I’ve been very drawn to the turtle lately. I found I’ve been using The Turtle’s energy and patience these past few months as I’ve been getting my hand back into fighting form. Just prior to starting this hanging I designed a turtle tattoo for a client in San Francisco, and part of what I designed for him has ended up in this hanging (middle square). It is the symbolism in general of the turtle that this hanging most represents (protection, patience, wisdom, courage, compassion, perseverance, skill, longevity, loyalty, peace, confidence, love, mother earth, adaptability, healing, and knowledge), but there were some specific attributes I wanted to accentuate. The turtle is an animal whose magic united heaven and earth, and the sea turtle in particular is a prevailing mythic figure and archetype. Therefore, I wanted each square to represent a specific element of this magical creature.
This piece was officially appraised at $2,500 in 2007, and in 2010 was donated to a great organization I partnered with (and have since donated several other pieces for) for their annual silent auction for Free The Children: Â www.hopeandopportunity.org