Tag Archives: miniature sculpture

Today’s Riddle

1 Apr

Found my groove finally with the bead coloring. Okay, more like I wore it down. I'm so stubborn sometimes. Side note: that's my magic pin in the upper right of the photo, I use it to pick up and manipulate the mini paper strips.

Spent quite a bit of time questioning whether the beads looked perfect in black and white or if they might be improved with color. Possibly, it came down to whether they looked better as-is or with the coloring done badly? Oh no! Not that AGAIN?! My bead-coloring fears: Too dark and they become illegible. I’m not interested in going too pastel, either. Too many spontaneous, painterly moves and I make mud. It isn’t a very big canvas!

Eventually… [after I tried different techniques and even painted over the rejects] a combo of fabric dye and watered-down acrylics meets with my approval. My delight at seeing it working is built into every bead! Yes, I like the color. Art of this tiny scale probably needs the double-take value that a little color adds. I hope this helps slow people down long enough to bring it into focus.

It always comes down to this: Maybe I could be a great artist. If I could just stop second-guessing myself all the time. But. I CAN’T DO that. Or CAN I?

I keep going as if I’ve already arrived. Trying not to give much weight to the doubts in my head, mostly because I don’t believe everything I hear. Behaving as if my quirky stuff is going to be a big hit when I start getting it out there. Which is coming up soon enough.

And, I have my answer next time somebody asks me what my art is for. I’m not being sarcastic. I don’t feel responsible to explain my art but I’m happy to do so. I made it because it amused me at the time. How true!

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Layers of texture and color

23 Mar

Little wall charms. Easier than saying miniature sculpture-painting-collages. They might be magic. It feels good to be a little bit delighted by my own creations. I asked a friend (another artist) if it is okay for me enjoy my work so much. She said yes, as long as I can also let go of it. Thank you! What a great answer.

Everything has two coats except the "stones" in the middle are still raw.

With a little antiquing. There will be little shortie poems along the raised pathways.

I’ve gone over both whites with a sponge of yellow oxide. Two colors of copper and two colors of silver plus black. Nice. Even though I attempted to get more of a layered look with less colors, this is where I got satisfied.

Below: Pictures, captions, more or less in real time.

I like the shape of this stone and the way the bezel compensates to fit the round.

Feels like a mechanical gadget. Got hardware?

Oh my, the RED!

Photo op. The red really shines.

First coat on the stones. There will be many many more coats. Lots of extra-gloss gel, glitter, special stone-y effects. But for the moment, I am enjoying the pure colors just as they are.

I have plans to make this stone look like a pendant I've been wearing since I was 15.

What a hoot, right?

Side view.

Mirror in the middle.

While I waited for the fronts to dry hard enough for a second coat... I had a signing party. It's just me and my sharp brush. I call it a party because I'm doing them all at once. Also because I'm willing to sign them before they're finished which is a big deal. Like doing a crossword in ink.

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