hidden messages

In my last post, I unintentionally started a new line which I called the Hidden Series. It began with a dream I had. To read about the dream, go here. A friend over at Facebook, Teena, then suggested a scroll for my second Hidden Series piece. And so I took up the suggestion.

The conception of the scroll vessel ...

and then, it developed into this ...

The hidden message within the vessel was inspired by a conversation between me and a friend. She was contemplating if it was worth it to fight for something that she really wanted. In the midst of that conversation, I was reminded of a thought that ran across my mind on my birthday earlier this year. I thought to myself, I have already lived more than half my life on this earth, and if I’m lucky, I’ll have perhaps 35 more years here. I told myself that I want to make each moment worth it … That is the very quote I chose to house in this scroll vessel.

This was sold within seconds of listing ... to Teena :)

So far, the Hidden Series seems to be inspired by friends who surround me everyday with positivity and great energy. Again in my next Hidden Series piece, I am reminded of another wonderful friend and sculptor, Barry Smith’s concept of “Daily Words”.  Barry would stamp words on repurpose metals and put them in metal shrines/bowls he creates. Each morning he would pick up a word and hold it in his palm. How wonderful it must be, to feel the coolness of the metal and to feel the energy of the written word permeate through one’s body.

With that as inspiration, I decided to create a miniature book with hidden Words of Light, hidden within a miniature house. This mixed media necklace mainly comprises of repurpose copper/brass (also courtesy of Barry) and mixed metal wires.

 

The house is a totally no-solder piece where the corners, hinges and wire-mesh are all folded, tied or bent into place. I would like to think of it as a piece of metal origami creation :)

The little golden wing on the cover of the book signifies light. It peeks thru the wire-mesh when the door is closed, just appearing under the word “Light”.

The miniature book is handmade out of leather, lace and coffee stained pages, and is removable from the house. The Words of Light within the book are from an old novel. These are some words that I gravitate towards.

I'm pretty excited by the potential of this series ... let's see what inspires me next :)

thought-full

A couple nights ago, I dreamed that I chanced upon an old abandon hut on a misty morning. Curious, I pushed open the weathered door and took a peek inside. The one thing that caught my eye was a peeling white dresser which stood at one corner of the room. I walked towards it instinctively. An old key was still lodged in the keyhole of one of the drawers. It wasn’t locked, so I pried open the drawer slowly in case something sprang out at me! Turns out it was empty. As I was about to shut the drawer, part of the back panel caught the light and I caught a glimpse of some scribbling. I pulled the drawer further out to see what it was. What I saw put a smile on my face. Although it was faded but I could make out that they were a child’s uneven writing and drawings of several stick-people. I woke up at that point and realized that I still had a smile on my face. I could imagine a little girl scribbling on a piece of wood and then perhaps daddy eventually used that piece of wood and made it into part of the dresser for the home.

I loved that idea of the child’s “hidden message” at the back of the drawer. If I had not looked deeper, I wouldn’t have seen it. I was inspired to make a piece with a hidden message. Words that no one would see unless they look deeper. Often times, people go about their lives looking but never consciously understanding. Some messages to us are hidden, and may be hidden forever if we do not attempt to dig deeper within us or look further than what is presented before us.

I foresee a few more "Hidden" pieces in the near future ... tho still thinking of what to hide, where :)

Couple of weeks passed since my last post, I feel life is just meandering along in a poetic manner, and I'm loving it. I felt that last year end was like a whirlwind of rush for me, working on this working on that. But 2013 seems to take a more leisurely pace and I am creating in a more relaxed manner. I am also spreading my time more evenly now between making art and other things that matter to me ... for instance my daily commando session :) (I call my workout sessions commando sessions :)

And art seems to unconsciously take on life too ... because out of the blue, I thought of the word "Symbiosis". Interdependence, coexistence, living together. I realized that I could include other activities in my life besides just making art. Something I didn't feel I could do "naturally" last year. It was either art, or exercise, art or cooking for the kids, and if I had to do both things, it felt forced. In fact they are all interdependent on each other and could coexist in harmony. They coexist to enrich life.

Both these earrings I named Symbiosis ... colors that are so contrasted yet coexisting in a single piece so harmoniously.

I also made this necklace called "to Wanderings ..." An ode to my favourite phrase "Not all those who wander are lost" . Another "realization" piece I must admit.

I have often lamented about the fact that I might have lost most of my youth ‘wandering’ and ‘wondering’. Could I have achieved more if I daydreamed less and stayed more focus? I have come to the realization that ‘wanderings’ and ‘wonderings’ are not necessarily bad … they are part of a journey. We wander because we are bidding time, waiting for the right time for something.Waiting for the culmination of one or more events.

Hahaha!!! So much reflections in this post!!! ok ok ... I shan't bore you guys anymore ... I'll just finish this up with another journal I made which I called "Lady in Arms" ... and no explanations :)

Thank you all for reading and commenting on my last post. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave me with your thoughts and insights :) xo