Beauty in the natural world is a place of refuge for our spiritual selves and a springboard to creativity for the human mind.
In Greek mythology Hera created the peacock from Argus, who had 100 eyes. The tail feathers represent the stars in the heavens and symbolize all-seeing knowledge. In Hindu faith, the peacock is associated with the goddess Lakshmi representing compassion, kindness and patience. In Christianity, the peacock symbolizes resurrection, immortality, renewal.
James Abbott McNeill Whistler's controversial "Harmony in Blue and Gold; The Peacock Room" is currently housed in the Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian in Washington DC. Frederick Leyland had originally commissioned the artist to make minor changes to pull the room together, only to return to find that Whistler had become completely carried away. His claim was that he let his imagination run wild "I forgot everything in the joy of it".
There is certainly a place where we all meet and commune with nature, We find it in our gardens, on our vacations to beautiful places, a walk in the woods, and in our relationships with animals we care for who entrust us to keep them safe.
By translating experiences and impressions into the medium of jewelry making I am allowed to find the same joy that Whistler experienced as he created "The Peacock Room". Contemplation of the natural world around me allows for peace to enter my mind, relax, celebrate beauty, and reflect another version of beauty back into the world.