Art Bead Scene: March 2015

This month's Art Bead Scene challenge inspiration, Emily Carr's watercolor Haida Totems, didn't immediately spark my creativity.  Maybe it is all the purpley blues and muted colors she used... I just don't know.  You can read more about the artwork and artist HERE.  Luckily, I was gifted a fun, organic ceramic pendant by Mark Braunwarth of Oliver Clay Company that got things rolling for me.  Mark mostly focuses on functional pottery so it was fun to see him playing with something totally different.

Haida Totems, 1912By Emily Carr

As an homage to the totem poles in the artwork, I went with a totem design but kept it relatively simple.   It was fun to pull several art bead artists together for this one.  In addition to my Oliver Clay pendant, I have a couple of ceramic beads by Gaea and one from an unknown artist (it was in a destash bundle).  I also used a couple of different Greek copper and bronze washers in between the beads for added interest and tied everything together with some waxed Irish linen.

I probably kept more to the feel of the inspiration artwork than the colors.  For colors I focused on the creams, tans, and the tiny bit of aqua/turquoise you see in the grasses in the bottom right corner (seriously, squint a little and you'll see the tiniest hints of it there!)  I kept the design pretty simple so the ceramics could shine, but I did play with wire wrapping leather cord for the first time.