Precious Objects
Before the pandemic, if ever I needed to reconnect myself with nature, I could just step outside to a nearby park or tree-lined street. Life is different now for all of us, and while I can’t go out like I used to, I still go on walks to notice the beauty around me. I always remind myself to take a breath and be in the moment. And I can always bring the outside in.
A couple years ago I asked a small group of women to join me at a local park to spend some time connecting with nature.
One of us observed a Sweet Gum Tree pod that had bloomed and spread its seeds to the wind. She saw possibilities of life continuing and of trees growing all around. She suggested I make earrings or a ring of this design.
Her observation inspired me in many ways – most poignantly how to discover possibility in unlikely places. One might think that this tree had done its job and is now done. But if I look a little closer, I see something greater...a legacy of possibility. Its seeds are possible beginnings, more trees, another thing of beauty. Fascinated by the pod’s spiky and otherworldly surface, of course I took some home and went to work.
I had the seed pod cast in silver and was delighted to find that some of them magically still had all the details when they returned. As my mind took notice of the form and function of these pods at my bench, I began to see more and more of them on the ground – in the gutters on our streets, in the grass. I collected more and cast them. I started gifting them to friends and clients to celebrate their new homes, where they are planting their own seeds.
From this process, the idea for my newest collection of one-of-a-kind works was born. Italian Cypress from my Mother’s front yard, Sweet Gum Tree from the mountains and sidewalks surrounding Los Angeles, and Kurrajong Trees from West Adams and the Brewery. I’m excited to share my Precious Objects with you.
Made of silver or bronze, these Precious Objects are presented on removable pedestals or can be displayed like sculpture. A natural continuation of giving meaning and significance to objects, I hope you enjoy seeing this sneak peak of my latest work.
Stay tuned when we launch the collection on the website in the next few weeks.
May you find beauty in the city or wherever you are,
Claudia