Showing posts with label metal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label metal. Show all posts

04 December 2014

small offerings

mjd - 2014 small offering bowl

offerings have a way 
of travelling. 

these came to me and 
the idea wouldn't leave.
so through my heart and hands
small offering bowls are now made - 

i often tremble 
when i begin,
the potential energy 
of body and spirit
coming to a readiness. 

as i stamp
fire
hammer
fire
hammer
repeat
repeat
...

these thoughts
words and ideas 
are 
set out into the ether.

the ether 
that you inhabit
the ether
that holds the moon
the ether
that caresses blades of grass
as it moves past.

mjd  - 2014 small offering bowls

i have always found a deep sense of peace
when working with my hands. 

but this idea of small metal efforts
that are shaped like cupped hands
and have
been worked with 
not just fire
and steel
but love 
and peace

so that you might make an offering
to whatever is meaningful in your life 

and to take it wherever you need it

resonates. 

mjd - 2014 small shrine

your own little place
to find calm
and stillness.

mjd - 2014 small shrine mats

balance
in metal
and textiles.

mjd - 2014 small offering bowl in pouch



the hammer marks
and stitches
evidence of moments.

the precious moments 
that make up our lives. 







19 April 2013

small stash of metal bits discovered

karma - 2013

'actions send out ripples.
karma brings it back,'

so said a wise woman to me.

turquoise, amethyst and lapis
stones associated with karma 

 be still - 2013

in stillness,
one feels
both floatingly heady 
and deeply rooted.

our world, 
our lives
are fiercely beautiful
and command our attention.

are you present?


sparkling iolite and earthy vesuvianite 

joy - 2013


'smile, breathe and go slowly.'
thich nhat hanh

embrace joy.

turquoise and carnelian












24 May 2012

the dance


'i get up.
i walk.
i fall down.
meanwhile, i keep dancing.'
- rabbi hillel 

danse - henri matisse



the photo of the metal was taken yesterday...


i have had hillel's words in my life for decades - in the form of a lovely little watercolor... and have embraced thinking of life as a dance...


then i read this post by seth godin,


thought about matisse, 


and rejoiced in the fact that while we often dance alone, when we invite others in the complex richness is enough to make your heart swell near to bursting... 











23 April 2012

earth day work

leaf earrings in brass - 2012

leaves with heavy verdigris application - 2012

the day was spent making leaves in different shapes, colors and sizes... 

we had some very much needed rain

and saw 'chimpanzee' at the movies... 




05 April 2012

the next time


the next time you walk by a petal on the ground,


remember... 


it's only there because the flower opened.


exposing itself not only to weather and wind,


but also to the warm light of the sun.


becoming fragile in its singularity as the bud loosened.


bearing itself not only to the animals who might make a meal of it, 


but also to those who might become awakened to its impermanent beauty.


and all because the flower opened... 







23 March 2012

on spring


while winter most certainly provides challenges to flora and fauna


spring is evidence of a tenacity i admire...


delicate flowers pushing up through snow


facing days that alternate between balmy and frigid... 


instead of less of them rising to open


more follow... 


until the world is in bloom -




be the flower 











28 February 2012

petals, cont'd

mary jane dodd - petals - 2012

in nickel - 


'the jewel is in the lotus'


a translation of 'om mani padme hum' from a talk given by the dalai lama -


mary jane dodd - petals - 2012

and red brass... 



27 February 2012

in pursuit of peace


people i care about are struggling with different things -


big things... 


it leaves me feeling helpless... 


sometimes stamping words is enough,


but today it felt cold... 


so i heated the metal to glowing red


and folded it...


and heated it to glowing red


and opened it, gently...


creating not the crisper edges of most of my leaves,


but a soft opening form like a petal... 





as the night progressed, they began to turn into a small pile

like offerings... 






om shanti shanti shanti







02 February 2012


complete - 


and in its new home at 'eyes of the world', cookman avenue, asbury park, nj... 


waiting on some large tile to do some proper images... necklaces are challenging to photograph on a good day, but extra long focals take it to another level... saw a great dress mannequin at an antiques shop but it was nfs... 


so we keep experimenting - 











04 October 2011

what if



on october 5th, barbara lewis' virtual book tour begins on her blog... 'torch-fired enamel jewelry' is now available and i have been asked to host on oct. 6th... 


in playing with things to show you, i came up with a 'what if' and am quite happy with the concept and result... 


see you then... 



17 July 2011

foliate love

'never say there is nothing beautiful 
in the world anymore.
there is always something to make you wonder
in the shape of a tree,
the trembling of a leaf.'
~ albert schweitzer



28 July 2010

on being a guest from home...

it's nice!

i was invited to be a guest of fundametals.net - as such, jeanette sent me some items to 'play' with... let's see if you can guess what one of them was - stop by their blog to read more... 

this design is based upon the egyptian shen ring... it is compromised of a circle for the cycles in life and a line across the bottom to represent the infinite... egyptians used lapis and turquoise in their adornment... lapis blue represented the heavens, water and the primeval flood... turquoise represented joy... 

'when we discover the truth is already in us
we are all at once our original selves.'
~ the dogen

we are complete as represented by the circle... but need to branch out and stretch to grow... winding fibers lead to faceted spectrolite which imparts strength and supports transformation... 


'(wo)man is harder than iron,
stronger than stone
and more fragile than a rose.'
~ turkish proverb

'fragile strength' earrings reiterate this point in numerous ways... etched metal appears delicate yet is sturdy... fibers made of silk... kyanite enhances tranquility and calm while quartz ensures grounding... 



work in progress... 

'a guest never forgets the host 
who has treated him kindly.'
~ homer

thank you jeanette for this opportunity... and i have other goodies to play with... so there will be another post about that!

16 July 2010

keeping the faith

'hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark.'
~ george iles



as tiresome as sneak peeks may be for you, they mean (to me) that progress is being made! 





'never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. 
there is always something to make you wonder
 in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.'
 ~ albert schweitzer

new things for my speakingyourtruth shop::







noticing a lot of really rundown ladies out there - don't know what is going around, but i empathize... here's hoping the weekend allows you some time to do what feeds you ~
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