AlisonH
This Concert scarf is a little greener in real life, as is the pendant. I dyed the baby alpaca I used for it, adding green to what was a very light blue, and hoped it would match many a turquoise stone for her. I only wish I had handspun that particular yarn as well, but the lack of feeling in my fingertips makes spinning that fine a yarn a completely visual and very tiring task. Factory milled is still nice, soft stuff; I made the color my own.
I have for a long time aspired to own a piece of Frances Begay’s work. She is a gifted and well-known Navajo woman who creates jewelry the old way, selecting and then polishing her stones by hand, cutting and shaping her silver using 75-year-old traditional tools of the trade that others now pass on, nothing machined, nothing pre-cut. Turquoise and sterling from her hands is a work of finely-wrought art. As the daughter of an art dealer and as a handspinner, I appreciate the extra craftsmanship she puts into each piece.
I wrote to Frances and her husband a few times before I finally went ahead and bought this, and learned a few more details about how she goes about her work, letting her know how beautiful I thought it was.
Emerald Valley turquoise, greener than other pieces I owned (and then how it appears here), which I wanted. It’s large, and at 18 grams (I hesitate to say that; the sizes vary to match the stones), it’s quite hefty–my bluer turquoise pendant, for those who remember that post a good ways back, is 4 grams. Wearing Frances’s against my upper chest, it has a solid sense of presence, like the hug of a friend.
And this scarf is what I put in the mail in return, by way of thanking her, the price of the piece not reflecting at all how much I value what she made specifically for me after my order arrived. I like how the open zig zag areas of the scarf echo the shaping of the silver edging her stone, the more solid areas to the sides echoing the solid silver surrounding her circular coil. It seemed just the right pattern. Artist to artist. And now, friend to friend.
12 Comments so far
Leave a comment
Frances husband russell actually. You will have to call Frances at 505-726-8076. She too spins wool… cuts the sheep and then spins the yarn.
This was part of growing up amongst Navajo weavers. How kind of you, Frances sure read it and she thanks you very much.
Your pendant is beautiful. The silver work is exquisite.
The scarf is a lovely piece too. You did beautiful work.
Comment by Dee 03.31.08 @ 2:16 pmWow, echoes everywhere..the scarf; soft and beautiful over & over…the pendant; quality and artistic know-how.
Comment by Toni 03.31.08 @ 5:16 pmThe pendant is beautiful (the scarf, too). I’ve always like silver work.
Comment by amy 03.31.08 @ 5:44 pmBoth the scarf and the pendant are exquisite! Both very special pieces made by hand and with passion.
Comment by Vicki 03.31.08 @ 6:02 pmThat’s just beautiful – the story, the pendant, the scarf, the women behind them both.
Comment by Channon 04.01.08 @ 5:39 amanother thing we have in common love of good silver and turquoise pieces – I think I have one of her pieces too – will have to look thru it
Comment by rho 04.01.08 @ 10:20 amLovely pendant. Love the scarf too, grapevine trellis is one of my favorite BW lace patterns. I’ve knit several scarves using it and am using it as a panel in an afghan.
Comment by anne 04.05.08 @ 8:24 pmI too, treasure my pieces by Frances Begay, as well as the acerbic, wise and alwayhs witty e-mails I exchanged with Russell. Life being what it is, I lost touch with them when they closed the Frances Begay site on E-bay…and moves and illness occupied my attention. I’m so glad to find out they are still practicing their art and raising the spirits of those of use who are lucky enough to have a piece of the jewelry…and the pleasure of their company. I’m a witer, not a tactile artist and I so envy your being able to give them a gift in return. Frances’ pieces are a gift renewed every time I look at or wear them.
Comment by Tess Halle 03.02.10 @ 5:58 pmI too, treasure my pieces by Frances Begay, as well as the acerbic, wise and always witty e-mails I exchanged with Russell. Life being what it is, I lost touch with them when they closed the Frances Begay site on E-bay…and moves and illness occupied my attention. I’m so glad to find out they are still practicing their art and raising the spirits of those of us who love and cherish their work and spirit. I’m a witer, not a tactile artist and I so envy your being able to give them a gift in return. Frances’ pieces are a gift renewed every time I look at or wear them.
Comment by Tess Halle 03.02.10 @ 6:00 pmI received a large necklace from my mother with the name F. Begay on the back. The design is more fine point Zuni, yet it is stamped Navajo. It also reminds me of an elegant egyptian design. Do you know anyone I could correspond with to find out more information? Karen
Comment by Karen Keller 06.19.10 @ 6:05 pmLeave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>