2013:
Here comes another year, and we’ve never been here before. Are you ready for
the next journey?
Sometimes I am and sometimes I’m not because change, for me,
is really hard. Once I dig in and attach, it’s so difficult for me to release
from these attachments. I want things to stay the same. For me, 2012 was a
lesson in letting go of so many things: People, places and things that are,
ultimately, impermanent. Permanence is an illusion, I know, but this rocks my core
and it challenges my ability to stabilize in the instability of life.
Losing
a loved one is destabilizing. Devastating. You can touch them one minute and
the next minute all you have are the memories. I’ve always been fascinated with
mourning art and jewelry. Pieces of a loved one’s hair that are encapsulated
under glass or inside a devotional locket. I see these creations as human
attempts to rationalize and maintain contact in a spiritual dimension. When
Buddy died it was too soon. This wall and desk locket was an act of my love
representing her love, because she loved Buddy so deeply. He found her and
protected her on her journey of loss and transformation. Buddy was always
there, shielding and looking inside with those piercing brown eyes. Like hers.
He was there for her daily walks around the lake, bouncing and running with
joy. I grew to love Buddy too. And then all too quickly he was gone.
In August of 2012 I was at a street fair
in Delhi, NY and came upon a young woman whose specialty is pet portraiture.
Her little portraits were painted on wooden plaques no bigger than two inches
in diameter. When I saw the beautiful detail of her work, I knew what I had to
do, so I commissioned Lilybeth Cressman to create a small portrait of Buddy as
a puppy. I wanted to make a locket as a memorial to this superb creature. I cut
an oval of copper and gave it to Beth for the painting, along with a photo of
Buddy as a Puppy. From there, the locket took on a life of its own as I bought
several hundred vintage watch crystals. At the same time, I found about 50
vintage chasing tools that had been created individually by a master craftsman.
These were all truly one-of-a-kind. Note the little flower and leaf stamps
around the perimeter of the portrait and the small wing on the back of the
frame. When Buddy was buried, I delicately cut a bit of hair off the end of his
tail. Under the crystal part of the locket, remains Buddy’s tail with a silver
cap. It can be removed and worn, if desired. Buddy loved bones. Now he’s in
Doggy Heaven, eating all the bones he could possible want.
As we
head into 2013, I wish you all a protected journey and the courage to
transform!
