Keep Your Pants On!

Just finished a brand new belt buckle and wanted to share a few thought on those little things we use to keep our pants up or sometimes just use to look a little extra "cool".

"Filigree Belt Buckle No.1" (front), Daniel Icaza, 2011, Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, Liver of Sulphur

A good friend of mine (Ben Isaiah) and I enjoyed creating belt buckles while completing our undergraduate degrees at Arizona State University (ASU). His beautiful and interesting belt buckles always inspired me to try and make some buckles of my own. The first belt buckle I created, I made as part of an etching demo in my first metals class at ASU (before I met Ben).

The first belt buckle I ever made... "El Che", Daniel Icaza, 2007. Copper, Brass 

Belt Buckle by Ben Isaiah, on display at our "BFA Show" at "Gallery 100" (ASU) 2010

Another Ben Isaiah Buckle from the same show... 

After witnessing all of Ben's fantastic buckles come to life in the ASU studios (and fashioning a few of my own) I have become completely infatuated with making buckles (not only for belts mind you).

"Filigree Belt Buckle No.1" (side), Daniel Icaza, 2011, Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, Liver of Sulphur

 This is the first silver belt buckle I have ever made (also the first time I have used filigree in a belt buckle). As I mentioned before, the first buckle I ever made was copper and brass, from there I began making my buckles out of mokume-gane and brass. 

"Filigree Belt Buckle No.1" (back), Daniel Icaza, 2011, Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, Liver of Sulphur

I had a lot of fun making this buckle and plan to make more filigree belt buckles soon as I really enjoy the end result.

To really appreciate the colors and shadow box effect click on the pictures to get a better look.
"Filigree Belt Buckle No.1" (front), Daniel Icaza, 2011, Fine Silver, Sterling Silver, Liver of Sulphur

A few of my favourite aspects of this piece include the shadow box effect created by the hollow space behind the filigree and the amazing variegated colors that emerged in the background after patination. I hope to play around with my designs for future belt buckles so this is really more of a prototype/sketch  than anything else, but I still love the result. 

I'll be back soon with more things to share, for now its back to the studio :o) 

until next time,

Peace and Love