Exploring Ancient Forms

I've been playing with a lot of ancient forms and textures lately, along with symbols and glyphs. Really digging this stuff.

Once glazed, these will go to Bead Fest, then when I'm back later in August I will introduce these and many others to my shop.

I also did a quick glaze test... liking the results...

Water, Sand, Shells, Rocks, Beads

This is a reprise from an entry I wrote for Art Jewelry Elements quite a while ago... I wanted to share it on my own blog, mainly for archival purposes, and to continue this thread of exploration into rocks and shells, in future posts. Enjoy!

---

I collect things from the shorelines where I have lived. Shells, stones, feathers...

When I was small I was fortunate to live on or near the Gulf Coast. I have many memories and sensations of sand, sea and surf. The smell of salt water, the sea critters I encountered: crabs, starfish, and even dolphins. It was magical. This has been a source of inspiration for me...

Gulf Shore Days - me sitting on a rock

My friends  

Me and my sister  

Beachy Beads!

More Beachy Beads!

No less magical were the shores of Lake Superior - the largest fresh water body of water on Earth - we moved there when I was bout 9 years old. A true Inland Sea - full of majesty just as powerful as any salt-water ocean. Here I encountered places and stones of astonishing color and texture.

I have many memories of living in Lake Superior country...

Rock-strewn shores

Me, age 11 or 12

Me and my sister an... yes I really did run around barefoot all summer.

Me again, meeting Paul Bunyan at Hiawatha Forest...

My baby brother Jake asleep fishing, while one of the great ore boats passes - little does he know here, his little rock perch is about to be engulfed in a wave from the wake of this mighty ship. But don't worry, he survived and is perfectly okay now. :)

But mostly I remember the ROCKS - like the ones I collected at Agate Bay or Pictured Rocks shore. I was lucky to be able to return to Superior about 15 years ago to collect a few more... 

Rocks

Rocks

...polished by water

Superior-tumbled rocks

Rocks bathing in the watery froth of Superior

A glimpse through the crystal clear waters

Sorted rocks - amazing color!

I sometimes step back and wonder at how incredibly similar the shores of the Gulf Coast Ocean are to the shores of the Inland Sea - Lake Superior, or as I have come to know it:  Kitchigami.

Though I no longer have the actual shells I collected from the Gulf Coast, I do have several stones from Kitchigami. They are incredibly important to me, and they are my muse...

My collection: nature inspired forms, colors, textures

... my source and my creation

What are you sources of Inspiration?  I'd love to hear about them!