I love old stuff!

Well though I am soo far behind on, well, everything, I have been busy. I am going to apologize now for the blog wierdness. As I learn hopefully it won't be too annoying. I keep working on it and it you will see the transformation.
I still am very interested in history and will continue to apply it to the blog. I have a saying, "I love old stuff." and I do!

I had the opportunity to be a guest of a dear friend who took me to Ann Arbor Michigan. She treated me like A QUEEN! I hit caps by accident there but that is how I felt that day. It was great fun!

Of course my first stop was a bead shop called "The Bead Gallery" 311 E. Liberty Ann Arbor Mi 48104, ph-734-663-6800, and I was thrilled to find out that they have a wonderful supply of ancient beads! Pre-Colombian, African Trade Beads, Dutch Donuts, Czech, Nigeria, Asian, Ancient Roman, Afghanistan!!! Wow! There shop also sells beautiful clothing, connected boutique, "Adorn Me" (To both shops)

Aurora and Courtney

Wonderful staff!!! These ladies were so helpful and knowledgeable! Pleasant and patient I can't wait to get back there!

 

My scores from the day, wonderful cherry wine, thank you  Diana, $8 pasta machine from thrift store, and my ancient beads! I have all ready made a necklace and earrings.

  My vintage Czech and German glass beads!!!!

Gotta stop here for sweet cherry delights!

Today as I was looking at some of the blogs that I follow I saw this video of Jon Anderson making one of his Fimo art creations. Wow! and wow again!


Jon Anderson Fimo Creations Papa Elephant
Sculpture is approximately 7 inches long by 5 inches high.

http://clayplayliz.blogspot.com/2013/09/polymer-clay-magic-jon-anderson.html

It's my blog and I'll change it if I want to...

Well the title says it all. I changed the name of my blog. I guess it's better to do it early in the game.
I came up with the name Barn Burd one night as I was contemplating how I wanted to express myself with bead making.   I thought about how I grew up and the experiences tat I had and being in a barn with animals was a huge part of it. I was so verrrrry tired and so I wouldn't forget my thoughts I wrote in my sketch book, "Barn burd". The next day I laughed because I spelled bird wrong but the word Burd stuck with me.
A few days ago I had a friend over and I was showing her my Barn Burd series and she said, "What a cool name, you could have a whole business built on that name." It struck me because I feel that I always have to explain Nassarius100 to people and they still don't get it.Since I love how history affects us I am still going to base my site around history but I guess it will be more personal.
I love rustic things and the theme fit well with that thought. I also love vintage, art deco and really I can go on and on. I feel that my brain never stops so I incorporate what works for me at the moment. I am still discovering myself and I have to say I am enjoying the journey very much.

APRIL 2015 EARRINGS EVERYDAY CHALLENGE

This month's Earrings Everyday earring inspiration came from The City of Arts and Sciences located in Valencia, Spain. The buildings were designed and conceived by Spanish architects Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela.

There used to be a building that my husband and I would pass by and it had those aqua windows which I noticed on the buildings from this challenge. I've always loved the color of them. I kept being drawn to them so that's where my inspiration came from. When I look at the buildings I see an element of nature along with the sleek and structural. I used 2 bead caps (that I need to straighten out a bit) and aqua glass Yes they are more organic but oh well this is what I came up with!

What Is Pain?

As an artist, pain is often expressed and relieved through our art. This month's Art Bead Scene challenge is about the experience of pain. 

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940

By Frida Kahlo

Kahlo created at least 140 paintings of which 55 are self-portraits. These self-portraits often incorporate symbols of physical and psychological wounds. After an accident, her extensive injuries left her in a great deal of pain. Although she recovered from her injuries, that affected nearly every part of her body, she had relapses of extreme pain for the remainder of her life. The intensity of the pain would leave her confined to a hospital or bedridden for months at a time. The medical complications and permanent damage also prevented her from having children.

Having to spend much time in bed she was able to spend her time painting. It's in these paintings that we see her expression of her life and most certainly her pain.

 Necklace shown on model.

Necklace shown on dog ~ Shorty

(for those who don't know me, I think I'm funny)

When I first saw the painting for our April inspiration I was delighted and excited to see the colors, textures and objects to choose from. At first I tried to make something that was cheery and happy but I just felt like something wasn't right. I looked again and again at the painting and slept on it. When I woke I realized that the painting, does show beautiful elements but in reality, to me,  expresses something much deeper.

As I would look at the painting I would read it like a page, literally, out of a diary. I would continually follow it from left to right, top to bottom. In the beginning I see those wonderful objects that looks like a sunny happy place, but as I would go down I felt the more disturbing element of something unhappy. Her face, the monkey and cat then the thorns showed me a life of physical and emotional pain. 

When I was around 25 years old I was in a boat accident which has affected my neck dramatically. I also understand mental and emotional pain as a constant companion. I have some very important people in my life that have experiences that deal with this everyday.

My necklace is to represent the pain that I experience. The polymer clay pieces are like thorny bones. The red beads are Czech.

HISTORY

After the war Americans became aware of other areas in the world. Tropical prints with exotic floral patterns became popular. Inspired by Frida Kahlo, new colors like terra-cotta and turquoise along with styles came from Mexico and Latin America.   http://hubpages.com/hub/Fashion-History-Design-Trends-of-the-1040s

The Real Jewelry of Frida Kahlo

by

Chris Franchetti Michaels - BellaOnline

http://www.banderasnews.com/0608/art-fridakahlo.htm

"Her earrings were elaborate drops or dangles in the traditional Mexican style, and her necklaces often featured roughly-hewn, handmade stone beads and pendants. These styles were popular in early Central America; they were not "trendy" or in fashion at the time of Frida's life. For Frida, they represented cultural tradition, and she wore them largely as a political statement.

In fact, it's been said that Frida sometimes was the brunt of  jokes when she walked in public in her showy, traditional out-fits and gaudy pre-Columbian jewelry. But this look, which included over-the-top traditional Mexican hair styles, was deliberately crafted by Frida as a backlash against new trends and a message of cultural preservation."

Pre-Columbian 500 - 1000 AD

 Pre-Columbian, Ceramic, Stone 1000 - 1500 AD

Pre-Columbian Teotihuacan Jade & Green Stone

My second necklace is a necklace with polymer clay, and tagua nut beads. I wanted to represent the colors of the prints that were brought to the United States in the 1940's which is the time of the painting presented to us this month. I also wanted to reflect the hand made, hand carved, Pre-Columbian style of jewelry that Frida herself wore.