STILL LIFE

Well, I really never wanted to talk about the weather in this blog, but the frustrating summer we are having is working my last nerve! It's raining right now, and has been raining all month. We set a record for rainfall. When you live in Alaska you find that  during the long winter months you dream about the sunny summer to come, it's a really a downer when the sun doesn't show up... So, I put up my still life jacket, it kind of fits my mood. Floating sunglasses that don't need use, the butterfly that is hiding inside, and in general an abstract feeling. Through the looking glass and hopefully out the other side to a sunny day...

FINISHED WOLF

Yea, the finished wolf piece! Long hours, very tired eyes and sore wrist. I think it's my favorite bag for the Santa Fe show. Seems like something that will be well received down there, as a artist who makes a living selling beadwork you always have to balance what you think will sell and beading your hearts desire. It's always so wonderful when the two can meet. Sometimes what you want to bead is something that you can make money with, at least I hope so. Starting to get that nervous feeling that I always get before hand. I'm not really good at the openings, I really dislike having to promote myself and chat up the customers who may or may not be interested. Ahhh, Wish me luck....

EARLY WORK

Getting very close to finishing the wolf piece I've been working on  and pulling my hair out over. A couple more days and I'll post the done deal. Thank goodness, I'm really happy with it.  This got me to thinking about all the wolves and coyotes I've done in the past. In the beginning of my bead career I didn't struggle with how to make the fur look right, it was more about just learning the technique. Many long hours of trying to get the beads to lay flat. (The best tip on that is don't crowd the beads. So tempting to try and fill in every space, don't try.) 37 years later and things have changed... Here are some pictures of my early work, I like this coyote vest and my young hands but I'm glad I've moved past the basics.

SANTA FE SHOW

So, this is the end result of the photo shoot the other day. The address of the the gallery is 223 W.  San Francisco. If any of you are around Santa Fe, New Mexico,  on these date and want to see the beadwork, come on by!  Happy Forth of July to all!

PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WORK

Trying to take pictures of the beadwork today. Wanted it to be all artsy with nature as the background. Only one problem... as soon as I'm out and about, Crazy, my cat, wants to join the photo shoot.  She's pesky but lots of fun and full of mischief!

FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

Had a wonderful day in the gallery! I had two very interesting women come in. One of them bought my "Day of the Dead Tie". This is so great because it's been around awhile. You know, when you have a piece that you are working on, that you think is really cool and inventive but then no one else seems to get it. This was one of those pieces. I thought the skeletons were so graphic, and loved the way I put the raven skull at the top. Roses and a swirly night sky, what could be better! Well, the reception to this piece was luke warm. So it doesn't sell and it doesn't sell, hence the name, family heirlooms. These are the pieces that become part of my permanent collection, until, the right person comes along and takes them off my hands. I was actually was quite fond of the tie, not true of all family heirlooms, but I'm very glad to have it out there in the world. The moral of the story is never let the fear of an unpopular subject matter stop you from trying something different. Bead for yourself and the world will follow, or not...

FUR IN BEADS IS HARD!!!

So, this is the piece I'm currently working on. 
I'm not at all sure about it, I may have gotten carried away with trying to blend the colors to make it look like fur.There are about 10 different grays alone! And then there's the direction you lay the beads. This way and that way to make it look wind blown, urr,  I don't know, it will probably come together when I get the background in there, although clouds can be problematic themselves. This piece is vexing me... Does this wolf look muddled?