"This piece of hematite, banded with red jasper, sits outside my home's doorway. It's glittering surface offers a unique opportunity for macro imagery along with a dazzling display of natural beauty. As a lover of mythology, Western in particular, hematite has become my favorite mineral, both for its dark, reflective appearance and because Ancient Romans believed it could bring protection from their god Mars. I have no misconceptions that it offers any type of protection, supernatural or otherwise, but there's something in the belief, like a toddler with Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, that tickles my mind. Its a small game of pretend, a child-like suspension of belief, even momentarily, that feeds my imagination. While the healing properties of hematite may be that of mythology, the ties to Mars are more fact than fiction. In 1998, the Mar's Global Surveyor detected a deposit of grey hematite near the Martian equator. In 2004, the Opportunity Rover found additional hematite spheres the team nicknamed "blueberries". So while Ancient Romans may have been misguided in their beliefs of protection, they weren't so far off in it."

- Kae

Prints are produced on demand on stretched canvas, acrylic plexi, or giclee fine art paper in a variety of sizes here in the United States.

Contact ArtLifting for larger size options.