New Year Buzz
Happy new year! It was exactly one year ago as of January 6 that I faked my own death and moved to a secluded cabin in the woods without notifying any of my friends or enemies. Luckily, they have all stuck by me and some have even visited. (Please stop visiting, enemies, or I’ll have to get restraining order(s)- I’m looking at you, Arbor Day Foundation!)
Over the past year I have introduced 2 new jewelry series; the Orchids and Oak. (Look for the expanded collections in early spring…) During the summer I also found time to plant a 42-tree orchard of mixed fruits and 70-log mushroom farm.
When it gets warmer I’m planning on starting to keep bees and have spoken with Wild Comb Apiary about the bee-adoption process. In preparation for getting the nucleus hive in March, I’m working on some sculptural apiaries to keep them in. I was fortunate to take 2 sculpture classes with Preston Jackson back in 2004 as an undergrad studying sustainable design at SAIC. I’m making my bee hives cloud-like structures on stilts using techniques learned from Jackson’s class. Luckily, I kept all of my notes and his photocopied drawings of the step-by-step mold making process! I’ll share work-in-progress shots after seeing how the bees like living in my apiaries…. What modern bee wouldn’t want to live in a cloud between a hedgerow of lilacs and peach trees!? I’m excited about keeping bees! Should I name them and try to identify their individual special talents? I understand most bees are excellent dancers.
With so much forested space, building an elaborate mushroom labyrinth between my house and workshop just made sense. In the fall I inoculated oak and maple logs with 13 different types of edible mushrooms, including shiitake, oyster and lions mane. I’m really looking forward to setting up the labyrinth walls again in the spring and sharing a video on IG when they fruit. There is a meditation trail/maze with walls made of woven oak branches. There are dead-ends and a secret door leading to an atrium of miss-happiness shiitakes with a carpet of wine-caps.
Oak logs inoculated with Grey Dove Oyster mushrooms. The logs are labelled with enameled copper cast-offs from my jewelry shop.
Labyrinth makes me think of David Bowie, which reminds me of my childhood best friend, Bowie Daniel, who fortunately is still alive and in good health.
Use code BOWIE on my site for a rare 10% off, in honor of David Bowie (and Bowie Daniel, who’s birthday is in February.) Today marks the one-month countdown to V-Day… You don’t want to find yourself heart-less on Valentine’s day!!
Bowie, childhood best friend, wearing a suit his mom made. c. 1984
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