A TECHNIQUE DRIVEN Blog dedicated to mastery of surface design techniques. First we dye, overdye, paint, stitch, resist, tie, fold, silk screen, stamp, thermofax, batik, bejewel, stretch, shrink, sprinkle, Smooch, fuse, slice, dice, AND then we set it on fire using a variety of heat tools.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

My first "beads" piece - EVER!

And it made me so aware that I need to keep all the posts this month so I can go back and learn even more! Sorry I don't have a bunch of samples but I had to get this piece done for the photo shoot yesterday and I was buried in it! That plus I really don't have all that many beads! (I DO see trips to bead stores in my future though!)

A few years ago, I was working with a group on an art journal doing a study series on any subject we wanted.  I started with figs and have several pieces on my website which resulted from that journal. Then I started on lemons.  Got a couple of pages done and life being what it is....got derailed.  BUT....I always remembered one of the challenges from this journal experience.  The challenge was to do a piece that interacted with more than just the sense of sight.  hmmmmm...... interested me very much.  I thought and thought and decided I wanted to do a lemon piece that also appealed to the sense of taste!! Now...how to do that.  At that time I purchased  lots of various shades and textures of yellow fabric.....and it sat and sat.....waiting for inspiration.  Knew what I wanted it to look like, just wasn't sure how to get from here to there.

One day just recently it all came together.  I had always envisioned a large tear drop crystal at the tip (big drop of lemon juice). THEN there were these wonderful blog posts on beading and I saw the final piece in  my mind!! Found the crystal opalescent beads in various sizes that were perfect. Then the problem was the big tear drop.  None were big enough.  Then.....there is was....hanging on a hook.  Not a tear drop at all...but a more organic shape and I LOVED it....and bought it, of course.

Using some of the guidelines offered by Beth in this fascinating stroll through all things beads, I started out.  Got some great suggestions along the way, and here is the final result.  My goal was to get those little taste buds that register sour to start watering.  Don't know if I accomplished just that, but I have to admit....I had a ball giving it a go!!

A lemon yellow satin makes up the "meat" of the wedge, white mulberry bark for the pith and a darker yellow satin that has small dots in it for the peel.  I stitched the lemon yellow satin to muslin, manipulating it to get the puckers I wanted. Added the peel and then the mulberry bark. The next step was to add all the beads to the lemon wedge for the droplets of juice. The whole lemon wedge was then stitched to a 18" X 24" stretched and painted canvas. Finally, I stitched on crystal beads to the canvas itself.  I hope it makes your mouth water!!!

When Life Hands You Lemons

Here is a detail shot

And so begins my new addiction probably.  In fact, I just started a piece that will most likely have some beads on it as well. Oh wait!  I just thought of another one........

16 comments:

  1. Wow! I'm all puckered up! I do believe you met your objective.

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  2. Oh THANK YOU!!!! now if only the juror gets that same reaction!!!

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  3. Kelly, this is awesome! Very, very creative not only with the beads, but how you created the lemon itself! I'm totally puckered here, and can't wait to see what you do next!
    Judy

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  4. This looks now so much better than the first picture I saw of it. Well done!!

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  5. You definitely accomplished your goal! What a wonderful use of beads. You have shown a piece where the beads aren't just pretty; they serve an important purpose in your overall design. The "drops" of juice look SO real. Great work; I really enjoyed seeing it.

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  6. thanks so much to all of you for your kind comments! It is always so rewarding when what you see in your head actually happens!

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  7. Oh -- too cool! I love the way you used the beads, especially the "drop" on the bottom of the lemon!

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  8. Love the way you used the beads .It is so real!!

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  9. Such a perfect snapshot. Love it.

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  10. Oh yeah! Great idea, perfect depiction! My mouth is watering just looking at this. Marvelous.

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  11. Well done, it's so realistic, I can feel a pucker coming on. :-)

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  12. You are all so wonderfully supportive! Thanks so much! I just sent the entry in today so we'll see where it goes from here!

    And THANKS to Beth and all who helped me learn on this beading quest!

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  13. I would love to see this in real as I think it wil catch the light. But even in the picture it is already very pretty, well done!

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  14. I can almost taste the lemon juice. And I like the contrast of the blue background with the lemon.
    Great job!

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