This theme made me think of a Bruce Munro installation, Reflections, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in the winter of 2016-17. It was the only indoor piece in an amazing collection of winter lights. Kaleidoscopic imagines were projected down onto fabric covered tables spread throughout the auditorium. It was mesmerizing to watch the shifting colors and patterns! You can get a better idea of this piece over on his website HERE. You can also explore his website to see some other amazing installations he's done playing with light and color.
Now onto the jewelry!
Probably because of the Bruce Munro installation, I first thought of some bright charms by Jana Bliznakova of Happy Fish Things that have a fun kaleidoscope type pattern to them. The colors also made me think of the pattern on the left above. Unlike what I did with a similar set of Jana's charms awhile back, I decided to keep these simple. I just wire wrapped a few seed beads onto the charms' wire loops with some copper/orange colored wire and called it good! These earrings are plenty bold without any additional beads.
As I was looking through my art beads for possibilities (I'm always trying to use these so I can justify new purchases!) I rediscovered some fun wax resist tubes by Joan Miller that I bought at Bead & Button last year. The patterns in the glaze remind me of how the patterns in my childhood kaleidoscope looked... just in a less colorful palette. I added some brass bead caps and black and bronze Czech glass beads to the bottoms leading to an overall shape that is sort of reminiscent of a kaleidoscope and finished the earrings off with brass ear wires.
Staying with ceramics for this month, I also grabbed some fun little lentil beads from Golem Design Studio whose patterns reminded me of the images in a kaleidoscope. I kept things pretty basic and just added some antique silver colored beads to the top and bottom of the lentils. I wire-wrapped some small seed beads onto the arched ear wires for added interest though... not wanting to go too simple.
Head over to the Earrings Everyday blog to check out what everyone else was inspired to make this month!
