Design Highlight: Voice
In this series we highlight individual designs, their symbolism and creation.
In a recent conversation with a friend, we were discussing the importance of music and voices to our lives. This friend has an amazing group of friends who gather around music; having only a semblance of musical skill myself, I can only imagine the wonders of those gatherings. I do, however, know the magic of raising my voice in song, in education, and in protest, and I instantly wanted to create an Aperta necklace to honor this important part of our lives.
After some brainstorming, sketching, research, and good old-fashioned daydreaming, I settled on this design. It incorporates elements of music (the 5 lines echo a musical staff, and the swirl across the front is inspired by Beethoven's handwritten treble clef). The shape of the pendant evokes fire symbolism, which I used because our voices, like fire, are powerful elements of change but can also be destructive if not used carefully. The back, of course, also keeps Aperta's signature heart; the wax model carving is in progress in this photo. Below is a time-lapse of carving the front... it gives you a sense of the small shavings taken off the wax at a time. This slow process allows the form of a piece to take shape with intention, each detail in proportion and with its own volume and texture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQriqD7hrrM
I decided to use a music note as the pendant portion of the Voice design, in part to acknowledge the role of music and singing to protest. The link between these is one that spans the breadth of humanity and is much older than our country, but I was inspired by the use of protest songs in the American Black tradition to create unity, inspire action, and celebrate faith and joy. It is my hope that this design brings all those elements to focus so that they form a meditation bridge for the wearer... a physical reminder to meditate on the power of our voices, and the change and the joy they can bring to our lives and those of others.
Wearing Aperta's Voice Slide during Fall foliage