Moments

While I was in California, I stayed over night with my friends, Judy and Jerry.  I had an unusually deep restful sleep on the upper floor of their art filled house in country. The   delightful room was filled with their six year old grand daughter's, Sophia's, toys.  I was especially intrigued with a carousel of scissors, that each cut a different pattern such as scallops, jagged spikes, or waves. I thought, "What a lucky child," knowing how adored she is as well as having creative tools at her disposal.

The next night Sophia stayed the night and slept in her room in the bed I'd slept in.  

Ever since she could express herself, Sophia has said she wants to be a dentist. In the morning Judy, by chance, asked her if she still wanted to be a dentist but she said, "No, I want to be a carver and an artist!"

No one in the house thinks Sophia knows what I do for a living - that I'm an artist and that I design carvings to put into my jewelry.  How did this happen?  Is she psychic? Are young children connected to a form of communication we've lost as adults?  

Whatever the answer, these magical life moments thrill me and I sense are connected to the conduit of creativity and staying present.

Thank you, Sophia.

There's Magic A Brewing

I haven’t written for a few months. Life got a hold of me and off we jetted to my annual exhibitions at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the largest trade show of it’s kind in the world. There are over forty venues all happening at once in this hopping University town. 

"Lightness of Being"

Crazily I do two shows concurrently and it is only with the help of dear friends that it’s possible. Kirsten Long, former ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company, is my ace sales woman. Alan Spence, our chief engineer, charms clients into buying when he isn’t fixing something or couriering carvings between shows. Our happy customers tell me what lovely people I have working the booths. 

Tucson is exhausting and exhilarating all at once. I resupply as well as sell my existing work and take orders. It’s a two-week thrill of hard work punctuated with kudos for our quality and creativity that lets me know I’m on the right path and motivates me to continue pushing the creative limits. 

In this international circus I buy mammoth tusk and jet from Russian traders, beads from Indians, Chinese, Afghanis, American’s and Pakistanis.  I sell my pieces to people from all those places in addition to England, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Japan, and Europe. 

When I’m not in the booth, I’m hunting for new components to add to our line, like Gary Wilson’s small half geodes, just right to bead or embellish with carved mammoth components. I’d discovered them in 2012 and strung an amethyst geode with flat lavender pearls and sterling silver disks. After wearing it a few times before the show I grew quite attached to it, but it sold the first day. I regretted it immediately. 

"Lavender Lush"

When I went to Gary’s booth for more geodes I inquired if there were any similar to the one I’d sold. After a look through the trays it seemed a lost cause. I picked out several others to be held until the next day. 

Gary was available when I arrived the last day of the show. “I bought an amethyst piece last year that I loved. Do you have any others?” Gary searched but also came up empty handed and I figured if the owner of the booth can’t find it, it must not exist. 

I pawed through his booth looking for new ideas when his sales woman said, “Oh here are some trays that haven’t been put out yet,” and there catching the light was the other half of the piece I’d purchased the year before.

“I can’t believe it’s here!” I exclaimed, tickled to have found it, “I’m keeping this one for me!” It felt like magic was a brewing just as I’d surrendered to letting this amethyst beauty go.  

If you want to check out Gary's work:  

http://www.garywilsonstones.com

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