Grand Bois

"Grand Bois", which translates to Great Wood, is named after the loa, or elemental spirit of Haitian Vodou culture, who protects plants and animals. The title reflects Wendy McAllister's respect for nature.

At the brooch's center is an electroformed red oak branch, made by coating a real branch in reactive paint and placing it in a solution of copper sulfate along with a piece of copper. When an electrical current was passed through the solution, copper was deposited onto the branch until a thick layer of metal was formed, after which the branch was burned away.

Many factors influence this process, including the solution's temperature and the battery's voltage, and any metalsmith using electroforming must experiment with these variables for best results.

McAllister also likes to experiment with enamel, a process in which clear or colored powdered glass is applied to metal and heated until it melts and fuses. On the stylized leaf on "Grand Bois", McAllister has built up layers of enamel but purposely under-heated it, creating a gritty texture instead of the smooth, shiny surface that conventionally indicates that an enamel is finished firing.