When to quit...

When a project is coming to a close, I often have to leave it alone for a couple of days in order to have a clear perspective.  When I've been working for hours at a time, I go down that rabbit hole and become so involved with the piece that I feel like it is me and I am it.  So much so, that I honestly can't see it objectively anymore.  I have learned over time and after some major mistakes, that it's best to take my time as I finish a piece and try different ideas rather than just stick with the plan.  Actually, my pieces don't have "a plan" but there's always that moment when I think I know the direction I'm going and I just plow ahead.  This is usually when I find out that the direction I've taken is a dead-end and no matter how I tweak it, it just isn't right.  I'm feeling happy with this new Goddess but only after ripping out a few different ideas first.  It chewed up some time but I think she's worth it!

I've been wanting to use these Keshi pearls for a very long time and this sweet face just begged to be surrounded by them.  Our trip to Maui in November, greatly influenced the color and flavor of the piece.  I see the ocean in her eyes and the hear the sound of the beach when I bead around her headdress.  

Alese...

The Light Bearer

…also known as the Soul Healer, has the ability to infuse her radiant light into the shadows allowing the healing process to begin.



(Alese in German means beautiful soul)

Amets...The Dream Weaver

A Basque name meaning "A Dream"

Amets has the ability to mix reality, desire and potential in order to create the dream the "dreamer" is ready to manifest

Made with polymer clay, glass seed beads, semi-precious stones, pearls and Shibori Ribbon.

Shibori Ribbon

While this piece has been completed for quite some time, I haven't been able to find the photos I took to show the progress until today.  Working with the ribbon added another dimension to the process and one I want to try again some time soon. 

Shibori Ribbon

I found a wonderful Shibori ribbon pin by Ann Ricotta soulshine-studio.com which I purchased on her Etsy site.  I was intrigued with the design and could easily see how I might be able to incorporate it into one of the wearable art brooches.  I started a new "Day Lady" pin and as I play with the ribbon, I like the way it creates unexpected opportunities as well as a bit of mystery as it surrounds the face.  Can't wait to give it a try once I finish embellishing her headdress!

Finally...

I've decided that my chief job as the artist is to "listen" carefully as I am constantly reminded that my ideas are only suggestions and the less I hold on to a specific outcome, the more likely I'll like the end result.  

Changing Direction...

I've given up on the wood beads; I hate giving up but the fact is the face is really the one who decides and she just wasn't having those irregular, organic things around her head.  Even though she looks like she's been dug up out of the sand, she has this air of "bling" in her essence that must be satisfied.  I'm starting to like the feel of it so I guess I'll just keep heading in this direction and see what emerges!

OOPS....

I thought I had the perfect bead to surround this face but no matter which way I turn, nothing works.  I love the wood beads; irregular and organic in nature they seem to complement the face AND the frame in which it will live.  But as hard as I try, no other bead wants to live with it - making the ability to design the rest of the piece almost impossible.  Sooooo.....it's time to start over!  But what to do????

Nope...not quite; looks a bit too contrived.  She wants something unique but I'm just not getting the picture.  I think the wood beads are going to have to go - just can't seem to make them work.  DARN!

No matter what I am doing, I have always liked working at a fast pace, as it allows me to get into a meditative rhythm making me feel one with the action.  I have been known to "overthink" things and so this type of "doing" pulls me out  

of my thoughts and gives me a peaceful feeling.

Bead weaving, however, isn't something I can do "fast" as that not only leaves me unhappy with the outcome, but can result in many hours of "undoing" what took hours to do in the first place.  Instead, I've learned to slow my pace with deliberate and mindful movements as I watch and calculate the in and out of the needle as it pierces the fabric and attaches each bead into place.

Then, before I know it, the time to "think" is upon me again along with questions like;  which new beads should I choose, what colors, sizes and shapes will add to the overall essence and which ones will try and dominate; taking the piece in an entirely different direction? My mind inevitably loops around in circles as it tries to decide; pulled this way and that like a kid in a candy store who can't decide which colorful piece of sugar to pop in her mouth.

Coming to this place over and over again, I've come to the conclusion that "thinking" isn't quite the way to answer these questions.   Instead, I find that "feeling" or "sensing" which beads want to be included and where they want to be placed allows me to share the responsibility of the overall design with them and in doing so, gives the piece it's own energy, esthetics and unique personality.

