Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Taking my own art advice, and then not.


I had a lengthy critique/problem solving session with our studio artist at Grove Gallery, Deb, about a piece she was stuck on.  We talked about various ways to make the piece more comfortable for her to work on, but my biggest piece of advice was to move to a different project to get your mind off of it and start fresh. 

I have been knitting almost all of December and instead of coming back to this beaded bangle and looking at it with fresh eyes, I have completely avoided all beads.  Not good.  I try to only have one larger beaded project going at once.  This way when I need a break I either look to my other talents like weaving, knitting, generally getting a fresh start on something.

This time I need to put this beaded piece away, possibly until next fall due to it's theme of fall leaves.  I am currently inspired by the winter.  Itching to get out skiing, and looking toward color forecasting ideas for Spring/Summer 2010.   (And here's another great inspiring "Women's Market Spring/Summer 2010.")

I also did my first ever trade with another artist, against my normal advice.  I try not to get in the habit of trading but Linda Girard is one of the other beaders in the Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Guild and I lvoe her work!  She does a lot with mixing various bead techniques one of which I really love is the spiral stitch.  I haven't taught myself how to do this one yet but now I have a great new bracelet that I can admire in this stitch.  For Linda I took the New Wave pattern and adjusted some of the colors.  It's less-pastel, more rich and really compliments the whole peacock idea well. 

If anyone is interested in this version they would just have to tell me they want the Linda version of it! (Sorry I didn't get a great picture of it before I gave ti to her, I was just so excited to have a new bangle done and out the door!)

On to new bead projects and weavings for 2010!

2 comments:

KRCampbellArt said...

It is something I do too, leave a piece I am stuck on. Sometimes I don't go back to it for months. I recently took a piece apart that never worked for me. I saw the date on the back was 2008 and I am working on it again now. I read that Chagall would hang pieces in his house and continue to 'adjust' them for as long as he had them. He considered his work in progress until the gallery or buyer took it from him.

Jenny Schu said...

oooh, I like that!

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