I am often asked where the name Molly Moon comes from...
Cyle and I have the privilege of being temporary stewards of a little piece of land at Molly Lake, which has been in Cyle’s family for many generations. There, we wander through the woods, go canoeing, and fishing and generally just commune with Mother Nature. On summer evenings the loon calls lull us to sleep in our little two-room off the grid cabin and sometimes the coyotes and the barred owls add an eerie note to the evening. During the day birdsong fills the woods and the squirrels scold us. What follows is “The Tale of Molly Moon,” which was first told by Cyle’s friend Jim one summer night many years ago when Cyle and Jim both wore younger men’s clothes. I’m told that Jim spun this tale as they sat around the campfire at Molly Lake one night during the construction of the cabin. This is a third-hand version, so it may vary slightly from the original. Molly Moon is the pure spirit of the waters and woods of Molly Lake. As the full moon rises, Molly Moon springs forth from the deepest waters of the lake in the form of a beautiful winged faerie. She flits about the woods and checks on all of the plants and creatures who inhabit her kingdom – including human creatures. If you are lucky enough to see her, you will be totally captivated by her – especially if you are a Norwegian bachelor farmer – so the story goes. But whether you are a Norwegian bachelor farmer or just a wanderer through her woods, the beauty of Molly Moon – her purity of spirit and jois de vivre will draw you back time and time again. Molly Moon birch bark jewelry was born one sweltering afternoon as I tramped around in these woods. On my hike I came upon several downed birch trees with interesting markings and mosses. As I admired the trees, I wondered what I could do with them if I took bits of them home with me. Nothing came to me at the time, but I dragged a big piece of it home anyway. Not too long afterward, I made my first piece of birch bark jewelry. My love (some would say obsession) with birch bark continues and is perhaps even growing… Recently I’ve begun working at creating functional pottery with a birch bark theme to it. Friends at the studio are calling it my ‘birch phase’ of pottery. We’ll see where it takes me! Cyle's tree faces reflect his love of nature and his intriguing imagination. He is always trying out new texturing and glazing techniques as well as forms and facial expressions. He's even got a vampire tree face!
