November
2009
The
Emotional Smell of Art
Victoria Bender
Most would agree that the primary purpose of
any art is to evoke an emotional and or intellectual response of sorts.
How dynamic could the response become if the measure of sensation
is to include the depths of sensibilities that activate hidden abstract
passions and secret lush desires that reside in the mysterious subliminal?
Using the nose will ultimately serve to offer a greater impact on
the central nervous system when it is parceled with visual and auditory
art. From a biological and evolutionary standpoint the sense of smell
is fundamentally connected to emotion. The neurological interconnection
between the sense of smell and emotion is uniquely intimate. In fact,
they are even codependent as they are located in the same network
of neural structures in the limbic system of the brain otherwise known
as command central for the emotions.
Watch a small child discover something new and you will see that his
interest is not satisfied by merely looking at it, he has to fondle
and feel it, smell it and often even taste it to truly experience
the object of his attention. Have you ever heard someone say that
the painting of the rose looked so real that they could almost smell
it? Aren’t they longing for that extra sensation to complete
the experience? Consider granting that longing the next time you have
guests and you will be amazed at the response! Extend the opportunity
to intimately engage on subliminal levels that need no explanation;
provide the joy and warmth of an emotional atmosphere that can then
be recalled by a simple whiff.
I recently conducted a “Goddess” night that was held for
a group of special ladies who were in need of support and inspiration.
I chose this fairly large original acrylic painting of a sultry disheveled
redhead with a contented reflective look on her face sipping a cup
of Cocoa (or so I made it seem.) I placed the painting on a tall wrought
iron easel in a central focal point in the gathering room with a soft
spotlight emphasizing the painting’s presence as if she were
also an honored guest. I then placed behind it a roman pedestal draped
with a deep brown silken scarf that held a hidden diffuser infused
with a Cocoa absolute based perfume blend. The gentle waft of warm
enticing Cocoa brought the flat image to life and literally drew the
ladies in to her. It was almost as if she were offering a sip of her
luscious brew to them along with her comfort. I also, of course, made
chocolate martinis and cocoa flavored coffees and offered an array
of chocolate tarts, truffles and other sundries to compliment the
feel and flavor of the room with Adagio by Peter Davidson playing
softly in the background.
I placed other pictures of women in all shapes and sizes, some angels,
fairies, Greek & Roman Goddesses all about the room with cocoa
scented terracottas or small chocolate platters situated near some
of the images. And please, it doesn’t have to be of great expense
to set a mood. Much of the artwork I used was taken off of the internet
and printed and then placed in an odd variety of old frames.
To complete the experience, I then read a couple of selected women’s
poems that highlighted the strength and grace that is endowed to each
of us as “Goddess’s” in our own right. We then chatted
the night away about what this “Goddess” concept meant
to each of us individually as we sipped and nibbled with our painted
friend gazing over us. Each guest was given a scent stone also infused
with the Cocoa perfume blend in a lovely small golden drawstring bag
to take home with her in remembrance of the evening and as a reminder
of their own Goddess strength and nature.
The response from this rather simple evening was of overwhelming gratitude.
I received numerous gifts and cards of sincere appreciation for offering
so much more than a party; I was able to give lasting comfort, inspiration,
motivation and an unforgettable memory of emotional satisfaction and
well being. One woman told me that she now cries tears of joy every
time she smells chocolate because it reminds her that she is a Goddess
possessed of immeasurable gifts, and I have heard many similar responses.
My question is this – would it have been the same had I not
opened that secret chamber of the heart through the olfactory?
dabney rose
&
SWEET WATER DISTILLERY offers an
exceptionally fine Cacao_Hydrosol
distilled from gourmet, roasted nibs;
As
one testee exclaimed:
"It's like eating chocolate with your face!"
Blend
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TUBEROSE &
VANILLA... Simply
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Also new this month:
Green_Tea_Hydrosol
another
cutting edge skin care hydrosol!
An early peek at Stocking
Stuffers!
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Soul
Kitchen Naturals is a small, family operated business creating
natural* and organic** skin, hair, and home products. We are
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O.K .glass
beads are not fragrant...this is my wild card!
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Essential Facial Serum
Food for your skin! Contains
vitamins,
minerals, enzymes, protein and a
special blend of essential oils;
which can be customized just for you.
Ingredients: Aloe Vera Gel,
Vegetable Glycerin,
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Sonsa
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More Chocolate here!
All-natural
lip balm featuring high quality ingredients (like shea butter
and apricot kernel oil) as well as real Scharffen Berger chocolate.
No petroleum based products. No parabens or other synthetic
preservatives. And no animal testing.
Ganache
for Lips
These little
cuties seem to be straight off the desert cart of a five star
French Restaurant and it is impossible to choose only one
favorite! 'La Femme Biker' says "they passed the test
of a six hour ride with constant 50 mph winds with Flying
Colors! (OK, (riding flavors); upon my return, my husband
found me still very kissable."
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Sugar_Cookie
Who
isn't seduced by the aroma of cookies
fresh out of the oven! The point here is not to smell like a
cookie, but to smell Deliciously Edible.
Delicate, with the hint of Orange Blossom,
nutmeg, butter...Absolute YUM
For the Sugar Plum Fairy in us all.
From dabney rose.
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This next announcement looks like
a fragrancier's dream;
Their Frangipani alba takes me instantly back to that tree
I used to sit under, in Suva, Fiji...
