July ABS

 It has been several months since I submitted anything to the Art Bead Scene monthly challenge.  I always have so much fun doing it and it stretches me as a designer.

This month the inspiration art is Portrait of Olga in the Armchair by Pablo Picasso.

As always, an art bead needs to be part of the piece.  An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. Many people make their own beads for the contest, alas, I do not have that skill yet.  But many other designers sell their beads, so I am still able to participate.

I love the colors in this painting.  I especially love the flowers in the chair and Olga's expression.  I have fun trying to decide what she is thinking and somehow feel a kinship with that look.

For more information on the contest and on Art Bead Scene, follow this link:
http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2013/07/july-monthly-challenge.html

 I used used four beads from one of my favorite jewelry artist:  Heather Powers from Humblebeads.  Here is Heather's website:
http://www.humblebeads.com/

She has awesome beads that I find very attractive.  These beads are her branch-mix disc beads in teal.  I love the colors and the peaceful feeling I get when I look at them. It goes along with the feeling from the painting.  And the colors are perfect.  The flowers in the chair  of the painting inspired me to make dangles of some vintage flower beads that I have.  I love
these beads but have a hard time finding a way

to use them.  They were perfect for this project.  I picked out a matching swarovski crystal to fit into the center of each flowers.  Then I took a green glass leaf bead and made a dangle to go with each flower.  For a focal bead, I used a bead that was made by Sherry, a local artist.  I felt it brought the colors together well.  On either side of that bead I used an aqua-terra jasper bad.  Then around the back I used yellow jade beads inspired by the background of the painting.  Their translucence brings to mind Olga's skin.

This was fun to make and a creation that stretches me and that I love.