I'm a risk-averse person. I don't skydive, climb rocks, bungee jump, or ride a motorcycle. I don't trade stocks on the internet or speculate in currency futures. I believe in bike helmets, seat belts, anti-lock brakes, vaccinations, and a balanced portfolio.
But I took a risk. Not one of those risks we teachers used to encourage our students to take--sitting with someone new at lunch or reading your sentence out loud. A real, grown-up risk, and I can't believe how quickly I decided to do it. It took me about ten minutes to make up my mind, and by the time I got home, I was fully committed.
It doesn't really matter (except to me) what exactly my risk was. What was interesting was the process of making the decision. Most of the decisions we make involve trade-offs. We give up something to gain something else. We give up chocolate cake to gain improved health. We give up beading time to take an exercise class. Taking a risk is different than making a decision involving trade-offs. With a risk, we understand that the outcome is uncertain. Maybe that new person you sit next to at lunch will be mean. Maybe the other students will laugh at your sentence. With a grown-up risk, we may move into an area of definite and sometimes serious uncertainty. If the outcome is not what we were hoping, we may not be able to undo it.
I decided to represent my decision to take a risk with my August BJP. To my way of thinking, this page is a definite departure from my previous bead journal pages. Instead of telling you exactly how it's different, I challenge you to discover it for yourself. You can look at my other pages here.
Technical Details:
The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted with a mixture of blue and green Dye-Na-Flow.
I started this page with the blue and green glass hearts. They jumped out at me at the bead store, and I shared the strand with a friend. The beads include 15/0s, 11/0s, 8/0s, triangles, cubes, niblets, and bugles. There are also some 13/0 green Czech charlottes.
I used the backstitch and the stopstitch in this page.
The page is 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches.
I used blue Nymo thread for most of the beading, with some chartreuse C-lon for the green beads. I used 00 gray Nymo with a size 13 needle for the green Czech charlottes.
What I Was Thinking:
To be perfectly honest, I was marveling at myself for taking a risk. And I was hoping that my risk would turn out well. And I was thinking about how much I liked this color combination.
Issues That Came Up:
That size 13 needle is a bear to thread. It's not just seeing the hole; it's having the coordination to put the thread through it.
I'd like to make a doll with the some of the remaining beads. I think she'd be lovely.
Now It's Your Turn:
What's the risk I took with this page? How is it different than all my other Bead Journal Pages?
Or is it only different to me?
11 comments:
Your work is great Marty. I wasn't sure I figured out the risk you took in making this piece. Do tell if you feel so inclined.
I see geometry in all your pieces.
I am thinking that the difference is that you have mixed green with blue. You usually stick to shades on one color.
What does this risk have to do with your heart?
Hi Marty,
The difference that I see is that your previous projects were monochromatic; this one is not. I'm a big fan or nicely-done monochromatic art, and yours is great... but it's always nice to take a break from routine!
Diane
I love the rise and fall of the hearts as I "read" my way across your piece. This reminds me of the way my heart seems to leap up into my throat when I'm nervous about something!
Straight lines?? They are all beautiful so it doesn't seem like you are taking a risk at anything but I'll go with 'straight lines or angles'....
This seems to have more colour than one in it and also to have a more fluid feel. I wonder if you started stithcing without drawing any lines.
diane, NZ
You've made this piece in two of my absolutely favourite colours and that's probably the risk that you've taken. Using two, instead of one colour family. You've also added the heart beads on top of the finished piece (I think). Great job!
Each of your pieces has at least one thing that makes it unique from the others. In Taking A Risk, it's all about the hearts. In no other piece have you used recognizable shapes/symbols. And in this one, you've blared the hearts all the way across the whole page. It's really wonderful to see this, Marty! Happy day that you took this risk and the other important, adult risk that you're not telling us. Congratulations!
Your others are monochromatic. I love this piece. Thanks for commenting on my blog. I try lots of things, so I don't miss anything.
Hmmm. This piece is more flowing because of the hearts. The hearts are very much a focal of this piece and I didn't see where you had done that in the other pieces on the level you did with this one. The other thing is using two colors instead of the monochromatic you have been previously. Not sure if I got the risk part right, but I do love this piece... the colors are beautiful and I especially love the hearts because of the colors and swirls they have.
The first thing I noticed was the hearts and the fact that this piece isn't monochromatic. I'm not sure which is the risk but it's a beautiful piece! The hearts parading across it feel symbolic of something.
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