Gathering Roses, Poets necklace and Soul necklace
The Italian detail on these necklaces was inspired by the tiny chasing design around my Buccellati ring I wear every day. I often study, daydream and marvel at this little ring and admire it under a loop. I wanted to juxtapose a detail that was old fashioned and lady like against the organic and very hand made style and do it in a way that would feel modern--another reason I chose to attach the flat chain to the sides the sides of the Poets neck.
Gathering Roses
I shall fill my lap with roses
Gathered in the milky way-
--Amy Lowell
Poets Necklace
Upon the wings
Of shimmering moonbeams
I pack my poet's dreams
For you.
My wearying strife,
My courage, my loss,
Into the night I toss
For you.
-Amy Lowell
Soul Necklace
-the soul will gravitate around the truth, as the planet around the light.
-Victor Hugo
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Inspiration for Poets, Soul and Gathering Roses
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Large is the new Medium. New Pieces Just In!
Here Nina is wearing the Vuelo earrings in hammered brass and the Contemplation necklace in both hammered brass and silver.
A good friend of mine recently told me that what I consider to be' big' is really 'small', and what I think is 'gigantic' is really 'medium'. For this collection I pushed the scale way outside my comfort zone and was inspired by the brass, hammered jewelry that artist Alexander Calder made for his friends in the 50's and 60's.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Summer Collection '11 is Here!
This necklace is called Contemplation and it is from the new collection. All the selections for this collection are from the Tao Te Ching, the Chinese book of wisdom that talks about the Taoist belief that we are to be happy in the present with what we have and to accept what is. I have worn this piece with a bright red color block dress and also with a tan linen dress--both sans belt so the necklace really stands out. The length and larger scale is perfect and makes a statement. Personally, I deeply relate to this meditation by Lao-Tzu. A touchstone hidden inside my own metal book. I consider 'the source' to mean 'oneself.'
Empty your mind of all thoughts.
Let your heart be at peace.
Watch the turmoil of beings,
but contemplate their return.
Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.
Lau-Tsu, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Monday, May 16, 2011
National Poetry Month contest results
We asked you to help us celebrate National Poetry Month, and for four weeks we received postcards from all over the US as well as from Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.
Breathe with the rhythm of stars.
You cannot, of course, see your own face, but you know that it,
Lifted, is stripped to white bone by starlight. This is happening.
This is happiness.
Do I press the extremest book of the wisest man
Close to me, hidden in me day and night?
In the uncertain light of single, certain truth,
Equal in living changingness to the light
In which I meet you, in which we sit at rest,
For a moment in the central of our being,
The vivid transparence that you bring is peace.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
In Celebration of Birthdays...
My friend turned me onto Drew Droege doing this hilarious impersonation of Chloe Sevigny and I cannot get enough of of it. I love the hat bracelet she is wearing...makes me laugh every time.
I celebrated my 44th birthday yesterday by taking the day off and just doing whatever I wanted...I got some great books on design and wood joinery in Japan town, had a long overdue massage at the Kabuki Springs and ended the day with dinner with my best pals at Mission Chinese Food. My mouth is still on fire. Now it is back to work today and a new year ahead!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
On The Road Again...
We have been feverishly working on designing, hammering up a storm and merchandising away getting ready for our trade show. I had exhibiting for many years in New York but recently took a hiatus when I had my son. Nothing gets the creative flow going like having that show deadline! Sharing a space with me will be dear friend, hero and iconic designer, Lisa Jenks. Known for her graphic large silver pieces, Lisa is also exhibiting for the first time after several years of taking a break. I remember being bowled over by her work in Barneys the first time I ever visited the store in the late 90's. She had an entire vitrine at the entrance. I am looking forward to spending time with her, she is the funniest, warmest, most even keel designers I know.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sea of Possibilities by Melissa
Book of poems by Patti Smith, 1996
J.W. Waterhouse The Mermaid, 1900
The very first thing that came to my mind when I saw the Enclosed Coral necklace was Patti Smith. She has a deep love for the sea and has used it as a metaphor over the course of her career as a singer and a poet.
Another image that comes to mind when I think of the sea is the famous Waterhouse painting of a mermaid, which is what Jeanine's latest collection also reminds me of. You'll find textures and motifs that seem romantically both Victorian and marine - like lost treasures you might find in a old shipwreck...if you're lucky.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
In Progress for May
My son had a very slight case of pink eye, or allergies, so we stayed home from work/school. We went to the San Francisco zoo and saw the most amazing bugs in the bug museum. WOW. Walking sticks are the grossest and yet strangely beautiful creatures on earth. I ended up at the Japanese tea garden when Will went down for his nap--Dad was home by then. Hojicha tea and a drawing book in the tea house in Golden Gate Park. During cherry blossom season. Holy nirvana.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
It Has Come To My Attention...Alexis Bittar Is Coming To San Francisco
When Alexis Bittar was on the street corner selling his lucite jewelry in front of NYC Moma, I was taking my closet door off to make a design table in my SF studio apartment. We launched ourselves into business at the same time. We met in New York selling our wares and we have been dear friends ever since. Alexis has his feet on the ground and his eyes on the stars. And I mean realones. The last time I was staying with him he was having a glamorous photo shoot with Lauren Hutton. Just another day in the life of my friend, Alexis.
Six reasons I love Alexis:
- He knows how to rock a fanny pack.
- He has achieved the state of Grand Master of the fine and ancient art of Japanese Karaoke, (his skill second only to mine.)
- He is a visionary.
- He recently won the prestigious CFDA award for Accessory Designer of the Year.
