Classic Line

Weightlessly, the quill brings words soaring on the spirit of prayer and protection. In Islam, the quill is thought to have been created from light one thousand years before God created anything else. Also a symbol of predestination, the quill writes words imbued with a spiritual and ancient guidance.

Unfurling toward the blaze of the sun, leaves bask to sustain us. Like open palms, they gather and harness energy from light, a miracle that is the foundation for nearly all life on earth. Our prosperity depends on its ability to thrive and grow, for we breathe its oxygen, eat of its body and take refuge in its canopy. As Walt Whitman implies in "Leaves of Grass" we, and they are myriad, extending through rich, black soil across the reach of continents.

Every frog replays a prehistoric rite from swimming in the primordial ooze to leaping out onto dry land, a transformation that reenacts a million years of evolution in a singular moment. Embraced as a symbol for fertility and luck in both Eastern and Western cultures, the frog beckons the wisdom of change and adaptation in our modern lives.

Under the cover of night, the owl hunts, with uncanny stealth, swooping through the forest canopy. Armed with the sensitivity to see in complete darkness and to hear minute rustling at 75 feet, its prey rarely escapes. The Ancients of every culture in which it roosts, acknowledged its power and linked it to the world of secrecy and the supernatural. Perched on the arm of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, the owl reveals the hidden worlds beyond her reach, illuminating its dark and silent edges.

In the histories of many cultures, the shell was celebrated as currency, curative, adornment and art. Once containing the whole of a life-form, shells shield cycles of birth and rebirth. Shells are nature's created spaces, holding moments of life, growth and inrospection.

Luring our eyes to its interior womb, the singular flirtatious petal of the calla lily unravels in an act of seduction. Since its arrival from South Africa in the mid 1800’s it has enticed our greatest artists to trace its contours and endow their works with symbols of purity, grace and feminine beauty. Calla lilies disarm, unveiling a deep-seated sensuality in all of us.

Often the largest living thing in its landscape, with roots as deep and as broad as its canopy of leaves, the mighty oak stands alone as a symbol of strength, longevity and loyalty. Considered sacred to the ancient societies of Europe, its leaves adorn the emblems of powerful clans and nations. Prized for its great strength and beauty, its timbers grace our homes and institutions with warmth and assurance that endures for generations.

Thriving in the fresh water habitats of the American subtropical southeast, the Alligator is the undisputed apex predator of land and water. Virtually unchanged for 200 million years, it is a floating time capsule armed with a prehistoric ferocity that fought with dinosaurs. Respected and admired throughout time, it has become a symbol of strength and power, a living reminder of the enduring untamable wilderness.

Swallows announce the arrival of spring in darting, twirling dance that belies their fierce determination. having braved a 6000 mile, non-stop migration, they roost, singing in eaves and under ledges of our own shelter. We stand, gazing upward before them, humbled by their endurance and awe struck by their constancy and grace. Symbols of faith, honor, love, and hope, they inspire our highest ideals.

Admired for its sheer power and fluid grace, the horse has figured a permanent place in the story of human civilization. From the moment ancients from Asia saddled the first horse, it has powered our earliest migrations, ploughed our expanding crops and propelled our march towards industrialization. While steadfast in its burden, the horse has become a kindred soul and loyal companion. Asserting a quiet nobility, the horse remains a symbol of strength and freedom.