Atelier Aqualuna

Sliding into Autumn

2009-04-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year.

There are so many things about it that make it wonderful. Winding down after the hectic summer months, life seems to settle back into a steady familiar rhythym again. The crispness of the early morning and evenings and the pleasure of being able to sit out in the sun with good cup of tea and watch the birds at play. There is something about the light at this time of year too. Everything seems to be just radiating colour. The mountain I look onto is just incredible, the definition and clarity just superb in the Autumn light.

We are yet to have a fire. I have been wishing for the last couple of weeks we had some fire wood. I think the month of constant rain has definitley contributed to the process. But unfortunately Rayn just hasn't had the time to get out and get us a load. It won't be long.........I will have to remember to get some marshmallows. The girls love to toast them. I think they enjoy the marshmallows more than the fire.

I tend to alsmost hibernate through the winter months. I don't like the cold. Even though we are lucky enough that the days a realitively warm, I still find my self spending a greater amount of time indoors by the fire...........beading of course :)

I have had the girls home for the last 3 weeks on school holidays, so not a great deal has been achieved beading wise. But I do have one piece I have finished. I called it Petit Jardin, and is a combination of RAW, Peyote, ndebele and square stitch

Once again, it is all about the bead. I stumbled upon and gorgeous Hybrid from Cranberry , which I really wanted to base a piece around. I had the idea for this one quite a while ago whilst creating a similar piece for a Seed Bead Challenge for the Beading Forum . It is funny how those little critters can dig their claws in. It happens to me all the time, I see bead and just can't get it out of my head until I have 'done something' with it. My current favourite is a Marlbed Blush Mustard
I just can't get enough of this bead. I guess it just meshes in with the kind of colour I go for........I don't know! But I am in the process of creating another pieces in which this particular bead is a main feature. It is somethign a bit different for me, I don't do flowers often. I am not a huge fan of beaded flowers. I have seen some magnificent examples and can appreciate the skill involved in creating such works. Same goes for lampworked flowers.....just not me! I like my flowers real and on the plant!

The Ancient Ones.

2009-04-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have been some what side tracked for last couple of weeks........no jewellery making happening at all from me.

It has been raining for the last 2, well...more like 3 weeks. We have one day of half hearted sunshine in that period. Everything is super saturated. You cannot step foot off the verandah without mud flicking up the back of your leg and hearing that discusting squelchy sound........ugh! I have one child who has an unquenchable attraction to mud, it is almost as if there is some sort of a magnetic force, dragging her to it......no joke.... My washing machine and drier have been going almost non stop for that period too. Another thing I loathe, machine dried clothing and linen. They just don't smell right to me. Give me air and sunshine any day.

As a half hearted escape from reality, I immersed myself in a series of books....hence, the no jewellery thing.............I could count on one hand the number of books I read since my 4 yr old daughter was born. It was nice to indulge myself again.

Realising I have not written about the Ancients (my pet name for them), I would like to share. I have a couple of reasons for doing so. I think it just exciting! To actually have them, and hold them. They are really special! But also because it is such a fantastic example of how important Jewellery and Adornment is to humanity. Beads are more than just simple craft, beadwork has ancient roots going back through not just one, but all civilisations for thousands of years.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon these babies, another story all together... but it was definitely fate I believe. I instantly knew they were special, and incredibly old. I had a lot of questions about them, and wasn't sure where to start. I sent them down to my good friend Bianca Velder who I know has a keen interest in the history of beads and adornment, and would enjoy and appreciate them as much I did.

Research lead to the conclusion the beads are Mayan, Pre Columbian, which gives them an age of up to 2700 years old. Farmers from Mexico and Guatemala dig them up in the fields and put them together into the sets. This set would not be an original neckpiece, as they are an extremely rare find. But in researching we have not come across such a large set, one that has the large central feature bead, or the graduation in size. The beads are most likely a combination of stones such as Serpentine, Greenstone, Jade and Riverstone. The holes were made in the stones by using river sand as a grinding material and small bird bones as a drill. Each side is done seperately, you can see in this picture how the centre of the bead is narrower than the entry point. Can you appreciate the time it must of taken to drill through that central bead? It's length is just over 40mm, and you can still see the taper quite clearly.

