Metamorphosis

I’m entering 2021 with a renewed interest in breathing some life into my neglected web presence. While I have down-shifted my professional life into semi-retirement mode, I am still living creatively in faith with plenty to share.

Life Journey

I have found a good fit with Fine Art America, a print-on-demand service for artists. This allows me the opportunity to offer my nature photography to be purchased on a variety of products they offer. My prime subject matter is the beloved butterfly, which is near and dear to my heart. The products include wall art complete with framing services, apparel ~ T-shirts and masks, tote bags, throw pillows, notecards, notebooks, mugs, cell phone cases, and jigsaw puzzles. Orders are fulfilled from payment, print, and shipping by Fine Art America. Another way to shop for even more products is through my website on the sister site Pixels.com.

This seems to be a good marriage of hobby and creativity in my semi-retirement. As an artist, passionate butterfly gardener, butterfly whisperer, caterpillar wrangler, and student of nature, I enjoy sharing and teaching about my passion through my photography. My motivation is to spread a little more joy into the world, sharing the soothing balm of nature through my photography.

A bit more about the “semi” in my semi-retirement. I’m constantly defining and shaping just what this means for me. Most people retire to make room for other things in life besides work. That’s my aim. I’m still offering the jewelry and other art that I make on my own website at nancydenmark.com, but I only offer the work that I have made in current inventory, and no longer accept custom orders.

Life marches on, ever changing and morphing, as we molt and transform in our own life metamorphoses. May we embrace the beauty that always emerges.

Love Is In The Air

New! On Eagle’s Wings Cross Designs

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

sterling silver On Eagle’s Wings cross measures 1 1/8″ X 3/4″

This jewelry piece, H66 On Eagle’s Wings, is a high polished sterling silver cross with a raised, stylized eagle. It measures 1 1/8″ X 3/4″ (measurement does not include bale). Priced at $55 for the cross + $6 US shipping = $61.  I am now accepting pre-orders while it is still in production stages. Click the photo or above link to pre-order from my website.

The design came about over the summer as a commission from St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas  to make a large pectoral cross (below) for one of their pastors celebrating 50 years in ministry. After making the large cross in the style of my Impressions of Nature series they decided to make a smaller cross (above) available to their members. The stylized eagle design I used on the crosses is my 3 dimensional interpretation of the logo of St. John Lutheran Church.

large sterling silver On Eagle’s Wings Impressions of Nature pectoral cross measures 3″ X 2″

The eagle is a powerful symbol used to represent St. John the Evangelist. Christian tradition has connected the authors of the New Testament Gospels that bear their names (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) with the four “living creatures” that surround God’s throne, as described in Revelations, Ezekiel, and other early Christian texts. John the Evangelist, the author of the fourth gospel account is symbolized by an eagle because, as the eagle soars towards heaven, he soared in spirit upwards to the heaven of heavens to bring revelations back to earth. John describes many things at a loftier level than the other three gospel authors.

The eagle represents Jesus’ Ascension, and Christ’s divine nature. More inspirational symbolism of the eagle may be found online, including this primer to Catholic symbolism, where a Cloistered Poor Clare Colettine Nun beautifully expresses the power of our Christian symbols as teaching tools to “…grasp them in their beautiful simplicity and begin to appreciate the profound meaning within them, for each contains an entire treasury of thought, a repository of the experience of life in the Faith in its many joyful, painful and hopeful dimensions.” Her symbolism of the eagle includes “The Word of God has the power to raise us up on eagles wings and bring us to heaven” as expressed in the verse from Isaiah that I include with these crosses in a printed gift enclosure.

Both crosses are available to all for purchase. In the spirit of our inclusive faith, I do not create exclusive designs. My thanks to St. John Lutheran for generously sharing their eagle logo design with the world in this way. It was a joy for me to translate it into this new form to create another wearable love story and statement of faith. Click the respective photos or linked text to read the full description of each design with ordering information on my website.

Symbolic Jewelry Grouped By Small Size Designs

This grouping shows the smaller designs available in my “From The Heart Line” sterling silver Christian symbol jewelry series. I have been creating and growing this line of faith inspired jewelry since 1988. I include a gift enclosure of symbolism with each piece, offering the wearer a “love story” to visibly wear and verbally share. Read more about these visual stories & wearable statements of faith on my website. All shown may be ordered and delivered in time for Christmas gifting. A gift that centers on the reason we celebrate this season.

