Short-eared owl hot pendant

This is a handmade portrait in glass of one of those winter visitors to the Hudson Valley. To make this portrait, colored glass rods are melted over a torch then wound around a steel mandrel to make the marbled base bead. While the glass is still warm, bas relief details such as feathers are painstakingly added and manipulated using skinny glass "stringers".
Once the image is complete, the entire piece is annealed in a kiln overnight. Finally the piece is etched for hot a velvety, matte finish, except the eyes, of course! To highlight the extravagant details, I prefer to show them off on a simple sterling silver snake chain available in 18, 20 or 24 inches.