I have been asked so many times what I am going to do with them! I have no idea........still. There is no way I would use them, I was actually a bit shocked that anyone could even contemplate using them. They will stay exactly as they whilst they are in my care. I need to do some research on the best way to preserve them. At the moment they are just hanging out on one of beading benches. But a more suitable home and display set up needs to be achieved.

I guess I should probably stop playing with them too. The handling probably isn't the best thing for the horse hair they are strung on. The stones, the beads themselves, I am not frightened of harming, but the horse hair is definitely more delicate than I initially thought. Exactly what to do, display wise, I am still not sure, but I'm sure I will think of something sooner or later.................

They are amazing, aren't they!

So thankyou Bianca, for sharing the excitement with me, and your help with the research. Greatly appreciated.

Kudos to Al, my humble friend who was generous enough to hand these beauties over to me without a second thought....Thankyou!

All Mine

2009-03-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am not a big jewellery wearer at all. In fact I am an extremely fussy jewellery wearer. I have a big pile of stuff that I have made and kept because I 'thought' I would wear it, but in reality it just just sits in a big tangled pile on my dresser gathering dust.......it is one of the cats favourite places to curl up.

The trusty hoops that have been my constant companion for about the last 12 months were getting a bit worse for wear. After being caught in my hair and clothing numerous times they has an extremely odd, misshapen look about them. They were embarrassingly shabby in fact.

Sunday afternoon saw the return of the rain, we are now in full flood again. It doesn't take much rain when the earth is already saturated. with the rain falling, yet again, we were not able to do what was planned for afternoon. After a pick through my boxes of gemstones, I decided to bundle up my spools of wire, an arsenal of pliers and have a bit of a fiddle.

These are what I came up with. Sterling and fine silver in varying guages of wire. Swiss Blue Topaz, and Amethyst pointy back briolettes,and some gorgeous little faceted Moonstone brios. Unforunately I havent managed to pick up the shimmer of the Moonstone in the pic, but it is alsmost the same blue as the topaz. This combination in itself is quite a bit different for me. Blue is not a colour I usually wear. But these were the stones that spoke to me, I have learnt to go along with it.

I have been wearing them ever since, except for the time it took to oxidize them, the shiny silver really wasn't me, and I like the depth and definition that oxidization gives to wire work.

Bring back the sunshine!

Resurrection

2009-03-15T21:08:00.001-07:00

Well after nearly a year without a single post.......whoops. Where did that time go? I have finally decided it is time to get back into it. I have been enjoying following a few blogs of late and I think that has been the final motivation for me to get it all happening again. It is such a great way to keep a journal of work. That, and also the fact we are rolling into autumn and the craziness of the summer months has subsided some what.

I spent a few months late last year without creating almost anything. I just had other things I was doing. We did a fair bit of work to our house, with new bedrooms being added for both the girls. It was my job to do the painting, and once I got stuck into it I decided it was time to give the whole place a bit of a facelift. Get rid of some of the damage that Lily has done. I also acquired my own beading room which is just wonderful. I used to have a bench and lots of shelving here in the living room. It really was the only place I could work where I could keep an eye on the girls. It has made a big difference getting rid of it all out of here too. It makes the room so much less cluttered and open. Even though I still tend to work out here it is nice having everything all in the one place, my own space. I can even leave it messy now.

In January I spent a week teaching once again at Camp Creative. It was fantastic, a bit different for me this year as they changed my course from a teenage class, to adults. I was a bit sad about it at first, I really enjoyed working with the girls. It was fun. But it was a total different experience working with the ladies. The biggest difference I think, was, they were happy to take it all a bit slower, really get the hang of the technique rather than just racing on to the next one. I really appreciated that. There is something about teaching I really love, and that is watching the spark of creativity in people, and the happiness it brings to them. The excitiment they experience when they realise they can create something really beautiful. I think it is really special.

