Giving it back or paying it forward, tithing is living according to the Golden Rule that says the Universe is Abundant and all good things flow from one Source.
Artist, sculptor, writer and jeweler Claire Haye lives by this light.
I met Claire last week on a snowy day at the Manzanita Market for lunch, to discuss her latest Holiday Collection for Claireworks. Over bowls of delicious bone broth and a shared sandwich accompanied by endless cups of tea, Claire told me how she has managed to keep the Holidays meaningful and filled with the true Spirit of the Season.
ClaireWorks, Claire Haye’s studio and gallery has been part of the Arroyo Seco community for over fifteen years in the same location. Claire has been making art for the last thirty odd years, and jewelry for more than twenty.
I’ve profiled the incredibly talented and multi-faceted Claire Haye twice on taoStyle. The first time I introduced you to the artist, and the second time I reviewed her wonderful book, A Modern Woman’s Guide To Ageing. Claire is a true Taos treasure. If you click on the underlined links, you can read the past posts I have written about her and her unique and prolific creative output.
Today I’m so happy to partner with her in offering a very special Holiday promotion to my readers.
For several years now, Claire has been designing a Holiday Line of Jewelry to benefit Habitat For Humanity in Taos. Half of all sales of these pieces are donated to this very worthy cause. Over the years Claire has given thousands of dollars to the organization with the help of all who buy her jewelry for themselves, or as gifts during the Holiday Season.
“For me it’s about getting to the essence of what the Holidays are really about,” Claire says. “Rather than engaging in the mad consumerism – this relentless materialism – that goes on at this time of year, I choose instead to give to a charitable organization that provides something tangible and good for so many needy people, most especially single mothers and their children.”
A mother of two daughters who are themselves mothers, and as a woman who has long celebrated the Goddess in all women, clearly this is a cause close to her artist’s heart.
Habitat For Humanity is a grassroots (Christian) nonprofit organization dedicated to the elimination of poverty and substandard housing worldwide, that believes that every person deserves a simple and decent place in which to live.
The organization builds houses in partnership with families who qualify for home-ownership based on three criteria: need, a willingness to partner with HFH and an ability to repay a no-interest mortgage. Habitat works with all people regardless of their Religious beliefs and sells its houses at no profit with no interest charged. They have built and renovated over 500,000 houses worldwide since 1976.
Habitat For Humanity in Taos works to provide affordable housing for low-income families in Taos County. HFHT was incorporated in 1993 and began building its first two houses in 1994. It has built 29 homes to date, and is currently working on home #30.
Promises Kept is the name of the 2016 Holiday Collection designed by Claire Haye.
Claire says the design is based on “coins – coins from a better world.”
“One can’t copy real coins,” she explains, “so they are fantasy coins, from a kinder currency than we use.”
39 inches of sterling silver featuring the ‘coins’ and Claire’s signature spiral chain-links, the necklace can be worn in many ways; wrapped twice around the neck as shown on Suki Dalury in the photograph at the top of this page, as a long chain, a lariat or even around the slimmest waist, as a belt.
Claire wore it the day we met and I could not take my eyes off of it. It’s classic and modern all at once. A truly timeless and wearable piece of art. I asked her about the name of this line, what it means to her.
“Promises Kept means being true to myself, having integrity and finding the balance between having success (that is determined by the values of our culture) and treating the people around me with respect and kindness.” She says.
Which brings us back to the gift of giving.
If you mention this post on taoStyle while purchasing a piece from any of the designs shown here (from past Holiday Collections only), until Christmas, you will receive 10% off your purchase and Claire will donate 25% of those proceeds (as well as 50% from Promises Kept sales), to Habitat For Humanity in Taos.
To learn more about this promotion and Claire
Haye’s work, please visit her site linked below. I’ve also included a link to Habitat For Humanity in Taos.
All Photographs by Claire’s daughter, Melissa Haye-Cserhat
