Artist Zen

by Staci L. Smith

 

I have always been an artist, even before I knew what that was.  I was happiest making things, or with a pencil or pen in my hand drawing something.  I used to doodle on everything.  everything.  Nothing was left uncovered.  I drew all over my notebooks, my friends notebooks and when we got older, I drew on my friends with sharpies to make fake tattoos. 

 

 

Bead and jewelry making is something I LOVE, but I do miss drawing and painting.  I love having a brush in my hand, feeling the paint smooth on, layer after layer, stroke after stroke.  I especially like when I can work big.  There is something released when I can use my entire arm, and body to create giant movements that turn to art in front of me. 

 

If you read my personal blog, you will know I am in the middle of a studio re-vamp.  It kinda came out of nowhere, since the hubs was around this week.  So we dove right in.

 

We ripped up the carpet and he built me strong workbenches around two walls.  Due to lack of funds and time, we just left the sub floor as is.  I didn't mind, since I'd be ruining it most likely anyway (I am not a tidy artist).

 

Here it was with the sub floor left as is.

 

 

I am not big into decorating and making things matchy and such things, but it just didn't feel right to me.  So I went to get some black paint to cover the ugly 2x4's we used on the frame of my tables. 

 

I had been thinking of painting the floor.  Wasn't sure how it would work or anything, but thought I'd try it out- I mean, I was surrounded by paint in Lowes, how could I not want to paint more stuff?

 

So I got a nice brown grey, and painted a layer on the sub floor.  But it looked sooooo blah, it was too thin, it still showed all the imperfections.

 

So I doodled it.  I took the leftover black paint and just went to town.  The experience, which I want to share, was wonderful.

 

 

I put on some really good singer songwriter music, and got my paintbrush and paint, and just started doodling.  I loved being able to paint so large, to just go free form, with endless room to  take each new idea and design.  I could have done this endlessly (if my body co-operated more- sitting on the floor hunched over that long took its toll on me). 

 

 

I loved going over the strokes again and again, since the floor is rough, I had to make sure each line was really coated.

 

 

As the floor filled with swirls and squiggles, designs and dots, I felt such a smile inside, no other way to explain it, just happy. 

 

I took time with some area's, letting them design themselves. 

 

 

Others area's got deliberate designs, or symbols, as I thought of people I cared for, or situations that I am going through.

 

 

It was so meditative.  No thought required, no work,.  Unlike with jewelry, there are mechanics to figure out.  This was mind freeing.  It was simple, and pure and I enjoyed it with every ounce of my body and soul.

 

 

I know that there is zentangle now, but they just finally put a name to what so many have been doing forever.  If you like zentangle, I recommend trying it with paint.  It just flows, the brush engages your whole body. 

 

 

Now I hope the floor is not too distracting.  I want to just stare at it.  I hope looking at it proves as meditative as creating it.

 

I also hope it holds up.  I put no finish on it, and it is only latex paint.  But the floor is bumpy, so I hope that helps it to stick.  I didn't want to use any kind of finish in the house- (we have birds and frogs and kids with asthma.)

 

I will let you know in 6 months how it held up. 

 

So there you have it, I did NOT expect to find zen in a studio remodel. 



Wire Wrap for Beginners Video

As many of you know, a much loved member of ours, Mary Jane Dodd (maire), has been sick for quite some time. Please keep her in your thoughts and pray for a "speedier" recovery. She has been suffering from infections that have proven to be very difficult to fight and are causing her great pain. I know that she is thinking of everyone that she has connections with and is wishing she was up to creating and writing.

She did send me a little note about Beadaholique. They make many tutorials and this one happens to be on our current boot camp topic. It is wire work for beginners.

necklace by maire

Click HERE to be taken to that link and scroll down for the wire wrap instructional video. We all have to start somewhere and this is a perfect way to begin. Be careful though, as wire wrapping can become an addicition!!! Before you know it, you'll be wrapping like a pro!

Check out Beadaholique for many great instructional videos!

MaryAnn

Who doesn't love donuts!?

Before I ever thought of myself as a beader, much less a jewelry maker/designer, I was a donut lover.  It wasn't a very healthy or rewarding love, but it did have lasting effects...on my scale.

When I discovered beads, I discovered a new kind of donut to love:  those made of glass, clay, gemstones, wood. Oh my!  

The absolute simplest thing is to use a lark's head knot to attach the donut to a chord or ribbon. It's simple. It's effective. It's quick.

