Category: ART AND JEWELRY By Rafi And Klee

At what point do you think people stop believing in mermaids? I love painting mermaids and other mythical creatures because I think something is lost when we forget our wonder.

 

I believe that the power of hope is something to be reckoned with. The only thing more powerful is confidence in knowing. Hopelessness with destroy a world for someone… Introduce hope, and the world changes.

 

When I was a kid, I did a lot of really weird and dangerous things that my parents don’t know anything about. I remember crossing streets with my eyes closed and jumping off of high places, I honestly shouldn’t have survived. I had a such a powerful belief that I was protected by an angel, that I had no fear when attempting these dangerous acts. I would have to say, due to the evidence, I must have been right.

 

The connection we experience with the world is quite extensive. This particular series represents the growth we all experience in simply being. Like a tree we grow constantly, whether it is physically or spiritually, we are growing. We are constantly reaching up for the heavens, while also growing underneath the surface… It’s really amazing.

 

It’s the little things in life that always seem to carry the biggest impact when you actually pay attention. The reflection of the world in the distortion of the drop of water will always give me a different perspective on what I think I’m seeing. The bright colors and neon fun of the nightlife takes a different turn when you look at it through the new eyes of a simple drop of water.

 

There came a time where I simply turned a blind eye to all ambition that truly meant something to me. I filled that void with a false sense of accomplishment. I had a lot of shiny pieces of paper in frames that symbolized my status in the business world. I think everyone at some point realizes that they are wearing blinders when the unhappiness starts to take over. This piece symbolizes the day the blinders came off. It started with a simple thought, “If I could be successful doing something I hated, how could I not be successful doing something I love?”

 

Every once in a while you realize that the only obstacle that could ever stand in your way is your own mind. If you believe something is difficult and a struggle, then it will be difficult and a struggle. When you believe you are unstoppable, then you truly become, unstoppable.

 

I think at some point everyone reaches an end to what ever miserable time they’ve been having in life. This piece symbolizes the moment I let go of all the perceptions I had that kept me in a dark cycle.

 

There’s a stillness felt under a midnight sky full of stars. You almost feel like if you are still enough and look long enough, you’ll be able to feel the turning of the earth and see distant galaxies. Whether we’re talking about this beautiful starlit tree standing in the quiet night, or you as the observer of it… There’s peace there. It’s meant to make you exhale and just feel.

 

I’ve always said that for me jewelry is so much more than just a pretty adornment. It’s personal to the artist that creates it, and it’s personal to the wearer. Pieces like these can be mementos for significant life events, daily reminders or mantras, a way to remember a loved one and so on. Sometimes I know the story of the person I’m creating it for, sometimes I don’t… But when I’m creating these pieces, each part of the process is with deliberate intention, love, and acknowledgement that every person’s story is an important one.