the next bend

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Surfacing

It's March and I'm coming up for air. With a little luck (and some careful planning ) I should be able to keep my head above it all.

My apologies for the protracted absence. I know what it's like to like a blog and then you keep checking and there's...nothing. And then you secretly worry if the blogger is ok. Rest assured, there is really not a thing wrong except the process of life which has been full of both wonderful and unpleasant challenges. As life is...

I'm at the end of a looong period of....what? Paralysis of will might be the best way to describe it. Lots of changes going on here and far too much to do had the unpleasant effect of making it impossible for me to decide how to start or finish anything. The bright side in all this is that the ideas have kept coming so that the notebook is full...yeah, yeah, you've heard it all before. Now I have to produce the goods, as it were....

A few new projects are in the works - more about those later. This is just a hellllloooo out there, how are you sort of post, with the shamefaced announcement that I'll be updating my shop tommorow morning with 30 new listings ( I can hardly believe it myself.) Included in those listings will be some of the beads you see in this post. It's a very long overdue update, and I have 20 more listings to go up by the end of the week. NOT included in tomorrow's update are Hollow Pod beads (singletons or pairs). Pods will be listed on Thursday at noon!

I can at least deal with the work I've already finished, right?
What a maroon I am, sometimes....

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

New Year.....Resolve?

Since it is January and I've been surrounded by movement and large changes for six weeks, I've had many occasions (while being away from this computer and the work I love to do..) to ponder the word resolve. A word with many subtle variations of meaning, I do find. I'm going slowly with picking up the strings in the new year, and there seem to be many of them hanging loose, some requiring massive repairs and others dangling in front of me pointing in different exciting directions. To the point where I have been overwhelmed. But...a small creative task per day slipped in with the others that must be done is the right path.

Since I am surrounded by music every day (both kids play in various groups and orchestras, bassoon and violin) I took particular note of the musical meaning of resolve:

'to progress from a dissonance to a consonance.'

Dissonance: A simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion. Incongruous, lacking harmony of parts.

Consonance: a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of repose. Accord, agreement, harmony.

I want to progress from one state to the other - knowing full well that in life, as in music, it is a continuous process. After all, that's what makes the tension and contrast in life and keeps it interesting! But oh, I could use some completion...and harmony!

Practically speaking,in my home life and creative life this means: Make sure the family has what it needs. Take one half hour each morning to consider.....(a big one that) Take small steps, each one completed before the next one is started. Write down the process, so things may be repeated. Get sleep and take care of myself. Less computer time.

Sorry to be away so long, it's been a long haul. Can't leave without pictures...

Monday, December 5, 2011

Christmas ornaments from the Art Bead Scene Blog hop

Here's the list for the Art Bead Scene ornament hop:

Life in the Lyon's Den

Islandgirl's Insights

Art Bead Scene Blog

I've been making lots of pendants these days (or experimenting anyway...), and somehow along the way they became ornaments for my tree! There are 4 pointed and 5 pointed stars, discs, a tree and a slightly spirally leaf. All of these have textures from my own texture plates and color from alcohol inks and metallic rubs. They are really quite simple, but I love the glowing colors. Guess I'm trying to reproduce in these the wonderful glowy Christmas tree light colors I remember from my youth...I think that the ecologically correct LED lights just aren't the same. Sigh.

Excuse the overabundance of pictures, no time to make a mosaic today! Enjoy the hop!