There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
-Rumi
Here are some behind-the-scenes shots from a recent shoot for Sahlia's website. Coming up to Sahlia's lofty studio in the Ford building in South East is like coming home to a little tree house sanctuary. The high ceilings, exposed brick, big windows and raw edge wood all feels so natural and peaceful. I love the old picture frames she made into jewelry displays. (I'm going to try and convince her to teach me how to make them--yay x-mas presents!) I visit her as much as possible, and always leave draped more of her gorgeous jewels. She likes me to wear them out and about to give them
some freedom and fresh air.
--
The shoot was straight-forward, with just Natalie modeling, me styling and Sahlia shooting. Natalie is such a sweet, talented model to work with--not to mention hilarious and professional and all the other things a person could want! Doing her makeup was a breeze: a nude smokey eye, nude super glossy lips and summer-bronze face. Hair just took some minor tweaking to an already great cut.
--
Recently I helped Sahlia name her new pieces. The first day I came in with my notebook and scribbled up line sheets I was a little nervous, thinking I could either be right on or possibly wayyyy off. I got her a copy of the Essential Rumi (my obsession) and used my copy to come up with the names. I was led by her example of the name "Patience" for a pair of earrings (they take her forever to make, plus a lot of patience, because of how she has to sauter and meld (or whatever she does) these tiny barbells through little links interspersed along the chain. I think we finally named the earrings "With Patience"). She loved the names, and over a few days (and a bottle a few bottles of red wine) we perfected each. For a pair of braided chain earrings: "Being Woven." For small silver hoops suspend from a chain with barbell clusters: "Sky Wheel." For the triple-v necklace below, I loved the name "Birdwings" (which inspired me to post the hauntingly beautiful poem here), and Sahlia came up with "The Symmetry of Wings," which is even more descriptive. Some names, like "The Sun is Love," had no match yet in jewelry, but inspired new pieces. For us creative freakshows, it is all such a process. I'm excited to see where we all go with our work. In the meantime we just keep digging our wells--working in beautiful spaces with clear minds, vision and purpose and collaborating with talented, passionate people!
Birdsong brings relief
to my longing
I am just as ecstatic as they are,
but with nothing to say!
Please, universal soul, practice
some song, or something, through me!
--
The way of love is not
a subtle argument.
The door there
is devastation.
Birds make great sky-circles
of their freedom.
How do they learn it?
They fall, and falling,
they're given wings.
-Rumi
No comments:
Post a Comment