In December as we were just getting on Steemit, we began visioning for a commissioned art piece from our friend 
who is the same beautiful human who recommended Steemit to us!
Laura Lee is a fantastic artist and a dear friend.
We love her natural art designs. Many of her paintings feel so lifelike, but still have a magical quality that is in her brushstroke. You can check out more of her art at lauraleesart.com. I'll also share some of her other pieces at the bottom of this post.
But first, I want to share the piece we commissioned from her that she created for us!
When envisioning a banner/logo for our homestead, Mountain Jewel, a few images immediately came to mind.
Deer Antlers
Quartz Crystal
Owl Feathers
Paw Paw Flowers
All in a Nest of Leaves with Flowers
Our homestead is on the top of a hill, surrounded by forests on all sides.
Unlike some land around here, we're not out in the open with a large field. Our land feels nestled, protected and you cannot see it from the road. This gives it more of a retreat feel. We wanted our banner to be evocative of that.
We also wanted to highlight some of the local flora and fauna. The deer is likely one of the most common mammals in our area. We find antler sheds often (in fact, I found a huge one earlier this year) and we rely on the deer for one of our meat sources.
The deer evokes a gentle strength, patience and peacefulness. We felt drawn to represent it in our logo as a symbol of Mountain Jewel.
Next we wanted a quartz crystal.
About 4 hours south of us in central Arkansas, you can find a plethora of quartz crystals. In our first fall in the Ozarks, we went there and dug on my birthday in September. We found some really beautiful specimens that we dug out of the clay! I have increasingly loved the power, beauty, clarity and radiant energy that stones, especially quartz crystals, bring into the world.
Wanting our logo to be reminscent of our region and also inviting toward connection/remembrance of the earth, we felt that quartz crystals were perfect. You'll also notice a tiny central flower shape from the seed of life on the crystal which is another detail we wanted. The center of the seed of life also looks like an apple core. I loved this crossover of earthy symbolism evoking the pattern of life and a common fruit we grow.
Next is the Paw Paw Flower.
Paw Paws, also known as the Indiana banana, Hillbilly Mango, Quaker Delight, is a custard tropicalesque fruit native to our area. We've planted nearly 100 Paw Paws on our land and already had a few stands when we moved here. We're so excited about allying with this incredible plant and love its unique maroon flower that comes in spring. Paw Paw Photo
We also wanted feathers, specifically owl feathers, to be represented.
Laura Lee does feathers beautifully in her artwork and almost every day we hear the Barred Owls calling to one another. In their haunting call, I find home and am reminded of a powerful Owl Dream that I had that's quite inspiring for me. Owls hold a special place in the dreamtime, in reminding us to cast our visions wide and they are a powerful totem for us on our homestead.
We also love that she focused on the daisy and raspberry/blackberry and persimmon leaves.
The Process
This piece, we feel, perfectly represents core elements of our earth-based vision. We draw heavily from the natural world around us and are inspired by it daily. We call our homestead, Mountain Jewel, A Center for Earth Connection.
It's our main mission to remind people of the beauty, wonder, abundance and home that our earth provides. I think this piece of art perfectly portrays that through the elements of strength, vision, clarity, beauty, abundance, and the nest-like feel of the entire piece. Great job Laura Lee & thank you!!!
