Along the Creative Path

Spring has its benefits and one of them is lifting the gloom that was lurking too near the perimeter of my personal space. I think the temp reached 72 today, the sky is clear and I love the way the sun beams are streaming into the house. I have not been in my studio for a very long time. A few weeks ago (March 2^nd) I posted the entry “Beads of Inspiration”. Well, today I started fiddling with the beads and leather and a host of other ingredients. I am going to call this one “Hidden” because you really have to examine it up close to see all that is going on in this necklace, quite a few surprises and hidden elements.

Here is something else I am working on, the texture and the movement of the coral shells as it snakes around your neck makes such a gorgeous statement.

This cache of beads, shells, glass, silver, bone, and gem stones on dyed turquoise leather is another assemblage I started today. I want to call it “Prayer”. There is something about the combination of these elements that make me think about prayers. I do not know how it will end up, this is just the beginning. I will sleep on it. Sometimes I have to let partial design grouping brew a little while (sometimes a long while) before I know exactly what to do with it. An excellent book to read about the universal practice of prayer is by Thich Nhat Hanh, entitled “The Energy of Prayer”. Thich lives in a retreat in France called “Plum Village”. Plum Village is Buddhist monastery for monks and nuns and a mindfulness practice center for lay people.

What a relief to be back in a creative and inspirational groove. It’s like a form of prayer when you really think about it. How else does a formless thought become something genuinely beautiful?