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?