Like most of my projects, Origins of Memory started with an odd assortment of collected materials. In this case, stones mined while turning over our garden, during our first spring spent in Hillsdale, NY. This area, on the edge of the Taconic Mountains, is made up of rocky soil with a lot of metamorphic rock.
Packed with energy, stones are powerful little extensions of our geological foundation providing hints of Earth’s physical past. Almost like a secret language, they store clues to past lives and cultural history. Calming and grounding, stones remind us of the cycles of nature and the passage of time. With Origins of Memory, I try to capture the wisdom of stones by using gold leaf to accentuate the natural surface markings and eroded areas.
The thin, flat stone on the Artifact 017 is marked by gold leaf running from one diagonal to another. Discovered in the Hudson Valley, the stone measures about .75" long x 1.25" wide. The 14Kt gold filled cable chain with a spring ring clasp measures 30" long.
