poetics of light

Kate Breakey (via Miniature Rhino)

Kiki Smith: Tied To Her Nature

Kiki Smith

Natura Exenterata

Respect the Elders

The rocks were here before people were here. Lakota traditions say that life began with the rise of a great stone from the waters of creation. The Lakota word "tunkaschila" meaning “grandfather” is sometimes used for the word "stone" because stones are referred to as our elders.




I love these magick stones by Jos van Wunnik

Related Posts: Speaking Stones

I'm always late, but I'm right on time!

I ordered the Feathers calendar from The Wild Unknown! Better late than never! I'm really trying to be frugal these days, but I might also NEED these Great Lakes Prisms containing beach sand, stones, feathers, driftwood and other natural wonders! Serious retail lust...

Nature Girls Rock!

I need to take a moment to do a little shout out to two fabulous girls! Emine of Cloven Hoof Jewelry and Pamela of Pamela Tuohy Jewelry! Not only are these girls are both talented couture jewelry designers inspired by Natural History...they are both sweet, thoughtful and generous! Incidentally, both of their jewelry collections can be found at Urban Flower Grange Hall.



I feel privileged to say I actually have a collection of Cloven Hoof Jewelry! Emine and I trade jewelry...and she always throws in something extra, she just can't control herself! This time she threw in this fabulous taxidermy deer eye rosette pin! Thank you Emine...I LOVE everything!!!



Check out these giant rhinocerous beetle brooches! The locket opens on one of them and has red jeweled eyes! I also have a tiny green jewel beetle necklace that I cherish! Her website is currently undergoing a tranformation but I'll let you all know as soon as she relaunches!



I wrote about Pamela Tuohy's gorgeous 'Lovers Eye' jewelry here a while ago. She was really happy to be featured here and said she enjoyed reading through the archives of my blog. When she asked me for my address I thought she was going to send me a post card or a lil' something. I couldn't believe my eyes as I opened the package she sent me...I cried! A lovely keepsake box containing one of her beautiful, one of a kind necklaces was accompanied by the sweetest most thoughtful note! And look, it's an OWL!!! Thanks again Pamela...I LOVE my necklace!!!

Supernatural Specimen Giveaway Contest!

I've recieved a bunch of emails from people asking if I will be listing anymore Supernatural Specimens! Here's the deal...I got a wholesale order from Bona Drag! I'm so honored, she has a amazing selection of jewelry! Once I get my Website up and running I will start offering them again, but until then they will be offered exclusively through Bona Drag! However, Bona Drag will only be selling my Butterfly and Snake Medicine Specimens. So if you saw one in my shop that you love...such as a root, bone, seeds or other such...see below...contact me and I will make one especially for you!



These are the Butterfly and Snake Medicine Specimens before I added the jump rings and chains. The Butterfly Specimens are made from a collection of vintage butterflies I bought on Etsy...and the Snake Specimens are made from the snake shed of my friend Viva's Boa, Morpheus!



I made two prototypes using small vials, but Heather opted for the larger ones. Soooo...I'm going to do a Give-Away! Leave me a comment...and I'll draw the names of 2 lucky people and list the winners next Sunday! Don't be shy...you might win! Good Luck! xo Lavona



and the winners for the contest are: Hannah of (Hello Mr. Fox) and Savannah of (Outlaw Knitters) Congratulations ladies! Please send your mailing address to ladylavona@yahoo.com

missmouse

I wrote about missmouse quite some time ago in my 'Antler Craze' post...but I must express my love once again! I'm currently coveting her grizzly trophy and shotgun pins...perfection!

Speaking Stones

These are some rocks and stones that live with me. On the bottom, a sheet of "blue stone" a gift from my friend Auvergine's mother, from the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. It's said to ward off evil! On top of that a sheet of river bed rock from the Short Mountain Sanctuary in Vermont (home of the Radical Faeries) given to me by my friend JoJo. The two stones wrapped with rattan pentacles are spirit stones that I bought for myself, and nestled next to those is a stone given to me by my old friend/roomate/co-worker, Jessica aka "the wicked pixie".

