Observing the Sounds of the World

Recently I completed a special order for a woman here in Nantucket. We connected through the holiday craft shows here on the island. In December she caught up with me toting along a delicate bowl from her treasured great-grandmother. She shared with me the memories of her great-grandmother, all that she had taught her and the great affection they shared. I had the blessing of creating holiday gifts of jewelry for her, her two sisters and her mother. The pièce de résistance, which I just completed last week,  highlighted the large center decoration of the bowl and will ultimately hang from a window or a Christmas tree, unless of course my client is into bringing back some old school Fab Five Freddy huge clock bling.

What I hadn’t noticed until buffing the final piece was the name of the china, Kuan Yin. There was something about that name that was so familiar. Then, as if divinely inspired, I looked up and saw the statue of a deity front and center on my little alter in front of my soldering station.

The alter in front of my solder station

“THAT’S Kuan Yin!” I thought, this was a gift from my mother many years ago, she lived in my kitchen when I lived in Philly and now she rests on my window sill in full view saddled by a “Money” Tiki and a bright orange Buddha, also gifted from brilliant women in my life! I remembered immediately that this Kuan Yin is symbolic of compassion but I had to dig a little further. I am a sucker for “coincidence” and I knew I would want to share the story of Kuan Yin with my client when I gave her the finished piece.

Kuan Yin and the final piece

Stamp from Custom Order

It is said that she is the “observer of the sounds (or cries) of the world”, pretty heavy load lady! Apparently so heavy a load for this Bodhisattva that internalizing the suffering of the world became so overwhelming that her head exploded, oh how one can relate! Fortunately a nearby Buddha put it back together, thank god for those nearby Buddahs – always there when you need them! The result was no humpty dumpty but rather a deity with 11 heads that could see, and hear, all the world. Kuan Yin when faced with the well deserved destiny to move on to eternal bliss choose to tumble back to earth 11 heads and all and remain present for the worlds cries, calls and prayers. Maybe we could all learn a bit from this special lady and pay a little closer attention to the calls and cries around us, seems like a brave practice to me…

Kuan Yin “is goddess of fecundity as well as of mercy. Worshiped especially by women, this goddess comforts the troubled, the sick, the lost, the senile and the unfortunate. Her popularity has grown such through the centuries that she is now also regarded as the protector of seafarers, farmers and travelers.”

Source:

http://www.holymtn.com/gods/kuanyin.htm

The Latest Dish

I am on a very special assignment over the next couple of days…and not quite sure where to begin telling about it. I am not sure whether this bills as a history lesson, a page from my family memoir or a tale of great adventure, I suppose you will have to decide for yourself.

Last summer I was living at my grandpa’s house in Margate, NJ, it was in his kitchen and dining room that Wild Bull in a China shop let loose. My grandpa had passed away, his ashes lying dormant in a can awaiting his next big adventure, me well, I was essentially squatting with permission while I figured out my next big move in life.

214 Brunswick Dr, Margate, NJ

A couple weeks ago my dad and aunt made settlement on the house and all of its contents were sorted, dished out and moved into my dad’s place or my aunts apartment. Among the treasures, my grandmother’s Homer Laughlin dish set. A collection born out of the Great Depression and the brilliance of co-branding. Back in the day (the 1930’s to be a bit more precise), in an effort to save jobs and prevent both movie theaters and china factories from going out of business the two businesses joined forces and created “Dish Night”. Weekly, ladies of the house could sashay their way down to the local theater see a flick and come home with a gravy boat. Apparently, my Great-grandmother enlisted all of her children and their children to head on down and claim their plates, with 12 children in her brood I am guessing Great-grandma was serving the clan in high style in no time at all!

Dish Night at the Movies

The current generation of Federici ladies all have a deep fondness and connection to this set, which ultimately made its way onto the table of my Grandmom, Anna (who sadly I will only ever know through stories and plates). Back when my friend Linda was in her heyday of breaking china and making gems we commissioned her to make pieces for all of the ladies in the family, which means anyone who was ever married in, divorced out, invited over for more than two holiday dinners in a row got a piece of jewelry. When I started working out designs last summer the first pieces I made were from a chipped plate from this collection and once again all the women connected to Federici genetic material got a piece from the collection.

At this point you might be wondering “Where the hell is the adventure in all of this? Maybe that was just a cheap ploy to get me to read her blog….BITCH!”. Now just hold on to your silverware people!

