The rainy season is now in full swing, our bright green world here in a daily dance with deep blues of the spiraling storm. and when I say “spiral,” I mean that in the most literal of terms: Aside from the fast-moving banks of clouds the drive the rain from all directions on the shifting whims of the winds here, we are also increasingly likely to see the wind whip those same clouds into a funnel. A tornado passed us by yesterday while we were out running errands, and it is not the first of this season.
We hear a lot now about how “strange” our storms are, but in truth, the only real difference is in frequency and power. This part of our world has always been one of extremes, of both climate and weather, and the monsoon season is Nature at her most elemental. It is true that tornadoes are more common in the flat plains south of here, but in this valley nestled high up in the peaks, we have never been immune to the force and power of the storm.
Here, we know that power, and know that it is to be respected. The rains are a gift and a blessing, one that must always be welcomed and honored, but neither they nor the thunderheads and the winds that bring them to us should be dismissed or taken for granted. We do not fear the storm here: We honor it, even as we take special care to navigate its effects and withstand its force.
With today’s featured work, Wings honors these elemental forces and the gifts they bring. From its description in the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
Summer Storm Coil Bracelet
It is the summer storm that brings the rains to the high desert, a vortex of cobalt clouds blessing the land and turning it lush and green. Wings captures the colors of the monsoon season in this coil bracelet, one with more coils than usual, and larger amount of stone. A pair of large oval beads of dark blue lapis shot through with wispy golds and grays anchor either end like thunderheads. The rain begins with small rondels of azurite with malachite, touching down against dark green malachite the shade of summer’s greens. The malachite leads to segments of green turquoise barrel beads and rondels interspersed with large chunky green turquoise nuggets spiraling to the center, where there rests another large oval bead, this one the perfect hue of a robin’s egg. Joint design by Wings and Aji.
Stainless steel; green turquoise, malachite, azurite with malachite; lapis lazuli
$325 + shipping, handling, and insurance
These are the colors of our days in this second stage of summer: the earthy green of grass and trees, the indigo of water and sky, all bound together in the vortex of the summer storm. In this place where water is life, it is life as a special sort of gift — the raw power and wild freedom of the whirlwind, the fierce spiraling joy of the dance of summer’s most elemental spirits.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owners.
