I'm feeling a little one note lately. My seed bead work is really in a place where I am proud of the design aesthetic, coloration, engineering and wearability of the pieces I am designing but I am yearning to expand.
I got to spend some time last night with a number of artists whose work I admire. Among them Gail Crosman Moore who to me is the epitome of design evolution. If she wants to create something new she just sorts out how to do it. She is proficient in beadweaving, lampwork glass, felting, embellishment, patina's, metal clay, resin....beyond proficient, that is not a good enough word. Her creations always beautiful and often bring together multiple disciplines.
I am sad that I wasn't able to carve out the time to spend in her class for the San Diego Bead society. I saw a few of the results including Jeannette Cook's gorgeous felted bag which she had begun to embellish.
Over dinner we talked ceramics with the talented Vannessa Backer, Resin with Susan Blessinger, and metal clay and bronze powder with another evolutionary artist Jonna Faulkner. Chalon was a bright light as well and it was very nice to share parts of our journeys. Susan shared a recent necklace that used a ceramic rabbit head from artist and friend Vannessa. It incorporated chain, wire work, seed bead work and many different and fun elements. A recent wearing at the Tucson shows proved the piece to be a show stopper, as it was admired at every second or third step. Beautifully done!
Jonna has offered to play metal clay with me and I hope to make a bronze shawl pin to go with my new beaded shawl clasp. Susan is up for sharing the learning she has done with resin.
Time is not on my side at the moment with the Beading by the Bay retreat, The Bead and Button Master Class and the finishing up of Beads in Motion all competing for a good portion of my attention.
I will however be working hard to adjust my schedule to explore and expand the number of artistic mediums I have available to me.
What are your plans?
I found that staying with a single beading technique over many years tends to leave my creativity stale. 6 years ago I started planning on taking 1 workshop at every show I attended in a medium or non-bead technique. Felting, etching, wire and resin have been keepers.
ReplyDeleteExplore your creativity! I'll happily follow along on your journey. I'm often intrigued by mixed media pieces that I see.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see what you do next! Fibers have been calling to me for awhile now...not sure what or why, but they are calling.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you've heard of Caroline Fung, but her work is stunning. She's a mixed media master in my book and her work is well worth a look!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marcie, nice work!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Exploring other media can bring a fresh prospective to your art. Combining mediums by yourself or through collaboration can take your art to the next step.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Exploring other media can bring a fresh prospective to your art. Combining mediums by yourself or through collaboration can take your art to the next step.
ReplyDeleteIt is always such an honor to be amongst the most inspiring artists in our area. I learned so much from Gail and so many of the other students and the people at dinner are incredible artists. It is my year for transition and expansion and this was like walking through the gate!
ReplyDeletewalking through the gate......great visualization!
ReplyDeleteMarcia, your work is gorgeous! Some of the best I've seen. I do understand how you feel, though -- if I work at one thing for too long, I start to feel restless.
ReplyDeleteI admire people who can put so many different techniques into one piece. My time is limited right now too, but when I do get some time, I found a book on small loom weaving. You can make looms with plastic combs and plywood.! I see fiber weaving working with bead weaving and embroidery.
I have been calling my work "eclectic", but maybe I should change that to multi media. Experimentation with different mediums is very rewarding to me. Go forth ans play, it keeps your inner muse happy (or mine at least) :).
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