Quietly Beautiful Things

I don’t always have a grand message to convey through my art. I’m inspired by the mere joy of making something with my own hands. Often the stones I use direct my designs and sometimes the message comes out after the work is done. This new batch of work came to life in this way. And as I’ve contemplated the reasons why I decided to make this particular style, which is a bit different from my usual designs, I’ve also been looking at photos from our recent trip to visit family in the Bay area. I love seeing the pictures of my children and their cousins, and the message began to reveal itself to me as I did so.

While watching my kids play in the surf I’m reminded of the joyfulness of just being and experiencing. That although the world seems so big and complex, feeling small doesn’t need to feel insignificant.

We visited a beach that was formed from beautifully tumbled stones and I spent the afternoon combing the shore for small treasures. My family helped me find the most perfect specimens: unusual, colorful, smooth or textured, in between playing in the waves and rolling down sand dunes. We left after several hours of play, my pockets full. I both wish I had collected more, and am glad I only have these few items. I may never make it back to that beach, and that’s bittersweet.  

Like you, I lead a busy life filled with appointments and activities and schedules. Sometimes that short vacation is the only rest we get, and it isn’t always all that restful. Do you have moments when you’re in the thick of it, where you can appreciate the beauty in the ordinary things? It could be the half-opened flower on your morning walk, or the little brown bird on your windowsill, or the way the sunlight filters through a cloud. I often find that if I can focus myself, however briefly, on something seemingly mundane and find the beauty in it, it creates a space for gratitude and peace.

I strive to instill this in my children, too, pointing out an unusual cloud, or the way the sun hits the mountains on our drive to school. One of my favorite things is when my son brings me out to the garden to show me something new that’s growing.  

I hope this new collection will be something similar for you: a small talisman that you carry with you as a reminder of all the quietly beautiful things in the world.