Feadhers and ink
While painting, I would often stop to look at the green hills and the outlines of the mountains,at the birds flying around or soaring like dark silhouettes in the distance. I looked at them silently, and I thought, "What would it be like to be a bird? What if the sky was mine and I could glide with the wind? What if water was my mirror, place for rest, and my way? What would it be like to have wings and feathers in various shades, bright colours, and unexpected contrasts sparkling like in a dream? What would it be like to sleep between branches, keeping silent in the greenery of reeds? What would it be like to have a flimsy shelter in a storm? To be carried by the gusts of the northern wind... To use the ancient magnetic fields of the planet to find my way; to fly thousands of kilometres over deserts, oceans, rain, and human worlds. What would it feel to have the freedom to wide open my light wings and, from the top of a tree, plunge in glides, games, and joy in the middle of spring? What would it feel to be a bird in a cage, next to thousands of other caged birds, and never be able to spread my wings ... What if there was no spring, no sun or grass?"
Then I resumed my work with the magic of the colours. Just a human being in the space of birds, under the shadow of a tit's wing... From as early as my childhood, my life has always been connected with painting to some extent. I graduated from the Academy of Arts in Veliko Tarnovo. I have worked as a jewellery designer for many years, and for three years now, I have been studying watercolour which I am going to excel in, inspired by animals and Nature.
Mariana Nordgren
Finland - nature center Haltia, 2020
The oaks are mythical trees, they are species that has been around for milion of years. In myths and legends the oak is sacred and powerfull protector because of his endurance, size and nutritional seeds – the acorns. In all the european myths, the Mighty oak is symbol of wisdom, stability and longevity. Central of the Finnish myths, the giand oak is a statue of the world, surrownded of starry sky, holding the sky firmament or with its leavs, covering the moon and the sun.
In the awe of this trees and to pay them my respect, i have created the Forest Diamond jewelry.
At the beguinning of Autumn, i collect the stals from different places and from two different types of oaks in Europe. But the seeds themself, i always leave in the earth under the trees. Then i compare their shape, form and colors. I look at small differences and carefully select the acorns. Every single piece of Forest Diamond is unique and made by hand, processed with pigments, tiny glass beads, epoxy resin and lacquer.
Big part of my inspiration is working with ancient forms of nature. Forest Diamond is symbiosis between natural shapes and my creativity, and experience in the visual art.
MATERIALS:
acorns of Summer oak(Quercus robur),
Sessile oak(Quercus petraea),
pigments,
resin,
ear wire for the closure – stainless steel or silver.
Cruelty free.
Places in Finland, where you can find Forest Diamond jewelry:
– Finnish nature center – Haltia
– "OMA puoti"– Katariinakatu 4, 00170 Helsinki
– Nellys art and craft shop – Jokikatu 14, 06100 Porvoo
Forest Diamond also have small mission – 10% from my sales i give to charity – to grass root animal rigts organizations in Eastern Europe or to the new sanctuary "Cat Space", based in Ukraine