ABS JANUARY CHALLENGE

ABS JANUARY CHALLENGE

Now that the holidays have come and gone, I’m slowly getting back on track. I thought that a better way to jump-start the New Year is to find an inspiration challenge and Art Bead Scene (ABS) will always be an awesome venue for that.

This month’s challenge artwork is a gorgeous 1940’s painting by Jessie Arms Botke: "Black Peacocks with Japanese Persimmons." 

I am awestruck by the details of the painting but I already know what to do at first glance. I've focused on the details on the delicate feathers of the peacock’s tail and have chosen the pleasing colors on it. I've challenged myself to make polymer clay cane petals that will resemble the peacock’s feather and played on some hues of pearl blues, pearl greens, ecru and gold. I then arranged the cane petals to create my focal flower art beads. I must admit that I’m an amateur caner but I was very delighted with I've made. 

Petal canes resembling the peacock's feathers

More focal flower beads from the  petal cane I've made...

Here’s the finished piece:

Since Botke is a fan of metal leafing technique in his works, I've incorporated some metal elements like filigrees, bronze leaf connector, and metal chains in the assemblage and added some hints of gold lining for the flower petals. The metallic spikes which represented the twigs of the persimmon tree have added some modern twist on the assemblage since spikes and studs have been a trend carried over from last year’s jewelry style and are still very “IN” for 2013.