Resurrection

This blog has been dormant since sometime in 2008, but since I'm participating in the bead journal project again this year, I've decided to revive it.

I'll be working with a mixed media approach including beads. Don't know more than that right now regarding technique.

I am choosing as my theme, Being vs. Doing. I am working to incorporate Qigong practice and Heartmath breathing practice into my life more regularly. So I want to work with this process visually and creatively to hopefully build my reverence for and dedication to having these be a regular part of my life.

I'm looking forward to playing with materials to discover what I most love to do. I've spent a lot of years forcing myself to continue processes that I find tedious and boring, so my motto for BJP - NO BOREDOM!!!!

I also am a creativity coach and am applying coaching to myself to be freer with my art, enjoy it more, and do more of it!! See my coaching website here.

Finished July - March!

I'm sorry that it's not a clear picture, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like. This piece encompassed my entire year of working as a new OT in an overwhelming situation. I see it all there!!!

I learned so much. I became a professional. And I don't work there any more!!!! So I'm opening to my heart's message to me and this may be the buttkick I need to start my own coaching business.

Someone told me early in the journal process that if I just did one or two pieces for the year, that is okay. I'm saying to myself, u\yup, that's okay!! I'm really happy to have a piece that "captures" the essence of the year for me and pleased that I did it all in my own way.

So I am open to what's next. I don't feel called to participate again. I long for more inner guidance and less outer distraction, so that may merit some form of journal art, but not sharing, looking, pushing, etc.

Just me and my art supplies!! :-)

Sweet

Thanks, gals, for reminding me that my pleasure (PLEASURE) in beading is what's most important here. It's easy to let myself lose sight of that.

Like Robin, response to previous post, I totally gave up artwork twice in my life as I was studying for a new career or embarking on it. I was pretty miserable, and know I don't want to do that again.

Besides, I'm older and I know now on a bone deep level that my art time is too precious to put away for later.

And, giggle giggle, yep, having the money to spend on beads is so AWESOME!! I HAVE bought some, but not for any of these projects. I just love being able to give myself little splurges!!

So let's make the most of every precious minute!!

(Photo I lifted from the net of the work of artist Damien Hirst in the UK who embellished a real skull with diamonds)

July Progress

I am tempted to call this August and maybe finish by the end of the month. It is a bit discouraging to see someone blogging about starting September's piece, but c'est la vie!! This piece really contains the energy and inspiration of July so July it will be. Here's the progress on July, although I didn't get a really clear picture.

The second photo is of the beads I'm working with and the ones in the rectangle are what I intend to sew around the edges. It's new for me to be stitching on such large beads, and will be interesting to see how it looks when finished.

The new job is going well and giving me blessings I never anticipated, especially some wonderful deep connections to patients / customers / clients, whatever is the buzzword now. And I get paid, too! Just not as much time left for art as I'd like, but that will come. I'm enjoying looking at others' posts, just not putting time into blogging / commenting, except a bit on weekends. Best to all!!

July inspiration pic

Well, it's the last day before I start work. I know that I won't have energy for awhile to do all the blogger thing, because I really want to make art, so here's perhaps a final post till I start and finish July.

I'm so nervous about going back to work. I think my June piece shows that I'm all over the place. Yesterday in my studio I pulled out about three necklace projects and started a new embroidery on leather. I so want to hold on to making art, and not give that up while I'm working, that I'm getting a little cuckoo and really losing focus!!

Anyway, here's a photo of the African beads that I think will inspire my July journal. I realized I still want to make a necklace with them, so I don't want to use these actual beads on my piece, which is what I had first envisioned. I love the contrast between larger textured black and white discs and the small black/white and green/yellow discs. And some of the blue beads have vertical stripes so it's very pleasing.

Yesterday I also started beading a goddess shape on leather. I used a drawing from Marija Gimbutas' book, The Language of the Goddess. I'm not happy with the beads I've used but I'm looking at this first piece as a sketch, so they''ll do fine.

If anyone has any suggestions about how to keep doing your art when you're working at a professional level job, please share. I imagine it has to do with priorities and scheduling...

photo test

OK, so I'll upload the picture again here in this post, where it's never been, and see if it will enlarge now when I click on it. :-)

I've been playing with natural dyes and pigmenst, doing rubbings on trees and stamping with EZ Stamp that I've carved. This is a test to see if this image will enlarge on my blog site. My June bead posting is the next one down.

June Page Surprise!

It's done!! And I've taken a bit of a detour. I'm still working on the snake goddess / table piece, but couldn't rush it. I will show her later when she's done. So I went back to my original intention which is to use my semiprecious stone beads, Thai silver, African and antique beads - my most precious stash - for this project.

Since I will be working and receiving a salary for something besides my artwork, one of the benefits is that I'm no longer worrying about whether it's financially viable to embroider with these "expensive" beads. What freedom for me to use what I love, rather than what I think I "ought?" to use!!

This piece is definitely more feminine than my work usually is. I will use Robin's poem technique and Pat Allen's Art Is a Way of Knowing technique to journal about this piece. The piece is 3" by 4-3/8". I will probably put a pocket on the back to hold my writings, but may also print them on fabric to go in a book.

I also tried something new in fabrication of this piece. I beaded to the raw edge of the fabric, because I like raw edges alot. So to add support, I sewed biase tape on as I beaded the edging. I liked how that worked out.

I know what I will use for my July piece. A few years ago, I bought an African trade bead necklace at the Santa Fe flea market that is made up of blue, orange, yellow, black and white beads and discs. The colors seem to express the exuberance of July - fireworks, my birthday, the hot summer days with lots of vivid colors. And with a few more days off, I will get it going.


Thanks to Brenda for the Zulu concept of Wosa Moya embracing change. I will be reflecting on that over the next many days, and working with African trade beads will be reinforcing. I can't wait to see what happens!