Catching Up with Spirit Animal Totems

So I have been busy since I posted last time.

I added bison beads to my show list.  I kept them neutral with small bits of shimmery color.  I've done them in solid white as well.

And I was lucky enough to get some brilliant colors in my bears.  This is Lori Riley's dichroic glass. I love the color and consistently good product that I buy from her.

And I added a totem spirit bird too.  This one, I wanted to keep quite simple.  I just have the metallic glass on the wing, beak and eye.  I have some refining to do, but I love the large body with the smaller head.  

So I haven't been ignoring you, but had two back to back online sales on Facebook.  If you are interested and are on Facebook, please friend me and message me at the same time that you are doing so. (if I don't know you, sometimes I don't accept the friendship)  I'd love to have you join the private buying groups where I sell my beads twice a month.

So now, I'm working on my Beads of Courage donation beads for this years Iditarod Sled Race in Alaska.  I have two styles of bears right now and am debating whether I have time to get a third style for them too.  They just take awhile.  I'll show you those next time.

Until then, stay warm.  Enjoy life.  And of course, come back next week for another photo or two and to catch up.  

Glass Inspiration

I know it doesn't look like these photos go together, but it is a small number of some of my inspirational photos.  Some photos are sent to me by friends and customers who are describing something they'd like for me to consider.  For example, the bottom photo with the hot air balloons.  My customer liked the colors and horizon and thought it might be cool for me to do with one of my scenic bear beads.

And isn't the eye mesmerizing on the horse?  I'm thinking this one goes on a deeper color background and the eye might need to be made from murrine.  And its two tones muzzle area keeps it from looking like a horn-less unicorn.  I think it could be too pretty  without it.

The dogs- well the Iditarod is coming up and I want to make beads to donate for the race.  The mushers and some of the crew carry them in the race, and then copies are auctioned off to raise funds for Beads of Courage.  I'm still debating about what I'd like to make for that race.  Haven't decided on the design yet.

And so it goes... you can see how such disparate photos can provide angles, colors, shading and wonderful inspiration for other art.  Of course, none of mine would look like the photo, but seeing nature in its beauty provides a fantastic jumping off point for more research and reflection on how I would like to interpret that particular item.

ps  Isn't that lion magnificent?  I love how it appears he is enjoying the warmth of the sun and focuses on his magnificent mane.  The highlights and shadows are superb. However, that angle interpreted in glass is a bit too high.  I think the head down a touch would show more of his eye, which for me is  an important element in a face when I'm working in glass.

I have an online trunk show this week. Click here for more information.  See you next week and I'll give you the recap.