Here is The Prize (click on the picture if you want to make it bigger):
I included some helpful captions, so you would realize what to focus on and how to make sense of what you see. You're welcome.
No, but seriously, this photograph is really awful; the problem is not shoddy workmanship, however. It is a free form paperweight, with curved edges, and no uniform shape. It's fabulous in person (or is that "in paperweight"); it is nearly impossible to correctly photograph its beauty.
So, you are just going to have to take my word for it. And whoever wins will hopefully back me up when they get this beautiful paperweight. It is personally an item I really love.
So, this Mike Warren piece of art was created in 2006. It is a handcrafted, lampworked, sodalime (that's soft glass) glass piece. Included within is a man-made gemstone that is just phenomenal (that's a trick that not all glass artists know - how to make a gemstone compatible with glass so that the glass does not crack). There are also a few of Mike's signature millis and a fair amount of sparkle. Beautifully contrasting and complementary colors, the paperweight measures 2 1/16 inches tall by 1 1/2 wide by 1 1/2 deep. It is valued at $100.
I will announce the lucky winner shortly, so stay tuned...