- He is a pretty grounded cat and the best pal a gal could ever have.
City Lights
City Lights is one of our favorite bookstores. The beat poet, Lawrence Ferlingetti, is the owner of this historic landmark. The epicenter and birthplace of the beat poetry movement...and we only have to walk a few blocks up the street to get there. Another great place to celebrate National Poetry Month! Go Po Mo!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Oscar M. Quarles Celebrates National Poetry Month
Oscar Morris Quarles works remotely on one of our first sunny days in ages.
Some have asked, "Jeanine, where do you find your poetry?" Well, we have a secret weapon--one of the stars on our team who reports directly to Megan. Stay tuned to see where Mr. Quarles travels this month on his celebratory tour in honor of National Poetry Month.
For PoMo we are celebrating by having a small contest, as one should. For details on how you can receive one of our Three Treasures Books we will be giving away, click here.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
In Progress for April
The soul will gravitate around the truth,
as the planet around light.
--Victor Hugo
I will look at cliffs and clouds with quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
And the grass rise.
--Edna St. Vincent Millay
Look at how nerdy I look at work. It gets COLD in here and I am driven to wear my circa 2001 JP fleece (an X-mas present to the staff one year that I was against but not I wear the most!)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Rock On Gold Dust Woman by Melissa
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
JP and M2M Collaboration by Meliss
Today in celebration of International Women's Day we are releasing a special collection featuring poetry about resiliency and courage. 50% of the proceeds from these pieces will go to Mountain2Mountain, a non profit organization working to provide education and opportunity for women and girls in war-torn Afghanistan.
When Shannon Galpin, the founder of M2M, contacted me about collaborating I felt incredibly honored. She is an inspiring woman who is doing important and wonderful work. Again, I am so honored and to create these special pieces for M2M and to be asked to be part of this cause.
Below is Shannon's Huffington Post blog telling her story and how we came to meet.
Talisman. def: an object held to act as a charm, avert evil and bring good fortune
My talisman is a silver ring that I've had for several years. It's now scratched and has a small dent but I wear it every day because of the words inscribed upon the silver.
Words have power. We use them to express feeling and invoke emotion. Words can rally the masses, rage against injustice and soothe a broken heart. Time and time again, we return to familiar passages, quotes and phrases to remind us of how others described what we have felt.
I am a lover of the power of words. I surround myself with quotes from Churchill, poetry from Hafiz and the words of great orators, philosophers and writers to inspire and push me forward.
Several years ago my family gave me the silver ring that has become my talisman - a piece from San Francisco designer, Jeanine Payer. The inscription by Longfellow reads, "the lowest ebb is at the turn of the tide."
They gave it to me to remind me to be strong, follow my heart and believe that the tide would one day turn. I had recently cashed in all of my meager personal funds to launch a nonprofit called Mountain2Mountain, an organization dedicated to empowering the women and children of Afghanistan. I had a two-year-old daughter and I was taking a huge personal risk. Nevertheless, I decided to set the best possible example for my daughter by investing in the belief that I could build a sustainable organization that could benefit women and girls for generations to come. I've never looked back.
There is an unusual strength that comes from wearing the words that inspire us. The power of words in a tangible form, present on our bodies, is like a whisper in your ear, "be strong, be brave, don't give up".
Jewelry is not the first thing anyone would normally reach for when selecting an appropriate wardrobe to take to a war zone. But it has been for me. I've worn that ring on every trip to Afghanistan. Jeanine didn't know it at the time, but she was with me through multiple trips, under burqas in Kandahar, sleeping in village homes, and inside women's prisons. She rode a buzkashi horse, fished in the Panjshir river, and was there when I became the first woman to mountain bike in Afghanistan. She has survived suicide bombs and gun attacks. Her ring and those words have protected and inspired me through it all.
The ring has been a constant reminder that the turn of the tide is always coming, wave after wave, day after day. Today the ring is criss-crossed with scratches and has a small dent, but even that reminds me of everything I have accomplished, with Mountain2Mountain, and as a mother.
It's always with me, not like a lucky pair of socks, but as a powerful amulet bestowing courage and hope even in the darkest of times. Its words inspire my next steps, linking my future actions to the words I wear.
A few years ago, on my birthday, my parents gave me a pair of Jeanine's earrings. "I dwell in possibility," they say. While I don't wear them as often, I smile every time I slide them on. Every time I wear them, I dwell in possibility. They remind me that everything and anything is possible if I am willing to forge ahead.
A few months ago I reached out to Jeannie to share the story of my ring and thank her for all it's meant to me. I asked if she understood the power of her designs and the inscriptions. She sent me a link from People magazine that talked about the power of words and talismans. She is keenly aware that aware that words can spark change and inspire courage.
In honor of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, Jeanine has agreed to collaborate with me on five pieces of jewelry to benefit Mountain2Mountain's work to create gender equity and girls' education in Afghanistan. She has designed five beautiful pieces that are powerful representations of the courage of women all around the world. Her designs are inscribed with these words:
"Courage, strength, and hope possess my soul...I will stand firmly and without fear." - Goethe
"When its dark, you can see the stars" - Persian proverb
...and, in honor of the power of my own talisman, she has reintroduced the Longfellow quote from the ring she designed several years ago. The one I wear:
"The lowest ebb is at the turn of the tide"
It is my sincere hope that our collaboration, the power of these words, and the proceeds that go to help us empower more women and girls in Afghanistan will help lead to a turning of the tide in women's rights all around the world.
Take a look. Wear the words. Stand firm, and dwell in the possible.
--Shannon Galpin