March Art Bead Scene Inspiration Blog Hop

The Art Bead Scene hosts an inspiration challenge every month. Participants must use an art bead in their design. The idea is to take something from the inspiration, a theme, colour or colours, shape, whatever strikes you as a starting point, and make an original piece based on it. This month’s inspiration is this lovely oil painting by Taisia K. Afonina. You can read more about Taisia and her work here.

 

"Still Life with Pussy Willows" By Taisia K. Afonina

1964, Oil on canvas 80 cm × 60 cm (32 in × 24 in)

I was priviledged to be a subscriber to the Simple Truths Sampler Club. Erin Prais-Hintz creates beautiful polymer clay based art beads inspired by the artwork selected for the challenge each month. Only the sinking Canadian exchange rate kept me from renewing my subscription.

Her sign of spring pendant is the perfect representation of the pussy willows in this painting. I decided to take a simple approach to highlighting the pendant, with this necklace.

 

Springtime Cattails 

I made the cord from Hotarubi metallic thread, traditionally used in making fine Japanese kimono fabric. I wrapped the thread around an 18” long form approximately 30 times, giving me 60 lengths of thread 18” long. Before removing the cord I tied the ends off then wire wrapped them with brass wire. As soon as the threads were removed from the form they wrapped into the graceful twist you see above. Beads caps and clasp in antiqued brass along with an extension chain in antiqued bronze completed the necklace. The bead caps were a little large for the cord so I simply tied an overhand knot and snugged it up to the caps to finish it off. That extension chain comes in handy now. You can find this necklace in my shop here.

Although it’s difficult to see in the photos, the Hotarubi thread has a beautiful sheen to it. It was difficult to capture though you can see a bit of it near the pendant.

Though I love the cattails in the painting, I also love the blue that shows up throughout the artwork, in the tea cups, the sheer curtains and the watery view behind them and even the silver pieces. All of this blue inspired me to make these earrings.

Sweet Spring

These ceramic flower pods in light blue and light green, created by Cheryl Irwin, look like tulip flowers captured in the first flush of opening up. To showcase the sweetness of the flowers I used simple sterling silver wires for the stems, allowing the flowers to swing freely off the jump rings and lever back ear wires which are also sterling silver. You can find these earrings online here.

Please visit all the other participants of this challenge. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.