Form and Function

Plum  Blossoms Necklace

This month's ABS inspiration painting is  "Finches and Bamboo" by Emperor Huisong .
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2011/04/april-monthly-challenge.html
The moment I saw it ,I knew I wanted to create a design with  flowing  branches.The ABS challenge always gives me an opportunity for a mini art lesson . I did a bit of  "Google-ing"  for Chinese art  to see what I could learn .I decided the recuring Plum Blossom theme would give me chance to make my beloved flowers and to grab some of  the wonderful red from the painting .
So I had my idea  ...graceful  swags  of  leaves and deep red  flowers. But, how to transform  that idea into a wearable piece of jewelry ???
Admittedly some museum  or Paris runway  designs  don't seem influenced by any practical  applications at all!!!
However, most artists who design jewelry  try to balance art form with practical  function.
It's not enough to create something wonderful to look at.
We try to  create something that is actually wearable!
Sometimes that's a problem ! Your muse comes up with a truely  wondrous idea. But ,how the heck can it become a usable  piece of jewelry ???

There are times when construction skills and tecniques are good to know . There are times when it might be better not to realize something isn't possible . Often if you don't realize that a thing can't be done ,you will find a way to do it it ...somehow !!!
That was the case with my design . I had no idea how to make  my vision come to life.I just started laying out components, wrapping and bending wire .Many  hours and much wasted wire latter "Plum Blossoms " was born!

But, now for the final test . Since I work at a veterinary hospital,
I don't often test things by wearing them to work ! Instead I wore my new necklace around the house for several hours .Turned out it is very light weight and hangs quite nicely ....even if you are loading a dishwasher .LOL! A reasonably successful attempt at balance of form and function !Yeah!!!  I will be wearing it to my daughter's College Graduation in May !

this week think about  ways to create function  without compromising form 
and
Bead Happy ,

m.e.