For me, that was hard. How do choose? Colors, form, subject matter and other factors all came to mind. I thought I'd show you the three that were my final and very diverse contenders.
I love this one, Navaro Rapids. The movement, the colors, the subject matter and the style of it all speak to me. I could picture beads with swirls, a little dark ivory with reactions, perhaps even a touch of coral for an accent.
And this one by Kandinsky also is a favorite. It is playful looking, has some great sculptural essence to it and I think it could be fun for other beadmakers too. It looks like a happy bead that could be different from what they are used to and would give them a little stretch.
And my other contender is this Maxfield Parish piece, Dusk. It's the one I chose. As much as I love the other two, this one somehow touches at my heart in a big way. It's a place I would want to visit. The colors are ones I love the most from my favorite aqua/turquoises, greens to the very warm brown of the little house. I'd love to be inside of it, peeking out the windows at one my favorite times of day.
Yes, once I put all three wonderful choices together, the decision was easier. I chose the one that ignored my checklist and instead spoke to my soul. I'm hoping that the other beadmakers enjoy working with it too. (and I have to say, I wouldn't be surprised if just a touch of some silver glass makes its way into someone's work. The colors reminded me a bit of that too!)
