Beauty Bestowed
Posted by Lanea on Monday, February 26th, 2007
I normally get to go to the American Craft Council show in Baltimore when it comes to town and marvel at the fantastic work there. As much as I enjoy attempting to create beautiful bits and bobs, appreciating other folks’ acts of beauty is what it’s all about. But the snow interceded, and I decided to settle for the bits of beauty that came my way right here at home.
The snow itself was far from shabby.
We got about six inches of snow, gorgeous as it fell, and a huge boon to our snow dog.
Edited to add: Rachel demanded snow dog pics, so here are some older snow dog pics. Kayo was moving too fast on Sunday to get any clear photos. These are a year old:
And phalaenopsis season got underway in our own little micro-climate.
We have dozens and dozens of buds on our charges. I don’t generally go for showy flowers, but there’s something particularly uplifting about having these beauties wake up during winter.
Scott brought me back an entirely different kind of flower from Arizona. It’s a piece of Dominican Amber with a small inflorescence, there in the upper center of the pic. I heart it.
Scott also brought back some goodies from Richard. A while back, I handed over a piece of Gaulish dig-trash that I wanted Richard to copy and reproduce in bronze. The original was difficult to hang as a pendant, and I figured Richard could add some sort of ring to the back. Well, he sent the prototypes home with Scott, and I’m astounded. I can’t believe how cleanly he managed to copy the original. I’m thinking I’ll get him to make, oh, a thousand copies.
I wish I could get a picture clear enough to show you what a great job he did, but, well, I drink a lot of coffee sometimes, and this is a small bit of metal I’m trying to photograph. It’s about 2.5 centimeters tall and 4ish wide, and both the original and the copies were sandcast in bronze, though the two castings were more than 2000 years apart. Trust me when I say that the prototypes look great. One has already landed in AnnaMarie’s hot little hands–she has a very conveniently placed birthday, that one. And one keeps winding up on my neck.
That’s a horse, of course, with his head on the left. The rider is faced perpendicular to the beastie, which is appropriate to most horse archers. The combination of subject matter and origin make for a pretty sweet little totem for Scott and me.
Filed in blather,Celtic,gardening | 9 responses so far
minnieon 26 Feb 2007 at 9:16 pm 1looks like a dragon to me, but then i have dragons on the brain, lol
Junoon 27 Feb 2007 at 8:32 am 2Beautiful.
How’s the wee wire-or-whatever eating beastie? All better?
rachelon 27 Feb 2007 at 10:36 am 3Snow dog pictures! Snow dog pictures! We want snow dog pictures!
Though all of that other stuff is cool too. đ I love amber.
laneaon 27 Feb 2007 at 12:08 pm 4Kitty update: After a week of watching and learning, my vet is pretty well convinced that the lesions in Yarrow’s mouth were the result of a viral infection like herpes rather than contact with a toxin or electricity. So I don’t feel negligent, but I’ve still been worrying about the little furball. He has been having flu like symptoms, but he is getting much better. I know Yarrow is getting better because he’s cuddling less and destroying more.
rachelon 28 Feb 2007 at 10:38 am 5Yay! Snow Dog! But poor little kitty. I’m glad to hear his appetite for destruction is returning.
sallyjoon 28 Feb 2007 at 11:43 am 6I have a wonderful snowdog picture of my real dog – a black smear punctuating a white explosion.
I love winter. I love snow. But I drew the line when I was out shovelling out my car at four in the morning during a blizzard at -20, when my more-or-less current dog thought we were having a freakin’ PARTY! Actually, she made it a lot more fun.
I just saw you have Punch Drunk Love in your list. Cool.
Annieon 28 Feb 2007 at 11:58 pm 7Wow. That casting is amazing! My orchid is blooming, too- or getting ready to- lots of big, fat buds on it!
nannyon 01 Mar 2007 at 5:25 pm 8I love the totem! so cool! I can’t wait to see it on you!
linda
Brewgalon 10 Mar 2007 at 5:53 am 9Wow, that is a gorgeous pendant! Definitely a unique bit of jewelry.