Origins 2

Wood Agate pendant with Tiger Eye beads and Obsidian beads

Seeds

Many things make me cry:                               
Reading the news for example,

what cruel god wipes us out by the tens,
dozens, and hundreds, painfully one by one?
Is that to keep the numbers down?
Is that to remind us that life and death;
good and evil,
are one and walk hand in hand?

I cry because of what I have lost,
because of what I have done...
or  havenot done
for what I will or will not have

Then I descend to the depths
since the surface is so choppy
and there I find a seed,
something to treasure,
something to make my heart smile:
This Moment! What else do I have?

Smokie quartz with wood, acai seeds and brass finish metal on clon cord.

Three option necklace.

Joy!




Swarowsky pendant (5cm.) and Swarowsky beads on CLon cord

 

We were made to respond to beauty and harmony.

Before them, we cannot help feeling moved.

They fill our heart with pure, unadulterated Joy.

Nothing makes me happier than to

Play music and let it guide my hand.

Cut some lengths of cord; choose a crystal

And allow myself to be surprised!

.







Golden Star

Swarowsky crystal pendand, 28mm. With Swarowsky beads.


























Swarowsky heart (2cm epprox) with Hill Tribe silver beads and sterling silver hook at back; on CLon cord

 









Beginnings

We cross boundaries trusting that we have 

a two-way ticket, but the return journey is never that simple. 
And we often find that the fences we pulled down in our exuberant flight are well beyond repair...

Nevertheless, the life force in us is such that we always find inspiration for new beginnings.

This Carnelian and wood necklace is the first one of my new collection. While making it I felt I had the courage and the strength to embark on a new journey. I am sure it’s no coincidence that Carnelian is a stone of action and achievement. I find this piece very appropriate to begin a collection and a new phase in my life. The little wooden beads give me the impression of numerous seeds waiting to burst forth.

Merlin

I called this Labradorite necklace Merlin. 
As I was making it I was enveloped in a mysterious, melancholic atmosphere. Labradorite is an extraordinary stone full of reflections; solid and translucent; light, shimmering, and dark. Sometimes it is called the 'dark moon'.
It promotes deep vision and heals the eyes.

Some of you might know the story of Merlin and Nimune. Nimune, Lady of the lake, or Viviane was a powerful woman. 
A student of Merlin’s, who fell in love with her,  she used a charm that Merlin had taught her to enchant him: he remained captive in a prison without  chains or walls , in the depths of the woods. During his captivity, which lasted for years, he lost his magic powers.

There was no wickedness on her part or foolishness on his, that is the nature of  love.

Make of this story and this necklace what you will. That is the function of Art, to unleash imagination and thought.

Labradorite on waxed cotton with Mexican pewter pieces.

Milagritos

At the doorstep of Mexican churches you can buy
milagritos to pin on your favourite saint or virgin.

You can buy a heart; a leg; an arm; a pair of eyes...any part that you or a loved one need healing. You can also buy little kneeling men and women if you are praying for a man, or a woman . Milagritos cover any area of your life where a miracle is needed. Not surprisingly, hearts are in high demand.

I made this necklace with milagritos; a gold medal of Saint George fighting the dragon- a theme I always identified with- and a quartz crystal, a healing and protecting stone.

Note that nevertheless, the quartz is bleeding.

I made this necklace for me and those before me:

From left: my great grandmother, Clementina Mena;  my grandmother, Araceli Otero; My mother, Paloma Gorostiza; me,Paloma Zozaya.

(Not in this picture, my great great grandmother;great great great grandmother, but their spirits are there)

We form a chain where, as in the weave of a necklace, patterns and stories are repeated.I am the end of that line, the last link. But mum and I are still working hard at working it all out.

Quetzal

Honduras means 'the depths'. She was given that name

since her seas are very deep.Also, because if you go there, you never know what to expect. “No te metas en honduras” is an old aunties saying, warning you not to go too deep...but that’s another story which I shall tell you later.

The highest mountain in Honduras is called Celaque; it's very near the Guatemalan border. Awesome cloud forests lead to Celaque's peak. There you can see, if you are lucky, the Quetzal bird. They are in danger of extinction. Their image is preserved on the Guatemalan Quetzal note, as it is the currency and  emblem of that country.

Julian and I climbed up Celaque just before the turn of the century. - The sound of that makes me feel  very wise and ancient, but then this century is very young!-  so  perched high up on a very tall tree in this very tall mountain we suddenly saw a Quetzal! There he was with his long tail and his head crowned by an exuberant
feathered crest, calling his mate. 

We took a picture, but the Central American sacred bird 

was no more than a dot among the greenery; 

only Julian and I knew it was there, but we could proudly

point and say “look! That’s a quetzal".

Back in Copan I bought this quetzal silver and jade pendant  

and wove it into a piece of bark to show you all what we did see.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quetzal

Silver and jade on CLon cord and Hill Tribe sterling silver beads. Eucaliptus bark and acrylic.

50x20cm

Like all my pieces it is an exclusive design.

You can either hang the whole piece on the wall or wear the necklace.