Treasures of the Earth – White Raven

acrylic on birch panel – 18″ X 24″
© 2018 Sandra Ware

Treasures of the Earth abound
Like flowers of the underground
Though gem and mineral wait the art
Of human hands to do their part
Clean, cut, and polish that’s the thing
To let their colors shine and sing
But these have more than beauty’s hold
They buzz with meaning ages old

White Raven holds within her beak
The golden treasure many seek
But gold as wealth is misdirection
Gold symbolizes soul perfection
From greed and hate to true compassion
A journey never out of fashion
Wear gold with humble thought in mind
The betterment of humankind
Treasures of the Earth abound
Like flowers of the underground

 © 2019 Sandra Ware

The concept for Treasures of the Earth developed from a desire to try my hand at some highly decorative paintings. I had designed a line of jewelry in the past, and had come to love gemstones and minerals, not only because of their beauty, but because of the endlessly fascinating lore associated with their symbolic meanings. This led to the idea of fantasy gemstone borders.

I chose ravens, black and white (white ravens do appear from time to time) as the centerpiece of their respective paintings because of Raven’s role as messenger – and gold and silver because of those minerals’ high ranking among the treasures of the Earth.