This summer my aunt Marietta, who packed up the Lauglin collection and now houses it in her Manhattan home also packed up Grandpa Fed in his can and headed back to our Family homeland, Italy! On this journey, Aunt Mar took my Grandpa on a adventure through a country he knew only through visiting once but had such a longing for that at one point in his life might have even up and moved there. Marietta scattered his ashes high and low across that boot, even throw his dust in the Trevi Fountain. One of the best parts of that trip was that she was able to reconnect with our family roots in Castlegrande, Italy.

Many years earlier my Grandpa, got the internet and among other uses he found entertaining on the web he also connected with our cousins there. Marietta followed the thread he started right back to this little village and met, hugged and ate with the likes of Vito and Angela Federici and all of their kin.

With Grandpa settled in the Italian countryside, I have found my way back into the studio with the Homer Lauglin dishes once again cutting, grinding and soldering in the love around some new pieces that will make their way across the Atlantic and connect us with our roots. Who knew what a part Homer Laughlin, the movies and times of desperation would play in connecting our family over the years.

Homer Laughlin Collection acquired at a Dish Night

Homer Laughlin Stamp

Hearts for the Castlegrande Federici Clan of women

To read more about Dish Night at the Movies check out this link:

http://beauxmondesdesigns.blogspot.com/2009/02/dish-night-at-movie-theaters.html

Creativity & Flexibility

There is an important element in the creative process that I discovered this week: FLEXIBILITY. As a dancer I knew that the more flexible my body is the more creative I could be with movement…an obvious connection. Today as a jewelry maker the connection between flexibility and creativity is a bit more subtle for me. I have found in my last few special orders that I must GO WITH THE PLATE! Honor the piece and the design that it whispers in my ear, rather than the thoughts that I might have about what something “should” become (“should”, tsk, tsk…such a dirty word!). In order to hear that I have to get quite, listen to the stories that the client shares and be willing to let go of any notion I have about what that design “should” be. There is also the story that the china shares, beyond the memories of my client and my appreciation of the design, it is stored in the vibrating energy of the clay and carries with it knowledge of its own creation and past lives. The creative process in a special order is a shared experience borrowing the sentiment of the client, the history in the china and the end result that flows out of my sketch. In order to create something truly special, it is essential to open my mind and be willing to go with what works, be flexible, liquid, fluid…

I am working on a new special order that has nothing to do with jewelry. When I got the request to make ornaments for a wall sconce I wasn’t sure it would fit with what I do, ever rigid and suspect, resistance always seems to show up first. Fortunately, I remembered that creativity is one of my guiding values and that in my vision for this business I don’t necessarily see myself exclusively making jewelry for the rest of my life. In an ideal world I see myself surrounded by other creative people as we share our ideas and design concepts growing out of a shared creative force. I digress as usual…when I got the photos of the sconce and matched it with the design that my client chose I wasn’t sure that was the best fit.

All this being artistic and creative is new to me so I don’t automatically take ownership of being a “designer” or artist. None the less, I went with my intuition which was saying that something else was wanting to be done with these pieces”, a practice I am trusting more and more with special orders. With this order I sat down with the images of the sconce, the glass component I am adorning and the Blue Willow China that I am using for the piece. Over the course of an hour or so, ideas started to flow, neurons started firing, the process ignited! “If I make the shape more pointed it will connect with the shape of the star, if I use elegant crystals to space them I can honor the antiquity of the piece, if I choose pieces from the entire story of the Blue Willow it will tell the story on her scones…” I got more and more excited as I sketched!”

In the back of my mind I remembered that my client had something else in mind, “oh no will she even want my suggestion, will all this design work be for nothing”, “should I just do exactly what the client asked and offer no alternative???”. Ahhhh, the itty bitty committee in my head has all kinds of suggestions that have nothing to do with the creative process. And then I remembered that she also came to me because of something I had created, that I designed, something in her must be willing to also trust my input and design sense. So, what the hell, got to throw it out there…

In the end it doesn’t matter whether my idea is adored or chosen, my commitment is to honor all parts of this process: the client, the china and myself, if I can hold the space for integrity around that then I know it will be a success. There are times when my design work hits the nail on the head and other times when it just doesn’t. The most fun I am having is through the entire process, the conversations, the frustrations, the “aha’s”, the yes’s and the no’s. I am grateful for my special order clients who give me this opportunity to challenge myself in a new way. As my body ages and I relate less and less to my previous physical flexibility I had 10 years ago I am finding joy and solace in the flexibility my mind is practicing.

Stars, Planets and Zodiacs…oh my!

