long and involved relationship working a vision into creation, Ralph was patient and thorough. We started with a blurry memory of a dream and created beauty and meaning. Thank you so much.
Paula Leeds
Sep 12, 2018I am very happy will all his work, he is a true master at what he does. I'm very happy to have the pleasure to display his work in our home.
Robert Channelle
May 24, 2018I am very plased with my product. Ralph was very attentive to my emails, my concerns, and my timeline. He also gave me a wonderful idea about a future project. This is my first time using this and Ralph has made this experience wonderful. I have been trying to get this done for some years now...glad I found this site. Thanks, RC
Brent Jordan
Dec 14, 2015I just wanted to share my experience about Ralph. All I can say is one word....WOW!. This has been one of the best experiences I have ever had the opportunity to deal with. I wanted to let everyone know that Ralph who crafts these gems of art is definitely one of the nicest, coolest, genuine wonderful people whom I have ever had the pleasure of doing business with. If anyone has any idea of being interested in anything he makes then I would say do it because you wont be disappointed. In fact you will be blown away as his achievements in wood working are not just amazing pieces but they are also works of art. He is a rare talent and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend his services. If you want the best then contact Ralph because hes the best. Thanks again Ralph!