My contribution to last week's Creative Sparks Friday was less than stellar, in my opinion. I had such a difficult time wrapping my brain around the theme, and was mentally hampered by (what I felt was) a lack of beading supplies to meet the challenge.
Of course, the point of these challenges is to work with what we have in our stock of beads, wire, ribbon, chain, etc. There is also no need to restrict ourselves to the "sparks" that Becky gives.
These "sparks" are meant to ignite an idea that leads us to creativity.
I feel that I actually hampered myself by trying to adhere too strictly to the list, instead of allowing my imagination to show me the way.
After all, jewelry is not defined as moral or immoral (at least not the kind of jewelry I make). lol! So I had every opportunity to create, in whatever direction I chose to take.
So, I did. But I wasn't happy with it then. It was just "ok". I have other pieces of jewelry that are just "ok". They are the ones that have been sitting in my Etsy shop for a year! :)
If I want the "Creative Sparks" to stretch me as an artist, then I have to be willing to spread my wings and soar into uncharted territory.
So, hang onto your proverbial hat: this week I just jumped off the edge of the cliff and began my free fall into uncharted and exhilarating territory. C'mon, let me show you what happened!
THE WEEK'S (8/6-8/13) SPARKS ARE-
**CREATIVE SPARK ONE**
•Artistic Theme•
Woodland
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**CREATIVE SPARK TWO**
•Theme Words or Phrase•
Trees, Birds, Fly, Clouds, Moss, Grass, Twigs, Mist
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**Creative SPARK THREE**
•Theme Color Pallette•
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I am calling this necklace "Nature's Beauty." It pleases me immensely.
I realized that it was not just the colors of God's beautiful nature that I was trying to put into my piece; but I was also striving to include the shapes as well. Also, and quite a bit more elusive, I wanted to evoke the sounds and even the smells of the woodland. Not easy to do with a piece of jewelry.
I feel I captured the colors of the woodland with the blue sodalite, red-brown fancy jasper and the green aventurine. The gentle curve of the gemstones made me think of flower petals and leaves. I even managed to include the look of wood grain on the fabulous blue rings.
The copper, with its earthy smell, was used in the wire wrapping and the substantial clasp, bringing to mind spindly branches and wide tree trunks.
The moss green shell chips had to be included to add the various shades of green found in grass and leaves and mossy brooks, and the antiqued chain adds the patina of age to the necklace.
Even the subtle mistiness of the picture is included with the dark gray and green-gray faceted beads, which also add a heaviness to the piece, mimicking the depths of the shadows within the woodland.
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Thank you so much to Becky at The Gritty Bird, who is supplying us with these fabulous "sparks" to set our creativity aflame! She will be posting today, also, to show us where the "sparks" led her. I can't wait to see how she captured this fabulous theme of "Woodland."
(The "Nature's Beauty Necklace" will be listed later this weekend in my Etsy shop.)
