I wake early, early enough to catch the stars and moon still in the sky. The stuff I am made of. Did you know that "...our bodies are made of remnants of stars and massive explosions in the galaxies"? According to Iris Schrijver, professor of pathology at Stanford University, "all the material in our bodies originates with that residual stardust, and it finds its way into plants, and from there into the nutrients that we need for everything we do—think, move, grow."

A walk on the beach is next, where my lungs take in the salt spray and my body is enveloped by the surge of warm ocean waters.  According to Dr. Andrew Schafer, professor at Weill Cornell Medical College and the outgoing president of the American Society of Hematology, "...the watery portion of blood, the plasma, has a concentration of salt and other ions that is remarkably similar to sea water."  So these daily seaside visits are a coming home of sorts for the blood pumping in my veins.

Ocean. Stardust.

why ocean and stardust?

Trust that you have a good and compassionate nature. You are part of the universe; you are made of stars. When you look at your loved one, you see that he is also made of stars and carries eternity inside.

When a blue-tinged octopus and a spiky crab were brought to my feet one day by the surf, I couldn't help but wonder. The ocean surprises me with so many things during my walks there-- guidance, counsel, reassurance, wisdom, peace

"I often hear the surf from my studio, or the tree frogs peeping, or rustling leaves from a tortoise passing by. The one-of-kind and often mechanical jewelry talismans that I create on the tiny island of St John offer a glimpse into this natural paradise,

where the rhythms of life are unhurried, the colors are breathtakingly vibrant, the ocean is warm and magical, and it is easy to see that all of life is interconnected, precious, fragile and extraordinary. This is the ethos behind the work that I create in my ocean&stardust studio.

-Kim Nogueira, automaton maker and art jeweller, child of the earth and sky

we are made of big bang dust and stardust