art

Deer Cremation Urns-Magical and Creative

March 24, 2014 urngarden.com

When we chose the deer as inspiration for a cremation urn, we were thinking of the magical qualities of this animal. This style is a favorite with families that are honoring a hunter or outdoors man and is definitely a statement piece that takes a few weeks to produce.

Crafted in bronze, it’s more expensive than many of the traditional vase shaped urns and is made in the USA. The beauty of this style is that it’s a bronze memorial that can be displayed in the home as a piece of sculpture, safely stores the ashes of your loved one, but does not SCREAM urn.

Most commercial representations of deer characterize them as gentle and sensitive creatures. Deer spirit animals are no different. By leaning on this animal, you will assume the power to deal with challenges with grace and dignity. Deer totem wisdom gives humans the ability to be vigilant, instinctive and to move quickly.

Deer Symbolism
Deer represent a variety of characteristics from soft and gentle to strong and determined. Others include:

Ability to move through life and its challenges and obstacles with grace and gentleness
    Getting in touch with one’s inner child and innocence
    Being intuitive and sensitive
    Being vigilant

Deer totem allows people to bring grace into all aspects of their lives including during life’s most challenging moments. The spirit will remind you to remain calm and graceful during hard times, qualities brought forth from the heart. A deer’s horns are great for defending and asserting one’s self, but being gentle doesn’t mean you are defenseless. With a deer’s powerful spirit on your side, you can be strong and determined yet graceful simultaneously.

Deer in Mythology and Culture
In Celtic mythology, deer are magical and creative creatures that are able to move gracefully between worlds. St. Patrick, for instance, and his companions were said to be transformed into deer to escape a trap by a pagan king. In Greek mythology, a deer is associated with Artemis, a virginal huntress. She transformed Actaeon into a stag after he witnessed her unclothed body.

The Native American Pawnee believed the deer was the guide to the light of the Sun. Early Christians said deer would spit water into a hole or crevice where a poisonous snake was hiding, drawing it out and then killing it with its hooves. Finally, in ancient China and Cambodia, the stag was also associated with the sun, but negatively as it was thought to bring a drought.

Lighthouse in the Storm, Sandy Aftermath Survivor Tales

February 26, 2014 urngarden.com

Recently, we sold a solid bronze lighthouse cremation urn to a client in Long Beach, NY who is trying to rebuild her life and refurbish her home in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Amid the stress and anxiety of an oncoming storm, her husband was dying at home and did not want to leave despite the mandatory evacuation notice.

She lives several blocks away from the beach, and eventually the water crept in. The house got cold after the power went out, and that’s when reality set in.

Without electricity and no generator, they had to move.

He died three weeks later.

He was fit, funny, mentally strong, in the prime of his life. Living the dream within blocks of a sandy beach with a beautiful wife. A year later, she’s dealing with the insurance company for both her home and his life.

They say it can take up to three years for a community to recover after a wicked storm or natural disaster. Just this week, three new schools opened in Joplin, MO, three years after the devastating tornado that killed 161 people. Kudos to Google who seems to be revisiting communities after the landscape changes. On street maps for Long Beach, you can see still tarps on rooftops and lots of earth movers parked on the beach.

Bronze Lighthouse Urn, The Perfect Tribute

She’s moving forward and a year later decided that a lighthouse would be the perfect tribute to her husband. He was an attention to detail guy and appreciated quality. She selected the best, a bronze sculpture urn that will last forever on the fireplace mantle.

lighthouse cremation urn

She commented that it was so solid, that she’d never have to worry about it breaking if it fell off the shelf. The construction and care that goes into our bronze far exceeds the inexpensive imports that use alloys to create a hollow shell.

In addition to urns, this US foundry creates massive memorial pieces for parks, churches, and schools. Fun fountains for Disney, and custom statues and busts.

bronze angel St. Michael statue sculpture

Sand Dollar and Starfish Urn Memorials

Other survivors of that brutal storm have purchased memorials on a smaller scale, like the Sand Dollar Ash Pendant and the Starfish blown glass memorial. Small and personal, this jewelry is a discreet way to personalize a tribute.

We’re here to help, if you have questions.

Cremation Urns Made by American Artists

October 29, 2013 urngarden.com

If you want to honor your loved one with a work of art by an American artist, you might want to consider American made cremation urns. These are available in a variety of different materials, styles, and sizes.

Some of the most popular mediums that you can find these funeral urns in include metal sculptures, Raku pottery, and wood, for example. These types of urns are made not only vessels for your loved one’s cremains, but also to stand on their own as a piece of art that can be displayed in your home.

Urn Themes
There is an endless array of themes that are explored by the artists who craft American made cremation urns. Made from a variety of materials, ceramic and pottery, wood, stainless steel and bronze.

For example, you might find these with depictions of nature such as hummingbirds, butterflies, or floral themes. Hobbies are another area that artists like to explore.

It’s important to keep the personality of your loved one in mind when you are sifting through these various designs, to choose something that he or she would love.

For example, if your loved one enjoyed golf or horseback riding, you could choose urns that have this type of thematic design whether it’s a horse sculpture or a bronze urn with an engraving of golf clubs on it. Motorcycles and cowboy boots can give a fun, lively edge to the urn.

American Made Small Keepsake Urns

Although there are many large-scale American made cremation urns that are designed to hold the entirety of your loved one’s remains, there are also smaller ones available. These can allow many family members to appreciate the time spent with their loved one, with the ashes divided between these smaller keepsake urns. They can be delicately decorated in all of the same styles or themes that you would find in a larger urn, made by an American artist.

Buying American Urns Helps Local Artists

Angels, animals, and scenes from the sea are all popular motifs that you will find in these types of artistic urns. Whether you choose a design that highlights a hobby or one that is a natural work of beauty to proudly display in your home, you will find no shortage of options when it comes to American made cremation urns. By choosing to buy an American made product, you will be supporting the artists in your country while at the same time choosing an exquisite work of art that provides a unique memorial.

Visit our gallery to see a complete collection of American Made Cremation Urns created by artists from all over the country. We work with local potters as well as West Coast masters. Bronze and metal manufacturers represent from the East Coast. Stonemasons from the heartland. You’ll find quality memorials crafted from the heart and hands of this great nation.

Memorial Day Vintage Postcards

May 24, 2013 urngarden.com

memorial day postcard

Dogwood Urn Pendant: Spring, Renewal, Rebirth

April 15, 2013 urngarden.com

The dogwood trees are starting to pop here. I love the white blooms but the the pink blossom is my favorite.

The delicate beauty of this little tree requires a some thought and care if it’s introduction to a property is to be a success. It is not ideal for all sites and climate conditions and it is vulnerable to a range of diseases and insects. The flowering dogwood doesn’t respond well to rough handling and should be placed in a spot that is safe and can be admired. We’ve got a woodpecker that is tapping and possibly harming the tree.

Inspired by the dogwood blossom we picked that flower to recreate both a cremation urn and jewelry that reflects the spirit of spring, renewal and rebirth to create a personal memorial.

This attractive cremation jewelry is made in the USA and can be filled with a trace amount of ashes or other small loving memento through a secure opening on the back. Comes with a black velvet gift box, 24″ cut satin cord, care, cleaning and instructions for filling.

The cardinal perched on dogwood branch has such deep meaning for many as the cardinal can represent the departed loved one’s spirit returning for a visit, and the return of life in the blooming dogwood flower. The bird and blossoms are hand painted on a crisp white background. So pretty, and works for both an adult male or female.

This urn looks great when personalized with names, dates, or a brief sentiment. We use a laser to engrave and the results are beautiful.