We're All Ears :: Reveal :: Cornucopia

I have to confess that so many things came up between that first week in November and this eve of the reveal that I almost missed doing anything at all. I had lofty ideas of making teeny-tiny little fruit and vegetables in polymer clay cascading from a cone. But alas, my ideas and my time didn't match up.

So after I finished up a last minute graphic design project for our gallery, and realizing that I couldn't show up to my own party empty-handed, I looked around and my eyes spied this air-chased piece of copper that had a great texture.

I thought that perhaps I could do a very simple abstract design based on the horn shape and set about to fashion just that. Coiling and then manipulating with my fingers, I made them into my very own Horn of Plenty. If I had had more time I think I could have put some dangling beads that look like apples and grapes and wheat and pumpkins cascading out of the horn, but I quite like the simple style of these cornucopias that would remind me to share all my plentiful blessings with those I meet.

What did you decide to focus on? The iconic shape? The abundance of fruits? Do share!

We're All Ears :: November Inspiration :: Cornucopia

Here in the United States we are preparing to celebrate one of our most enduring and beloved national holidays on the fourth Thursday of November: Thanksgiving. 

The origins of this American holiday are rooted in a three-day harvest celebration of the first pilgrims in Plymouth and their Native American neighbors, the Wampanoag Indian tribe, in 1621. Since that time, celebrations of Thanksgiving have been the norm in the US, and formally recognized by President Abraham Lincoln as a national celebration in 1863, during the midst of the Civil War. This holiday has lost a lot of its previous religious significance and instead consists of a long weekend marked with sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends, punctuated by American football games, turkey, pumpkin pie and the Macy's day parade. But it is a far more important pause if we would only see it as such.

A commonly seen symbol of Thanksgiving is the cornucopia. This is an ancient symbol of abundance that has its roots in the Greek mythology of Zeus. When Zeus was born, his father Cronos killed each of his children by devouring them as he knew that a son was destined to depose him (as he had done with his own father!). Rhea, the wife of Cronos, duped him by wrapping a stone in swaddling clothes that was mistaken for Zeus. A magical goat named Amalthea was enlisted to nurse the divine baby until such time as he would grow up, defeat his father and free his siblings from his father's stomach. They then became the gods on Mount Olympus.  When the magical goat died, Zeus used her hide to create a protective aegis (like a shield) worn by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. Zeus placed his beloved Amalthea in the sky as the star Capella (Latin for "little goat"). 

Abundantia as depicted by Peter Paul Rubens

In Roman traditions, the cornucopia is depicted with the figures of Abundantia, the personification of abundance and prosperity, or Fortuna, a goddess of luck.

The cornu copia, Latin for"horn of plenty," overflowing with fruits, honey, and grain is an extremely ancient symbol of the harvest and of the overflowing blessings that we each have to share. This motif was known to the Greeks 2000 years before the cornucopia became the symbol of American Thanksgiving. I supposed that since Zeus was kept alive by this magical horned creature, this is a fitting image, symbolizing sharing the gifts that we have in abundance with those that can most benefit from them. A good reminder to us all.

So for the month of November, the month when we turn to gratefulness and reflect on the plentiful abundance we have to offer the world, I think that the cornucopia is the perfect symbol for our inspiration. I am looking forward to seeing what you do with this harvest imagery.

5 Artists To Make One Pair Of Earrings

5 artists and 5 different materials and textures:

Brass handmade rings with a saffron patina by Missficklemedia

Woven beads by Rebecca Anderson
Polymer discs by Heather Powers
Vintage rustic plum wood beads
Glass headpins by Kimberly Rogers

I began with the luscious pumpkin orange etch glass headpins. These have to be one of my favorite headpins that I have ever purchased from Kimberly. 

 I felt like going in a jewel tone direction, so paired them with rich plum vintage wood beads.  I pulled both colors together with some polymer discs by Heather Powers.  This is precisely why I love Heather's cane beads!  

I created a little visual space to the design by adding the hand forged rings by Shannon German.  I almost called it complete, but something was still gnawing at me.  I decided to look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.   The next day I started playing with different beads to partially fill the hole of the rings.  Nothing seemed quite right until I opened my little tin of woven beads I had in my stash.  Ahhh, I found the perfect color, size, and the texture the design needed all in one small bead. 

Well, that's all for now!  I'll most likely be back on Oct 3rd with something spooky!

Loralee xo

Loralee Kolton ~  artful in beads