October gifts

October

The month when nature gifts us its colors

Fall colors in Vermont - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

when children start writing their letters to Santa
and we start looking for gifts for our loved ones.

Path in the woods behind our cabin - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

A symphony of colors - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky
Like? see my photography web site

This October I already received my gifts:

A beautiful vacation in Vermont,
the starting of a new volunteering project,
a fine art photography class,
fresh ideas for both jewelry and photography.




Now, it's my turn to give.
I want to give you 2 gifts..

For those of you with little time, I will start with the tangible one.

Delicate heart necklace with a heart cutout - "you are always in my heart"
The sterling silver version is my gift to you .See gold version here

For every purchase made in my ETSY store until the end of November -

I will send you a Sterling Silver heart pendant necklace - 'you are always in my heart'

Keep it or gift it.
It's all yours.
The picture on the right is the exact same necklace in solid 18k gold.



The second gift, is one I have received and now paying it forward.

On our last vacation day, we decided to explore the 'recreation path'. A pleasant walk starting behind the Stowe picturesque church and meandering through the park.

Just at its beginning, lining the path were signs with verses from a poem by Lizzy Fox.
I loved it so much, I wrote them all down,
and now I pass them on to you.

A morning walk in the woods - photographed by Amy Kanka Valadarsky

October
  by Lizzy Fox

I want
to take my time
in October
slow my steps
feel each crunch
and crack
of leaves
beneath my feet

Watch trees take form
stretching skeletal
towards snatches
of sun

Bathing half-naked
in wind
and rain
and sleet
that softly coat them  
from dappled skies;

Trees
who won't decide
a color
or pattern
to hold onto.

Who bear forth
in brittle
transparency.

       

Enjoy this month and its colors,
and get ready to welcome the colder days of November.

If you enjoyed the images and would like to see more - go to my photography web site.
There are more of them there in the impressionist, landscape and reflection sections.

Bye,
amy

Venice reflections - inspirations and insights from a magical city

Helen Keller said once that "Of all senses, sight must be the most delightful"
For most of us, seeing is an automatic act.
We just need to open our eyes - and we see.

But what happens, when we start actively looking at things, rather then just seeing?

Here is an ordinary picture taken from a speedboat.
My husband and I making our entrance to Venice on a taxi - boat that takes us from the airport to the hotel.

Lots of fun, but the picture itself ...
nothing special, not even too pretty ...




But here is what happens, when the photographer (my husband :) ) raises his eyes a bit -

Oh, yes - THIS is NOT boring.
Now look at the previous picture.
See it? The reflection was there all the time....you just had to look and notice it.







Last week, I've been immersed in history, art, carnival and colors in Venice, Italy.
And I had the privilege of having a wonderful photographer guide who taught us difference between passively seeing and actively looking for different and interesting angles.

Take the costumes for example. They are stunning. Beautiful. Amazing.

Venice Carnival 2014

But look what happens when the costume is photographed with its the shadow on the old church wall.

Costume and Shadow at Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, Italy 

Seeing the reflections in the canal waters - I finally understood what Monet and Degas painted.

They did not paint water ...


















They painted the light, the trees, and the colors reflected in the waters, blurred by the soft motion of the waves.

Just look at these photos - don't they remind you of their paintings?

As majestic as palaces are -
they become even more so, seen with their reflection on the wet stone floor.

The Doge Palace, Venice on a rainy day. 

This short 5 days vacation filled me with inspiration and insights to last for years.
The first thing I did when we came home, was to create a short video to capture these in a way I could remember and share how I see this wonderful city.

... and right after this - ran to the sketchbook and workbench to work on my new jewelry collection.
If all goes well, maybe I can share a bit about it on the next post ...

If you would  like to see more of what inspires me, as well as my work - join me on Facebook.
That's where I post ideas, get your feedback, share things on a more frequent basis. www.facebook.com/akvjewelry

Wishing you an inspiring day, and don't forget to look around you ....

Amy

When history, color and jewelry meet

The old city of Akko - A view from the top of the surrounding walls

There are many stunningly beautiful places

Some of them have fascinating stories to tell

…few of these would really inspire you and make you fall in love.

If in the last post I was inspired by people - this time its about a place.

I recently spent a day in one of the most beautiful, interesting and fascinating cities in Israel – Akko (Acre).

Layers of history ( physical layers of the city from Crusaders’ time and Ottoman empire ) – topped with a living breathing city.

"Inn of the Columns". The best preserved khan in Israel
Constructed during the rule of Ahmed Jezzar Pasha in the Ottoman era

 ....Cat napping in the sun on the first floor

Just under the napping cat, an oriental gift shop.

A symphony of color – the cream color of ancient buildings, the turquoise doors ( protection against evil eye) and the unbelievable colors of the fishing port and the old market.

The fishing port. Akko is one of the oldest port cities in the world

Fishing boats, resting now after the night fishing trips

Colorful spices in the old market. Oh the smells ....

 Fancy a fresh glass of red grapefruit juice?
I had one. Yummy!

Exotic fruit in the old market. by this time I was drunk with colors and smells.

Baskets filled with Pomegranates everywhere

Inspiring blend of 4 religions (Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Bahai) and many cultures coexisting, living together.

Muslim prayer - see the plastic chairs just behind him? A family was having an early lunch
were they Muslims? Christians? Jews? No idea. Coexistance

The old clock tower. 

This square tower was build in 1906 to commemorate 25 years of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's rule.

Four clocks were added to the top of the tower in the early 1960s:

On the southern face - Hebrew letters used as numerals.
On the eastern face - Arabic numerals
On the northen face - Western style numerals
On the western face - Roman numerals

I liked Akko when I first saw it, years ago. 

Every time I go there, I discover something new, a new story, a new layer, a new angle of light reveling yet another secret.

Needless to say, at the end of this day, the thought of creating an Akko inspired jewelry collection crossed my mind.

And speaking of jewelry, I thought this is a good time to share with you one of my necklaces that was inspired by ancient designs.

Rest your eyes after all these colors with monochrome silver,

Stay with the intricately combined layers – this time woven loops of fine silver wire

Ancient design, from Etruscans and the Roman times

A handmade. fine silver Roman chain necklace,

In a unisex version -

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/160202654/silver-chain-necklace-handmade-etruscan?ref=shop_home_active

And in the artisan version, combined with a one of a kind pendant that doubles as a clasp.

What do you think of it?

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/128975705/silver-pendant-necklace-with-diamonds?ref=shop_home_active

Hope you enjoyed this short virtual trip.

And if old colorful historic places inspire you as well, why don't you share with us in the comment?

Bye,

until next time,

Amy