The day dawned gray beneath the weight of low dense clouds, the kind that carry snow. These are, if the radar map is to be believed, only the leading edge; the extended forecast shows wave after wave of storms traveling our way to deliver falling water or drifting snow, depending on the mercury’s whim.
In the meantime, the clouds form and reform themselves in new shapes and patterns: now drifting, now hovering, now seemingly lying in wait with all the patience and focus of some more earthly predator.
The weather is not precisely predatory, of course, although it may assume a Trickster’s form at will and whim. There was a time when it would have been safe to say that the weather held no regard for us at all, positive or negative.
Those times are long past.
Weather now, at least its wild extremity, is a direct response to human misbehavior. No, weather is not climate, but only those willfully ignorant and criminally mendacious would fail to make the connection between the damage we have done to the earth and the extremes of drought and storm, wind and fire that plague this ancient land now.
For us, this long drought has proven so damaging that we no longer have the luxury of complaint when it comes to precipitation. Today — like much of the remainder of this new week — is likely to get messy, even dangerous, a mix of rain and snow and dropping temperatures that will turn every surface treacherous. And yet, even in these still-short midwinter days, we welcome it however it may come: falling, flowing lines of water, and of light.
Today’s featured works are a complementary pair — not identical, although at first glance they seem so, and not precisely matched, either. Both embody the day’s themes, one the embodiment of falling water, the other of its flowing properties, each essential to a healthy land. We begin with the vertical, its manifestation shown above. From its description in the relevant section of the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
Waterfall Cuff Bracelet
Some say the world itself was created in a fall of water and light. With this spare and elegant cuff, Wings summons the spirits of the light and the summer rains in their own silvered waterfall. The band is wrought from sterling silver ingot, heavy and substantial, hand-rolled and -milled to create their own unified cascade of shimmering rain. One long drop flows down the band’s center, raised to stand above its peers; the others, more shy and subtle, flow gently down either side. The ingot band is buffed to a soft but discernible texture and a delicate finish just a hint off Florentine. The band is 7.25″ long by 7/8″ across (dimensions approximate).
Sterling silver
$465 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Despite the lack of actual precipitation yet this day, we have been granted the gift of a cascade of a different sort: Early this morning, as the snowclouds hung low above the horizon, a small break admitted the rays of the sun, sending a fall of silver light at sharp yet graceful angles through the air above the town, It was, truly, a phenomenal sight, one to remind us of the power of the light.
The second of this pair embodies the horizontal — a motion similarly present in the elements today. The first line of storms has already passed us by, declining to leave any of itself behind. Since then, we have had sun and clouds and sun again, each system moving on with the gentle relentless flow of ocean waves; no wind required for movement, only the steady motion of the tide. This work travels in similar patterns, and its description appears in the same section of the same gallery:
Waves Cuff Bracelet
Beneath a fall of water and light, warm waves rock gently against the earth. Wings summons their soft dancing spirits with this cuff, hand-rolled and -milled of sterling silver ingot that shines like ripples on the surface of a quiet lake. The band is solid and substantial, milled to produce a crested wave down the center of its length, cradled gently by finer waves on either side. Its finish is buffed to a smooth texture and a soft polish just shy of Florentine. The band is 6.5″ long by 6/16″ wide (dimensions approximate).
Sterling silver
$445 + shipping, handling, and insurance
There will be more weather systems to come this day. It may be that none brings snow, only its faint scent and perhaps the promise of more real precipitation in the days to come. For the moment, they move in falling, flowing lines, the power of the waterfall and the motion of the waves, tracking across and around the skies.
In this too-warm midwinter, we pray for their arrival. If they choose to come, we will welcome them.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2019; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
