Subtle Change

Fall does not officially arrive until September 22 . Of course, most beadie people have been in fall mode for a bit . Some of us may even have started on Holiday/winter designs!
For most the transition is a slow steady process. Slowly we add more rich shades of autumn and use fewer " summer " shades .

At my house the seasons are marked by the corn field outside my front window.At the beginning of August it was lush and green . This week the tan and gold stalks were harvested. Everything in nature is slowly changing .Gradually the green trees around the field will flame into reds and golds . Flowers will give way to seed pods .
Often I have to look twice to notice the daily changes in nature.
I also have to look twice to notice the changes in fashion colors and seasonal styles.
Perhaps there are people who say "today I will put away summery beads and only work in autumn colors". Instant change !
When I was little, we put away our white summer shoes on Labor day .No more wearing white shoes til Memorial day ..lest we commit a huge fashion faux-pas !!!

I prefer a slow and subtle change as one season comfortably blends into the next.
Take time this week to enjoy the little changes
and
Bead Happy , m.e. :)

Meditation

This month's ABS challenge piece is "Persia" by George Barbier
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2010/09/september-monthly-challenge.html
What wonderful colors ,designs and very inspiring theme !!!
The work captivated me on many levels. I am so grateful it did !
Beads have historically been used to aid in pray and meditation . They certainly seem to help me to turn off outside worries and focus on inner peace .
This week I was scheduled for surgery . I needed a repair for a very ,very large hiatal hernia .
I was hopeful the procedure would go smoothly with no unwelcome surprises. It did !
But ,I was told I would not be able to return to my day job for 3-4 weeks . I knew the surgery would be a painful one with a tedious recovery . I was looking forward to being "fixed " but ,not to the actual "fixing ".
Last week when ABS posted the monthly challenge picture I decided to focus on beads not pre-surgical testing . I used the time waiting for tests and doctor consuls to plan my entry. The weekend prior to Surgery I created my vision . I really could not take time to worry about a hospital stay ...I was focused on how to fit my chosen elements together!!!
During my hospital stay I wrote both my description and my blog entry in my head !
Very likely I was mumbling about beads under anesthesia ...LOL!
Finally I'm home .The pain meds do muddle my brain . But , catching up with the bead world goings ons gives me a pleasant focus. Writing this blog is helping me clear my mind . (I hope it seems relatively clear anyway !!!) The next few weeks will be spent planning and creating new items to list in my store .
More Bead Meditation !
Hope your beads help keep you focused on all the good things in life !
Bead Happy !
m.e. :)

Finding the Right Seasoning

Most of my inspiration is filed away in my head.
But, sometimes my old brain computer starts running really slow.
Those are times I really need to reboot !
Mother Nature always seem to help clean out the cobwebs,or delights and inspires me with her magnificent cobwebs...LOL!
Either way,when I need a jump start ,a bit of time spent outdoors usually does the trick ,
The only problem, this week it's still summer in my backyard !
But, to keep up with my shop I'm in the midst on making Autumn designs !
I needed some Fall spice in the wrong season!!!Mother nature didn't let me down .I managed to find some nice Autumn colors in the my Summer garden ! Fall florals are now blooming on my work table !
Are your designs still in Summer mode or are you working on some Fall finery too?
Where do you find right seasonings for your creations ?
this week hope you find just the right thing to spice up your work
and
Bead Happy , m.e .

What to make of it ?

Time for a very special PCAGOE challenge !
The theme is "Transfers "
We each had to choose one of the preselected collage sheets chosen by Piddix. She has some wonderful selections in her shop !
http://www.etsy.com/shop/piddix .
We used any "transfer tecnique " we preferred on our clay to create our entry . Many of use had never even tried this tecnique !
Don't miss your chance to vote for your favorite entry !!!!
http://pcagoe.com/

For me this was an especially difficult challenge.
My big problem, transfers are flat...my work is not !
I really could not figure out what to make or how to make it !
Luckily one of our group members Lynda ,is a transfer diva!
She was more than generous with her advice.
I purchased ALL of her AMAZING tutorials .
http://www.etsy.com/shop/scdiva
I learned some great tips and tecniques from her fabulous tuts.
I was finally able to cut ,bend ,poke and prod my transfer pieces into a dimensional piece more like my usual sculpted flowers !
I'm very happy with the result!

