02/19/2023
It was well over a decade ago since I walked the streets of NYC the very first time. I was so inspired by everything in the city. The fashion, the people, the buildings that swallowed up the entire landscape, literally everything was larger than life. This southern gal was forever changed. My red clay Georgia born spirit had been ‘kissed’ by the allure of the big city! BUT, you can take the gal out of the country, but you can never fully take the country out of the gal! You see, I lost both of my parents within less than six months of one another and they never failed to encourage me to live my dreams with my photography. My mother in her final days was able to watch me be creative in other ways including drawing, painting, and my jewelry design. She inspired me in so many ways. She told me how she always knew I was an artist and how she always knew I was meant to follow my heart with my creativity. She was not only beautiful, but she had a closeness with the earth itself. Maybe it was the Creek Indian in her, but there was never a plant or flower she could not grow! She instilled in me a great desire to create with natural materials and I know she would be proud of the leather jewelry I am creating today. I know she would be proud of natural processes I am using to stain it into beautiful colors and designs. I know she would also be proud of the way I am following my heart with the larger than life designs and details that inspire me as much as much as that big city ever did. You see, my dad was also an artist in a way. He used his hands to create too. Stick with me and I’ll share more about him as well! You see, sometimes our journey is a culmination of our life experiences and this collection is definitely just that. Who knows what the future holds, but today I am pleased to present CITY KISSED, a unique hand crafted collection of leather jewelry and accessories by Cindi McDaniel.
