Black roots like tendrils branch out like synapses in my mind, waiting for:
A spark of an idea here,
A glowing ember from the past there,
And a wildfire of possibility on the horizon.
My heart is at the center, fueling it all:
A controlled burn of the old here,
A new clearing there,
And a firewall protecting it all.
-Auriel
Much of art, like life, is about making lemonade out of lemons. This piece comes from that idea, and I have to admit it might have been meant to be this way from the start. When I first made it into a necklace, something didn’t quite feel right. I knew I wanted to create a necklace for each element (earth, air, fire, water, aether), and this was the second after aether. Maybe I rushed it, though the epoxy coating did help; it was now too bulky and tacky in some spots.
So, a small, standalone black canvas piece it was! The cornealian banded agate cabochon and fire symbol beads remained the centerpiece, surrounded by satellite gemstones and black glass shards nestled in a bed of tangled roots (courtesy of black hot glue). It was then dry-brushed with iridescent gold and metallic antique-copper acrylic paints, sealed in spots, and finished with a crisscross faux-leather trim on the sides.
Overall, I’m happy with the piece and ready to start fresh with the designs for the remaining elements. I named it "Firewall" because it represented the element as well as the creative barrier between my original idea and what was actually trying to manifest.
This piece was a reminder that some obstacles are there for you, not against you: A natural firewall. This time, I prevented the virus in my own mind from forcing something into a single form. Initially, I wanted to include a necklace in the show I was in, not a canvas piece. By doing so, I lost sight of the ebb part of the creative process, trying to control it in hopes of peace of mind, when in reality, it only caused nagging doubt. The ebbs are for pausing, reflecting, editing, and simplifying—all necessary drivers of inspired action. Now, that's some good "alchemical lemonade" if you ask me!