Animism is a spiritual ideology that all things that exsist have a soul or spirit: the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, the stars, galaxies clouds, storms, the river, the ocean, humans, animals, plants, trees, and stones. Indigenous cultures and peoples the world over have been trying to help humanity remember this for a very long time now; and many are beginning to remember. Animism may also attribute souls to natural phenomena, geographic features, and metaphors in mythology. The idea is central to Shamanism and Mysticism all around the world. Earth based Religions which emphasize animism in this sense include Shinto, Hinduism, Paganism, Santeria, Vodou, ect. For example, a stone has an individual consciousness. The Lakota and other Native people recognized that earth and the stones are alive. The rocks were here before people were here. Lakota traditions say that life began with the rise of a great stone from the waters of creation. Stones are referred to as our elders. The Lakota word for stone is "tunka-shila" this means “grandfather.”


Covered stones by Resurrection Fern

Many traditional tales speak of the age and the wisdom of the stone people. Among the Iroquois of the northeast, the tale of the storytelling stone explains that in the old days stories were not known by human beings. It was not until a great rock began to tell stories to a boy named Gah-gah or “Crow” that storytelling became a part of the human experience. Among the Lakota they have the story of Stone Boy, the child of a woman and a rock, who brings the first inipi (sweat lodge) to the people.


Made by second-generation rattan weaver, Deloss Webber

The Inipi ceremony, a type of sweat lodge, is a Lakota purification ceremony, and one of the Seven Sacred Rites of the Lakota people. Roughly, it involves a lodge - a frame of Willow saplings covered with hides or blankets. Stones are heated in a fire, then placed into a central pit in the lodge. Water is then poured on the stones to create hot steam. Offerings are made to the spirit world; traditional prayers, songs, drumming, and herbs (tobacco, sweet grass, redcedar or white cedar). Those that conduct this sacred rite communicate with our Sacred Grandfathers that inhabit the stones and translate the messages given.

Have you ever been drawn to a particular object because it spoke to you? Next time you pick up a stone or crystal, think of it as a conscious being with a story to tell you!

Derrick R. Cruz

Derrick Cruz is the designer behind Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons. He creates beautiful handcrafted jewelry, accessories, and functional Art Objects, each piece rich with symbolism. I was instantly taken with Derrick's jewelry the from the moment I saw it! Below, is the "Only Daughter" necklace (that I soooo covet) from his Bendición Collection created for BBlessing. One of five visual chapters in a story inspired by a vintage portrait of a little Hungarian girl in a black dress with her bees.



"After weighing the words "Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons" for some time, their blatant reference to outsiders and men seeking redemption caused a greater alien to rear its head—an only daughter among favored sons. Quiet and stern, she seeks no grandeur. With her are the bees, heralds of our awful stewardship of the world. These are the friends she keeps. Deprived of guidance, our daughter enters a hero's journey..." Oh my poor bleeding heart, I swear this brought tears to my eyes! The story goes unfinished though, there will be two more visual chapters to the collection! I pray there's a happy ending for the lonesome bee girl...

Recently, Derrick was featured on the Selby website. Intrigued once again, I proceeded to his website to see what see what he was up to. He has a line of fancy limited edition, handcrafted straight razors for ale swillin' razor cheeked rouges! The 'Mammoth Razor' is comprised of a mammoth ivory and sterling sheath, a masterfully restored vintage blade and a quartz Stanhope lens. Each razor can be personalized with a custom image in the Stanhope lens and or the addition of a Scrimshaw engraving on the handle.



More importantly though, is his project inspired by the disappearing Honey Bee. While researching bee mythology a few years ago for his his Bendición Collection, he found out about the honey bee crisis refered to as "Colony Collapse Disorder". Whole colonies of honeybees are abandoning their hives en masse and are not returning! Approximately 80% of all insect pollination is accomplished by honey bees, so this could effect the entire global food supply...scary! No bees=no food! Derrick curated this amazing installation called "A New Hive" at Earnest Sewn in New York, in an attempt to bring this matter to awareness. For this installation, Cruz collaborated with designers and artists Monica Byrne, Cory Gomberg, Caroline Priebe, and Ryder E. Robison to showcase beekeeper-inspired suits, limited-edition eighteen-karat-gold honeycomb accessories, drawings, and sculptures to benefit the nonprofit group Bees Without Borders. Look at this room...isn't it gorgeous!? In the center of the room, 3,000 bees are in an observation hive made from found objects.



He created eighteen-karat gold pendants cast directly from a piece of abandoned honeycomb wax.



Then he had PapaBubble Caramels Artisans insert the necklaces in a 25-inch hivelike pyramid made of sugar. The pieces of gold were in crevices filled with honey. From what I understand, anyone who wanted to purchase a pendant would have to crack through the hive, stick the piece in their mouth, and suck the honey off to get to the gold....hmm...delish!



