"Embellishing Your World" show

Maria and Naomi Smith with a printout of the opening slide

It was great sharing my "Embellishing Your World: Beading & Surface Designs" with fellow beadmates on Nov 10th at the Toronto Bead Society. This was an inspirational seminar with beadwork examples and stories from around the world.

What was special that evening was that Naomi, a fellow TBS member, brought her collection of First Nations Beadwork. I featured photographs of her collection in the first five slides of my PowerPoint. We combined the best of two worlds for the benefit of our members. I projected images and pointed out interesting details about the unique artifacts of the Mohawk and Tuscarora Nations. Naomi brought the genuine articles so people could then see them up close. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for TBS members.

For my half of the display, I brought my collection of beaded "Pysanky" eggs. Several were beaded by Vira Pavlova Witkovska plus other bead artists from Ukraine. The beaded "Lilacs" were made by Oksana, a young student of an after-school Craft Program in Kolomyya. They're so life-like it's hard to believe they're just beads on twisted wires! Amazing... Love it!

Maria's collection of beaded 'pysanky' eggs, ornaments and bead wire "Lilacs"

I'll be presenting "Embellishing Your World..." to the new West Toronto Beading Guild on Mar 8, 2011 at their regular monthy meeting. We're going to combine it with a hands-on beading workshop on learning how to do the versatile Diagonal Weave. I'm looking forward to inspiring the new beaders!

If you'd like an inspirational program by a passionate speaker, just let me know.... I'll be happy to share this and other beadwork presentations.

Embellishing Your World

I'm just putting the final touches on this newest inspirational presentation about beading and surface designs (needlework, mixed media, etc.). This seminar will debut this Sat, Oct 22nd, at 3 pm at the Creativ Festival in Toronto. Here's what it's all about:

Transform the mundane into beautiful with an array of technique and design ideas presented by bead artist Maria Rypan. Be inspired to embellish a few things once you see how people in different parts of the world meet the challenge to create beauty with materials on hand. Breathtaking photographs of decorated objects and their stories will motivate you to transform a few of your own.

PS: There is so much eye candy! So many incredible artifacts from First Nations people, Pashtun tribes, Zulu chiefs, Ukrainian artisans, school kids and a former dissident, US crafters and a Canadian bead artist! Plus a chance to visually "meet" some of these talented people with their folk art.

I would love to show this PowerPoint presentation around the world. Just say the word, and I'll be there. Let's talk....

Presentations in Ukraine

How appropriate for the PowerPoint slide from OH to be the lead in for my presentations in Ukraine...

So much has transpired between the visit to the Ukrainian Museum-Archives Aug 13th and Sep 13th. There was a visit to an amazing Pysanky Museum in Reading, PA on the way to Bead Fest at Valley Forge. Then there was a two week trip to Ukraine for research and family visiting. I have tons of photos and stories!! These will be told a little at a time between shows and trips.

Maria at entrance to Ivan Honchar Museum, Kyiv, Ukraine

It was a great pleasure and privilege to share my "Contemporary Beadwork in Ukraine" PowerPoint with beaders and folk art enthusiasts in Ukraine.

I thought it would be interesting to show my presentation to master craftsmen, beaders, museum directors and staff who graciously allowed me to photographed some beadwork in their "fondy" archives. I wanted to show them how I've incorporated their work and stories into one of my many presentations. This one covered the different styles of beadweaving, gerdany, loomwork, embroidery with beads, metalwork, wirework, beaded eggs, etc.

I presented the "Contemporary Bead in Ukraine" twice. First on Sep 6th at the Educational Metodogical Center in Ivano Frankivsk, Western Ukraine. Then on Sep 13th in a great hall lined with display cases full of incredible artifacts at the Ivan Honchar Museum in the capital Kyiv.

A photograph is worth a 1000 words and provides a

stunning contrast to my contemporary outfit.

The Ivan Honchar Museum is dedicated to preserving traditional

folk arts through photograph and artifact collecting.

Maria tells about Ina Wasylkevych's cabochons and leatherwork in Truskavets.

A great buzz was created at the Honchar Museum

It was really wonderful to see so many beaders hanging on to every word, even photographing the the slides as I was showing them. Great questions came afterwards, as well as even greater expectations and ideas of what to do next.

Thanks to my brother, Paul Wasylkevych, for the photos and assistance with the PowerPoint presentation.

Mi'kmaq Museum, NS

Travel necessities - map, camera, beads, stringing material, brochures

Mother Nature forced us to find an indoor activity. The Glooscap Heritage Centre in Truro, NS had an amazing bilingual multimedia presentation about the history and folklore of First Nations people and early European immigrants.

The artifacts were displayed in cabinets equipped with press buttons which shed light on the objects when touched. While this was a great preservation idea, it was a bit of a challenge when taking pictures. We had fun trying to photograph the displays with one hand on the button and one on the camera. No complaints when a friend pressed the far corner one for an overall lit shot.

Here are two examples of traditional quill work with an introduction of a beaded trim. These are ideal for inclusion in my new seminar "Embellishing Your World: Beading and Surface Designs" which I will be presenting at the Creativ Festival this October.