New Thoughts and New Pieces

Keishi Pearl Bouquet and Vine Hoops

Despite the crazy distractions of life the past few months, I've been finding studio hours when and where ever possible, but it's only when I finally make some time for photography, together with the detachment that offers, that I can see some patterns and directions in the work.

I'm seeing some ideas evolve and tonight I made some little groupings/collages to see how a few specific forms have changed with time.  I rarely stick with a singular idea and just run through permutations.  Instead, I normally juggle a collection of ideas, and one sort of feeds another.  Very handy if I hit a block in one structure, because then I've got something else ready to work on until I can come back with new solutions.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining this very well, but at any rate, the structure above, evolved from the beauty of the center drilled keishi pearl used as a kind of flower,  and these pieces span at least 3 or 4 months of evolution.  I love the tiny, organic details and it's been fun to experiment with different combinations of materials and colors. 

These are surprisingly easy to wear, although they are somewhat heavier than a plain hoop. I've been wrapping and carefully binding stones and beads to hoops for a long time now, and I wonder if this more free spirited, organic approach is a reaction to that tight precision?  What I do know is these literally grow right out of my gardener background and study of plants and vines.

I've got a few posts worth of other new structures and ideas that I've be concurrently exploring with some depth, so will be putting these up over the next week or so!!  I've got a really broad collection of earrings in my studio on Etsy these days, so if you're thinking new earrings might be just the thing for Spring?  Do take a look!

Thanks for stopping by!

Wordless Wednesday, Walk in the Park

WillOaks Campground, September 2011

Boltonia

Asclepias

Great Blue Lobelia

Color Lessons - Equinox

I think it's a habit from my Alaska days. I mark the season's changes paying extra attention to the solstices and the equinoxes. So fall has officially begun. The moon is full. Day and night are of equal lengths. And changes in nature are everywhere here at WillOaks Campground. Today, the primary colors seemed especially striking.



Red - Yellow - Blue. Primary colors, yes, yet more subdued than in the box of crayons. The red stems at the top were luscious berries that have already been stripped. The yellow is some type of wild sunflower: in due time, these seeds will be eaten. And finally, Great Blue Lobelia, a wild flower that has been naturalizing nicely in the few years I've been paying attention. This was used for some type of medicinal purposes in earlier days, but I don't experiment with these things.

Meanwhile, clouds of tiny flowers, in both white and pale lavender, are everywhere. These are in the wild aster family and around here, are a sure sign of autumn.

There's my camper, near the pond behind the red canoe. We have about 4 weeks left here until the season is finished for 2010.

Happy Equinox everyone!