“The rich folklore and natural history of honeybees inspires an ethereal childlike curiosity in individuals…Curiosity leads to contemplation, internalization, and then to genuine concern. I hope A NEW HIVE will help us regain respect for these amazing creatures; after all, almost everything we eat is made possible by bees." Derrick Cruz



Donate to "A NEW HIVE"! Proceeds from donations to "A NEW HIVE" will support research and education focusing on the development of sustainable beekeeping practices as well as the up-keep and foundation of new hives in local gardens.


* A side note*
I used to make beeswax candles, soap, lip balm, skin salve and sugar scrub using beeswax and honey. I noticed a sharp increase in wholesale costs so I starting using other natural products. Soy wax for my candles, ect... But the healing properties of honey are unparalled so I started searching for a local source. I thought maybe I could find a local bee farm just outside of Chicago. (I found out about the honey bee crisis during this time.) While trying to find a local source, I discovered that people in cities everywhere are keeping bees right in their backyards, rooftops, and community gardens! Chicago has beehives on top of City Hall! I met a woman who had live bees shipped right to her house! My current living situation permits me from keeping bees unfortunatly, but I found a non-profit organization near by called the Chicago Honey Co-op. I'm hoping to volunteer in the Spring!

"Urban beekeepers, an unofficial secret society of asphalt naturalists, romantics drawn to the beauty of a beehive's intelligent design, epicureans seeking the delectable taste of locally procured honey, and off-the-grid types keeping nature alive in the city."



The healing properties of honey are not just recognized by holistic health practitioners. For example, Derma Sciences Inc., a New Jersey company that makes medicated and other advanced wound care products, began selling "Medihoney" the first honey-based wound dressing in 2007 after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The product is effective in healing wounds which are resistant to strong antibiotics.

Beeswax candles have an instantly recognizable scent – a subtle and deliciously sweet honey-like perfume that induces an instant feeling of calm and wellbeing. When burned, beeswax candles release negative ions that improve the quality of the air. As opposed to Paraffin candles that are a by-product of petroleum–a fossil fuel and pollutant. Also, the light produced by beeswax candles is natural like sunlight...solar frequencies. The light produced by paraffin candles is like a fluorescent lightbulb...chaos frequencies!

Honey is the Nectar of the Goddess: check out The Bee Goddess

Nymphenburg Desires

"Nymphenburg has been handcrafting finest porcelain since 1747. Services, figures and objects of the greatest purity – with each piece being unique – are produced using traditional methods at a single location in the world – at the Nördliches Schlossrondell in Nymphenburg."

Datura Stramonium: Thornapple

Datura stramonium (Thornapple) is, like Henbane and Belladonna, a member of the order Solanceae. The plant is strongly narcotic, but has a peculiar action on the human frame which renders it very valuable as a medicine. The whole plant is poisonous, but the seeds are the most active; neither drying nor boiling destroys the poisonous properties. The usual consequences of the poison when taken in sufficient quantity are dimness of sight, dilation of the pupil, giddiness and delirium, sometimes amounting to mania, but its action varies greatly on different persons. Many fatal instances of its dangerous effects are recorded: it is thought to act more powerfully on the brain than Belladonna and to produce greater delirium.


Cast Silver Thornapple Candle by D.L. & Co.

The effects of Datura have been described as a living dream: consciousness falls in and out, people who don't exist or are miles away are conversed with, etc. The effects can last for days. Tropane alkaloids are some of the few substances which cause true hallucinations which cannot be distinguished from reality. It may be described as a "real" trance when a user under the effect can be awake but completely disconnected from his immediate environment. In this case, the user would ignore most stimuli and respond to unreal ones. This is unlike psilocybin or LSD, which only cause sensory distortions.


Cast Pewter/Silver Plated Thornapple Pod available at Gold Bug

Datura stramonium is native to either India or Central America. It was used as a mystical sacrament in both possible places of origin. Aboriginal Americans in the United States have used this plant in sacred ceremonies. In some tribes datura was involved in the ceremonies of manhood. The sadhus of Hinduism also used datura as a spiritual tool, smoking it with cannabis in their traditional chillums. It was also widely used by the Magyar (Hungarian) spiritual leaders (the Táltos) since ancient times.

Mama Needs a New Stove!

