by Ann Covode

As we move into spring our hearts and minds turn to nature as our environment wakes up to the warming world around it. Birds start to sing and buds come out on the trees. For Eve this is a time of inspiration. She has always been intrigued by nature in her work and it continues to be a creative source for her.

“One year when, inexplicably, my inspiration had vanished, poof! Gone for months, I went down to my yard: the ground was covered with tiny, freshly fallen maple seeds, a lovely sight. All at once, I saw them turn a pale gold; I knew, instinctively that my inspiration, and the images in my head, had returned. Immediately, I saw Orpheus and knew what my series wanted to be.” , states Eve. “The eucalyptus, together with the maple seed, are part of a series called Orpheus Descending, and just happened to fall into my line of sight as I searched for the leaves Orpheus left behind him to find his way out of the underworld (he was rescuing his girlfriend Eurydice). As he found her and turned to leave, they had all turned to gold.” , explains Eve.

In the same way, “When I came in, my glance went to a sprig of eucalyptus in a vase on my table, and they, too, became part of the myth. Simple as that!”

“Eucalyptus” earrings in 18 karat green gold, feature fine leaf veining details that would make any horticulturist green with envy! These earrings have a special hook to allow for removable drops. Various sizes and metals available. $1640

Eve has also been interested in using mixed media in her work as in the following piece.

The name says it all: “…a tangled web we weave” necklace features three attached strands of green-blue tourmalines, in a variety of shapes, styles and sizes, combined with carved tourmaline leaves. Although chaotic in appearance, the necklace has a wonderful dramatic appearance when worn. 18 karat green gold leaves and clasp provide the finishing touches to this unique 18″ necklace. $3560

When asking Eve why she chose the Acanthus for another series, she gave this very extended response: “Well, the acanthus is a different story. When you are in Milan, it is impossible to miss the incredible Cathedral! In the late Gothic tradition, it is huge, fantastically adorned , its exterior, all the way to the roof, teeming with movement and color so of course you want to visit. The inside was grandiose. Camera in hand, I then climbed up to the roof, prepared to see more statuary and devotional scenes. however, the first sight was a Coke machine. My sense of propriety aggrieved, I was about to turn back. But having climbed so many winding narrow steps, darn it! I wanted to see if there might be more.

Medieval churches have pretty rigid rules of iconography, every single image, every carving must have a religious meaning, whether an eagle or a rose, or a rooster, like on French steeples: there is a sanctioned interpretation within the theological canon. Part of my enjoyment in my visits is to seek out and recognize these symbols and their context. But in Italy, sometimes you see images, or even actual carved stone panels from pagan Antiquity unexpectedly placed in the decoration. And it is fun to see how somehow they then get reinterpreted into Christian relevance (most of the time). On the roof in Milan, I saw, most of the endless turrets and finials were properly Gothic, the gargoyles grimacing or contorting in accordance with the theology. But at intervals, set into the parapet, I was drawn to very expressive smallish carved panels, each a variation of a Greek ornament, a stylized Acanthus leaf!

Now, the acanthus is really a big horsy plant, with rough looking leaves, not especially graceful. But the Greeks apparently thought enough of it to decorate the capitals of some of their columns, even though they generally preferred stricter geometry. And the Romans, followed by a host of others, adopted and adapted it to just about every surface you can imagine, a common element of interior and exterior decoration. It has always been quite popular. I wondered why. In fact, when you go to Athens and climb the hot, dusty Acropolis to visit the Parthenon, if you are observant you may notice some straggly, parched plants along the way: the Acanthus, struggling in the infertile terrain, but surviving in spite of it. When I saw that, I understood why that homely plant became a symbol. It is a survivor, and survivors must be recognized and honored.”, explained Eve.

In Ancient Greek architecture acanthus ornament appears extensively in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders, and applied to friezes, dentils and other decorated areas. The oldest known example of a Corinthian column is in the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae in Arcadia, c. 450–420 BC, but the order was used sparingly in Greece before the Roman period. The Romans elaborated the order with the ends of the leaves curled, and it was their favourite order for grand buildings, with their own invention of the Composite, which was first seen in the epoch of Augustus. Acanthus decoration continued in popularity in Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture. It saw a major revival in the Renaissance, and still is used today.

The Roman writer Vitruvius (c. 75 – c. 15 BC) related that the Corinthian order had been invented by Callimachus, a Greek architect and sculptor who was inspired by the sight of a votive basket that had been left on the grave of a young girl. A few of her toys were in it, and a square tile had been placed over the basket, to protect them from the weather. An acanthus plant had grown through the woven basket, mixing its spiny, deeply cut leaves with the weave of the basket.

“Live Acanthus” Earrings 6116 38 Diamonds 0.37tw in Platinum $5380 Acanthus Pin 18597 5 Diamonds 0 0.61tw $6940

“Live Acanthus” from Eve’s “Deja Vu” series is a beautiful, sensual platinum pin with 50 sparkling, twinkling diamonds totaling 0.61 total carats (EF-VS) that add fire to this beautiful piece of fine art jewelry.

These “Stunning Acanthus” earrings feature Eve’s beautiful open “Acanthus” design in platinum, with a stunning variety of diamonds: 4 white diamonds totaling 0.40 carats , 2 plump white Diamond Briolettes Totaling 0.57 carats, 2 black diamonds totaling 0.04 carats, and 6 large black diamond briolettes totaling an incredible 10.68 carats! $10,860

Cercle pearls from the South seas are found in Tahiti and it is unusual to find enough to make a full necklace. This “Open Acanthus” 17″ necklace features two strands of shimmering South Sea white Cercle pearls with a beautiful “Open Acanthus” centerpiece/clasp in 14 karat gold. $6950

As we move further into spring, Eve will continue to explore nature in the forms of birds and feathers. Stay tuned….