Okay now to my thoughts on beading. I am not a much of a beader and this month has allowed me the opportunity to think about that. Why have I ended up here? As I have thought about it I have gone back to some of the things that Beata has said about beading as embellishment. I think that a piece of art work needs to have a focus. When I have beaded I have started out with the plan to bead and I tend to bead a lot. When I have not beaded, my focus was on other design elements or techniques. Generally I feel my voice is more into intricate piecing. And when I have a failed design and have tried to cover that with the glitter of beads--well, lets just say that you can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse no matter how many beads you add.
I do want to share two of my pieces that include beads. The first is a underwater coral scene that I made after taking a class with Judith Montano. From the very beginning I planned to use lots of embroidery and beads.
My second piece was created after listening to my daughter complain that her husband thinks he is the center of the universe and everything should revolve around him. What I kept hearing was that SHE should be the center of the universe and everything should revolve around her. LOL I suggested that they take turns but she will not thrilled at that suggestion. At any rate, the quilt represents the universe with her face at the center. Please do notice the string theory I have incorporated in the quilt. This is a work in progress. While I do display it, I keep taking it down and adding more beads and embroidery to it. When it is finished, I expect it to be encrusted, especially around the center of the universe. (Please ignore the other stuff behind it on the design wall. I got lazy and did not crop it.)
This is great. The words are great, too. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I am the center of the universe.
ReplyDeleteI like your composition on the underwater coral. The questions I keep asking myself is:
ReplyDelete- do i have to use a new material, here the beads to the textile scraps, because otherwise i cannot reach a certain effect
- or do I use it, because the change of the material adds something complementary to the rest, like hardness, softness, glimmer, or whatever i aim,
- or do I just use them on a whim, "to polish up" an image i'm not entirely happy with.
I think the answer is different with each of us - and the answer has to come from the person itself.
This is what I call truthfulness. If you think, the beading adds something essential to whole picture and it adds it on a way you couldn't reach better with any other material, than it is justified and right.
I am always hesitant to use beads. I think because I have seen so many over use them. Your pieces, the beads add to the whole, and make the pieces sing. I must admit, I love the story about center of the universe. LOL! I know a few like that, including my Mother! Thanks for the giggle.
ReplyDelete