I have an awesome old Universal stove...circa 1950's. The old gal is finally giving up on me, the oven just quit and I can only use three burners on the range. Probaly somewhat dangerous, I don't want my home to blow up! I'm so bummed, this is a really bad time of the to make this kind of purchase! Christmas is coming! On that note, I've just listed some great Natural History items in my Etsy shop! Go check it out and buy something so my kids don't have to eat microwave dinners! xo Lavona

Audrey Kawasaki

Audrey Kawasaki is another incredible artist I found via Wurtzeltod. Most of the girls in her paintings have this sort of discontent expression on their faces. I thought it was especially appropriate here though...as the girl looks over her specimen collection, perhaps dissatisfied that her collection is missing something. If she just had a Mudpuppy fish (see pic below), then maybe her collection would be complete. Not too different from a gal who collects handbags I suppose...hmmm...desire...Buddha says the root of all suffering is desire, I'm just sayin' ;)

Jenny Kendler

Jenny Kendler is another artist exploring the theme of (Wo)Man and Nature. The body of work for her show titled "Wunderkammer" was inspired by 18th-19th Century natural history collections and memento mori portraits. The exhibit explored the past, present and future.



First, the walls were hung with graphite portraits of humans wearing animal masks, each one the face of an extinct species, each portrait drawn from a photograph taken in the year the animal became extinct. This alludes to the fact that man was ultimately responsible for the fate of these animals. Next, in the corner of the room an installation of colorful award ribbons, each painted with beautiful watercolors of endangered species of plants and animals...reminding the viewer of our environmental responsibilities, lest these species meet the same fate of the extinct.



Last, in the center of the room, a deer skull under a bell-jar grows new life. The image reveals possible future outcomes, it speaks of death and regeneration, and the possibility of healing our relationship with nature.

All of the profits from the sale of her works are donated to environmental charities such as Environmental Defense, Tropical Rainforest Coalition and The IUCN Red List for endangered species research and protection.

Madeline von Foerster

I haven't checked in with Madeline von Foerster for quite some time (Thanks Suzanne!) I fell in love with her work when I saw her Alchemy series for the first time. Her latest series titled WALDKAMMER (Forest Cabinet), rocks my world! Her current body of work is accompanied by a very insightful and sensitive narrative about Man's destructive relationship with Mother Nature, particularly our current deforestation crisis.



These works will be unveiled at Strychnin Berlin in November. Please contact Madeline if you’re interested in seeing some selected works that will be in that show: baphomatty@earthlink.net

Unnatural History

"I am interested in the idea of artist as mad scientist. My drawings offer visual hypotheses to the question: what would happen if the DNA sequence of a plant or mushroom were spliced with that of an animal? Using graphite, watercolor, and walnut ink on paper as well as directly on gallery walls in site-specific installations, I portray animals morphed with branches, mushrooms, berries, and blossoms, thus forming implausible hybrid creatures. These images subvert the traditional genre of botanical illustration by approaching the close study of the natural world through the lens of genetic engineering and mutation gone awry." Amy Ross




"As a contemporary (wildlife) artist, my work is indebted to countless hours spent watching David Attenborough documentaries, infinite trips to natural history museums, and my obsessive, unhealthy interest in all things that scamper and poke about in the thickets and undergrowth. When I first began moving graphite on paper I was rendering the childhood standards: dinosaurs, creepy crawlers and other interesting fauna. Not much has changed in two decades. Imitating the conventions of 18th and 19th century zoological illustration and traditional Chinese fine-line painting, I make strange and lovely images of curious creatures and beautiful beasts." Justin Gibbens

Heads Up!

I'll be listing these Black Forest Relics (Antique-circa 1950's) in my Etsy shop tomorrow morning! The last batch (see below) sold the same day, so don't wait if you want one! xo Lavona

Black Forest Relics

I have added some new Black Forest Hunting Relics (Antique-Circa 1875) to my Etsy shop! I nearly doubled over when I found these at an Estate Sale this weekend! I also got a beautiful Victorian tufted red velvet loveseat...lucky me!

Lindsey Carr Rocks!

Today I recieved the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time...two prints from Lindsey Carr's Etsy shop LittleRobot. Her new work is breath-taking! She's created fantastic creatures by juxtaposing insects, flowers, and marine life! We did a trade...she pick a couple items from my Etsy shop too! We are both just as happy as can be about it! I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Her print quality is top notch...and she only prints a limited edition of each one, so don't wait! She also has a couple of her original paintings available if you really want to spoil yourself!