Colorful Collage Crosses For The Wall

Many colorful collage crosses for the wall are ready to purchase from my website. This one shown above is called One In The Spirit based on one of my favorite jewelry designs. Two hearts joined together by and in Christ form a union, which is encompassed by the Holy Spirit. I designed this as a symbol for a Christian marriage or union. A combination of many symbols…the outside line of the design suggests a descending dove, which encompasses the two hearts, forming a fish marked with a cross as they join.

Many of these crosses are made in collaboration with Patti Reed. We cover wood crosses with a collage of special papers and fibers and I further embellish them with a combination of my symbol designs made in polymer clay, my handmade polymer clay beads, and wire. The swirling of beads on the wires express the Spirit in motion flowing around us and through us into the world. The rich colors emote the depth of joy we find in faith and each symbol tells a resonant story of Christian faith. Each cross comes with a gift enclosure that includes the symbolism and tells about the artists.

All of these crosses measure 8″ X 4.5″ and most are priced $30 – $40 each (without shipping). Prices on the website include shipping to US addresses and may be purchased directly from the website using the purple price links. The purchase links are found just under the item title line on the crosses available for purchase. We also show crosses that have sold as examples of colors and symbols that may be special ordered. Each is one of a kind but we can make something similar upon request. Leave a message from the website contact page to initiate an order or inquiry.

Jewelry Designs For Episcopal Church Women or ECW

As I am making final preparations to exhibit another year at our Diocese of Texas annual ECW retreat at Camp Allen, I decided to share the jewelry and logos I have designed for the Episcopal Church Women. The first design I created is the butterfly. This design features a woman as a butterfly, with an “ECW” monogram on her wings. She is a woman “on the move”, heading into the future with joyful anticipation. The next design is A New Light Is Shining. She’s a woman in action, moving out into the world with a mission. The light of Christ illuminates her path. Her arms lift joyfully, inviting others in a call to action. The olive branch draped across her chest urges us to carry on Christ’s reconciliation in the world. ECW glows in the Christ light.

In 2001 I was commissioned by our acting diocesan ECW president to create the butterfly design in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of Texas. The design is also available for logo use and I extend the gift to all Episcopal Church Women to use this logo in their ECW ministries with the exception of using it on items for sale without my prior permission. I will be happy to send quality artwork images for such use upon request. In the Diocese of Texas my design is referred to as the Centennial Butterfly, and it was never intended as a replacement for an older butterfly design also still in use. The centennial butterfly jewelry is available to order from my website and may be worn by anyone.

Prior to the 2003 ECW Triennial, I was invited to submit a design for the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial Logo, which they selected for use as their official logo at the 2003 national meeting. I also created the design in jewelry form, which remains available for purchase as A New Light Is Shining medallion pendant.  I have many of these pendants in inventory ready to ship and priced at low 2003 prices. They may be ordered directly from my website. More about this commission may be read in the Episcopal News Service archive in a story titled “ECW logo artist gives voice to design“. Again, I extend the gift to all Episcopal Church Women to use this logo in their ECW ministries with the exception of using it on items for sale without my prior permission. It is in use as a logo in many dioceses. I will be happy to send quality artwork images for such use upon request.

Images of the logos and more about these ECW projects may be found on my website.

Hand Crosses For Tactile Prayer

Wow! I’m continually surprised by the number of people who find my website because of these hand crosses I form out of polymer clay and shape to fit the hand. Due to this supply and demand issue, I struggle to keep them made and on my website for individual sale. I do find myself accepting and filling orders for them all year long. To order, contact me from my website with how many you would like and any deadline you need them by and I will let you know if it is feasible. I keep many photos on my website of past orders as examples. Specific colors, text, imprints, and patterns may be requested when ordering. However, I make each one individually by hand so they are all unique.

I was recently asked to make 150 of these hand crosses for my hometown church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Orange, Texas. This is where I grew up, receiving my strong foundation of faith, while attending church from birth until leaving for college, and attending St. Paul’s Day School from Kindergarten through 4th grade. On October 20th, St. Paul’s joyously celebrated 150 years of ministry in Orange, Texas. I was fortunate to be able to attend with my sisters and mom and to share the festivities with lifelong friends. These hand crosses were given to every woman in attendance at the anniversary event. It was such a blessing for me to receive this order from a place so near and dear to my heart.

Hand Cross Order created by Nancy Denmark for 150th Anniversary Celebration of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Orange Texas.

Close up images of many of these groups of crosses may be viewed on my website as examples of what I can make to order. I have photos showing many examples of how I have customized them for special group orders. Here are just a sampling of themes available shown below.

