natural inspiration
Whenever I am tempted to say I am “inspired by nature”, I find I must bite my tongue. The natural world leaves me in complete awe. I feel so inadequate when I comtemplate the wonders around me. The simplest things are so much more complex than we even begin to comprehend!
In case you aren’t following me, let me give you an example.
I am fascinated by the octopus. Most folks think they are spooky, scary, slimey murderous monsters menacing divers and dangerous denizens of the deep thanks to horror movies depicting overgrown undersea monsters.
I think they are shy fellas with vulnerable soft bodies who have very little defense against natural predators. That little ink jet they shoot out seems not much of a defense at all. You can clearly see, from this piece I created, that I have a soft spot for these simple creatures.
Sleeps With the Fishes
almost seems huggable, doesn’t he?
The late great Beatles also seemed to have a whimsical attitude about octopi when they wrote their song Octopus’s Garden, a light hearted ditty about an imaginary undersea garden. The song was resonating in my mind when I created this Artfire Collection. Imagination went wandering as I wondered what treasures would be found in such a garden.
Epicetera’s magical bamboo coral necklace with a mythical mermaid pendant: total undersea fantasy.
Spiral Studios fantasy flower hair tie of freshwater pearls
Personal Oasis’s beautiful sea green rhyolite necklace with pearls.
ahhh, the calming ocean.
All of these artists have let their imagination help them recreate the colors or feelings evoked by the natural sea world.
Back to my octopus friend.
After I made that funny little piece, “Sleeps With the Fishes”, someone sent me this video about a diver who has studied Cephalopods: octopus, squid and cuttlefish.
I was so enthralled by the magic of this creature! I had NO IDEA what a creative little guy he actually is! Please watch and learn as I did, the wonder of the lowly octopus. I promise, you will gain a new respect for this creature. I have watched the video 20 times and never ceased to be amazed! My grandkids keep asking to see it over and over. It is beyond anything I could ever imagine!
See what I mean about the reality of nature leaving me overwhelmed and feeling inadequate? How can I EVER hope to create a piece that conveys the magic of an octopus’s camoflage? I don’t know, but my imagination is working overtime. I hope it will inspire others. LOL……Now, I have given you a challenge, yes?
Who am I?
I am a lively Aries lady who lives in a house owned by a bunch of wacky animals.
I am the matriarch of a clan of kids, grands and great grands.
I am a solitary Wiccan whose pagan roots are both Native American and Celtic, strongly connected to the earth.
I am a jewelry artisan, addicted to beads, wire, silver, rocks, stones and minerals. I love working with metal clay, wire and natural stones.
I am a teacher. I’ve learned a lot about stones and minerals and folklore: the history behind the stones. I teach special classes for underpriveleged kids. I teach everyone who asks about the ancient uses of rocks and stones.
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