Beautiful photograph. What is it made of?
And, is it really a percussive instrument?

--
Michael of Cosmic Folklore Studios

This is a solid sterling silver. I played with the photo a lot on purpose. I wanted that star effect badly. And I wanted the abstract nature of the image. A mystery if you will.

And yep, when combined with the other shaman stone II, they make about 30 - 40 different sounds in the percussive range. Pretty neat sounds also. You cup two of these in your hand(s) basically and shake them or roll them or swish them. There is a whole scale i can create with them. And if done just right I can get a ringing sound out of the pair also.

I use them in a sorta chant dance thing I do when I am meditating and out in nature, or trying to get in the "Now", Hence the name shaman stones. The rythem (sp?) concentrates my thinking. My friends call it my medicine dance, like the American Indians i suppose. For me the music they play are like a focus to the dance journey of my meditation and communion.

I keep them in my pocket the rest of the time. I will never be poor as long as i have these, either money (lots of silver in each one) wise or spiritual wise (lots of strong ju ju hehe). As with all my shaman series elements, these are created as fundamental symbols or metaphors of the body tribal, and constructed to act as a constant reminders of what is most important in life's journey. Things like the heart, and spirituality, and music, and cosmos, and a Greater Being, and the earth and moon and sun and stars, are constant metaphors of the elements i use in this work. There is more to the body tribal work than that, quite a bit more. Craftsmanship is an integral part of the body tribal, for each of us, in our past, contributed directly to the community those skills needed most to survive and prosper as a tribe.

whether spiritual or physical, craftsmanship played a huge roll in the success of small hunter gatherers tribes of old. I strongly suspect in the future, craftsmanship will again play a key roll in mans evolution. Craftsmanship as a skill will be placed back up on top of highly sought after human endeavors. I would like to think we are moving away from mass production, for personal items, for we are bored with how hollow these items are to us. We sense there is no magic in these items, and we seem to know the unspoken truth that we have been robbed of our past.

--
Scott Pincus
Etsy Sales site
Art marketing blog

i pause) it is then that i awaken
but sleep walk as each day cascades
and i wonder what i did

I think that some of us are moving away from production items, but many, unfortunately, are not. People still prefer listening to CD's over learning to play an instrument themselves. And, many still prefer to buy Wal-Mart earrings or other jewelry that is mass produced in China. But, there is a big movement away from this. It is a small one, but I hope for a snowball effect

I would love to hear your chant. Unfortunately for me to get into the "Now" is less dramatic. I just pull my finger out of my nose, LOL.

Beautiful work none-the-less

I can't wait to see more

--
Michael of Cosmic Folklore Studios

the dance is nothing really special to watch though on occasion i have been known to really ham it up. It is just small movement bouncing around I have had marathon dances though many many hours.

--
Scott Pincus
Etsy Sales site
Art marketing blog

i pause) it is then that i awaken
but sleep walk as each day cascades
and i wonder what i did

I have been known to play my ukulele for hours, but instead of "now-ness" I get bleading fingers
I am sure your dance is much more interesting.

--
Michael of Cosmic Folklore Studios

hehe. Nowness, being in the moment is kinda tough, with all the noise that takes place in our day to day lifes.

--
Scott Pincus
Etsy Sales site
Art marketing blog

i pause) it is then that i awaken
but sleep walk as each day cascades
and i wonder what i did

Wow that is amazing and great info to Lovely work

--
My DA Love~Pat[link]

"The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
~Raft:treeswithcharacture:*PsychedelicTreasures *FractalDreams~NFM

Thank you Pat, I am still looking out for a date

--
Scott Pincus
Etsy Sales site
Art marketing blog

i pause) it is then that i awaken
but sleep walk as each day cascades
and i wonder what i did

This is an amazing photograph

--
Different Seasons Jewelry Blog~ [link]
Jessica on MySpace~ [link]
Mark on MySpace~ [link]

Jessica Dow & Mark Anderson
Different Seasons Jewelry and Lapidary