what follows

  i'm finally settling into some sort of routine here, in my studio away from the one i know so well at home.  funny thing is, the one at home is more like a black hole than anything right now - is more like a black hole than anything almost all of the time.  here, i've carted little divided boxes of treasures that i keep stacked on the red table beside me where i work, and i plan to continue that approach once i nestle back into firefly road.  one of the things i actually like about staying in a hotel room or cabin or cottage away from home is the fresh slate, the clean and orderly arrangement of my immediate life.  i know where things are for a change.  honestly.  i don't think i'll ever, ever be one of those folks who lives and works with sharpest, linear precision; sometimes i wish i could be more like that, but then i remind myself that my work would not, could not, be what it is if that were the case.  couldn't i ever reach a point somewhere in the middle?!  on sunday afternoon, robin drove over from silverthorne to pick me up and whisk me away into a beautiful rocky adventure.  he is an avid snowboarder, mountain biker, and works in remote areas down winding dirt roads that the usual traveler would never hope to see.  the area of leadville (yes, lead-ville) is surrounded by ancient, abandoned mines; the wood still stands after over 100 years of wind, sun, and heaviest snow.  this part of colorado has beauty that varies in huge extremes; red rock outcroppings morph into grey, and the timberline undulates along the craggy ridgelines.  wildflowers grow in clusters, or scattered across open meadows still green from summer.  ancient cabins lie in stubborn ruins, window openings still intact and framing distant mountains, closer trees, a beloved handsome son. we discovered, here, the perfect place to drape a few pieces of what i've been making.  nails that once held mud or plaster chinking fell off as i hung hammered silver words, gemstones, a photograph of a little girl; three nails came back to the studio with me in a pocket, bent and rusty souvenirs of a magical afternoon.
  golden light...
  worn elements...
  trinkets worn from being loved, from passing through time....
  little bird of the high mountains, smiling into the sun....

sweet robin waited patiently as i hung one piece this way and that, changed the lighting, changed the angles.  i always forget just how much time is spent first taking the photographs, then editing them once i get back to the computer - a necessary part of every artist's work.  the fact that i was surrounded by so much awesome beauty made the chore more like a lovely, other-worldly dream.  i had to wonder, standing there next to that old place, what stories had been told within those walls, what lives were spent there, were lived and celebrated, what adventures unfolded getting there, building the cabin, living out lives that were surely never dull.  i wonder what they would think now of some east coast artist standing there draping newfangled jewels that tell old fashioned dreams. 
we traveled higher from there, up and over mountain passes, through meadows, past  a painted plywood crescent moon and star propped up on a mountainside hanging over one small, odd town.  robin pointed out a series of deeply formed ruts, or chutes, running down one steep mountain ridge that spelled out, in natural formation,         S K Y.  things like this please me, so much, water and wind and rain and melting snow carving out a lovely three lettered word just like that for small, insignificant beings like me to see.  we saw flowers hanging tight at the edge of the world, we saw last afternoon light making everything take on a warm honey glow.  how can things be this beautiful?  and they are.  we live our lives wrapped up in a continuous onslaught of news good and bad, we worry about money, we worry about war, we worry, we worry, we worry.  and still, this earth shines bravely on.  
 standing at the top of the world like this, i want to stretch out my arms as wide as i humanly can and embrace it all, every grand thing.    coming back to the studio after an afternoon like this, i feel like i am racing to make tangible and real the ideas that are stemming from my time out in the middle of all that rugged, scented wild.  one piece called "nest egg" came to life yesterday in honor of a prospector's hopes and dreams; i finished it in the late afternoon, then stepped quietly outside the studio to photograph it nestled in a bronze miner's pan. 
three or four raindrops fell.  time stood still.  i studied, i remembered, i captured it in frozen time. 
 
 and then i stepped back inside and began the piece that i'll finish today - a work that is the essence of those heavenly golden wildflowers, high atop a mountain ridge, dancing with quiet abandon in the wind.  i hope it will convey everything that i am feeling in my heart; i hope its story will come through.  with all that memory wrapped up inside, how could it not?  and so, today, i thread my memories together in a strand.   "i spend my days walking up and down the rugged trails, and in my heart i carry home with me each of earth's embroidered flowers"  xo

Comments

[Rosemary]

Nina,
thank you so much for sharing nature and your art with us.
always remember you are special..
Rosemary

[Nancy Krampf]

oh my
i needed this breath of fresh air
wonderfully translated and beaming
right into my heart

thank you sweet nina and dear robin
x0x0x0x0x0x000000x0x0x

[Ann]

Thank you for reminding me again of what matters.

[Candice]

how measurmized I am with your recent travels. Enjoy your creativity and surroundings...

[Tina in McLeansville]

what glory you are in! and how it is manifesting itself deeply inside you. thank you for sharing! hugs...xo

[Emily]

So sorry I could not meet you Nina. I just arrived home too.
I have been to Leadville many times. We love to camp at Turquoise Lake. I'm glad you got to experience and see that beautiful area.
Welcome home.

