Ephemeral Episode II Drawn sunflowers, lavender, honeybees, emeralds (marker, ink, color pencil, gold and/or silver paint, on cut paper); copper wire, 2020.

Drawn, colored, cut, and assembled by hand.

10.5” h x 6.25” w x 7.375” l     ref: crown #7

watch heather make her crowns

from the artist: dvinoks are crowns found in traditional ukrainian garb. the shape of this crown doesnt follow the vinok, but i was influenced by the feeling of it. it's usually worn on kupala night, a slavic holiday older than christianity & celebrates the summer solstice. i wanted this crown to have everything summer: busy bees, sunflowers, & sprigs of lavender, alluding to royalty with their purple petals. paper emeralds--symbols of aphrodite per the ancient greeks--further reference the vinok, which is used to find a girl's true love during the holiday.

it goes like this: "young women placed their vinok bearing a candle in the water, foretelling their romantic future by how the vinok flowed down the river or lake. from the vinok's direction, the girl could tell whom she would marry; if the vinok stayed in one spot & did not float down the water, she wouldnt marry; if it went under, she would die; if the candle went out, misfortune would follow. young men would dive into the water, trying to retrieve the vinok of the girl each loved."

another tradition that comes from eastern europe is crown wearing for the bride & groom on their wedding day. it's said to symbolize the dominion of their new household. small kingdoms created by the memories of two lives bound together.

i don't want a domain. i don't like the idea of dominating things, unless it's a skill. proclamation over something isn't always truth, and power is fleeting. it's one thing i like about my crowns: they empower, not dominate. who is the queen of summer? whoever wears this crown, sure. but their power is shared. it's drawn from feral, warm june nights spent with friends. from a wellspring of confidence inside themselves. that's what i hope for, anyway.

contact to purchase: beth@local-art-ideas.com or 917-374-7516

tax: added at checkout

shipping (after close of exhibition on October 19, 2020) : usps to us $25

watch heather make her crowns