Art Out There

What a gorgeous day here in North Texas! I rolled a few beads, but I spent most of the day outside with my family. We went hiking at the state park near our house--still awfully muddy, but after being shut up in the house for so long, the sunshine was a wonderful inspiration.

I've been entranced lately (over the last six months or so) by noticing the pattern tree branches make against the sky. Such stark outlines, like God's pencil sketches. Of course they're less stark in the full bloom of summer, but it's still a sharp contrast against the blue of the sky. These in this photograph were particularly interesting. This tree had bark at the bottom, but the top branches were stripped bare to white. Bizarre.

I can't say I particularly try to copy any of these patterns when I'm making art to create beads from, but I always feel inspired in my art after being out in nature. I think I feel a connection to the first Creator, who provides such beauty for us to enjoy.

Handpainted Paper Beads

We've had 12 inches of snow in north Texas--a genuine record amount!--and that means it's great weather to stay cozy and make beads (with plenty of hot chocolate, of course).

So here's the pictures I've been promising for the last couple of posts. This is my first set of truly handpainted beads. The pictures are of the paper after I'd painted it, then the finished beads. I love the way these came out! I keep running the strand of beads through my fingers, marveling that it was just a sheet of typing paper a few days ago. They are so pretty and shiny and glossy.

I anticipate lots of fun making these in different color combinations and different shapes. They make me feel so creative and artistic--it doesn't matter that I can't draw a recognizable person for this kind of art. Playing with colors speaks to something in my soul.

Art Overcoming Fear

I was in two different restaurants yesterday (yes, it was one of those days), and in each of them I found a wall that I longed to turn into a paper bead. Of course, I realized pretty quickly that even if I'd had access to said walls, I can't roll a wall into a bead. But I've been thinking a lot more about painting my own paper for beads.

I've done some of that. I've made a couple of bead sets that started out as white paper I painted before cutting. More often I've added paint to scrapbook paper to enhance the colors already there. But I'm really longing to experiment more with color and texture and combinations to make beads that are truly original pieces of art.

There's fear there, though. I feel inadequate when it comes to painting. Nothing ever comes out on paper quite the way I'd envisioned it in my head. I realize the more I practice the better I'll get. But that means fighting the voices that tell me I'm inadequate.

I guess that's what all art is about--gathering the courage to leave your mark despite your fear of inadequacy. Maybe even worse than inadequacy is the fear that nothing you have to say is original or necessary. Being an artist--of any kind--means announcing that you believe your imaginings are important.

I choose to believe. I will leave my mark. How about you?

Family Fun

My son Nathan, who's 11, has had an on-again, off-again relationship with my paper bead creation. Sometimes he acts like he's too cool to even notice what I'm doing. At other times, he's been handing my website address to his art teacher and talking me up like I'm the next big thing. So most of the time, I let him decide whether or not I'll share what I've been up to.

The last two days, though, it's been on-again. He's decided he wants to try to make beads too. And he quickly discovered (imagine that!) that making paper beads is a lot harder than it looks. Before he got frustrated and walked away, though, he made some really funky beads. And it got me thinking.

Maybe I'm being a little TOO careful about making sure my cut lines are straight. Maybe I'm taking too much time lining everything up to end up with a smoothly tapered bead. It is, of course, important to be able to do that. And for many bead sets, I want a uniform product at the end. But I could picture a really cool necklace made from Nathan's funky, misshapen beads.

I'm thinking about experimenting with more randomness. Maybe I'll just tear some paper strips and see what kind of beads those make. Or maybe I'll roll with abandon and not worry if my paper ends up in an X at the end. After all, what is the point of art if it's not uniqueness and experimentation?

Art Paper Beads

I thought I'd write a bit about why I call my creations art paper beads instead of just paper beads. Many people make paper beads from recycled magazine pages or other papers they have lying around. That makes funky beads, but it's not what I'm interested in. I see creating my paper beads as more of an artistic endeavor.

I start by choosing a base paper. This is often a sheet of scrapbook paper I find interesting, but not always. I made some beads yesterday from pages of a Latin dictionary (pictures eventually forthcoming!), and I bought some sheet music to make beads from. I do use magazine pages sometimes, but they're carefully chosen for color.

For most of my paper beads, I alter the base paper. Sometimes I add line drawings with markers. Sometimes I do a watercolor wash over the whole paper. Sometimes I combine different papers into one bead.

At that point, I cut the paper into strips and continue as you would for any paper bead. I'll write a how-to about that another day. But by the time I start to turn the paper into a bead, I've already begun turning it into a work of art. I may begin with found paper, but it's not random. It's carefully chosen and altered for its artistic value.

That's why I make a distinction between paper beads and my art paper beads.

A New Year, A New Start

OK, I'm jumping the new year gun by about a week, but that's what happens when I get excited about something.

I'm starting this blog to write about one of my favorite subjects--creating beautiful art and jewelry from bits of paper. I love making art paper beads and then using those beads to create larger works of art.

Check back frequently to find how-tos on bead-making as well as thoughts on the act of creation and the need to make space for beauty in your life.