Thoughts on inspiration

Sometimes inspiration is direct, a piece of costume jewelry recreated in beads, work in another medium that suggests a shape, a classic contemporary piece which resonates with our own design aesthetic and begs to be beaded.

Sometimes inspiration is more of a feeling, a mood, a color.

This pod, from one of our many backyard Pygmy Date Palms, inspires on all those levels.  The colors are so beautifully natural, the feeling is one of peace and calmness with just enough tension to feel alive and ready to create.  The light is so soft and the shadow adds the perfect touch of drama.

I don't know what I'll bead in response to this, but i know being surrounded by things of serene beauty is certainly a good start.