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. 

ABS October Challenge

The ABS October challenge painting inspiration is an art piece by Kurt Schwitters “Revolving.” Circles and lines are dominant in the painting but what is amazing is its assemblage decorated with splashes of earthy organic tones. I am not particularly fond of geometric styled art work and the painting isn’t really appealing to me but I see myself taking an exciting challenge… that is, perceiving an inspiration that is less appealing.  Haha!

Here's what I've made:

Two months ago, I purchased some Helen Breil Stamps and I thought that the textures in the stamps would be perfect for this month’s challenge. I focused on the lines and circles in the painting and pulled some interesting color mixes from the palette. The challenging part here was the handling of colors from the palette to complete the elegance I want for the project since most of the colors in the painting are repeats or with little variation.  I ended up mixing polymer clay colors achieving some hues of teal, medium blue, dark blue, brown, and dark green and of course I love the touches of metallic bronze and gold for an added contrast. I came up with a floral statement piece made with polymer clay capturing the circles and lines by stamping on the individually sculpted polymer clay flower petals.  I made the assemblage asymmetric (conforming to the minimal asymmetry I noticed in the painting) and that I thought would have been enough but the addition of rhinestones and filigrees instantly added elegance. 

I had fun doing stamped flower petals with my new set of stamps and i 'm lovin' the asymmetric style assemblage which i  thought would drape beautifully on anyone's neck so i made another one:

Thanks for reading and... STAY INSPIRED!!! =)

ABS September Challenge

Art Bead Scene's September Challenge is an inspiration from Giuseppe Arcimboldo's painting "Flora."

This is what I've made:

The inside of the cuff is also textured. =)

I love how the color pallete reflects the color of fall which I don't usually use in my clay pieces. I am used to making pretty floral cuffs so I didn't pay much attention to the flowers in the painting. Instead, it’s my first time to incorporate those really bold colors like orange, amber and some tinges of brown and red which paired beautifully with some of my texture sheets. I kept the flowers into a minimum but I decided to add some filigrees and rhinestones to make them look like art beads and made the piece more stunning. 

STATEMENT...

Sometimes, all it takes is just one photo to make a statement....

Isn't she fab? She's my very good friend Jhoi and the owner of  Enjhoi with Clay where she displays her polymer clay masterpieces. I made the necklace she's wearing but she also makes lots of beautiful statement pieces out of polymer clay. She's very artsy, a woman of class and appreciates lots of details... but above all she's one generous friend, a confidant and I'm just so blessed to have her! =)

Here's a collage of her masterpieces... "Enjhoi!"

Her mixes of colors and elements in one piece are just brilliant! =)

By the way, here's me wearing one of her works and with my pretty sister-in-law. =)

TGIF! Wishing everyone a great weekend! =)

Flower Power!!!

It’s been definitely an interesting few months for me and I made a handful floral statement pieces. I know of a Romanian polymer clay artist who also makes 3D flowers whose name is Herina Bysoos. I love her flowers and I decided to make my own version. Hers looks fresh and mine is a little stylized.  I don’t know why but even if it’s my own work, I am still amazed with how I manage to sculpt each petal to a blossoming piece.  It’s totally a process… prompting some neck and back pain but it’s a fun creative process! Haha! You really need a lot of patience. The process starts of course with having a real flower inspiration (a photo will do) which I shape using polymer clay. Sometimes though, my imagination which is just laying there… stirred in its sleep… will start murmuring and my hands will begin molding what I call my “stylized” flowers… and that’s where the fun part begins!!! 

The curly flower with buds is imaginary.. =)

looks really nice on the wrist =)

I love my roses and the tinges of gold on it.. =)

There's the Cattleya on the side =)

The Cattleya flower is more obvious here... =)

You'll definitely make a statement! =)

A dainty cattleya locket.. =)

A rose bib necklace for my fab friend "Jhoi." Just wait 'till she wears it and it will totally look more fab! 

Can you spot that stylized flower adorned with filigree and rhinestone?  I just realized that silver with a tinge of color purple and a gold-copperish tone colors would go so nicely together! 

I hope you've enjoyed my flower power pieces! Have fun and be creative! Thanks for reading!

ABS June Challenge

I chanced upon the art bead scene June challenge and I thought the color palette would match the HG inspired cuff I made for my friend Cathy. This month's Art Bead Scene monthly challenge piece inspiration is  a painting by Edward Hopper entitled "Nighthawks."

The cuff  has no metal base and is made of polymer clay which I aged with alcohol inks to embody the post apocalyptic setting of the novel. I thought that a knotted chain would be perfect to embellish it and could also serve as a lock. I made the focal rose a little off-set and put a dangling butterfly locket, which both have meaning in the novel. The hanging beads represent the deadly night lock berries.

Kate’s list and more…

Here’s another wearable art piece for Kate but this time it’s for the real Kate! Kate happens to be the daughter of my client from whom she named her facebook account. I guess you’ve read about it in my previous blog post. I have received an email from her with her picture and a list of her favorite things. I find her list really cute with her own handwriting and drawing in it. She wants a fairy locket necklace from me and I’m happy that it’s not the chibi-ish type. Kid’s stuff is my waterloo. I really have no qualms in making kid’s jewelleries but I just feel that they are all the same fairytale looking characters that I'm not good at. Whenever I receive requests to design something for my clients’ kids (usually the chibi-ish type), these are the moments I wish I live in Cinderella’s time when I can ask fairy godmother to lend me her magic wand. Haha! 

This is her cute list and her email says:  "Dear Tita Ghie,
This is me after swimming. I like my mommys necklace. Please make one for me."-Kate 

I’m thankful that she sent me her photo (not posted here, hehe) where I can take at least a glimpse of who she is.  Her Mom  knows  that I rely on impressions, photos, writings, drawings, etc. in order create pieces that would reflect my client’s taste (btw, this is the 6th time i custom made for her. ).  This is the fairy locket necklace I made for Kate: 

"uuuu... the fairy is shinny!!!" -Kate 
I used a glittery background for this.. =)

A splash of her favorite colors...

"WOOOOWWWWW! Looks really beautiful, Tita Ghie! I love it."- Kate

I also made another Hunger Games inspired Dandelion Cuff for her Mom. I experimented on gold inks to mimic the metal looking base and I’m very happy with the outcome. 

Hunger Games Dandelion Cuff

Design Elements: Dandelion, Tracker jackers, Night lock berries on a faux metal looking twigs base

I wanna share also my third version of the Mockingjay Necklace I made for my co-artist Cathy of Crafter’s Luck. This is for her 13 year-old daughter so I made the details a little modest and the design not overpowering. 

And this is me on the beach, hehehe… Have a happy work week everyone!!!