Since then I have been busy beading again. I came away from that week really inspired, and it was the first time in ages that I actually had time to sit down and start creating again. It was such a good feeling. I seem to have been drawn back to basic techniques. I hate to think how many hours I have spent fiddling around with simple techniques just experimenting with colour combos and different bead sizings. The possibilities are truly endless......

Here is some of my newer work. All just using simple techniques......First up, just a super simple spiral using some Obsidian chips and some really nice iris Czech Charlottes, really hard to get a decent pic of. I have never really been a big fan of chips. But I have to admit, they add a whole new dimention to a spiral. I love the chunkiness and substance they create.

Ndebele with a twist! I love this stitch, so many variations.....this ones uses some gorgeous matte rainbow metallics from Cranberry. I had had this bead in various sized for quite some time, and had been wanting to do a piece with the bead as the feature. It was just a matter time till I found the right way to showcase it. It really is an amazing bead. I have use 6's, 8's, 11's and 15's in this one.

Last but not least, is my favourite. It started life as a piece for the seedie challenge on the beading forum but it soon morphed into something that really didn't fit in within the challenge guidlines. It all started with the bead, it is a dark sage hybrid from Cranberry, and they are just gorgeous. There is also a light sage 6 in there too. Which gives it a little lift. I think the loopy soft dutch spiral and the Hilltribe pendant really do compliment each other well.

Something to look forward to

2008-04-07T18:54:00.001-07:00

I have 2 sets of gorgeous lampworked beads heading my way. They are made by Margie Carlier a Queensland based lampworker.

I have become particularly drawn to the challenge of working with lampworked beads. As they are an expression of the artist to begin with, and a essentially already a piece of art. The challenge of showcasing the beads to their fullest potential, and yet not overpowering the beauty and expression of the beads with your design can prove some what arduous. But when the balance is struck, and all is said and done, it is really fulfilling......and addictive. You have created a piece of jewellery combining elements of 2 artists.

I cannot pick a favourite out of the sets, they are both equally stunning, and very different. I already have idea for one of the sets, the set I have posted the picture of. The other is little more mysterious. I need to see them in the flesh before I make any decisions.

A big thankyou to Margie for the beads.

Stay tuned to see what I do with these babies :)

Ouchies

2008-04-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well after looking at either a pile of weeds or a bare patch of earth that once used to my vege garden. I finally decided something had to be done about it. It is quite big and right out front of our house, so it wasn't as if you could turn a blind eye. Since Lily was born I have had very little interest in my garden. I also think the fact we were doing the commercial sized market gardens made it something I didn't particularly want to do for relaxation anymore. When you are planting, picking and packing hundreds and thousands of plants regularly you don't exactly feel like rushing out into the garden for a bit of down time.

I am a lot lazier than I used to be...........

These days I get my creative outlet through my jewellery, so I am not particularly compelled to create through my garden which I did for many years.

Anyway.............we ventured into a nursery type outlet. Bloody hell.......how expensive are plants!!! It has been a while since I have bought any plants. Except the odd house plant, needed to replace one that has finally given up the battle for life. I know some would hate my thoughts on this, life to all. Each and every living creature and all that. But I really only think of house plants as disposable.

A small fortune later we emerged with a car full of gorgeous plants. We went for interesing foliage plants mainly. The gorgeous Red Flax, interesting Cordylines, Tiger Grass, Cycads, Bromeliads, Lyriope. All those type of things that are really quite hardy and don't need a hell of a lot of maitenence. Oh.. we also got a couple of Gardenia and Murraya type things to pop in a couple of places where the scent will waft onto the verandah.

The weekend was spent planting and mulching. I even went as far as to go and buy huge bags of potting mix and resurrect all my big terracotta tubs etc. They really are lovely and I haven't used them for a few years now. They are all planted out with seedlings, restored to their former glory. I'm glad I did it. It was a waste, the pots really are beautiful and make the place look so much more alive. The weather has been perfect, it has been cool and overcast since all planting and it is raining today.

