I mentioned earlier that I am not an orange sort of person. But I decided that I was ready for the challenge of the orange beads. So I started beading.
The orange beads became obstinate. Obnoxious. Ornery. I was outraged!
Let me be clear: I did not expect obedience. I was looking for collaboration. A melding of our muses. The orange beads and I would create art together.
What I got were teenagers who knew no limits. And we all know where that will lead. To no good end.
So I took control.
There was a clear goal: Orange beaded art.
There were definite limits: Only rectangles.
There were guidelines: All lines would be straight.
There was collaboration: The beads and I would decide together how large the rectangles would be.
There were opportunities for developmentally appropriate choices: The beads could choose who they were next to.
And this is the result:
Technical Details:
The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff sprayed with orange Memories Mist.
The beads are 15/0s, 11/0s, 8/0s, and 6/0s. There are three different colors of cubes and some Toho triangles. No bugles at all.
The entire piece is done in the backstitch.
This piece is 2.75 inches by 2.75 inches.
I used tan C-lon thread.
What I Was Thinking:
I really wanted to focus on meeting the challenge of the uncomfortable orange beads. But I couldn't let them go wild. The color orange has so much going on. To me, it's hyper. The only way I could appreciate the beauty of the beads was to limit the movement in the design. For most of the beading I thought it was about control. But then I realized it was about showing the colors, shapes and textures of the beads without distracting from them with an elaborate design.
Issues That Came Up:
Am I a control freak? (Please say no...)
I am surprised I like this page so much. Orange isn't all that bad.
I finished the bobbin of tan C-lon. I still like Nymo better, but I did get used to the C-lon.
I know lots of people use just basic colors of thread--black, white, tan--when they bead. But I do like the match the thread to the beads. I guess I've spent too much time sewing.
How in the world did I get so many different kinds of orange beads? Ok, I did buy some especially for this piece. But not all of them. I won't need any more orange beads for quite a while.
12 comments:
Clearly you are more a collaborator than a control freak but I think you have had a calming effect on those rebelious teenagers and brought out their creative best. I have to say I find orange a difficult colour to work with but I really like your page.
CA
You know I really don't like orange but this is gorgeous!!!
and I've learned to like orange myself so your page looks perfect to me...a nice combination of shapes and sizes...
I like your orange page.
Love,
Andrew
I have some big fans of orange in my family, so I was looking forward to seeing how this page turned out. I like the way you brought some control to the orange while still letting it be itself.
Nancy
Beautiful! I think your piece is going to inspire others to try orange. I love it!
Cindy
I never liked orange until I learned that it represents happiness. Suddenly my whole orientation toward it brightened. It's a very bold and fun color. I love the way you've handled it, setting strict boundaries for those teenagers keeps them in line!
Susan
Orange is not my color either but I sure like this piece. I'm thinking now I need more orange beads!
WOW, this turned out GREAT! You controlled the rebellious ones... were you a high school teacher in another life??? I really like this, then again, really like orange. Your pages are all going to be fabulous seen together. What do you plan on doing with them?
Definitely true: it's about showing the colors, shapes and textures of the beads without distracting from them with an elaborate design. You did it! You and orange are the winners!!!!!!!!! I am soooooooooo impressed.
Robin A.
i enjoyed this post very much -- to me it doesn't matter whether you are a control freak or not...you are who you are...the most important thing is that you keep beading and trying new things. It helps your brain AND your art grow! Great job -- i love that all the rectangles lead to the next rectangle etc. etc...
Being an orange person, when I first read your post I felt a little sad and concerned... then I saw your piece and I felt like laughing. Because for me it translates exactly your words, and I am amazed to see how your beads sing out loud and manage to keep their rebellious sunny energy while quietly sitting in lines and rectangles.
I really like that (perhaps because I have a teenager at home). Beautiful piece.
Post a Comment