For me, the Bead Journal Project really is a journal. But what exactly is a journal? What is the purpose of a journal? What is the function of a journal? How does writing (beading) a journal affect the writer (beader)?
A few weeks ago I attended an artists' event at the church where some of my beaded dolls are exhibited. I shared two years of my bead journals with those who came by my table. I explained that each piece represented something happening in my life during that time or something that I wanted to think about more deeply.
But sometimes, the beads just take over. And that's what happened this month. At the end of April, I decided that I wanted to do a yellow page for May. I have no idea why. I was just in a yellow mood.* So here is my yellow page.
Technical Details:
The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted with yellow Memories Mist spray.
There are 21 different kinds of beads in this piece. Two kinds of larger beads, 6/0s, 8/0s, 11/0s, 15/0s, bugles, and cubes.
Only the backstitch was used in this piece.
The size is 2.25 inches by 3 inches.
I used size A yellow C-lon thread.
What I Was Thinking:
When the beads take over, I'm not doing much thinking. The beads are in charge. But behind the scenes, I wondered about journaling. What is the relationship between the writing (beading) and thinking? How does what one writes (beads) influence what one thinks? Should the purpose of a journal be to get whatever is in one's mind down on paper (in beads)? To understand one's feelings? Or can writing (beading) a journal be a way to change the writer's (beader's) mindset, mood, opinion? And how are all these things combined?
What do you think?
I had no idea what the name of this piece would be until it was finished. It looks to me like many suns. I like that image. I think the beads wanted many suns.
Issues That Came Up:
I mentioned in the description of my April piece that I've been using size 11 John James Sharps as my standard needle. I do find this needle harder to thread, especially with the C-lon thread. That's easy the first time I put a piece of C-lon through the needle. But if the needle comes unthreaded a couple of times, it gets harder and harder to get that thread through the tiny hole. It's as if the thread starts to unwind. GRRR! I had to resort to a needle with a larger hole a couple of times so I could tie off the thread. Maybe I should use Thread Heaven when I use C-lon thread.
*Yellow mood: Think sunshine, not chicken-hearted.
5 comments:
Hi Marty
I don't think I remember you beading yellow before. I tend to remember your pieces as blue or pink. But yellow in relation to the sun is perfect.
I couldn't get the journaling through to the beads anymore so I switched to my greater love, fabric. No matter what the medium, journaling without words is like meditation for me and healing. Bringing thought forward that I would not usually put into words.
Nice to see a bright yellow. This piece has such a nice flow to it and it is so bright and cheerful.
You know what? My May piece is yellow as well!!! Not my favourite colour to work with and as I'm just starting the piece, I have no idea how it will turn out. Of course, I'll mix in at least one more colour, but that's me!!Even though I greatly admire your monochromatic colour schemes, I'm not able to do them for myself. Your piece for this month speaks to me of happiness and the joy we all experience when winter is well behind us.
Looks just like spring - sunny!
Marty,
I love your blog. You always make me think and laugh. Both things I love to do. Since you raised the question about journaling I had never used my art for journaling before this BJP. I had focused on a specific mood I wanted to create, a line or a color I wanted to explore or a technique I wanted to learn. This year my pieces have been reflections on my experience with breast cancer and the surrounding issues. It has made a difference and transformed the experiences into an expression of beauty. I have found that after the first time or two I wear the necklaces I no longer want to identify them by their message. Their work is done, the symbolism has worked and becomes less important than the end result.
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