Hand Crosses As Prayer Tools

I make these hand held crosses with polymer clay and shape to fit the hand. They may be used as a tactile focusing tool for personal prayer and meditation.

Polymer Clay Hand Crosses For Prayer & Comfort

A local ministry recently ordered 50 hand crosses to be included in comfort kits for cancer patients. Working as a prayer is inevitable as I work on an order like this. Even though I was pushing an overdue deadline, while preparing for large shows at the same time, the power of the end use of these hand crosses, slowed me down to form each cross with an intention of prayer.

“There are some people who, in order to pray, use as an excuse the fact that life is so hectic that it prevents them from praying. This cannot be. Prayer does not demand that we interrupt our work, but that we continue working as if it were a prayer.”  – Mother Teresa

Dear Lord, help me to always fill my work with you, with focused intention, in continual dialog with you.

Hearts & Amethysts For February

Descending Dove With Amethyst

The birthstone for February is the beautiful purple amethyst gemstone and Valentine’s Day brings heart jewelry into favor this month. I started my line of Christian symbol jewelry in 1988 with a heart theme. Many of these early designs incorporating symbols within hearts are shown in the grouping below. (Click the photos to link to my website where you’ll find more details and prices on each piece.) Some of the names of my heart themed pieces are “Hearts Entwined In Christ”, “Shine In My Heart”, “Peace of the Lord”, “Heart Ablaze”, “One In The Spirit”, and “Holy Spirit Alight In My Heart”. Each comes with a printed gift enclosure weaving the combination of symbols into a story, giving the wearer a message of faith to share with the world.

From The Heart Symbolic Jewelry

The American Gem Society reports that amethyst, is a purple quartz, a beautiful blend of violet and red that can found in every corner of the earth.  English regalia were decorated with amethysts during the Middle Ages to symbolize royalty. This symbolism also ties to it’s use in the Church today as purple is the biblical color associated with royalty. The things of the King are often referred to as being royal such as the royal city and royal priesthood. Purple is the liturgical color often used to represent the passion of Christ and used in seasons of penitence and mourning.

Canterbury Cross With Amethyst

The word amethyst comes from the Greek word “amethystos,” meaning sober.  In ancient Greece, the gemstone was associated with the god of wine, and it was common practice to serve this beverage from amethyst goblets in the belief that this would prevent overindulgence. February’s purple birthstone has been found among the possessions of royalty throughout the ages.  The intense violet hue of amethyst appealed to early monarchs, perhaps because they often wore this color. Purple dye was scarce and expensive at one time, and so it was reserved for the garments of kings and queens. Amethyst has been found in ruins dating as far back as the ninth century, adorning crowns, scepters, jewelry, and breastplates worn into battle.  A large amethyst is among the closely guarded gemstones in the British Crown Jewels.

Gift of God Amethyst Cross

I designed my “Gift of God” cross to resemble the ribbon of a bow, symbolizing the gift. “For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith… It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift.” Eph. 2:8-9 This amethyst cross is shown on my website on a purple cord which is a popular option for wearing many of the gemstone designs.

As always, I encourage my customers to not feel limited by the gem assigned to their  month of birth but to enjoy any special connection to their birthstone, while embracing all gem colors that appeal to them. Color is a spice of life!

All designs shown are available for immediate delivery on date of this post (February 2, 2012). Ordering/purchasing information may be found on the contact page of my website and prices for each piece shown are posted  on each design’s page (click each image).

Symbol Designs With Garnet Gemstones

Bishop Alard Cross W/ Garnet

The birthstone for January is a garnet, one of my favorite colored gemstones. As we begin a new year, I thought it might be fun to share a blog post each month to spotlight some of my designs available with the month’s birthstone(s). Click each photo to link to more information about the design on my website. As a longtime lover of  the large spectrum of colored gemstones, I have always encouraged my customers to not feel limited by the gem assigned to their  month of birth but to enjoy any special connection to their birthstone, while embracing all gem colors that make their heart sing. I have often included color symbolism in my stories that accompany my symbol designs with gemstones. The garnet for me symbolizes the blood of Christ when used in a cross. I found it interesting to read that Garnet, derived from the word granatum, means seed, and is called so because of the gemstone’s resemblance to a pomegranate seed. The pomegranate is a very symbolic image used throughout history.

