Red Toro

It is strange to think that I have come back to New York to relax, but it is true. Perhaps it is more accurate to say I am in New York to clean up my act and take the lessons learned during the last 10 days of Mardi Gras and apply them to my passion that is my work. I sit here writing this blog after having had the one wonderful dinner New Orleans cannot offer. That is inspired sushi at Sasabune. You are not allowed to order at Sasabune and on the door it says "No Spicy Tuna Rolls. No California Rolls. Trust me!" It's true. Let them work their magic. It is the most healthy wonderful dinner in New York. And that kind of passion is admirable in any medium. I had one experience this week during Mardi Gras that one might consider unfortunate, but I found one of the most wonderful experiences of recent memory. During Mardi Gras people line up along St. Charles Avenue to see the parades during the day. Many arrive at 5 o'clock in the morning to set up their chairs and ensure a birds-eye view of the festivities as well as secure a better chance of catching all the beads that are thrown from the floats. I made the unfortunate mistake of stopping in front of an especially zealous woman during the Bacchus Parade. I have never in my life been treated to a tongue lashing similar to the one this woman was eager to dish out. I got both barrels and chose to move on down the road to a less coveted spot that was in view of the harpy I was fortunate enough to meet. I watched this woman and her husband for that matter retrieve an enormous amount of beads and gifts from the float during the parade. They had the most wonderful time. And by the end of the affair she was covered with different lengths of Mardi Gras jewelry. I must admit that I myself was covered with a number of beads. I personally prefer the hard plastic medallion variety and never strayed from this silhouette. What was so wonderful about the Mardi Gras jewelry heist was that it wasn't about pretension or money. It was about pure zeal and appreciation of the beautiful colors - real or paste simply didn't matter. I have been fortunate enough to meet women during my career who have that zeal for jewelry. Their enjoyment of the jewelry is based on colors or color combinations  and supersede any measure of value. It is just a joyful hunt and collection for them. It is the most rewarding way to make jewelry, sell jewelry, receive jewelry, or appreciate jewelry. If you can see beauty in the spirit of an object as opposed to the value of an object it is a huge advantage. I admit my favorite parts of the parade is often after the parade has passed and the beads of many color lie in piles along the side of the road or lumped on the ground in the middle of St. Charles Avenue. The way beads like pearls may stretch themselves out along the pavement. Or many colors bathe in the puddles along the curbs. The colors and reflections are extraordinary - even in the gutter. 

I photographed a number of them with the aperture of my camera wide open in order to have a shallow depth of field. Very much like the contemporary photographer Mona Kuhn. The beautiful Brazilian woman who I have had the good fortune of meeting several times. Once at a party at my house in New York that we turned into a Turkish Hookah Fest  - apple tobacco never smelled so good. It reminds me of time spent in Halicarnassis, which was the site of one ancient wonder of the world. Anyway, the jewelry being finished and made right now I think is some of the best in my career. I am trying to keep the color palette simpler and impress more organic form within a commonly appreciated color palette. I started to do this about two months ago at a flower market. I found myself and have always found myself when shopping for orchids trying to find the most unusual rare specimen, which I have achieved various degrees of success finding. It is  microcosm of what I do in jewelry and pretty much everything else. I try to find the rarest most unusual specimen regardless of the inherent beauty of more common flowers around it. I realize that a pink or white phelenopsis orchid can be extremely beautiful. Perhaps the color is not the rarest, but it is the most appreciated.  I am trying to apply my setting to the colors that are universally appreciated, and it is working. I have fallen back in love with diamonds. Everything is getting healthy. I do hope that these pieces inspire a monicom of passion shown by the people in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and their pursuit of the most precious jewelry thrown from the floats. True dat.