The Circle of Life Tree Pendant

In 1979, one of my first jewelry designs was a Tree of Life Pendant.  The piece was 1 3/4″ high, a design of entwining roots, branches and leaves and well conceived for the early 80’s and the beginning of my career. For years since I have wanted to design a second and more inspired version but my creative time is very limited and a unique concept did not materialize until now.

The images below are of my new wax carving taken from both the front and the back, the female and the male sides.

Circle of Life Tree Pendant – Female

Circle of Life Tree Pendant – Male

Several weeks ago, when I was traveling in Baja, I spotted a crude Tree of Life Pendant wrought in bronze.  It was similar to the design I created years ago, but had the shadow of two figures entwined to form the trunk of the tree.  I looked closely but could not really discern if the figures were intentional or just the accidental lines making up the bark and roots of the tree.

I design in my head, not on paper and my best designs unfold when I am driving long distances.  I need solitude to think and long stretches of highway with no interruptions provide me that needed space.  My mind wandered to the leaves and branches of the tree and I had a vision of Matisse’s floating figures and was inspired to carve children into the branches and leaves of the tree.

For over 30 hours, I have been working on the wax carving of this new piece. Carving or sculpting wax is a tedious process, each design taking hours of precise shoulder aching  work.  I listen to books on tape when I design.  Coincidentally, the book that I started listening to at the beginning of this design was The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.  It is a poignant narrative spanning three generations. Much of the story is about the horrors of Auschwitz, but it is also a story of survival, love and a the promise of a  future.