From time to time, we create something, with our beads, we feel is better than anything we have done prior. Since I am writing a book, deeply engulfed in looming, photo taking and writing, (which keeps me from writing in my Blog as often), I thought it would be a good topic of conversation.
This picture, of my Split Loomed Necklace "Sesen", is something I feel was one of my designing best, but has been shunned by some of the busiest beading contests. My post truly is not a pity party, but is actually a way to generate some thoughts, for you to consider, about your own talents. How often do you re-visit your stash of completed bead work?
From time to time, I look over what I have loomed and closely investigate what I have completed and how, maybe digging up the same inner thoughts I considered when originally loomed. There are some 'ah-ha' moments and there are other moments when I decide to put a piece further down the cabinet to keep for postarity's sake, only.
"Sesen", the SLN pictured above, is one I have scratched my head over. I think the looming techniques I incorporated were very new and different, but the additions of handwoven petals, all in the same stitch, is what makes this a 'simple', unmotivated design. Maybe I could have beaded each petal using various sized beads, various hand weaving stitches or not splashed the color through each petal to the point the pattern looks generated on a 'bead pattern program'.
That brings me to another point. My most revered pieces are those not patterned from a program, but those I have graphed or loomed free hand.
The 'subjective' aspect, of contests, is an argument for the ages. But right now, I am not concerned over the 'contest relevance' of my looming, but what can I see from my own past thoughts, intricacies of design and aspects of the techniques I once thought were so special they would make the piece my 'best design idea ever', yet now fall below the importance of my new creation. [probably should have been a sentence break in there :)]
I know it is not a creative streak to re-hatch what you already know, but sometimes we are not aware of how much an idea or design can be perfect, when pared with a new challenge. Consider 'this' a new challenge and try to incorporate into your daily beading travels.
Allways love reading your posts. you give me a lot of insperation and deeping my serch for more creative ideas. Thank you. Looking farward to your book.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Piece!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
ReplyDeleteIt is the first time I'm visiting your blog (where have I been all this time, I wonder), and I have a confession to make.
I used to do bead looming when I was young, around 8 to 10. I liked it but it was kind of always the same, repetitive, only allowing to make rectangular shapes... yes, boring. I stopped beading during my teenage years, tried different jewelry techniques like wire wrapping, only to rediscover beading last year, with bead weaving techniques such as peyote or herringbone and, above all, bead embroidery. Never did it occur to me to go back to the loom.
And now, I'm looking at your blog, and all your designs, and I have to seriously consider that I've been pretty stupid all along, to think looming was boring. I'm amazed at how much creativity you pull into your pieces, and how fun (and not the least bit rectangular or repetitive) they look.
So, I'm not saying I'm going to dig up my loom from my parents' attic straight away. Well, not just now at least, we live in different countries now. But maybe I'll think about it. And I promise I'll never think it's boring again !
Keep susprising us !
Camille
http://www.estela-creation.com
PS: and oh, by the way, love your writing style too, so your articles are not boring at all either :)