It's way past three in the morning & I should be asleep because I need fresh eyes in order to take photographs of the bracelet for you. I've called it 'Beach'. I read a truly beautiful story before I went to sleep last night & this morning I woke up with a picture on my mind.
I've never been to the Hamptons, but I've seen the beaches in films & I'm in love with an image of driftwood, a long spread of waves & gleaming white sand. Do we have white sand in the UK?
I couldn't pull the idea out of my head & turn it into a physical presence in my hand until I alighted on the bead trays that house Beverley Hicklin's work. Beverley has caught it - captured it - summarised it in glass. My hope now is that I've done justice to her beads - this always makes me feel nervous particularly when I show the bead artist what I have done with their art.
Dear Artists, what do you feel when you hand over a bead that you have lovingly created? You give designers the opportunity to make kinetic art. What a gift to pass on to the world!
Back to the Beach. After I assembled the bracelet, I found a photograph on the net that chimed with the image in my mind. Look at this - click! Isn't it beautiful?
It's been an extraordinary day. Your support is so moving. You could be saving a life - let's hope & say 'lives'.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hi Jennifer!
I for one can't wait to see the Beach bracelet. So exciting!
You asked about how us glass artists feel when we let our beads go. Well, for me personally I feel extremely proud - it's a lovely feeling to know that people like something I've created. To me, my beads aren't just lumps of glass. They're moments, feelings, memories and sometimes emotions captured in glassy form. So when I hand my beads over to people they don't just have the beads - they have a little bit of 'me' too. In turn, the actual jewellery that people make with them also has significant meaning to the creator. And then of course the entire piece will mean something to the wearer. Put all those factors together and in the finished items of jewellery you have pieces of art that contain a heck of a lot of energy.
Ah, if only beads could talk. The stories they could tell . . . . .
To know that my beads end up in astounding wearable art like you create, Jennifer, makes me smile because I know that the beads will be seen by many people - I hope that the beads make them smile too!
Best wishes
Laura x
That bracelet is exquisite. You are an amazing designer who works with her whole heart and soul. The beauty you create is moving, to me.
Laura, thank you for your reply. That's a beautiful description.
I think somewhere inside I must pick up the vibe. I like to each bead in my hand - to feel & to look into it. I derive such pleasure from this.
Also, I hate to break up a set. Of course one has to do this, but I much prefer to see each bead in context with it's fellows. I want people to see the whole work that a bead artist has created in the hope that they will feel the hit in the solar plexus that I experienced when I first saw the set.
Jean, I am SO glad that you like it - your opinion means so much to me! Your sweet words make me feel optimistic that the winner might like it.
Though I say it myself, it does look lovely in the flesh - my photographs let it down. Trying to capture the charm of a chain bracelet is an impossible task particularly when you're dealing with pale colours. I guess the only way to get the effect of the drape & the movement is to film it & this old technophobe is clueless!
Post a Comment