This is the second installation in my Sagebrush statement necklace series. It features a gorgeous cut of plume agate. I’ve been calling this stone the “Genesis” stone. It’s utterly cosmic looking and the plume itself holds a flashing stream of pyrite that catches light just so. It speaks to the beginning of all things, but also, the small beginnings we face every single day as humans. The spark that leads to combustion and creation. The simple effort of getting out of bed in the morning. The repetitive motion of inhaling and exhaling. The birth and death of our cells. Our hands and the work they do. The daily rejuvenation of our spirits. Genesis. The Beginning.
When I finish a large statement piece like this I usually take a moment to count how many solders built the piece, I like to have a quantifiable sense of what went into the making of something. I like to sit back and remember every hammer strike (as it happens, each sage leaf in this piece was struck about fifty times with two different hammers while texturing and forming). This piece contains 142 solder points (large and small) — the sage leaf fringe required 82 of those solders. That’s so much work, so many small things that build a beautiful whole.
+Of The West+
We were in South Dakota for Thanksgiving. It was marvelous! I’d never visited before and I felt so at home there in the grasslands, beneath a big sky, in a sharp wind. I am from the great northern plains, after all. Wide open space is the landscape of my soul. Our main reason for going was to hunt pheasant, and hunt we did. The dogs worked so beautifully it nearly broke my heart. I think that’s what we should feel when we see a human or animal living and working within the realm of their gifts and talents — excelling towards mastery of a skill set. When I see a birddog tearing it up in the field, working intelligently and instinctually, standing game with self-control and composure, it’s one of the most beautiful things I can think of. It’s stunning. It’s such an honor to work alongside them.
I’ve always thought bison have sad eyes.
I’m listing some new earrings and a small batch of straggler rings tonight in my shop at 7Pm (mountain time). This will be my last scheduled shop update for 2018 after which I will be listing new work as I have it made in these weeks leading up to Christmas holidays. I hope you pop by!