Wednesday 1 August 2012

what challenges you?

These gorgeous lovelies came in the post today, from fellow-Art Bead Scene editor Melanie, of Earthenwood Studios

I adore Melanie's work but for some reason don't have very many of her beads - a few here and there, but not many. Certainly nothing to match my epic Round Rabbit selection! I am sure this will change in the future...!

I picked these ones out deliberately, because as I've previously blogged, this is my year of trying to challenge myself in terms of jewellery design. I've focused mainly on my colour choices so far, but I have a list of things that I know I have slight mental blocks about....

1) Necklaces. I find them incredibly hard. I think it's as I like to design my bracelets asymmetrically, in a way that I haven't quite managed to translate to necklace design yet. I know others do this fantastically - Erin, Lorelei, Malin, to name but a few. (And these ladies are a big inspiration to me in many ways, three designers that I really look up to). I love making simple knotted necklaces but would like to push beyond this to make real works of art. Or at least head in that direction!

2) Squares. And rectangles in fact. And even sometimes triangles. I think it's those corners that I don't like! Something about squares and rectangles just don't flow naturally for me when it comes to designing. I avoid them like the plague....

3) Black and white. Especially black...I find black and white together harsh, and sometimes dated. You know - those black and white interior decor of the 80s and early 90s....yuck. I can't seem to get away from that when I see black and white beads - even if I love them (I have a set of Moogins in black and white and I do indeed adore them), I can't imagine being able to turn them into pretty jewellery. I've already used black in a couple of designs this year (and honestly, that doesn't sound like much but it really is a breakthrough for me!) but not black and white together.

So you can see that when selecting the above beads, I have deliberately chosen pieces that will challenge me. But I've made sure that I haven't bought things that just won't get used....A rectangular car (urban images rarely crop up in my designs), but in liquid aquamarine, my oh-so-favourite shade. And newsprint beads - ok, so it's not quite black and white, but dark, dark brown and off-white, but it will still challenge me! - but these are rounds. I love rounds, circles, orbs....the way they are just so perfectly balanced - where is the beginning? Where is the end? Love them. So I'm combining things my comfort zone with these elements I know I will find challenging. Watch this space to see what happens...

What elements - colours, shapes, materials - challenge you? Do you want to break through or are you happy just leave these elements to other designers?




1 comment:

Heidi Post said...

Good for you for forcing yourself outside your comfort zone. And I think it's wise to do it as you are - hard shape/easy color, etc. I'll be very curious to see how you use these pieces. I must admit being quite surprised when I saw the car piece. I haven't been at jewelry designing nearly as long as you and some of the other ladies around here, but I definitely get bored doing the same types of things repeatedly. I think it's the mark of a good artist to grow and change and push limits.

You know bracelets are my scary thing, and I have been trying to make more of them. I even went so far as to buy one of Bo's fabulous bracelet bars. I can't wait to give it a try when I'm back up and running.

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