We have been making pendants for a long time, but we finish them, smile, and say, "Now what?!" We have sold them loose, but not very well. I think customers must have the same it's-lovely-but-what-do-I-do-with-it response.

We have tried stinging them on ribbon or leather or silk cord. They seem at home, but undone. After a visit to a great bead shop, I felt inspired and sat down to take on the challenge. This is my result.

Aside from the photo being bad, I am pleased and I think it will help people visualize what can be done with earthy ceramic pendants. The beading was tedious but satisfying. I used the Fibonacci number sequence to decide the bead pattern, starting with the number 5.

The Fibonacci number sequence is a string of numbers in which the sum of the last two numbers determines the next. In other words (or numbers) it goes like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, and so on. It is a soothing sequence that appears often in nature. The most notable example is the spiral of the nautilus.

There are lots of fun scientific articles out there regarding the Fibonacci numbers in nature, the golder ratio, and the Pheidian spiral. While you may not like looking at the algebra, it is nice to the the sequence applied to images and to understand why certain compositions are comforting and others are jarring. Check out Spira Solaris Archyta-Miribilis, Souls of Distortion, and this blog post on Values Australia which charts art, beauty, and more using Fibonacci numbers.

Perfect Day!

We spent our Labor Day at the family cabin.

We caught salamanders and crawdads and played in the creek.

We spent time with family learning the old ways of doing things.

We caught a little snake who felt like the finest velvet.

We played pick up sticks on the front porch with cousins.

We sat around the fire talking and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.

We also walked barefoot on soft deep moss.
We worked clearing paths.
We took loads of pictures.
We laughed, played, and loved spending time together.

Back Yard Inspiration

When I took my first ceramics class and it came time to glaze my pieces, I was so disappointed with the drab colors are matte surfaces. I wanted bold colors and shiny glazes! Within a semester, I was in love with the earthly browns and the variations on the surface of the pots. My pieces felt equally at home in the kitchen as in nature. My coffee cups were as welcome on the front porch of a mountain cabin as in a New York apartment.

Now I have the experience and choice to have bright and shiny if I want it, but I still tend to steer clear of it. My favorite glazes are all browns and golden browns, soft green and blues. I tend toward a peaceful muted palette on my pots. I allow myself any whim that passes, but overwhelmingly, my pots are the soothing sort, not the jarring sort.

I would, however, love a glaze that mimicked the skin of a watermelon, in colors and in texture. Not everything earthy is brown after all! And if I could capture the charcoal gray and teal blue on that butterfly, I would be inspired beyond measure.