Whenever I travel away from my home studio, I find myself inspired by so many elements of places abroad. This past month I’ve been fortunate to travel to Central America, Cuba and the United States. Everywhere we travel, we see artists making useful tools, art and jewelry from locally-sourced (and often abundant) resources. This month I’ve been assigned to write some freelance copy for a web site that sells (among other things) burning sage. I’ll be describing how it’s used and its benefits. At a local Dallas, Texas farmers market this week, I met a young woman who sells and applies sage to her daily rituals. She also educated me on the sacred cleansing wood, called Palo Santo, which comes from Peru, but is used throughout the world.
Applying and wearing items that are naturally sourced from places we travel are a wonderful way to increase the experience of any locale. Wearing them often imparts the energies of the surroundings, enhancing your experience.
As a jewelry designer, I discovered a new design I will explore when I return to my Canadian studio: a Texas designer integrated wide leather bands (much like that belts are made of), punched with holes and adorned with charms. Another style to watch my web site for was inspired by my recent trip to Panama, where light simple wooden beads can quickly formulate elegance and richness, with layers of colour and depth. I like to combine metals with wood to marry the nature’s depth and its lightness of air.
Wishing y’all safe travels and inspiration,
Liane