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What's ugliness? Like beauty it's in the eye of the beholder. Texture, shape, color ...
If you don't like orange, a carnelian will probably be ugly to you, if you hate purple, amethyst might not be your stone.
If you are not into piercings all over your body, some punks may seem ugly to you, and maybe they think the same about you in your neat little costume and the high heels.
At times I feel today really anything goes and sometimes it's best to just look away. Or maybe not?
At SJA some open minds started an "ugly bead challenge". Ugly beads were swapped and the participants are challenged to make something out of it now, using some or all of the beads. Last week my beads have arrived and I have to admit at first I thought there was no chance at all for me to make anything out of them because they were so out of my line.
Only one idea popped into my head right away. The blue beads looked like eyes. Big eyes. Animal with big eyes. Bingo! An owl! Of course I had never seen an owl with blue eyes, so I guessed he'd have to be something special.
I started and let the hook take over as usual. When I had finished the body - which is 3D, you can see it a little better in the second picture, and made in four parts, could you have told? - and the eyes were attached, I thought about the beak. Did I have a bead that would make a good beak? None of the other uglies yelled "here" really.
I could have gone for a more conservative look then and use a golden wire, but that wouldn't have been special. Instead I chose the green wire.
I don't know what you think, but I saw the little fellow and I loved him as I love all my critters. His name is Mr. Hoot.
So, is he ugly now? Or just a little goofy? Strange? Or special? I think he's special because he made me think outside my box. Usually I make an animal and then choose the eyes to match it, but this time it was the other way round.
Know what? I'm really looking forward to playing with the other beads this weekend. Even if my brain will start smoking, the challenge is good for me. It's good to be pushed off the usual path sometimes.
I'll keep you updated.
That's what the banner of Elaine's ArtFire studio says.
In her blog she also says: "Primarily, Tooaquarius is about polymer clay beads and canes. I love beads. Beads make the world go ’round."
And these canes and beads ARE pure art. Believe me. Elaine's canes sweep me off my feet each time I take a look at them. There are so many beautiful ones that I haven't been able to decide yet. And her beads ... well, let's have a look, shall we?
I love black and white, so this focal bead has attracted me at first glimpse. I think it would look really nice with a silver wire bezel. Very, very tempting.
Beads from Elaine's rose canes - aren't they gorgeous??
And here are a few canes now to give you an idea. For those who are not familiar with polymer clay, in a cane you combine different colors of clay in a pattern that goes through the whole piece, so that when you cut off slices, they should all look the same.
Can you imagine what it takes to make such gorgeous canes? Lots of patience and a very good eye first, I'd say. They are amazing.
Meet Elaine at her website and go to her ArtFire studio if you want to see more. You do, don't you??
I have said it before, I'll say it again. At times I am a real romantic. I like a happy ending, the girl getting the boy. Or the other way round. Call it escapism, it doesn't matter. Sometimes it feels right to escape the real world, as long as you don't forget to find the way back.
One movie that screams romance is Gone With The Wind. It might not be politically correct, but it has that certain something.
My favorite quote from it:
"As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again."
I don't mind making a fool out of myself as long as I'm the one doing it and sometimes I say that, even in public. I wish I'd look as good doing it as Vivien Leigh does.
Gone With The Wind, USA, 1939
P.S. Oh, and yes, I do know that in this case the girl doesn't get the boy. Doesn't matter, it's still romantic.
... without my secretary?
Unfortunately he joined the union and they made me give him regular naptime. Wherever he chooses to take them.
I'm still playing with lampwork beads and pearls.
There is this one cab that looks like liquid honey and flowers that remind me of Art Deco, absolutely beautiful.
I picked the wire (warm gold) and started. I guess I got a little carried away because when I checked, the disk had become too large already and it started wrinkling at the edges which reminded me of a flower.
This called for a quick change of plans. Instead of caging the cab I added a bail to the flower and a white pearl. A simple design, but an effective one, I found.
Therefore I made two more in different colors, dark blue with a white pearl and dark purple with a pink pearl. When I list them, I'll offer the buyer to choose from the many wire colors and the two colors of pearls that I have.
So now I had three pendants, but that wasn't what I wanted to make, right? So I started again and finally had my bezel around the lampwork cab. That is usually the moment when Mabel, my muse, has to take over. Will it become a ring? A pendant? It took her a while, she was probably already exhausted from whipping up the pendants, but suddenly the idea was there. A cuff it would be, looking like a wristwatch.
Said - or rather thought - and done. Here it is, the "Honey Flower Cuff".
Not bad for one day ;-)
