Friday, December 16, 2011

Branching Out

I've been thinking a lot about bead sculpture lately, mostly because pattern sales have been very slow and I need to make a living.  When we eventually move to Fresno I hope to get back in with the art crowd there and possibly get back to painting but I'd also like to do some bead sculptures.

What to bead though....I had a couple of ideas but I don't like just random things....I like to create lines and collections.  So...some old ideas raised their heads the other day...a number of years ago I started making some soft sculptured imps or elves and it occurred to me they would be awesome in beads so I think that will be one line. Another is a set of very stylized, happy, dancing people which I don't just think would be fun to make but good for my soul too.  Both sets have names but I can't share that as I've had names stolen before so I play it close to the chest now.

How to make them is the next step. The imps will be fairly easy as the armature could be soft with a wire inner....just as the sewn ones were. I will have to sculpt the faces and as my clay is already packed for the move and in storage that will have to wait.

The dancing people however will need a much firmer base and have to be sculpted.  I'm thinking I might do some bead embroidery on those too....not something I've done much of though I've done a LOT of thread embroidery. I'm looking at balsa wood for the bases....boy is that expensive!  The coffers certainly can't afford that right now...so they may have to wait.

It also dawns on me that I need a LOT of space! One studio is not enough, I need a 'smelly' studio for painting, claying and sculpting and another for beading and sewing.  I dream of a little house in the Tower District where I could turn a garage into a studio and be able to open it up for Art Hop and Rogue Festival.

So much to think about....but it's good to have a plan.

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