my inner cheese monster

flourish

Good morning. Did everyone have a good weekend?  School has started again, and so it has been a whirlwind of getting my little one prepped and acclimated for first grade.  We have enjoyed the break during summertime, and will miss the carefree hours, but I am also ready and excited to pump up the shops, and plunge forward with my work.  I agreed to teach art again this year to the little ones (I'm such a sucker for the kiddos)  so that will be a fun diversion, but I'll have to really be mindful of my time and where it is spent.  I have so many ideas and streams that I'm exploring right now, and don't want to commit to just one, so I'm pursuing whatever idea is persistent in my head, capturing it and then trying to separate out the next projects that all want a little attention.  

I like the organic silhouettes of these seed pod earrings I just completed.  They remind me of seaweed, and I've been hearing multiple people say that they are scared of seaweed... which just makes me laugh.  Seaweed is delicious!  In any case these simple ones have a neat story behind them so I wanted to share it here:

"Not but a stone's throw away from the sea is a magnificent stand of Eucalyptus trees dubbed "Monarch Grove". Every year thousands of monarch butterflies migrate south to Mexico and rest from my birth month of October until March, creating the most fantastic jeweled draperies you have ever seen. The Eucalyptus trees are non native to California, and were introduced in 1850 as a promise of faster growing commercial material, however they did not live up to their intended promise, and have since been declared an invasive species. If however the Eucalyptus groves had not been tenacious in their survival those beautiful butterflies would have one less crucial place to rest on their journey. 

I myself come from non native origins, my family traveled across the wide Pacific and rooted themselves in a foreign land. I feel a kinship with those trees and the sanctuary that they provide to the butterflies. Silently they shelter and generously offer their boughs uncomplaining of the weight they bear in fog, wind, and rain. Would that we could all flourish with such grace amid adversity." 

Here is a picture of what the butterflies look like clustered on the trees. I am hoping to catch the monarchs again this year, and take my daughter to see them.  Sadly many of them have been struggling of late and fewer butterflies are making it to the groves.  

Truly if I had my pick my whole shop would be in sepia tones. I don't think anyone else would like that but I would! Oh and I know, I know... I could have altered the ear wires but I liked them with their little balls and coils (for this pair), they remind me of the ear wires my mom used to wear in the seventies, and since my latest run of work has all been about delving into my origins I wanted to keep them that way. 

 I found these two wonderful inspirational videos via this lovely lady.  If you have a moment please do sit and watch them... they have helped me enormously by kickstarting my motivation as well as providing a newfound perspective and respect for my own capabilities, shortcomings and creativity. It might take a second for them to load, but they are worth the wait. Even "G" said that watching them helped him with his approach to song writing over the weekend.

much love

K