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