Today marked the end of Wild Bull’s first season in sales at the Sustainable Nantucket Farmer’s & Artisan Market. It came with both a sense of relief and nostalgic sadness. Relief only because my full time work got even more full time this week and in an effort to keep my soul in balance having a complete weekend to create, relax and savor the fall is much appreciated. Nostalgic sadness simply because when anything comes to and end I get a sense of mourning and missing. There will never be a first season again and so I am grateful I took the time to slowly take down my booth today, to spend a few extra moments chatting with my last customers and spend a little more attention with everyone at the market.

My last customers were a delightful woman and her two daughters who were instantly drawn to the Zodiac Collection I have been making. I came across the first plate in one of my favorite thrift shops in Southern New Jersey, the second brown plate came from a Goodwill in the same town and finally these have been so popular I searched and bought one in blue on Ebay. I personally think these are the most hideous plates I have ever purchased (no offense), most importantly when viewed as a whole plate. Good fortune for me that I rarely care about the plate as a whole. When I found this ugly duckling I knew it would be a hit. What is it about our zodiac signs that intrigues us?

Sample Alferd Meakin Zodiac Plate

Zodiac Pendant Collection

I as many people am fascinated by the zodiac in both a weekly horoscope sort of way and in a grander more esoteric fashion. I do believe that the alignment of the stars and planets have great impact on us as individuals and communities, after all doesn’t our planets gravitational pull hold the moon and the moon in turn pulls the tides, why wouldn’t the shifts and turns of our universe impact our watery bodies and ethereal souls.

My two main focuses over the last week have been:

1. Feeding a deep need to restore myself (body, mind and spirit) as this season ends and new phase begins (apparently the recent full moon was all about leaving behind significant factors that keep us stuck) I am left feeling and odd sense of inspired fatigue, is that odd?

…and…

2. My “Ground Hog Day” like amazement at how powerful the present moment is for feeling full freedom and true restoration. The power of the moment is a lesson I apparently can’t get enough of.

No coincidence that I just went to see what was happening on the MysticMamma page and saw these two topics, one immediately following the next:

Rejuvenate, Regenerate, Resurrect Yourself~

Only the present moment can make us free~

Sooooo, my friends and loved ones I am going to take this sign, wrap up my writing and read what some other delightful soul has to say about the topics I am hungry for…I hope you will too…

May the stars and planets align in favor of our highest good and usher each of us into a new season, refreshed and awake.

Special Orders & Weeping Willows

Earlier in the summer a women serendipitously found me on Etsy. Somehow she had discovered a heart pendant I had sold in late 2011 of the birds from the Blue Willow pattern of china. I say serendipitously because once something is sold on the site it is very difficult to find again, not to mention this is the worldwide web and Etsy so someone searching “blue willow”, “love birds”, “heart jewelry” or any other variation could land on over millions of items. She happened to find my piece, got in touch with me and started the process of a Special Order. In looking back it was truly meant to be…

Her story moved me so profoundly. Her prematurely born twin grandchildren had left this earth within hours and days of their birth. When she came across the Love Bird pendant she contacted me to see if I could let her know when and  if I ever made another. Fortunately, Blue Willow is prolific and I always have a few plates in stock as well as a few hearts in process. I was able to ship her off a heart to wear close to her own heart that as she put it “would always remind her of the two souls that left this earth too soon”.

Through our conversations I started researching the story behind the plate. The more traditional story speaks of two lovers from separate classes in Mandarin, China who much along the lines of Romeo and Juliet , were fated to live and love together only in heaven. The gods moved by their love turn their souls into doves.

In another version that I opted to share with her, the doves are the souls of Shaolin monks ascending to heaven after their monastery is burned by Manchu invaders. As the souls make their way to heaven they pass by three Buddhas standing on the bridge observing their passage. When I read this version of the story, I imagined her grandchildren as the little Shaolin monks more than the star crossed lovers.

I will never know the depth of sadness this woman went through, the story that I shared with her in no way removes the pain of loosing the promise of light and love in a family’s life. The interactions I had with this woman were an honor for me and it put me in touch with the power of symbols and artifacts. When I make special orders I keep her in mind.

This was a unique special order and most of the time the circumstances for making a custom piece are vastly different. Regardless of whether a piece is commissioned to commemorate a life, a home or a family legacy I get the honor of connecting with something special in the life of another human being…pretty SPECIAL I have to say!

Many thanks to anyone who allows me the privilege of making something for them.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_pattern

Lemony Whipped Dessert

This is a story about the legacy of a delicate tea-cup I purchased last November at a yard sale in Nantucket, a day after moving here from my extensive travel in France.