Sterling Canterbury Cross With Garnet

A little online research leads to some history and lore about birthstones. The American Gem Society states “The origin of birthstones is believed to date back to the breastplate of Aaron which contained twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The current list dates back to 1912 with only one addition since then – the tanzanite was added to December.” They include a color photo list arranged by month where you may click on the month you were born to learn the history of your birthstone. Many Museums of Natural Science & History include information too. The Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture has some interesting science and legend behind birthstones stating “how powerful it is to have our month of birth represented by a beautiful natural gemstone. We can own and display our special stone and feel embraced by its beauty”.

"The Spirit In Motion" Descending Dove W/ Rhodolite Garnet

The American Gem Society states, “Garnet, the birthstone for January,  signifies eternal friendship and trust and is the perfect gift for a friend.  Garnet, derived from the word granatum, means seed, and is called so because of the gemstone’s resemblance to a pomegranate seed.  References to the gemstone dates back to 3100 B.C., when the Egyptians used garnets as inlays jewelry.  Garnet is the name of a group of minerals that comes in a rainbow of colors, from the deep red of the pyrope garnet to the vibrant green of tsavorites.  Today, the most important sources for garnet are Africa, Sri Lanka, and India.” Personally, I am quite fond of tsavorite garnets that rival the color of emeralds. The Burke Museum website shows a garnet in it’s naturally occurring state, and suggests “The next time you eat a pomegranate, you will notice the seeds’ resemblance to garnet.”

All designs shown are available for immediate delivery on date of this post (January 18, 2012). Ordering/purchasing information may be found on the contact page of my website and prices for each piece shown are posted  on each design’s page (click each image).

Sterling Silver "Gift Of God" Cross W/ Garnet On Red Leather Cord

Collaborations Of The Spirit

a gallery show featuring the artwork of Nancy Denmark in collaboration with Margaret Bailey and Celia Clowe

“Collaborations of the Spirit” will take place at Duckie and the Grackle Gallery in Lake Jackson, Texas on July 22, 23, and 24. The gallery is located downtown at 145 Oyster Creek Drive in Suite 9. While featuring the collaborative projects, the three-day show will also include the individual work of each artist. Come to meet the artists and preview their work at an opening reception on Friday, July 22, from 5pm until 8pm. The show will continue on Saturday from 11am to 5pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm.

Collaborations of the Spirit Opens Friday July 22

Much of Nancy Denmark’s newest work has been collaborative as she finds refreshment of her creative spirit in working with other artists. Nancy Denmark and Margaret Bailey’s first collaborative piece was made years ago at the request of a mutual customer to mount one of Nancy’s sterling symbol jewelry designs on one of Margaret’s cedar wall crosses. This opened the door for a new artistic journey and Nancy now finds herself seeking out and inviting other artists to collaborate with her on new projects. This show will be the first exhibition of work created in collaboration with Celia Clowe. Celia has incorporated some of Nancy’s soulful symbolic designs onto her one-of-a-kind Spirit Blocks using etched and embossed metals, and polymer clay. Both artists concur the presence of the Spirit was evident in the creative sparks when Celia and Nancy met to infuse their unique voices into the new collaborative Spirit Block project.

Nancy Denmark is a jewelry artist by profession & obsession, yet plays in many art forms. This playful approach has led Nancy in many new directions outside the “jewelry box”. Her materials run the gamut from precious metals to polymer clay. Nancy says, “As an artist, I try to remain open, willing, always listening and discerning how I am being called to use the gifts I have been given.” Known by many for her original jewelry designs that incorporate Christian symbology, Nancy has been creating these wearable statements of faith for 25 years.

Margaret Bailey, a wood artist, finds inspiration in the quote “God rides the lame horse, God carves the rotten wood”. She handcrafts wood crosses, nativities and symbols by carefully choosing and studying the unique grains, knots, and features of each piece of wood. Many of her crosses are made from local Quintana Beach driftwood. Margaret allows the journey of the wood, to lead her to what she will make from it. Her pieces are all sanded to a silky smooth finish adding a soothing tactile experience to the visual beauty of her work.

Celia Clowe is a mixed-media collage artist, self-described as an overeducated geologist with a Renaissance collection of skills and talents. Celia’s artistic journey has led her to create original Spirit Blocks, smallish 3D mixed media wooden blocks. Celia invites you to connect with the Spirit Block that speaks to your soul and place it where it can be glimpsed often as a reminder of the fullness and celebration of the Spirit within you.

All three guest artists, along with gallery owners Cherie and Glenn McBride, share a bond of faith as members of a national community of artists who work at the intersections of art and faith. All value the significance of visual imagery in spiritual formation and create in response to their own faith experience. The influence of nature is another significant kindred connection that is obvious in the work of these five artists making for a very cohesive gallery exhibition.