[gayle]

I have never thought of your jewelry as "rustic" but there they are.....
snuggling right into those beautiful logs.
Have I not been looking closely enough or are you on a new journey ?

[kathryn]

i adore CO too...it's soo beautiful!! love how the nailed wood posts worked perfectly for displaying your art necklaces!!

[Minnie]

The bird is soaring. Most amazing

[sandra]

oh what a treat...I'm loving these cards. Reading your words I was transposed there. Did you feel me there? Oh thank you so much for sharing. This makes my day. I love the jewelry. Maybe you can shape an area of your home into that work place.Carve out another work home within your home....

[sally]

I'm there with you... in your pocket. Can you hear me sigh?

[diane cook]

Nina...you always bring me to another place. This time was no different =)

[Mary G.]

Nina -- What a beautiful post! All beautiful: your jewelry, your photographs, your words. Your happiness and productivity shine. And I am happy for you. Thank you, as always, for sharing this with us out here. Sounds like this trip is just what you needed.

[Judy H.]

Oh my gosh! Wonderful pix! Very enjoyable post. :D

[Elizabeth Woodford]

Breath taking beautiful and magical >> I can just imagine Robin discovering these wonderful spots and making a mental list to return to those very spots with you!!!
Thank you so much for letting us tag along!! The pieces that you have created are absolutely stunning!!!!Now aren't you so very glad that you took this leap???!!!!! YES!!!!

[Dale]

Oh how I love my lovely Carolina. I love living here between her mountains and sea but there is something about places like Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon....places that seem more pure, clean, untouched. I don't know, maybe it's just a case of the grass is always greener. Thanks for sharing your beautiful art and beautiful places.

[herhimnbryn]

Thankyou for sharing your adventure on the trail. I wanted to go up and run my hands over those log cabins, feel the history in them.
xo

[Diana B]

Your eye: just one of the many things we love about you. Good to know you're enjoying your time despite being away from Firefly Road and Walter. xo

[vickie long]

Oh yes, always embrace it when you can. And you have. It shows through so clearly in your words and your work. Awesome! Keep on embracing!
vickie in kc

[Lori Burek]

Nina, You make me wish to be there seeing all those wonderful things.I am so glad you are exploring and not having to wear a bonnet and long dress/apron.Ha, ha. You are right about the worries and nature goes on. Hugs to you!
Lori B.

[Vicki in Michigan]

I can feel your lungs filling with the scent of the mountain air, and your heart opening to the beauty you found there.

Thank you for taking us along.

[Hope Amen]

Beautiful Nina. My worries lifted briefly while walking and seeing with you. Your treasures are taking a new turn; and I love them!

[susan]

Nina, thank you for sharing the very special day you spent with Robin. Your jewelry looks perfectly at home in that rustic setting.

xo dusan

[mary]

You should consider becoming a travel consultant since you open every place you go to all of us. I am in awe... and the work that is coming forth...

When I saw that first pic of Robin, I wondered how many people had looked out that same window, hoping to see a loved one. I pray they were all as blessed as you; what a GLORIOUS photo.

[Teresa Raines]

Awesome and inspiring pictures Nina.

[Bonnie Moench]

After all the 9/11 stories, that were shown over again....I needed this breath of fresh air.
I will never forget the horror of that day, but I need to enjoy the beauty, and all that God provided us.

[carole]

What a great little adventure! And what a great place to photograph some of your jewelry.

[Jess]

Awesomeness all around, love the settings, love the little treasures by your hand. Like a breath of fresh air!!!
Love it!!XX

[Jacky Mcfarlane]

wow what beauty, I love the old log cabin, one can visualise a hard life well lived in what was a pretty harsh and dangerous environment when these where inhabited. The set your jewellery of perfectly. Live the dream....

[Diana Frey]

How fun it is Nina to visit the world through your eyes and jewelry creations....each piece infused with the essence of it's surroundings. Gorgeous photos...so glad you are able to spend time with your beautiful boy. I know your Mother's heart and how special each and every one of those moments are...I, too, treasure every moment I have with my son. Enjoy!
Hugs
Diana

[Sharon]

~Grand~

[Cindy Dean]

I love that your sons know you so well that they take you to special spots that they know you will love and wait patiently for you to do your thing. Some much love... Makes me smile!

[Penny]

What a wonderful, magical post. I love those areas that sometimes only a skiier can see, I miss not being able to ski any more but I can remember, and these photos of yours brought back a lot of memories. Thank You.

[Lesley Riley]

Beautiful. How can it not change you? Talk soon! Safe travels.

[heartartz]

Hi Nina
I just love your new collection of Colorado inspired necklaces.
Just one question, how do you mount embroidery in a bezel?
Is it glued in place? or under resin?
That one really intrigues me!
Thank you for your beautiful creations and thoughtful reflections....all inspire me.
Love you soooo much,
Gail