There are times when we want to think outside the box . Times to try something completely different . It is good to stretch our creative legs once in awhile .
However ,most of us work hard to develop our style . When we find a new tip,tecnique or inspiration, often the trick is how to make it our own . Instead of thinking outside the box ,we have to figure how to make those ideas fit into our box! We all know square pegs don't fit in round holes. Sometimes tecniques just do not seem to fit our style. We might like the idea very much. But ,we just can't figure how we could use it in our own work .
It might take a little extra shove to get that new tecnique into your own repertoire.
It might even take a big push! But, it's worth a try ,isn't it ?
Is there an idea you love, but have never used ?
This week see if you can find a way to make it fit into your own design box
and
Bead Happy !
m.e. :)

Feelin' Blue

I think most people who create jewelry and beads assume their creations will be worn to complement clothing . I don't think I'll ever be discussing jewelry meant to be wore while naked on this blog !!!

When we create pieces to complement fashion, we are necessarily influenced by season and current style. We watch the color trends.We are often found working in pastels and brights for Spring and Summer .We might use darker colors and jewel tones in the Fall and Winter.
But ,my mood seems to influence my choice of color too !
Does yours?

I LOVE COLOR ! A big part of my love affair with clay is the fun of blending pinches of this and that to come up with custom colors.
I am far too undisciplined to measure what I combine. I rarely keep any notes listing how much of this and how much of that make a certain shade.
I admire people who do this .They can reproduce any shade just by following their neatly kept color recipes . I rarely can reproduce a color . For the most part I don't really want to.
I just get in the mood for a certain shade ...mix up a big batch .... work with it until it runs out or I get tired of it !
I'm not sure what makes me yearn for any given color. For the last few weeks I was obsessed with Autumn's rich golds ,reds and coppers. Maybe I needed something more soothing for a bit .
This week I feel like blue ! I am especially loving a nice shimmery steel blue gray mixture I made .
Yes, today I'm feelin' extremely blue and I'm very happy about it !
What color are you feeling ?
Be it blue or bright,
light and fresh,
or dark and deep ...
Bead Happy !
m.e. :)

Imagine That !

I love flowers. I love growing flowers .I love looking at flowers.
I love making polymer clay flowers !!!
Sometimes I try to make my creations very "real" looking , mimicking Mother Nature's colors and designs.
Sometimes I just imagine fantasy blossoms and create my own designs and color combinations.
I like to think I come up with some interesting flowers Mother Nature hasn't thought of .
But, who am I kidding !!! The photo above was taken by my daughter at the Key West Botanical Garden this summer .http://www.keywestbotanicalgarden.org/
Can a flower get any more fantastic than that !!!

I realize it's same old ,same old to say "I get my inspiration from nature" How many artists make this statement ? Admit it ...it's kinda boring ...right ? Yeah ,yeah I'm inspired by nature ..ya da ,ya da ,ya da......
But, what else can I say ? Mother Nature always has some surprises waiting for me . She uses color combos and designs I don't think I could dream up if I tried .
I like to call my creations "fantasy flowers " .But , I think the fantasy may really be the dream of being Mother Nature.
I imagine being able to wave a magic wand and bringing to life the wildest wildflowers and creepiest creatures!
"I'm inspired by Nature" might not be the most interesting way to begin a description of yourself . But, Mother Nature is the most interesting and surprising source of inspiration !
With Summer at it's height, her amazing creations are in full splendor .
look carefully around you this week,
discover some of Nature's surprises
and
Bead Happy , m.e. :)

Under The Influence

It's time for a new ABS monthly challenge !
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2010/08/august-monthly-challenge.html

For the last few days I've been under the influence of Jack Savitsky's "Sunrise "
While studying the both the picture and the artist to come up with a design ,I had a moment of insight !
Challenges like the ones ABS offers, should be a part of EVERY Art History course !!!
Why? Because, the process of creating a design "inspired " by a piece of art causes us to really think about the piece and absorb all aspects of it . To be inspired ,I had to discover what
about the painting first caught my eye .How did it speak to me ? What could I design to share my feelings about the work ?
Then I had to think about the small details .Which seem to add to my reaction to the work ? To truely make a " inspired" piece I had to learn about the artist as well .
How did the artist's life influence the art ? What was the artist's vision for his work ?

Creating jewelry designs that reflect my reactions to an artists work has been a labor of love for me. I have thought more about my long time favorites . I have found inspiration from artists I formerly had not paid much attention to. And I have learned about some wonderful artists I was unfamiliar with!
Yes ,yes I could do all this art 101 type study without making a piece of jewelry.
But, that would be like just tasting a delicious food .
Creating a jewelry piece inspired by great art lets me enjoy a full course meal !!!
Next time you come to the design table ,serve a dish of ART inspiration ,
enjoy your meal
and
Bead Happy ! m.e. :)