But that doesn't let me play with seed beads . . . The easiest way I know to create a beaded bail is simple strip of beading (in peyote or right angle weave or square stitch or brick stitch or herringbone) that goes through the donut hole and then gets sewn up.  The example below is in peyote because peyote happens to be my go-to stitch.

It does the job, simply and effectively.  Here's an example in square stitch from my early days at Sand Fibers, in a strung piece.  (Back when my scanner served as my camera...shhhhh! Don't tell anyone!)

One way to give that simple bead woven bail a bit more "design" quality is to attach it to a beaded tube (like the ones I showed you how to make last month).

But you can take that idea one step further and have that same simple bail go OVER the beaded tube for some great added texture.

(Now imagine the two beadwoven elements in different colors.)

I really really love working with donuts and seed beads and have been known to go on a binge or two over the years.  I hope these will inspire you to play a little on your own:

Be well and get going!
Carol Dean

Bootcamp #3: Wire Work-out

                                                                                             by Kelli Pope

Wire is SO very pliable. It is just waiting for your imagination to turn it into something.. some form, some shape, some THING.  

Today we're going to talk about making your own wire beads and a simple ring. With basic skill, practice, and a desire to create, these simple procedures can send you in as many directions as your creativity will allow you to go.   

First, the bead.  It's rustic and free-form.   For this one I started with 20" of 18ga copper wire. Start wrapping around a mandrel. Wrap as long as you want your bead.

then wrap, back down the bead, stopping short of the end.  

    And, wrap back up toward the other end.  The goal is to make it fatter in the middle, than on the ends. End near the center of the bead, and tuck in the loose end.   

 Voila!  A very simple, rustic bead, to add texture. 

           Here are the finished beads, on wire, ready to be used, and interest to a necklace, or bracelet.....or...   

 moved on to enameling...... what color it will be is a surprise yet to come! 

The other, I think will go into liver of sulphur for an antiqued copper look.  

Now, on to a simple ring. With this basic form, you can go
SO many directions.  

 Using a ring mandrel, decide what size to make.  I chose a size 8.  Wrap your chosen wire  (I used 14ga) over, under, back around and across the top. 

 Using your pliers, start a loop

 Roll it down tight against the ring you've previously formed.

 Take the wire off, and turn it upside down, and repeat the last step. I chose a smaller loop for the 2nd one, creating a larger spiral.

At this point, you can be finished, and tumble your piece for strength, or add a bead, or some additional, contrasting wire. 

 I've chosen one of my handmade, ceramic beads, to add to the larger loop. 

Using 18g antiqued copper wire,  I attached the bead.  And to tie the copper in further, and add strength and stability to the ring,  I wrapped additional wire around the silver bands. 

Little Beads in a BIG oven......

MaryAnn Carroll

A few times a year I am fortunate enough to be able to be a part of my husband Bill's wood-firing. He rebuilt his smaller kiln during the early part of his retirement from teaching art in the Syracuse City School District for 33 years. As you can see the kiln is quite large. It is small in comparison to others, however, as this type of firing usually involves groups of individuals. You can see by going to this map created by Simon Levin how few there are in the world. If you click around on the map, I am sure you will see why having the opportunity to fire my small little beads in such a process is a gift!

My beads are on racks behind the first stack. As you can see, these kilns were not built for tiny little beads. Bill's kiln is actually smaller in comparison to many.

Here's a little peek at some beads while cooling.....

 More shots taken through some "viewing" holes while cooling.....

 

And here they are all cooled off....

 

These are quite large. I was worried that they would weigh the bead wires down while firing, but they did not.....

 

 

And.... some of his favorites....

And.... as always.... Thank-you for supporting artists who create handmade with handmade. MaryAnn

A Girl can Change Her Mind, right?

by Staci L. Smith

 

I got to spend a little time with some metal and cabs this week.  I made time actually, because I was so inspired by Joy Kruse in the Summer Edition of Belle Armoire Jewelry (both Stacie Florer and myself are in this issue).  It's an amazing issue, and I was really drawn to Joy's jewelry in it.  She bezels rustic stones and uses lots of little add ons as texture.  Since my very first bezel, I have added little things to the side, because it was too plain, but OH MY she takes it to an entirely different level.

 

So I sat down and made this.

 

 

 

 

And I loved it.

 

 

 

 

And I was proud of it.

 

 

 

And I posted it on facebook.  And I no longer liked it.  As I saw it in front of me, there was something that just wasn't setting right with me.  The piece just wasn't quite "staci" enough.

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm................

 

So I turned it sideways. 

 

 

And added some rustic stones.

 

Ahhhhhhh.  Now I love it.

 

 

 

See, a girl can change her mind!