Balancing Nature

I have always felt traveling has made me a better person, or at least more interesting. There is no question that seeing new things obligates me to create. I think on some level an artist is constantly trying to find a vehicle to translate their intentions, whether it be message or aesthetic in the most distilled manner. I want my clients to see what I've seen, to understand how important those experiences were to me. It's a losing battle. The 100-mile bicycle ride I took to Natchez was something I will never forget. I feel like I understand the south in a completely new way. The jewelry that will be created with the tenor of the trip in mind will be strong, yet different from what I may have imagined beforehand. I will readily admit that the success of the collection to me will not come from anything I build in metal or translate as a form. The success will be due to the color of the gemstones. If they echo the light  I experienced during the day, I will feel very good about the projects. There is simply no way I can tell the story of the quiet loneliness of the morning passing harrowed fields covered with mist, or the fractured sun breaking through the ombreyed road at noon. I can't tell anyone how I felt looking at the expanse of the Mississippi stretched across the embankment of Nachez, it was so beautiful it hurt, and still does. What I can do is find the gemstone that can. Light and color that is ephemeral in everyday life is permanent in a gemstone. If you look at the right one the right way, and you set it properly, that moving day in Nachez is forever in your jewelry box. You can go back to the green.

My responsibility as a caretaker of gemstones is to preserve balance in a piece of jewelry. All the best stones mean nothing if the balance is off. No Kashmir sapphire or pink diamond can overcome careless workmanship or lack of equilibrium in a piece of jewelry. In order to preserve my framework for balance is to go to the zoo. Its is such an amazing place. Mother Nature is the best designer of all, and lessons learned at the zoo are good ones to follow for me. My brain works best there. What caught my attention yesterday were the flamingos. They tuck their head to one side when resting and raise their opposite foot to preserve balance in repose. Simple; balance preserved, so everybody can focus on the coral colors of the birds. They are not pink by the way. If I get a piece of jewelry right, everybody should be firmly focused on the stones. They tend to be the best conveyors of emotion. Too much to say about the zoo. I will follow up on that.