Spring Garden

Inspired by the colors of spring, this pink and green bead set appears delicate.  There are many handmade beads, some simple pink rounds but others more elaborate lentil shapes with blooms of color and metallic highlights.  The leaf pendant has a small seed bead twig.  The rest of seed beads repeat the theme with pink, green and metallic finishes.

All the fittings to assemble the jewelry are sterling silver, except for the hypoallergenic earring wires.

SPRING GARDEN NECKLACE AND EARRINGS

This series of jewelry photos was done in my studio, my green gardening journal was a handy and appropriate prop.

Mountain Lakes

These torch worked beads were inspired by the little lakes of the mountains that reflect the blue of the sky during the summer.   They were made at the Penland School of Crafts flamework studio.

The necklace and its matchings earrings are made of sterling silver and Czech seed beads as well as the handcrafted components.

Spring Fling

Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains spring is here, except at the highest elevation.  The yellows and pinks are welcome after months of brown and gray winter.

The bracelet and earrings are composed of pink and amber flamework beads, small swarovski crystal beads, and antiqued copper beads and findings.

IO (eye-o) One of Jupiter’s Moons

The surface of these ivory glass beads shows the memory of the flame and marks of the added fine silver, reminiscent to me of the volcanic surface of this far off moon.

Greek myths named the beautiful princess, Io, as a lover of Zeus.  He was later called Jupiter by the Romans.  No wonder this moon closest to Jupiter, was named Io.

Czech crystal and sterling silver complete the work.

Io Necklace and Earrings

Beads of Io and the Moon Io below

Something Entirely Different - Flameworked Jewelry

Conventional wisdom advises against posting different art forms in the same blog, so I’ve refrained from showing my adventures with flameworked beads and subsequently composed jewelry pieces; thinking that “some day” I’ll start another blog.  I’ve given up on that dream.

For many years I’ve made beads at the Penland Flameworking Studio, and more recently at Linda Sacra’s Studio in Charlotte.  Linda has been a generous and gifted teacher at the Penland
School of Craft.  My collection of beads has grown to a size that allows the design of art jewelry.

The piece below is made of Hades soft glass, to which has been added fine silver leaf.  The upper portions are silk finished with sterling silver settings.  It is accompanied by earrings, the beads sized for long wearing comfort.

The piece is entitled NYX, the goddess of the night.

24 “ Necklace accompanied by earrings

Detail of Silk Ribbon

Pink Primrose

There have been underpaintings for each of the flowers, tonight one is being posted.  A lesson learned today is to keep the underpainting photo displayed on my laptop, so that I don’t loose the drawing during the painting process.

The deep pink color of this primrose was not to be duplicated, another goal for the future.  The color is so intense it seems to destroy the form.

Pink Primrose

Oil  6 x 6 

Red Rose

Before I painted the color and petal forms of this rose intrigued me.  But painting only that left something to be desired.  The form of the entire rose is not expressed which also means that the composition doesn’t work.  

Photographing the darker colors in previous paintings was difficult because of the glare, so cold wax is being added to produce a matte finish, but in this painting too much was added early in the process, because the paint layers are too thick.

Looking at the preliminary sketch I can now see that the composition doesn’t work.  What was I thinking??

Red Rose
Oil 6 x 6

Casablanca Lily

These lilies have an incredible presence because of their size and heavy fragrance.  They remind me of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

Today I attempted a different background, leaving the original drawing fairly intact.

July Lily

I’m struggling with backgrounds for these small paintings.  Haven’t figured out the problem yet, started with some hydrangeas in the background which seemed to detract, so painted them out.  But also not totally satisfied with just a color.

Wonder if the profile makes the composition more difficult.

Questions that arise from doing this event.

Not Taking Time to Look at a Flower

I thought I knew what a rose looked like until I tried my first painting of one, thinking I was exempt from Georgia O'Keefe's thought about not bothering to really look at flowers, especially since I garden.  But I wasn't.

The first O’Keefe flower pastel I encountered was so heavily covered with pigment I was amazed, a powdery surface not to been seen in books.

The oil below is from my favorite rose in the fabulous garden at the Barnes Foundation outside Philadelphia.  ( Go if you have the chance, only Impressionist paintings not to be seen elsewhere).  I loved the pink, pink, pink.  But as complicated as the rest of nature, once you really look!

In the Pink
Oil  6 x 6

Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days - Fourth Day

Flowers not being my usual subject are giving me a lot of lessons about depicting subtle form and use of color, not as neutral as those in landscapes.

Stargazer

Shared Gold - Mountain Laurel

This floral subject more complex than yesterdays, will switch to something like a floral portrait tomorrow.

Glad to see that this is looser than yesterday's.

Shared Gold
Oil   5 x 7

Emperors' of the Snow

Crocuses hold a special place in my heart, because they are so brave.  In February when winter seems endless, they push their way throw the snow and somehow bloom when it is freezing.  Every winter they give me hope.  Spring is on its way.


                                   

30 in 30 for the 3rd Time

This January I am returning to the 30 in 30 painting event sponsored by Leslie Saeta.  My goal is to do a floral painting in oil each day.  I am traveling as I do this, so it should be especially challenging. Here is day one.  This format is especially small 4 x 4 panel,  but it has a 1/2" depth not shown in this photo which gives the appearance of an object rather than a painting, a concept I would like further to  explore.