Green Sandstorm
9"x 12” Koi Japanese watercolors and Staedtler triplus color pens on cold pressed 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper. Custom matt and framing included.
"When I created the first of this series, a friend commented on the watery aspects of the painting. He described it as Damascus steel and at that moment, I knew what the series should be called. Since I was a young child, I have been enthralled by the craftsmanship and skills of blacksmiths and steelmakers. Films and literature, like “Conan the Barbarian” and Jean Auels’ “Earthchildren” series dealt with fire and water as catalysts in tool and weapon making. The Damascus Steel series is my vision of that moment of creation, when the fires and the water form the steel and in a sense life itself." - benMUSA
From Wikipedia: Damascus steel, also known as "Damascened steel" and sometimes "watered steel." Damascus steel shows complex patterns on the surface, which are the result of internal structural elements in the steel. These patterns are the result of the unique forging methods. Recent research into the structure and composition of true damascus steel by a Dresden scientist has revealed that the almost mythical sharpness and strength of the steel was a result of carbon nanotubes and carbide nanowires present in the structure of the forged metal—the secret of which forging method was lost around 1800 A.D.