Elysian Field Originals

I first heard about Type O Negative a two years ago when my son introduced me to their music. He was right. I loved the sound, lyrics and most of all the voice of lead singer, Peter Steele. When listening to music there are those far and few between times when a song really touches something deep inside that you can really relate to. I’d never seen the band, never heard of them before but the music on some level really spoke to me. (Then again at my age it could be dementia but I prefer to think of it as inspiration.)

I saw them for the first time this past year and was mesmerized by the show they put on. As a group they were amazing and I became an instant fan (can I say that without sounding cheesy?).  Steele puts his soul out there for all of us to hear and feel. It’s both a joy to hear and painful at the same time because you can sense that this is a guy who’s gone through some tough times, albeit self inflicted, and still is.  I’m glad to hear he’s come through the fire recently and am interested to hear how it plays out in his music.

One of his songs called “Greenman“, is one I really like. This past week while it was raining I was working on some of my leaf pendants and after I heard this song decided to put a likeness of Peter’s face to an Oak leaf. I think he’d like it. Here’s the result and the lyrics to Type O Negative’s   Greenman:

GREENMAN
Spring won’t come, the need of strife
To struggle to be freed from hard ground
The evening mists that creep and crawl
Will drench in the dew and so drownI’m the green man
The green man

Sol in prime sweet summertime
Cast shadows of doubt on my face
A midday sun, it’s caustic hues
Refracting within the still lake

Autumn in her flaming dress
Of orange, brown, gold fallen leaves
My mistress of the frigid night
I worship pray to on my knees

Winter’s breath of filthy snow
Befrosted paths to the unknown
Have my lips turned true purple
Life is coming to an end
So says me, me wiccan friend
Nature coming full circle

I’m the green man
The green man

October Rust, 1996

This is a commissioned piece that I just completed for a client in Arizona. She requested a Red Maple leaf with a 14 kt gold bail. I almost want to keep her for myself, lol.

A unique blend of Nouveau and Nature!

This tiny art nouveau style bas relief of a tree nymph is set into an imprint of a 2″ Norway Maple leaf from Rhode Island. Both are sculpted using Kato clay. The leaf has been colored with inks and mica powders and the fairy nymph is colored using watercolors then sealed.
The brown leather necklace is 20″ with amber glass beads, silver beads, sterling silver bail and a hand crafted sterling silver clasp.

Nature’s beauty! I am really enjoying using gemstones for healing and well being with my leaf spirits lately, and although this could be worn as a pendant, I have transformed this lovely imprint of a Burr Oak, also called Mossycup Oak, as an ornament. Fashion forward fairies or renn folk could do double duty and use this as a focal pendant worthy of a goddess or fairy queen.

Sculpted using a combination of translucent Kato and pearl clay, I’ve added a layer of antiquing to bring out the detail in the veins and to show depth as well.

The hanger is multiple copper spirals accented with genuine Tiger’s eye and a fire polished czech bead. A piece of lovely hand dyed raw silk ribbon finished with quartz leaves adds a lovely finishing touch!