All in all, it is great. I feel heaps happier. The only thing is I don't have gardening hands anymore. My hands are stuffed. They are sooo bloody sore. I have patches of skin worn through, and bits of bark off everywhere.

There is absolutely no way I can use a needle.........:(

Oh well, it should only be for a few days. But by then all the gorgeous gingers I orders online should have arrived!

I can't wait.......:)

Some Recent Works

2008-04-02T22:44:00.001-07:00

As one of the main reasons I wanted to get this happening was to document my work,I guess there is no time like the present to get started. Here are a few of my most recent creations. All these are on exhibit in the Nexus Gallery

"Wanderlust" is a piece born from necessity......time. I tend forget about upcoming events I have previously committed to and find myself in a last minute fluster. Both these pieces are a bit different from my normal seedie work. But sometimes even when time isn't an issue it is just really nice to sit down and create something that doesn't take days or weeks. Instant gratification I think its what it is called.

"Fire in the Belly" is necklace created around a stunning focal created by talented Lampwork

Artist Anne Dundas. I find there is a delicate balance when working with gorgeous lampies. Showcasing the focal to its best, but not drawing attention away from it and still keeping the piece interesting. I have used a strange combination of semi precious in this piece. Carnelian, Cherry Quartz, Coral and Citrine..........who would have thought.

Last but not least "Aquatique" an embroidered cuff using a variety of semi precious gemstones. I had been having a bit of a mojo loss, which is never fun. It wasn't that I wasn't inspired, I just couldn't be bothered. So I opted for a slightly more lazy version than I would normally go for. Hence the gemstones. It is a hell of a lot quicker to embroider with them than size 11 seedies thats for sure. I had issues with this one. I suddenly got all motivated and wanted to get into in and overlooked a few basic things I would normally have done in a more thought out piece..................but hey.....it grew on me. I often find it takes a few days after I finnish something for me to totally decide whether or not I am happy with it.

A Long Time Coming.............

2008-04-02T18:50:00.001-07:00

Well I finally decided to to bit the bullet and get this show on the road.........

I have resisted for quite awhile now, as I really do not need another thing to do on the computer. I waste far too much time on here already. But I really like the idea of having somewhere to document my work, the inspiration the frustation and last but not least, the end result. I really should have done this a long time ago.

I look forward to therapeutic side of actually sitting and writing. Spending a few minutes here and there to get things written down. So much is always going on, things get lost.........my memory is no where near what it used to be.

So what is happening?

I have a few things at the moment. There is currently an exhibition featuring some of my work running at Nexus Gallery in Bellingen. The Community Arts Council is fantastic. The offer so much to our local artsist. It really is a shame a lot more communities don't have this kind local support.

A few months ago I was also approached by Oasis Moon Gallery and asked if I would be willing to have my work on display on a permanent basis there. I hate the whole sales side of jewellery making, I basically just don't do it, so it is great when doors like that open.

The Nexus exhibitions happen every 3 or 4 months, so between those, Oasis Moon and another gallery in Sydney they keep me pretty much busy. I have also in recent weeks, found out that a Camp Creative class I have been teaching for the last couple of years will be changing from a course designed for teenage girls to an adults class. I will miss the girls, I really enjoyed teaching them, but I am also looking forward to teaching the adult class. At least they should be able to thread their own needles.... hahah! So the planning for that is now underway. There are 5 days of classes, so a fair amount of work goes into the preperation. Projects need to be decided, tutorials written and then I need to order in all the materials used and make up the kits for 15 students. Luckily I have till January to get it all sorted......

My WIP at the moment is for the Davey Jones Locker Challenge on the Beading Forum . It is a great theme, and I was stuck for so long. I think I have taken a pretty lame tagent, considering the theme. But I really just wanted to get something started. I am hoping I have enough beads to complete it. Now if my organisational skills were better, I would have the code for the little suckers I need.............I'm just hoping, fingers crossed my mum has got some :)