Love My Art Jewelry: Inspriation Move Me Brightly

by Staci Louise Smith

I am pretty sure I have used that title before, but I love that line. It's from a Grateful Dead Song called Terrapin Station.

TERRAPIN STATION
Inspiration, move me brightly
light the song with sense and color,
hold away despair
More than this I will not ask
faced with mysteries dark and vast
statements just seem vain at last
some rise, some fall, some climb
to get to Terrapin
Counting stars by candlelight
all are dim but one is bright:
the spiral light of Venus
rising first and shining best,
From the northwest corner
of a brand-new crescent moon
crickets and cicadas sing
a rare and different tune
Terrapin Station
in the shadow of the moon
Terrapin Station
and I know we'll be there soon

Terrapin - I can't figure out
Terrapin - if it's an end or the beginning
Terrapin - but the train's got its brakes on
and the whistle is screaming: TERRAPIN

Anyhow, my mind goes there when something inspires me. It goes to show just how much music plays a part in my life. I have a constant soundtrack in my head at all times.

Recently, The Grateful Dead got together one last time for a farewell set of shows. I blogged a bit about it here, on a more personal note, complete with pictures from my hippie days (I am still a hippie girl at heart- just all grown up)

http://www.stacilouise.blogspot.com/2015/07/oh-memories-of-times-gone-by.html

Music truly inspires me. Lyrics inspire me, especially poetic ones. Plus, music also brings memories to life once again. I did a blog hop once, based on music, it was amazing. It was by Erin over at Treasures Found (the link I have doesn't seem to be the one I participated in, but you can get the idea).

(This was Erin's piece inspired by Cirque Du Soleil)

http://treasures-found.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-challenge-of-music-reveal.html

It was beautiful to see again and again how everyone was inspired by the music and how that was then interpreted into jewelry. Each so very different, yet all inspired by the same thing: music.

The Grateful Dead is one of those timeless groups for me. I have so many fond memories of the shows. I love poetic, sometimes silly and often wonderful tidbits of wisdom that are found in the lyrics. I could listen to their music a bit everyday and never tire of it.

I had planned to spend the weekend watching the shows on demand or online with friends and family, and really wanted to make something we would be able to keep. (I must say, I was VERY dissapointed we could not go to the shows, but in the end, watching in my jammies with the kids, and getting together and camping with friends while watching- even better. No lines for the bathroom and you can pause the show too!!)

anyhow.............

So I ended up making a limited run of my own version of their infamous Steal Your Face design- which is of course a skull, which I of course, love.

So I ended up making these.

Through making these and putting them online (they are in the shop now http://www.stacilouiseoriginals.com/store) and selling some at my last art show.....it was really amazing to see who else shares my love of The Dead. I think music and art are so closely bonded, whether you paint, or you make with your hands or your dance, music runs through it all. It connects people, it reminds us, it invokes emotions in us that need to be felt. Mostly, it brings people together. Dead Heads can get a bit of a stigma attached to them, but they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. It warms my heart each time I meet another person who just "gets it". When we share something as intimate as music, its like we must get each other on some level.

Not only did I meet some customers who are Dead Heads, but I met a fellow artist and her work is amazing! I mean, her work just plain old makes me happy!