Monday, February 25, 2013

Free-Form Peyote Challenge

Choose Your Own Adventure

Free-Form Peyote has no set pattern or rules to follow.
Good design elements and a cohesive composition makes it
an abstract art form of off-loom bead weaving.
Taah - Daah!



Please leave your comment. Since this is my first attempt, I really want comments (good or bad).
A special "Thank You!" to Karen Williams for putting the Challenge together. And especially for her "step-by-step beginnings" that helped me get started with my free-form peyote bracelet; a project technique that I have wanted to try for a couple of years now.


I would probably still be working on making the bracelet if not for the fact that I got the "bug" that is going around. I had quite a few days at home sick. So after 2 days of non-stop sleeping, I spent the rest of the weekend beading. Like most projects, once I got started, it took on a life of its own.


I picked up the handmade Kazuri ceramic focal bead when I was in Kenya last summer. (In Swahili, Kazuri means small and beautiful.) The seed beads were left over from other projects and the accent beads of fire-polish glass, pressed glass, fancy jasper stone chips, filigree and gold plated metal were odds and ends. I usually design jewelry with repeating and symmetrical patterns, since those are what most people want to see. This was a big departure from most of the representational artwork that I do.


I really enjoyed playing with the elements and experimenting with the placement of the beads with regard to color and texture.  Since I was slowed down with "the bug," I remembered to take time to photo document the making of the bracelet. This is something that I usually forget to do during the creation of the piece.

Self-Critique: For the next project, I will take time to plan a color palette. The colors are alright, but I just quickly grabbed a few things that were convenient. The center ceramic bead is way too big for my wrist. I usually don't wear what I make anyway; however my friends seem to like to wear what I make. For the next bracelet, I plan to do more open work and to add more surface decoration and embellishments. I also plan to use a snap closure.

Bitchy Little Note:
There is a force out there that really doesn't like me!!!.... It's 3 AM, I am "baby-sitting" my daughter's 15 year old barking dog, who has dementia..... Hubby is really upset, of course he is trying to sleep.... So. trying to be productive, I decided to post on my blog..... Most of you know writing is not my forte, so after laboring over each word for an hour and a half the computer Freezes-up!!!. just as I add the most important items.... The photos!!!  Can not revert or escape!!!! Aaaaarrrrrhh!!!! ... Must do over. What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger......

5 comments:

  1. Betty - what a fun bracelet! I love the stories behind it, too. What fun that must have been to visit Kenya and what a wonderful souvenir to bring home with you.

    Thanks for sharing your process and joining in this challenge! And I can totally sympathise with the aargh - that has happened to me before too and it's the most horrible thing! But it posted, and it's lovely.

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  2. Super gorgeous bracelet, I love the focal and all the colours you used. Beautiful!

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  3. What a beautiful bracelet! I love the colors...it doesn't look like a quick grab...it looks purposefully picked. The Bitchy Little Note made me laugh, because I felt your pain and because you called it Bitchy Little Note :-)

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  4. It's glorious!!! I love how free and unbridled it is, and very much enjoyed your in process photos. I like your ideas for your next piece, too and can't wait to see it! Such a shame about the computer AND the doggie - but so glad you were able to post after all, and hope doggie is feeling at least a little better, as they usually bark from distress?

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  5. Betty, what a beautiful and interesting bracelet! Thanks for sharing the in-progress photos; I'm always interested in people's creative processes, and this is especially true for freeform!

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