Holiday Thoughts

Holiday time again, shopping, wrapping, family traditions, food, company. We share songs we all know, foods we grew up with and hopes of happy times. The holidays are a combination of religious faith, pagan traditions and blends of the multi-cultural melting pot that is unique to this country.

Let's try to remember to have some fun and focus on the moments that make up this time so fraught with expectation. During these challenging times our gift is a slight shift of focus on what we can be and do for each other. The gifts we give are from the heart, maybe we made them, maybe they are created from the hand of an artist, maybe we are supporting our local businesses helping each other make it though.

Hope you all take some time to enjoy these moments and have them be more than just another chore to get through. Take the time to allow this to be a time to take stock of and appreciate who & what is in your lives.
Happy Holidays!

New Trunk Show Features Elizabeth Garvin

Elizabeth Garvin is being featured at all three of our locations starting October 31st thru November 15th. This is our last trunk show until next year.

Ms. Garvin says that she is inspired by architecture and industrial design and, " Design that has been reduced to its simplest form, where all unnecessary elements have been removed." As modern and reductionist as her designs are, her work maintains a classic line. She designs for real people, and her jewelry is designed to be worn. The engineering of movement is subtle not overt.

Ms. Gavin once stated that she created her jewelry for the discerning, professional woman, someone who wants a unique yet somewhat understated piece. She also uses materials to keep her pieces affordable. By using CZ's and 18K bi-metal,along with Sterling Silver, the cost of her work is quite approachable.

We hope you have the opportunity to come enjoy her work in person.

Guara Vani and As Kindred Spirits

Wendy Rukmini Walker has a son Gaura Vani that has been a musician since "before he could talk or walk" He uses the sacred art of Kirtan (the yoga of voice), a traditional call and response technique to express his musical aptitude. He and his band "As Kindred Spirits" (like mother like son!) have travelled extensively sharing this ecstatic music.

This weekend Guara will be participating in Omega Institute's 5th annual Kirtan Festival that brings together Kirtan performers from all over to "nourish our soul(s) with a rich tradition of musical prayer and meditation. Known in Sanskrit as kirtan, devotional chanting awakens a longing in the heart for the experience of inner silence, boundless love, and union with the divine. Emerging from Hindu traditions in India, kirtan is practiced by millions of people."http://www.eomega.org/omega/workshops/da149d9d52307a7a75542962885b0ebe/

Guara has participated in and created many events based on this sacred music. He and his band created a performance called "Chant for Change" that was to both celebrate, inspire, and support out the new president Barack Obama on the eve of his inauguration. He invited people to,"Lift our hearts and voices to empower ourselves, our new leaders, our city, our country and our world in this revolutionary gathering of sacred sound and movement." all within sight of the White House and Washington Monument.

If you have a chance to see and/or participate in any of his performances you should. This heartfelt and talented young man is a credit to his mom, and a gift to this world! Check out his website http://www.gauravani.com/ (PS some his music is available at our stores!)

This month's featured artist: Ayala Bar

In honor of our month long trunk show in September of Israeli jewelry artist Ayala Bar, I thought I'd provide a bit of background on her work.

For those who have seen her colorful and eclectic style the description, " Art Deco meets Middle East" will seem quite apt. Her limited edition collections use simple metals, glass beads, mineral stones and crystal rhinestones to translate her creative perceptions. One can view the influences of ancient mosaics as well as modern fashion design in her creations. She worked for over a decade in costume and interior design prior to starting her own company in 1990.

Ms. Bar likes to state that as a mature designer,she is cognizant of the trends in the fashion world, but always true to her own inner vision. Her inspiration: a rose-tinted flower peeking out of a crack in a pavement... a glint of sunlight on a rusty can... a pebble marking gentle waves in a rain shower's puddle... wherever Ayala Bar goes,her surroundings inspire her. For this creative artist, the universe is indeed in the details. Insights and ideas are collected from sights and sites that to the average person seem mundane.

Come enjoy the visual delights of this very talented international jewelry artist. In all three stores for the month of September.

New shipments in from designer Erica Zapp. "Form, Shape, and Beauty," are her watchwords. She's someone who has always been surrounded by art and craft, her parents owned an international craft and art from around the world. She studied metal smithing at SUNY New Palz in NY, and has been designing jewelry and selling it for quite a few years. Erica Zapp consistently integrates a very sleek contemporary look with an emphasis on acessable beauy. She uses Rhodium and gold plating over brass and copper to create a wide array of color and texture. She has integrated traditional stone and pearl elements with her contemporary forms creating appealling new versions of her look. Come in today to view some of her newest designs.

Just a little bit about our featured artist this month Jeanne Johngren. She started her artistic life in Paris sketching in the wonderful museums, the onto NY and filmaking. She was one of the first producing videos for early MTV. She's always had an attraction to both storytelling and visual art (She studied English Lit @ Yale).
"As a film producer," recounts Johngren, "I always thought 'big picture.' But now the jewelry I design fills my world with a desire to uncover the story hidden in each stone. Discovering the storyline in each combination is a wonderfully rewarding process." She draws inspiration from the ancient and modern alike. Byzantine mosaics, stained glass windows, and carved architectural details present enduring textures and proportions that are repositories of intrigue for the modern viewer. In addition, she is influenced by the work of artists of past and present, such as El Greco, Gustav Klimt, and Mark Rothko.(from her website http://www.jeannejohngren.com/catalog/bio.php )
Her pieces are delicately beautiful. Her stones are chosen specifically for excellence in cut, clarity, and color.
Another example of her integrity as an artist she 'gives back' a portion of her proceeds towards programs that help and support women. All in all this artist's work is a must see. Come visit our Regan National Airport store for a trunkshow of her work starting on or around 6/26/09

We're Back!

After a long time of 'air silence' AKS (As Kindred Spirits) has decided to create a cyber presence. We've had our website: askindredspirits.com for some time with an ability to answer queries from some of our far flung fans (especially those who frequent our Reagan National Airport store) as well as new fans who discover us on the web. Now we are trying out a couple social networking sites, Facebook: As Kindred Spirits Stores, and Twitter: AKS Stores, in addition to this blog. The attempt is to allow our customers and fans the opportunity to hear, in a more up to the minute fashion, what's happenning at our stores, what new artists and merchandise we have, as well as a quick and direct line in for trunk shows, events and specials being offered.

We hope you enjoy our commentary, and as always we hope to always be an enjoyable and inspiring part of your day!

Thanks for listening!