Art Bead Scene March 2016 Challenge

On my last post I said that I saw three things in this month's painting challenge, well it really was four. Any hoo... I really love the colors and the impressionistic feel of this painting. I also draw with a lot of cross hatch and I love to carve.

Bottom line I was mostly inspired about the Spring time-ness of the painting!

These two polymer clay beads reflect the colors and the cross hatching texture.

I made this bird a couple of months back and I feel that it reflects the bird and the color of the bird that I saw in the left hand side of the painting.

Here are the owls again.

March Art Bead Scene Challenge

This month Art Bead Scene has presented a wonderful painting for us to be inspired by! I love it. It reminds of spring and boy am I am ready for it! 

When I looked at this painting I saw 3 things at first.

"Still Life with Pussy Willows"

By Taisia K. Afonina
1964, Oil on canvas
80 cm × 60 cm (32 in × 24 in)

About the Art

The painting shows a table laid for tea drinking on a spring day in a Leningrad apartment mid-1960s.
One of her most famous work, Taisa Afonina painted in April 1964 at her home in Leningrad on the Zverinskaya Street 2/5 in apartment 21. Here she lived from 1952 to 1994. Set of objects in the picture is organic and natural, causing numerous associations. Composition of the painting is devoid of stage effects. It seems that the observant eye of the artist captured on canvas daily life of a bygone era. It gives the created image a special impact to the viewer. The exquisite silver composition fills us with the invisible presence of those who are dear to us and whom we will always be waiting.
The painting was exhibited in 1965 for the first time in the Spring Exhibition of Leningrad artists in the Leningrad Union of Artists.
"Still life with Pussy-Willows" has been in many shows throughout the years and printed in several publications.

I have been playing with polymer clay using a more water color style. My pussy willow buds didn't come out as white but I enjoy the process.

I had come up with an idea for owl beads a while ago and had actually started making them when the challenge came up so I proceeded with them in this color palette. I really like them but will continue to refine them.

Chunky And Late!

One day late but hey, I was busy! 

So what did I learn abut chunky jewelry. Well for someone who doesn't always wear chunky jewelry it can be a little more of a challenge. But I'm an artist right? Should be no problem, right? Well of course I can make simple things a problem. Lately I tend to overthink things and with that I overwhelm my artistic flow. You can see from last month's post I had several Ideas and even had a color palette, ordered beads and materials to finish it. But NOOOO! I had to get myself frazzled and dislike everything. First I didn't like how dark it was, it's Spring! I wanted a lighter color palette. The new Pantone for 2016 color is Blush a baby pink and a baby blue. 

But over and over I got stuck with dark colors and antique brass. I love antique brass but not for Spring.

I went around and around and with constant interruptions from life in general stopping or slowing me down. I finally just made something that has been in my radar for a while.

I wanted to make simpler necklaces and had found some Czech owl beads from

 Solana Kai Beads. Along with other beads in a brighter color palette that I had started collecting.

I also found a chain belt at T.J. Max to take apart for this challenge.

Soooo, consequently I have a partly chunky necklace!

Package from Lima Beads. I was going to use the arrow head that I got from my father. I really wanted to do a primitive theme. I'm still going to work on this one though.

Here's the end result chunky ring, chunky clay bead.