The journey of a tea cup

Inspired by the French spoken in my booth today, the completion of a special order of a maker’s mark pendant from that very tea-cup and my growing intrigue into the history of various china makers I am embarking on a series of entries focused on history and facts about china.

A year ago, if asked what Limoges was, I would have responded that it was a delicious light lemony dessert more than likely topped with fresh whipped cream. My customers that know their stuff would have scoffed and looked down upon my tasty response. Scorn no more, ladies!! This tasty treat is learning her stuff!

Once adored for sipping tea…

For those of you who are still licking their lips thinking about lemon tarts and fresh whipped cream, it’s okay there is a little trail of drool forming at the corner of my mouth….mmmmmm….lemony desserts….fresh whipped cream…mmmmmm

Anyhow, Limoges is actually a city in the Limousin Region of France. The city of Limoges was destined to produce some of the worlds finest china, it was as many will say, written in the stars.

It was thought that the material necessary to make fine porcelain was only available and well-guarded in China. But in the late 18th century a chemists wife found a substance in Limoges that she hoped would be viable for soap. Turns out the material was Kaolin, a key ingredient in making hard-paste porcelain (the fancy shit from China). Cha- CHING!!! France hit it BIG!!!

FUNNY SIDE ANECDOTE is that back in the day (around 1520) when Marco Polo brought back the first fine china from none other than China, the French (along with the Italians) tried to ban the import. It seems that they were not happy being upstaged in the fashionable fineness department, they simply couldn’t create the kind of fine detail coming out of China, at least not for another 200+ years.

So JACKPOT!!!!!!!!! With abundant Kaolin stores at the ready France could now get to work upstaging the rest of the world in the fine art of porcelain…can’t you hear the collective sigh of relief.

And truly France did hit the high ranks. Not only did Limoges have Kaolin in their back yard it is surrounded by the forests of the Limousin Region, harvesting this energy meant ample fuel to feed the fires of the kilns. What is even cooler is the Viennes Rivers floats through Limoges providing quick transportation for the logs AND the power to beat the clay into artful submission.

See what I mean…DESTINITY! Talk about taking advantage of your local geography. To add to that pot of gold, the surrounding region had a high unemployment rate so when the factories started getting hot, the people flooded the area for work (labor costs were also cheaper in the countryside than in the city….surprise, surprise).

Pre-French Revolution the French Roy-al maintained strict control over the production of fine white ware (these were blank pieces that would be sent to prominent artists for decoration and then exported around the globe). After the French Revolution private factories took over and the porcelain industry took off.

The tiny tea-cup I discovered at the yard sale in Nantucket ultimately began its life at one of these private factories started by David Haviland, a New Yorker on a mission. Haviland working as a ceramic importer in New York was brought a mysterious tea-cup to repair. He couldn’t resist the temptation to find the exact location where this work of art was produced. His quest led him to none other than Limoges, where he set up shop and became one of the most noted producers of the city, specifically because he hired in-house artist to complete the white ware on site. His son Theodore, the maker of the inspiration of the story, apparently branched off and started his own company. The Haviland name, while today is no longer run by direct family, is still synonymous with fine porcelain among crystal and other expensive chocki gift kind of stuff (said with the utmost respect).

And today, in modern times, that little tea-cup got tastefully mutilated and turned into a charming necklace to be worn with pride by an owner and connoisseur of Limoges.

…now adorns the neck of Limoges Loving Ladies

Stay tuned for the next of edition of “Loosely Researched Fun Facts in the Exciting World of Ceramic Production”

Disclaimer: This is not a thesis or doctoral dissertation and certainly not intended to be overly researched, annotated or cross-referenced. Please forgive any inconsistencies and by all means correct them if you know…

Blessings and love to all!

Wild Bull goes to Market

Sustainable Nantucket Artisan & Farmer’s Market that is!

This marked week two of our local market and my commitment to taking things one step at a time, the turtle business model. So far, allowing this business room and time to grow is proving itself in the market place. In the short weeks since the market started I have had several people connect with me via word of mouth, my favorite way to advertise! Not only is word of mouth or “creating a buzz” an inexpensive way to get press it is in my opinion the most powerful way. It begins with my sharing the passion I have for creating this work which is why I love being the one in my booth connecting with people. From there people who love the work share about it with an enthusiasm I often can’t match!