I am going to mark my calender so I don't miss it!!
www.wingedseed.com
Contact: Marcia Elston RELEASE DATE: Nov 16, 2009
Telephone: 360.862.0231
Cell: 206.850.9812
Email: info@wingedseed.com
SAMARA
BOTANE LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE APOTHECARY
Designed by suzumebachi design
SAMARA BOTANE/nature
intelligence is pleased to announce the launch of our newest online
aromatic apothecary, with state of the art design, simplicity and
convenience. The secure storefront shopping cart, powered by MIVA,
is easily navigated by cascading categories and sub-categories, with
abundant tabbed product information. Apothecary customers will quickly
find valuable data about essential oil quality and safe use specific
to each aromatic extract, along with links to related products in
their pursuit of quality ingredients to make handmade wellness and
spa products.
This innovative website
contains an ever-growing body of documented research covering the
historyof aromatic and medicinal plant use up through modern aromatherapy.
It is designed to serve consumers and professionals alike, effectively
explaining chemical constituents, individual plant characteristics
and safety issues surrounding aromatics and other natural ingredients.
The resource section is dedicated to family wellness formulae, intended
to empower customers in creating beauty and spa products at home without
guesswork about ingredients, proportions or applications. Natural
perfumers will find expert evaluation of natural perfume ingredients
on the product pages and helpful information for their craft in the
Resource section as the website grows.
Customers looking
for exquisite bath and beauty products and aromatic gifts will enjoy
a visit to the Samara Spa to find thoughtfully formulated ready to
use natural products.
The folks at Samara
Botane have been importing quality essential oils and natural ingredients
fromaround the world for almost twenty years; they’ve operated
two brick and mortar apothecary/learning centers and bring years of
education and expert knowledge in aromatic ingredient production,
marketplace, aromatherapy, natural perfumery and herbal medicine.
The grand opening
launch on November 16 will feature a treasure hunt with a 1st prize
of $100 gift certificate, two 2nd prizes of $50 gift certificate and
over 35 additional product giveaways. Guests will be given clues to
find hidden elements which will reveal a way to register for the gifts.
Additionally, all visitors will receive a 15% discount during the
month of November.
www.wingedseed.com
Plant
of the Season
Fothergilla
I'm
going to follow Victoria's lead here and double the pleasure by combining
senses. I could tell you the Fothergilla is a spring blooming, fragrant
shrub, but that would not enable you to smell it. It has very attractive,
if not downright cute, honey smelling bottle brush flowers in mid
spring. Native in the 
Allegheny
Mountains, they are related to the Witch Hazels. So far they have
not been distillable for me, (whereas witch hazel flowers have been)
but it is their fall foliage that really earns their place in the
garden. Every year it literally Glows.
This
is also the time of year to be potting up your PaperWhite bulbs. I
set mine on pea gravel and keep the water level just below the bulbs
to prevent rot.
Follow the
Skin_Care_Fairy
and her comments, tips and pep talks at the bottom of Dabney's
Radiant Skin page. She hopes to inspire everyone who has skin
to cherish it more...it's the visible YOU. |
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This afternoon I
pulled a deliciously wafting brown envelope from my mailbox, which
compelled me to trot the whole 1/3 mile back to the cottage. What
I pulled out was a boutique full of treats from Laurie
Stern of 'Velvet
and Sweet Pea Perfumery'. Pretty Victorian cards and
tidily bundled vials made me feel like nothing had been left out from
a real life visit to her shop, (except a personal conversation with
Laurie herself.) I hadn't even opened a vial yet and here I was already
'softened and seduced'! This is the "Velvet and Sweet Pea"
experience!
Then I opened a vial!
A revelation swept through me: there IS a perfume made by someone
else's hand that I LIKE (which quickly shifted into 'love'.)
I am a 'Floral' girl, so her style was right up my garden path. But
Laurie is much too talented an artist to be so one dimensional. She
knows how to play with citrus, fir and 'green', and I loved her take
on cacao in Black Cat,
from her new Kittylicious Eau de Parfum
line. Mint becomes sexy in
her Mojito Cologne. I found
a luxurious smoothness and sense of clarity in every one of her blends,
even several hours later. Laurie Stern
knows exactly what she is doing!
There is a someone on everyone's list who has earned this level of
pampering...here is your ticket!
"My vision for
my perfumes is to capture the romance of the “golden era”
of perfume through romantic scents and gorgeous packaging, and then
to
blend all this with a modern sensitivity to organics, health, and
ethics. At the heart of each Velvet and Sweet Pea perfume is always
the
profound sense of awe and wonder that I hold for the natural world.
Velvet and Sweet
Pea are thrilled to introduce our new line of
Kittylicious Eau de Parfum! Sexy, yummy, and playful, Kittylicious
scents smell delicious and last an extravagantly long time on your
skin. As a “just because” treat for yourself, a teenager’s
first bottle
of luxury perfume, or a mood-booster to toss in your purse before
a
night of dancing, our Eau de Parfum is a beautiful and affordable
indulgence."
www.purrfumery.com
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Newest formula from dabney
rose;
Décolletage_Spray
TONES, FIRMS, REVITALIZES
Regain your skin's elasticity and glow,
softly scented with Jasmine.
An almost magical
elixir of my most
skin revitalizing hydrosols.
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Victoria
Bender's web
site is not only a beautiful place to visit, but her passion and expertise
come shinning through. Please do treat yourself to her free 'color
test' found in the product menu.
Says Victoria;
"I love and
clearly see the botanical energies that are available to all of us
and feel responsible to help others realize this unspoken wisdom that
awaits attention.
I have been studying visual color symbology for close to 30 years
now and find it a natural indicator for olfactory/central nervous
system requirements and healthy function."
www.vscentials.com
Thank you, we have
enjoyed visiting with you!
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or if you have something you'd like to share,
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October 2009
September 2009
