July 13, 2009

Balinese Rice Fields Nourish Creativity

Filed under: Bali — Tags: , , @ 8:57 am

In this crazy life we live, it is easy to become creatively depleted. Thrown off center by our busy, exhausting schedules, it is crucial to find a well from which to replenish our spirits. My creative energy does not flow when I am stressed or distracted. I turn to yoga, dance and nature to keep my energy balanced. But once a year, I get a major tune up in the Balinese rice fields. Running at dawn through the rice paddies, I can feel a year’s worth of worries fly away on herons’ wings as my spiritual tank slowly fills up. There is a cosmic stillness to the landscape: the silhouette of a massive volcano looming majestically over the fields, palm trees like a fringe of eyelashes and a gentle breath of wind rising just before the sun. Where do you fill your creative well?

July 5, 2009

Silver Earring Findings Made in Bali

Filed under: Bali,Behind the Scenes — Tags: , , , @ 5:59 pm

Silver Earring Findings are a practical necessity. At Nina Designs, we try hard to create earring findings that enhance your earring designs, becoming part of the image instead of tacked on afterthoughts. However, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that someone actually sat down and made each silver earring finding one by one. Every time I come to Bali, I spend time with the silversmiths, observing their meticulous work and marveling at the level of craftsmanship on display in the workshop. The women especially, bring to the workbench a dexterity honed by years of weaving intricate palm leaf offerings to honor the Gods. The Balinese pray daily at the factory temple in the courtyard and distribute offerings throughout the buildings. If you look closely at the photos, you will see several colorful offerings strewn on the work table. In this culture, there is barely a heartbeat between spiritual and prosaic endeavors. So the next time you slip on a pair of handmade silver earring findings, pause for just a moment to reflect on their origin and the cultural heritage they represent.

The silversmiths in these photos are:  Wayan Narti,  Nengah Sariani, Jero Puspa, Wayan Sri Sudiari, Nina Visiting

June 21, 2009

Silver Charms in Bali

Filed under: Bali — Tags: , , , , @ 5:03 am

The Balinese practice a form of Hinduism laced with Buddhism and animism. Everything has a spirit, even inanimate objects. It is important to honor the Gods and spirits with ceremonies. Every household in Bali has a temple. Each morning, a woman of the house brings offerings to the temple, lights incense, says a prayer and then distributes more offerings around the family compound to bless and purify the space. These offerings are beautiful works of art handmade from woven palm leaves, flowers, rice, coins and holy water. I have always been inspired by the spiritual traditions in Bali and fascinated by the exquisite offerings. Women spend many, many hours a week creating these beautiful objects which quickly die in the heat. I could not resist exploring the concept of the offering as a landscape. As you can see, our silver charms inhabit them with ease and grace.

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June 15, 2009

Silver Tide Pool Charms

Filed under: On The Road — Tags: , , , @ 8:44 am

Our Silver Charms have taken a sea faring turn in recent months. From seashell charms to mermaid charms, from starfish silver charms to octopus charms, we seem to be sinking deeper into the sea theme with every new creation. With so many ocean charms swimming through the office, I could not resist the urge to see how our lovely sea creatures would look in a natural habitat. On a recent trip to Point Lobos, I settled our silver charms into tide pools and snapped as many photos as I could.  The hermit crabs didn’t seem to mind and the charms looked as if they had been living in the water all along. It is a good thing my patient husband likes to meditate because I couldn’t tear myself away until my pants got soaked by the incoming tide!

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