It includes choosing pricing that reflects the quality of the work and standing by that pricing (I choose not to barter, discount or offer “specials” for frequent flyers, I believe those practices can cheapen the work). I find that as an American shopper we are always out for the discount and often compromise quality to get something for 20% off. I am on a mission in my own life to rid myself of that practice and assist others in the pursuit of quality. There is nothing sustainable in cheap! Truly purchasing a high quality item at a bit higher cost usually translates to a longer, happier life with that product. The alternative is usually buying that similar lesser quality item 2-3 times over the course of the same life, at the end I usually end up spending more time and energy in the pursuit of a cheaper alternative…oh boy, I wasn’t expecting that rant…!

I digress, anyhow, in the end this all means that I must employ the patience and trust principles, this kind of company builds over time not overnight. I am happy to say that in a short two weeks at market I have experienced the build already, specifically in a way that is sustainable to the rest of my life!

Keep on truckin’

With a little help from…

Mommadukes swooped in and came to the Wild Bull rescue. A couple hours each day we gabbed away in the studio, me soldering the finishing touches on all of the daffodil pieces I started about a month ago, my mom keeping me company and doing the most pristine job of cleaning, buffing and coating.

Placing the finishing touches on the fresh daffy's

The big debut for our jewelry is happening in about 2 weeks. It will be Daffodil Weekend on the island and people are wild about these happy little flowers. Sadly, with our warm spring there won’t be many live ones left to decorate people and cars for the parade. This may however be a sweet fate for the jewels, I am having dreams of ladies adorned in fine daffodil china!!

Daffy's about 1 month ago, at first signs of spring

Post finishing touches, ready for Market!!

This is the point in the journey of this business where depending on the alignment of the stars, moon and planets I wake up excited and hopeful, optimism abounding and a profound sense of enough of everything! OR I roll over with a hum of low level anxiety akin to the cancer causing vibrations from a set of power lines. I say that tongue and cheek because at a deep level I do believe that anxiety, fear, negativity cause the kind of stress that tears away slowly at the fiber of our beings. And so, on the mornings I wake up with the hum that wants to keep me down and stress me out I am practicing meditation a little longer, reaching out and sharing those feelings/thoughts a little more loudly with my loved ones and surrounding myself with a few more humor filled souls! So far that method seems to be working. More days than not I am excited in a hopeful way. My perspective on this businesses success feels grounded in a unusual comfort with not knowing what really will come of all this work…I attribute that to the bounty of love and nurturing I am experiencing from the sweet friends in my life.

On a practical level of business this is for me an ideal investment. I don’t have capital to invest in a restaurant, store or any other large scale business. My level of financial risk is $5,000 or less (and even that much gives me ageda!). This has been the perfect level of risk management for me. I have over the past year doled out $300 here, $500 there, $30 here, etc. I’d say I have about $3,000 invested so far. This is an amount I can risk. The investment really has been my time, energy and heart (as I am sure any start up business can attest to). My business partners (aka friends/family) sometimes offer financial contributions & loans, a little time helping me with production, suggestions and feedback on product, marketing, booth construction, of course a china donation here and there and very importantly investment in the final product.

My friends & family have been the first to buy my products and talk about them with others. I am a firm believer that word of mouth from reliable sources is the most effective form of advertising. My job is to make a stellar product with love and attention to detail and then get it out there to the right people.

If I planted a Wild Bull seed last spring then I am right now watching the 2nd year growth unfold. I am seeing that in recent Special Orders, all from friends who find my products gift worthy to give to others (HOW COOL?!). In the first year of growth it seems like everything was close to the ground, me in my makeshift studios practicing a skill and observing what would come of it. Now embarking on year two I have an official studio, a small customer base, returning customers, and venues to sell in. Pretty awesome!

What is more awesome is that in developing this business and keeping in line with all of my sustainable, loving values I have also been able to witness my personal growth unfolding (of course I believe that your business develops out of the kind of person you are and what you stand for in your life). In a former life, I might have comandeered my mom to a sweatshop (not a studio) and chained both of us to our stations to produce all the jewelry for the next 2 years, meanwhile sewing the wardrobe I will wear at market and making sure we eating 4 star meals freshly prepared each night!! (I am not kidding about this…ask my mom and her husband Peter).

This visit was so incredibly balanced: lots of walks in the Nantucket woods, lounging and reading time, time to celebrate her birthday in Pizza Party style, adventures at the farmer’s market and getting our hands in the dirt of our potted garden. Every time my mom comes to visit when she gets ready to leave, I never want her to go. As I open up to a more gentle approach to life: business, relationships, etc included, I experience the pure, unadulterated joy of living in moment. When she leaves tomorrow I will be sad, but not disappointed that I didn’t make more time just to be with her.

As I learn every week a little more acutely, there is no way I could do any of this if it wasn’t for the others I let in…