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.
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"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.
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.
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| 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.
