I have had, for years, some material call “mother of pearl ‘feathers’”. This is mother of pearl sliced so thin it is almost transparent at one angle. Feels a bit like very stiff parchment. The material is still opaque and pearl iridescent at other angles, depends on the light.
I was thinking of a project that might involve some dragonfly inlays, and it occurred to me that these pearl ‘feathers’ might make interesting wings. Like real insect wings they would be nearly transparent or shiny and opaque depending on the angle of view and the light.
My first experiment, using the necklace form factor that I used for the other pieces made for the ArtiGras arts festival, is rather successful. The wings almost disappear at one angle, and yet are opaque and pearly at another.
