Saturday, January 9, 2010

OneClayBead








































I have been dreaming of making my OneClayBead jewelry for half a year, and now I've carved out the time to do it. I have 5 successful pieces finished after 4 days of messing around with my loot from a wholesale bead show, all using at least one of my own hand formed stoneware clay beads. I could have made $750 in pottery inventory in this amount of time, and have an entire page of customer requests that I am neglecting, but this is something that I need to do. No financial adviser would tell you to stop making successful products and instead fumble around with expensive materials and no production plan. There is, however, a difference between an industrial factory and an artistic soul.

I want to make jewelry that is unlike anyone else's. I like the boho style. I like using natural materials and other people's handmade beads, and I like teaching myself new techniques and using all my various craft skills together.

This ^ is one of my most unique designs, just finished yesterday, and listed here. I macramed 32" of silk and cotton cord with pearls and mother of pearl carved beads. I used one of my own Spiral Heart stoneware beads, and a Tibetan silver and pearl dangle. The model is my daughter's friend, Julia, and I like the shot of her, too. I like using unprofessional models, no make up, and capturing that inner quality.

I'm very pleased with the few pieces I've created. Something intangible and vital gets woven into the strands and strung on cord, and connected to clasps. It relates to, and also informs my claywork.

I wonder if other artists and craftspeople pursue different media. I recommend it highly! If you are not failing over half the time, I assert that you are not truly creating.

7 comments:

  1. It's a beauty! And the photos are terrific! Good luck with your new endeavor. Like you, I enjoy trying out different media... it's a nice change of pace for my usual painting and beading. My newest pieces are medicine bags from leather. It breathes new life into the creative process!

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  2. I love your direction with jewelry! That heart is so unique--more! Show us more!

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  3. this is beautiful... and yes, i love trying new media... have started playing with resin, doing different metal techniques and i love integrating fibers... there is just something very special about them... so glad you are doing what feeds your soul...

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  4. If you want to make jewelry - then GREAT! You'll get quicker at it, don't worry about the time factor!! laura xxoo

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  5. awesome new direction lee .. this looks amazing! it takes courage to branch out .. good for you, i'm certain this will be successful :D
    xox

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  6. Thanks for the encouragement, everyone! I'm really stoked after getting some time to create new things, and now i'm back to clay, which still has unknown territory for me to explore.

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  7. I love your blog, Lee. I asked you to make me 3 nesting bowls a couple of years ago. I wanted to let you know that I featured them one of my recent blog posts. I get compliments on them all the time! http://taylordesa.blogspot.ca/2013/01/handmade-pottery-perfect-finishing-touch.html

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