FEATURED ETSY ARTIST - MEDITATIONS GEMSTONE JEWELRY by KARA

NIGHTMARE OAK - PENDANT NECKLACE

by Kara of MEDITATIONS

This dark pendant necklace represents the moss draped oak tree of your worst nightmare. 'Nightmare Oak' was inspired by the lovely old oak trees found in the famous cemetaries of New Orleans. Sadly, many of these beautiful specimens were lost to the ravages of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which was a nightmare unto itself.

In the paragraph above, Kara of "MEDITIONS" describes her lovely unique pendant "Nightmare Oak". I was browsing through Kara's Etsy shop and saw many truly lovely, unique pieces of jewelry, so be sure to pay her MEDITIONS shop on Etsy a visit. Below you can learn a little bit about Kara's thoughts and ideas about being a jewelry artist.

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I have always dabbled in different arts and crafts. One day, six or seven years ago, I just picked up some gemstone nuggets on a vacation, and the obsession had begun!

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

Purely by chance. I have always loved to try new things, from sewing to claywork to oil pastel drawing. For some reason, the creativity of working with wire and gems just struck a chord with me. I love the beauty of natural materials.

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

Definitely the planning phases. I love to go through my bead boxes and find pairings of stones that work together. In some ways, that extensive planning is my real skill, even more so than the actual construction of a piece.

If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

Oh my, what a funny question! I guess I'd say a tomato, because a tomato is a little bit like a fruit, a little bit like a vegetable. Likewise, my work is generally craft, but at times, on certain pieces, it crosses over a line and becomes more of an art form. So I suppose its two things at once, like a tomato!

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

It would be working in oil pastels. I really love that medium, it feels like being a kid again, just messing around with crayons. I feel comfortable with pastels. I don't feel that way about working with a paint brush!

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

I want to remind the people who see my pieces of the beauty of nature and its importance in an increasingly technological society. There's nothing wrong with technology, but its important that we not forget the natural beauty that surrounds us and how it has sustained us for millenia.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Have faith in yourself and believe that if you love what you create, someone else will, too.

THANKS, Kara for sharing your thoughts and lovely jewelry with us. I love how you blend the gemstones and your use of wire to make some truly exquisite pieces! You can visit MEDITATIONS by clicking on any of the photos below to go directly to that item in Kara's shop, or clicking on the MEDITATIONS link below the photos to go to the shop.