Thursday, June 14, 2012

Drawing Meaning......

Finding and connecting with personal symbols in your jewelry and components is a wonderful way to make lasting connections between the work you make and the person wearing it.

As I prepare new bead and jewelry designs, I thought I would give you a glimpse into the process that goes on behind the designing of many of my beads.....

Most mornings, I spend some time at my desk, reading for 10-15 minutes and doing a bit of sketching for another small time. Taking a bit of inspiration from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way habit of morning pages, this helps me organize my thoughts for the day and prepare me for the direction of my day.

I began these elephants after I sketched a similar Indian inspired elephant in my sketchbook. For me, elephants have recently become a personal symbol I am identifying with as I learn to listen more (large ears), speak less (the small mouth of the elephant), and be strong in the face of adversity (their imposing size).

Rainbows have long been a symbol in many different religions and cultures. After doing some chakra research, I am making sets of these carved nuggets to be used in some new jewelry designs as well as a bead offering as I prepare for BeadFest.

Are symbols important in your work? Do you seek to find beads and components that will draw meaning between the wearer and the jewelry?

10 comments:

A Polymer Penchant said...

Those elephants are fantastic! I love seeing them in context. Thanks for sharing you process.

KristiBowmanDesign said...

I LOVE the elephants Barbara, I wish I could do that with metal clay. I've tried and been successful with birds but it's a challenge. Those are COOL!!

Artisan Beads Plus said...

What a great way to start your day. I have to get myself sketching. I was just trying to recently remember an idea that I had in my head. It's now gone..... It would not be if I had done what you do. I'm going to get myself a sketchbook today....maybe. Love the beads!!!
MaryAnn

Libellula Jewelry™ said...

The elephant beads are going to be amazing...can't wait to see more!

Julie Holmes said...

Great post Barbara! I can relate to so much in it. I love the elephants!

Mystic Indigo said...

Symbols are important in my work...sometimes patterns emerge that I find out later the meaning of...I love the chakra nuggets...beautiful!

mairedodd said...

i so very much love seeing how your work develops - the elephants are really something...
and i love the chakra beads -
nice!

stacilouise said...

I LOVE sketching. And I also love to see other people sketches. Your elephants are wonderful!

Symbols can be important to me, but I get drawn to things and I am not sure why. Tree's speak to me, and spirals and circles. They tend to repeat themselves in my work.

stacilouise said...

HAHA! Before you call the funny farm on me, tree's don't actually speak to me, I enjoy them, in all their diverse beauty, each one for its uniqueness. LOL!

Kelli said...

I think I'm more drawn to abstract, geometrical, and asymmetry. ....flow seems to speak to me. Usually if I sketch, it's more about a shape I want to try. Bit nature really speaks to me too.
Your elephants are Fantastic!!!!!!!!!

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