Greetings from quarantine–a time for retraction, redaction, and refraction. Yes, I will continue to write from quarantine until it is withdrawn, along with all that is withdrawn with it. I am reminded of a retreating iceberg that leaves a trail of rubble in its wake. Will it morph into fertile ground, or remain a weedy field of junk? As makers, we have the choice to make things new out of the old and broken–and a heartfelt wish that our whole society be inspired to do the same.
My Comfort Zone candles aim to replicate those experiences that live in memory and imagination and are recalled through a wisp of scent. My mother was an artist in her kitchen and kept a three-story spice condominium –a tower of glass drawers labeled with every possible spice you might need for your Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Austrian, or French dinner party . In the privacy of the night kitchen, I used to open those glass drawers and inhale the pungent-sweet aromas, some of which would make me positively drunk with dreaming.
Thus I made a candle which is meant to add a glow of spicy sweetness to your winter spaces, invoking a sense of dreamy peace. Using my mother’s free hand with flavors and aromas, I combined my favorite scents of clove, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla, and floated the combination on a bed of sweet sandalwood. I colored it with red vegetable dye in honor of the holiday season, a Spice Dream, see pic.
