Realm of the Goddess

A good while back, I became interested in 'goddess' beads.  In making them with glass, that is.  Not sure why; something about them appealed to me on one level and kinda repelled me on another.  Watched a tutorial online and lit the torch.  Ended up only making about 4 of them altogether, then moved on to something else because my attention span is about a half an inch long. I never showed these to many people because:  1) I was somewhat embarrassed at having made these naked female torsos (I'm of an era where these would have been considered not quite tasteful).  2) Wasn't sure the viewer would see them in the spirit in which they were made or get the concept of the goddess totem and/or would be offended  3) Wasn't sure they were really any good***.

So my little 'ladies' have been languishing in my lampwork bead pile for a couple years.  The other day I ran across the only one of them I'd made into a pendant that 'organically' sported some feathers and wings, etc., but was never engineered well enough to lay properly when worn.  It ended up in my To-Be-Recycled bag.  Out came the flush cutters and about 6 snips later, my little green goddess was free, free, free at last!  I set her aside on my design board and moved on to another project.

Some project!  It was one of those bigger than life inspirations that come on you in a giant flash... but isn't completely finalized in the mind....therefore it took me four or five days to build it to my complete satisfaction.  Some of my designs are like that; I get an impression of where I want to go with a jewelry design but it's vague and misty, like a dream that you can't remember much of after you wake up.  I digress; anyway, this piece took 5 times as long as my average project, but as I worked on it, tore it down, built it up, tore it down, started over time and time again, I kept looking at my little green goddess waiting for me at the other end of the design board.  She really wouldn't leave me alone!

Finally, I finished the piece I'd been working on for D A Y S and eagerly reached for little Miss Green.  I'd been staring at her for all that time and already knew exactly what to do. She was made of some lovely Tag glass and looked all mottled and swirled like some exotic stone.  The greens ranged from nearly teal to nearly chartreuse, depending on where the propane hit hardest. Happily, the teal side predominated and some new aqua terra jasper discs I'd just gotten a week or so previously, were the perfect complement, along with some green sphinx Swarovski crystals, some lighter green, two toned fire-polished rondelles and some great copper beads I'd been hoarding.

This is one of those pieces that, as you're making it, you're also 'bonding' with it.  That probably sounds weird, but I knew in my gut that if it turned out half as beautiful as I thought it might, I wouldn't be able to part with it.  And that's exactly what happened.  As I crimped the crimps and put the finished touches on it, I told her "You're MINE!  I couldn't possibly sell you."

Yes, I talk to the jewelry I make.  Mostly I swear at it as I drop beads and wire and stringing line on the floor and then can't find them or can't get a crimp cover to cover the darn crimp or I didn't leave enough excess cord to work back through the beads and so on.  My friend Joan, a talented wire wrapping artist, refers to this frustrated swearing as "losing our religion".  She'll show me a totally exquisite piece she finished and as I oohh and aahh over it, she'll say, "Yes, I lost my religion over that one!"

At any rate, Miss Green, who has been renamed 'Forest Water Goddess' in her new incarnation, gave me an Aha! moment.  (***The moment I realized my little goddesses are actually pretty good.)  Showed her to a few people and the looks on their faces told me I might be on to something. Oh, I know the whole goddess totem thingie is nothin' new.  But it's sorta new to me and I was fired up to keep going, so I dug out my turquoise glass goddess and whipped out another beauty.   I have two 'girls' left which I will work on in the coming weeks but am VERY inspired to make more.  Now if the darn weather would just cooperate so I can work on them!  (My lampworking gear and table is set up outside, so if it's windy or too cold or raining, bead-making is out of the picture for that day.)

Amazing how some projects run away with you and practically make themselves with only minor assistance from the artist, while others take days of doing and redoing so by the time you're done, you're wiping the sweat from your brow, saying "Glad that's over with!"  Pretty much like life in general, huh?

Till next time...

To be rich in admiration and free from envy, to rejoice greatly in the good of others, to love with such generosity of heart that your love is still a dear possession in absence or unkindness - these are the gifts which money cannot buy.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Essayist, Poet, Novelist