2008

9" x 12" | 23 cm x 30cm

abalone, amethyst, ammonite fossil, apatite, blue lace agate, brecciated jasper, charoite, coral, crystal, fossil agate, gravel, gypsum rose interior, lapis, lux, mahogany obsidian, marble, moukaite jasper, pearl, peruvian opal, porcelain, pyrite, red aventurine, rhodochrosite, rhodonite, ryholite, shell, shells, sodalite, smalti, turquoise, yellow turquoise, 24kt mosaic gold

hawaii...
she has a fire in her belly,
the angels' breath for breeze,
and the song of her sea keeps calling me home.

this little piece was inspired by the hawaiian islands, which to me have an immediately elemental essence, and whose beauty is both subtle and severe at the same time. what i was trying to achieve was an abstract of the island's geography/landscape. can you see it?

the big island is on fire within, its earth active and still forming and becoming. the sea is ever-present, and the air is always moving, so that you feel that which you cannot see. the lava rock landscape is in stark contrast to the tropical paradisal beauty, and its harshness seems alien, as if of another planet.

i did not set out to use 30+ different materials. i was primarily driven by the color, texture, and desired andamento. i had a basic pattern, which was slightly modified as i went, but there was a lot of spontaneity going on. though i had a basic idea of what i wanted to do, i did not have each layer/section completely figured out. so... this piece was a bit of an expedition.