Organization

Organization is key for beaders.  Over time I’ve collected thousands of beads. Most of my beads are organized by color and type.  I like to think of them as my palette.  I need to spread them out, or at least have quick access when working on a design.  The question is how do I store them so I can find what I need?  Some of my beads are in the storage cases pictured above.  The ones with the plastic wrap are seed beads.  The wrap is to protect them from spilling all over if the unit should fall.  I hope it works.  Living in earthquake country, I fear the inevitable.  The storage units are secured to the bookcases they are in, which in turn are secured to the wall.  Still, I cringe at the thought of picking up all those mixed up beads off the floor.  Knock on wood! 

New Beginnings

Celebrating the New Year is not terribly meaningful for me.  It’s just a date.  Why not make any moment of any day a “New Year”?  The chance to start over, make plans, and adjust focus should not be limited to this annual event.  However, this year January 1^st coincided with some inner shifts, and the holiday felt significant to me. I decided I wanted to start the first full week of January with work in progress.

When I paint, I like to work on many pieces at once.  There are several reasons for this method.  For one, it’s practical.  I work in oil, and I work small.  Paintings quickly reach a point where they need to dry before being reworked.  If I sat around waiting for the paint to dry I would loose productivity, and perhaps my momentum.  Also, working on many paintings at once creates a cohesive set, reflecting my frame of mind and skill in a given time period.  Finally, if life distracts me from painting, I find it is much easier to start up again with unfinished pieces rather than start something fresh.  Again, it is all about momentum.  So, over the past seven days I started thirteen paintings.  

Work in Progress

This next set reflects a change in subject matter.  I’m taking a break from found beach objects and exploring a theme I’ve been thinking about for a long time, candy. For me, it’s not too dissimilar from sea glass.  Hard candy is colorful, luminous, and sometimes translucent like glass.  Instead of hunting the beach for subject matter, I’m hunting in shops around San Francisco.   Also, I love that my palette is expanding.  With candy I get to use bright pink, yellow, orange, and green!  These indulgences come in a myriad of shapes and designs further expanding my repertoire. Beautiful sweets draw our eye and entice us with the promise of something delicious.  Unlike sea glass, we can physically consume the beauty.  

 

You might be wondering if I will eat my subjects once the paintings are complete.  Uh, …no.  I’ve been handling them way too much, they are sitting out collecting dust, and are exposed to paint and solvents.  Believe it or not, I don’t have a sweet tooth.  With the exception of chocolate, my definition of culinary bliss is a bowl full of salty cheese popcorn.

My subjects!