The Long May It Burn Bolo
What a truly one of a kind bolo tie paying homage to The Desert. The base form of this Bolo is all hand fabricated out of sterling silver, showcasing a large, stunning, multicolored piece of Kingman Turquoise, I've picked out directly from the mine in Arizona, and set in a 14k gold bezel. Encircling the awe inspiring stone, are two hand silver scorpions as well as two cedar branches, all individually hand cast from fine silver. With a contrasted antiqued background to make all of the elements pop. This whole piece encapsulates the flora and the fauna of the desert, and truly is a perfect talisman of its magic.
The reverse of the pendant the message "long may it burn" is stamped, a line from Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, along with my makers mark. It has a hand formed and stamped sterling bolo slider , and holds a 36” black leather roped bolo lanyard, with stamped sterling silver caps.
The pendant measures just over 1 3/4" tall and 1 1/2" wide.
The pendant weighs 1.08oz (30.6g).
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“The fire. The odor of burning juniper is the sweetest fragrance on the face of the earth, in my honest judgment; I doubt if all the smoking censers of Dante's paradise could equal it. One breath of juniper smoke, like the perfume of sagebrush after rain, evokes in magical catalysis, like certain music, the space and light and clarity and piercing strangeness of the American West. Long may it burn.”
― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
>>> Scorpions are another powerful totem. They carry many of the same strengths and messages as a snake. They are patient, intutive, fierce when threatened with danger, as well as good with boundaries and controlling the energy they expel, they also have the ability to shed their skin and emerge new after much growth. Along with these qualities, I believe carrying a scorpion talisman is a good reminder of focusing on what you carry, and making sure to release old habits and behaviors that no longer deserve to come on your journey. <<<
Damaged Goods - A Collection Divided
I am beyond pleased to finally begin unveiling my new works, a full collection of one of a kinds, in four parts. Likened to, and symbolizing the four elements: earth, air, fire and water; there will be collection correlating to each: The Forest, The Swamp, The Desert, and The Ocean. Which brings me to the title of this release, “Damaged Goods”. I started attempting to learn a new skill set three summers ago, and drew up the base of this collection then, but when I returned home to New Orleans I found myself deep in the darkest chapter of my life. Lots of intense trauma, and just a need for survival overpowered any ability to creatively focus on new directions. I had spent a long while attempting to keep all of my plates spinning, but many dropped. I’ve spent the last year and half very seriously working to properly mend those broken plates, which I’ve related on more than one occasion to the Japanese pottery technique of Kintsugi, the art of repairing cracks and damage with gold - to add to its beauty, strength, and value. Which is something I genuinely believe in: when someone actively works at healing their wounds, their trauma becomes growth, understanding, and more value. I wanted to use returning to this collection as a form of healing, so I applied these metaphors and techniques into my original drawings, and I adore the shape its taken. They maintain the integrity of being a true talisman of nature, made directly from materials I’ve found myself, be it the textures I use in the metal pieces or in the stones and shells I set, but also, each piece will contain that metaphor of gold bonds woven throughout to bring the wearer’s life more strength, growth, and value. I hope you treasure wearing these pieces as much I have making them.