The connection between an artist and his "muse" has always been difficult to explain. An almost hypersensitive understanding between what the artist imagines and what the muse represents.
The inspiration for my creativity for over 20 years has been the lovely lady shown here--Gabriella Delgado. I first saw her, with my dear friend Cindy, working as a waitress in a Sunset Strip bar. Cindy, who has always had a great eye for the unique and beautiful, pointed her out to me. When we asked, she told us that she had done a little bit of modeling and would be interested in "trying a few shots" with my jewelry. That first shoot was a total disaster. She, quite obviously, did NOT know what she was doing but her heart and spirit caught my attention-----we vowed to give it another try at some point. Years went by and we kept in touch. She proceeded from assorted modeling jobs in L.A. and New York to runway shows for YSL, Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier in Paris. One dreary early morning while I was in a hotel lobby near LAX, on my way to catch a plane to Milan, she dropped by on her way home from an all night modeling shoot. A cab pulled up and she stepped out in a light grey flannel YSL business suit with a wide brimmed black hat------LITERALLY everyone stopped and watched as she came in the door and ran over to give me a kiss on both cheeks. I had been very pleased but curious when she was determined to meet me so early in the morning but now I knew why-----she was no longer an amateur! We arranged to have her come to Maui for our "second chance" and the difference was amazing. She still had her great sense of humor and was like a playful gazelle----all arms and legs. While I was at the gym one morning, laying on the floor doing stomach "crunches", she returned from her run and came walking into the gym like she owned the place, lay down on the floor next to me and "crunched" along with me. We ended up laughing ourselves to tears. AND, my dog Lani LOVED her.
BUT-----when it came time to work, she suddenly switched, right in front of my eyes, from that playful personality I had first witnessed to the exotic beauty she had become. There was SUCH a dramatic difference that the photographer, a seasoned pro who had heard from me about the original difficulties years before, turned to me when there was a break in shooting, and simply opened his eyes wide and signaled a silent "WHEW!!"
I found that, when creating new designs, I would think of how they would look on her. I long ago realized that my unique style, developed from years of designing with rare gems and pearls and "life in the islands" was not for everyone. But, because of that understanding, I purposely tried to create a "crossover" blend that would suit a variety of clients. Gabriella helped with that concept. Was she Polynesian? Spanish? Italian? She could look all of those and possibly others---and that kind of "blend" was exactly what I wanted.
And, though we had a very close relationship, I always felt the need to keep a certain distance. Why? Simply to NOT risk damaging the unique bond. There was an ethereal quality to it. Something that I almost felt would disappear if touched. Over the years, she WOULD disappear, at times, into her own world---living in Paris---or New York---and then reappear and contact me. She came to Maui to visit a short time ago and we simply could not arrange the shoot we wanted. Amazingly, wanting an outdoor location for a change, it was overcast and stormy for the whole time. Having given up, she dropped by one afternoon and stretched out on the sofa. She dozed off with her head in my lap while I stroked that gorgeous mane of hair and told her stories about my days in Tahiti. As we sat there gazing out at the Pacific, the sun set in a golden glow of misty late afternoon rain. We ended up with no photos and, soon after she had gone, I moved to the mainland.
Anyway-----I have not seen her for some time. A marriage fell apart for her and she is back to modeling---which means text messages and missed connections and the occasional "I've only got a few minutes" phone "conversations."
My point to all of this? I awoke the other night at about 2:30AM---wondering---why am I awake? I lay there and thought of her. Hadn't really for some time, but there she was---and I wondered where she was and how she was doing. I started to drift back to sleep.......AND......she was there lying next to me with her head on my shoulder----laughing that great laugh of hers with her hand on my chest....
That "almost" feeling of having her here brought me completely awake. I lay there thinking...."I should leave her a message and let her know I was thinking of her" ...and then...."maybe a text"......but finally "No---and bother her at this time? Best to leave it." ......and fell back asleep.
At 8:14AM that same morning, I received THIS text message:
"I hope you're smiling" Gabriella
Now........THAT, in it's purest form, is "magic."
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