As bizarre as this may sound, when I first started making these brooches, I had no idea how to finish them as I'm not a seamstress and can hardly sew a button into place.  After spending weeks or even months on one pin, I'm anxious to finish it but at the same time reluctant.  Cutting and gluing isn't one of my strengths as I am not a "crafty" person and have nightmares about a slip of the sizzors undoing hundreds of hours of work.   

But what's the first thing you do when you pick up a piece of hand-tooled jewelry?  I immediately turn it over and inspect the back.  I was determined to put as much effort into finishing it as I had into creating it; like Steve Jobs felt about his Apple Computers, the inside had to be as perfect as the outside or the whole thing was "garbage!"

So began the long process of teaching myself to finish a pin.  I practiced by buying kits of embroidered cuffs from other artist like Sherry Serafini.  If you want to see some amazing work, look up her book on Amazon, Sensational Bead Embroidery.  I had to figure out how to create my own unique backing as my project was a bit different but it gave me the opportunity to practice.  

Long ago I read a book about learning to "manage" your weaknesses without expecting to make them your "strength."  In fact it's still in print if you're interested.  Soar With Your Strengths by Donald Clifton.  It's with this mindset that I approached finishing the backs of my pins and as a result, I'm pretty proud of them when I flip them over!

LESSON:
Praise for managing what I consider to be a "weakness" can do more for my level of confidence than any amount of recognition for what I consider to be a "strength."

WHAT'S IN A WORD?

I feel strongly that my intention as I bead is important which is why I don't do anything else while beading like watch TV or listen to an audio book.  I not only want to "listen" to the beads and what they have to say (and believe me, they say plenty) but also want to put as much positive energy into the piece as I can and this isn't possible if I'm doing something else.  

As I finish a piece and start the "separation process", I think of sending it out into the world and what I might do to insure my positive thoughts and energy go with it as it seeks a new home.  

Before sewing the ultra-suede backing into place, I glue a magnet, some fabric lining and a piece of cardboard to the back of the face to give it some stability; a perfect place to write a few positive words of encouragement!  I got the idea from my mentor/friend, Ronna Sarvis Weltman whose amazing work in polymer clay can be viewed on www.ronnaround.com   Ronna will often write loving prayers in tiny script; illegible, squiggly lines that are part of the design.

Do they make any difference?  I have no idea, but if words are powerful when we speak them then why not when we write them even if they are hidden?  

LESSON:
If I assume my intentions and actions make a difference, perhaps they will.

I love the unpredictability of natural beads; you never know exactly what they will do until the needle penetrates the back and the thread is pulled taught.  The same can be said for the glass, Japanese seed beads but they are much more uniform and are more likely to behave themselves!  

I like to think of the beads as living entities; each with a unique personality.  Sometimes a tiny bead just won't cooperate and try as I may just won't allow itself to be scooped up by the needle.  That's when I imagine they might not belong so I go in search of another to pair with the group already threaded.  I know, it's crazy but I like to think each bead is part of a family and has a story to tell but can't tell that story if they aren't placed exactly where they are meant to go.  

I often wonder when a piece has been completed if the message it conveys might not be quite the same if certain beads hadn't been included.  Wouldn't it be possible that the piece might go in an entirely different direction and the outcome unrecognizable to the finished piece I hold in my hand?

Lesson:
Life is similar to beading; small choices made along the way can make a huge impact on the final outcome.

I believe art to be a collaboration of forces in the Universe so I try not to have a vision set in stone when I create a piece.  It's kind of like working with a team of artists of which I'm only one part of the whole; maybe an important part, but nonetheless just a part.  Yes, the vision must be strong enough to convey to my other (unseen) team members, but not so rigid that I reject or ignore their contributions.  When I hold my vision and remain open, they always come up with ideas that, many times, take the project in a direction I could not have even imagined.  This delights me as I'm always pleasantly surprised by the end result and left with the feeling that I'm not too sure who actually created it!    

Lesson:   The more I practice flexibility, the more room the forces of the universe have to shape the the spirit and outcome of my work.

Organic Bead Weaving

I rarely draw a design but rather let the beads dictate the end result.  Sometimes, however, they just don't know where to go and giving them a guideline to follow seems the sensible thing to do.  Other times, I see where I want them to go but the beads have other ideas!  Each piece is a collaboration of mind, body, and spirit; my own AND the glass beads and stones that go into each face pin!