When I got this dioptase stone, I thought about my first visit to California. I was 17 and took a train from my hometown in Washington state. I’d never travelled that far South before and still remember the shifting of the landscape. Evergreens to trees coupled with sandy beaches to redwood groves and rolling hills scattered with green groupings. This new image tickled me deeply. The way a rolling hill presents its view with all these layers of amber light on straw colored curves, and softened greens saturating so much expansive land. The smattering of trees— like bushes in the distance. Coming from Washington, I thought- how is there just one tree? How are there just five? How is there so much open rolling curvaceous space and then these green pockets? I felt like earth has exposed this new delicious view to me and like the baby dinosaurs in The Land Before Time, who discovered The Great Valley that meant sanctuary to their families. That’s how California felt to me when I first laid eyes on her hills. This would be the place where I’d grow. This would become my #sanctuary. ⁠
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When got this stone, I was driving from SF to Petaluma several times a week, and I saw this exact view- rolling Marin and Sonoma county hills- the layers, the smatterings of trees as they all eventually meet to touch the sky. I thought about my gratitude and the irony of so deeply enjoying this view from the freeway. I made this piece as an homage to these hills and to that view that so many residents enjoy on their own commutes.⁠
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The rose cut citrine are road reflectors set in concrete and framed with silver. The hills are formed brass and reticulated silver, framed with 18k gold. The locking box clasp features the same concrete and rose cut citrine, and the whole piece sits as a connector, shield and statement of power and connection to this land and our relationship to it. ⁠