ABC's of Creativity - C is Color

Visual presentation by Maria Rypan, 2012;
"Beader's Palette" by Jan Huling

"Beader's Paint Box" presentation for Creativ Festival Spring 2013
INDO Bracelet, Lariat & Earrings, Rypan Designs 

How do you get your beadwork to pop? Maria's presentations share a little bit of colour theory with lots of examples to show how to place bead colours, finishes and metallics against each other. The visuals make it possible to examine many variation and then apply what was learned in your beading. 

Color is a phenomenon of light or a visual perception that enable one to differentiate otherwise identical objects. It is described in terms of hue, lightness and saturation for objects; hue, brightness and saturation for light sources. Hue can be contrasted with black or white. (Miriam-Webster Dictionairy)

The relationships are best understood with color wheeels, a concept invented by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666.  These wheels from Color Matters show the basic concept.

Primary Colors. You can't stir beads to create the secondary or tertiary colors. But you can choose to place them according to the color wheel. These beads all have the same saturation. Black is not a hue. 
INDO Lariats have novel Indonesian lampwork beads, Rypan Designs 

Complementary. These beaded boxes use the very same hues, but vary in their color placement within the same design.
"Anemone Box Series" beaded by Jo-Ann Woolverton; inspired by Julia Pretl

Complementary. Using a bit of the opposite color on the wheel gives your beadwork zing.
"Wisteria" Textured Net, Rypan Designs

Analogous. Use colors next to each other on the wheel. These warm colors seem to advance.
"Coca Cola Bottle Caps" necklace and bracelet by Maria for friend Dolores

Monochromatic. Try tints and shades of the one color to make it interesting. These cool colors seem to recede.
Dangle Earrings using Swarovski ELEMENTS®, Rypan Designs 

This TBS Bag of Bead Challenge was full of opaque, transparent and  silver-lined TEAL seed beads. It also included the pressed glass, buttons and sequins.
Two pairs of complimentary beads were strategically placed to create the netted pattern. Note the playful color effects and turnaround beads in the strung fringe.
"Sedona Kilim",  Maria Rypan, 2000

Rainbow® Color Selector is a 5" wide tool which also comes in a Tonal Color version.
It's available from Fire Mountain Gems.

This ultimate color wheel was designed as a fundraiser by Ewelina Rzad. 50 beaders from Poland participated. Soutache and seed bead wrapped cabochons are tastefully layered into a collar. Each cabochon is a mini work of art. Light tinted red and purple hues create the 'V' which turns to cool colors on the right and morphs into warm colors on the left. 
"Tęczak - The Rainbow". CLICK to see how cabs were wrapped in soutache by the bead artists

Margie Deeb's bible for beaders

This is the only book of its kind written specifically for bead artists, The Beader's Guide to Color teaches beaders of all levels everything they need to know about color to create unique and vibrant beadwork designs. Author and artist Margie Deeb discusses in depth the psychological and symbolic associations of all the colors of the spectrum, and the ways in which color can be used to create and accentuate pattern, rhythm, and movement. Twenty-one color schemes are described and illustrated in detail with accompanying projects. 

Playing with color is fun!

ABC's of Creativity - B is Beads

A bead is defined as a small, usually round object of glass, wood, stone, or the like with a hole through it, often strung with others of its kind in necklaces, rosaries, etc. (from dictionary.com).

Beads have been inspiring humanity for millennium as personal decoration and status symbols. These ancient shell beads with manmade holes are among the oldest ones ever found. They could be about 90,000 years old.

Photograph Marian Vanhaeren and Francesco d'Errico (from nationalgeographic.com)

Of course for many of us, our first beads were either cereal or pasta strung on yarn. As we grew older and more beads became available to us we progressed to plastic and wooden beads. Now we work with glass, metal and semi precious stone. But no matter what you thread on to the thread or wire the beauty, colour and shape of the bead will inspire what you create.

These bright floral lampwork beads are accented with a zing of lime green, red rondelles and bali silver.

Beadwork by Maria Rypan, lampwork by Nancy Meisner

These beads evoked the styling of the pottery of the Trypillian Culture. Combining clay bead from Ukrainine, African spindle bead, dyed tagua nuts, terracotta beads and copper beads created three version of the Trypillian Spirit necklace. You can see that using the same beads in varying amounts creates dramatically different looks.

Beadwork by Maria Rypan

The soft pastel colours of these Swarovski crystal pearls are worked into a bracelet and earrings using a simple ladder stitch. The use of a fine beading wire ensures that the pieces hold their shape.

Beadwork by Maria Rypan

Beadwork on a bride's wedding gown inspired the selection of cyrstals and pearls for this stunning necklace. Watch for a more detailed blog posting about the creation of all of the beadwork for the bride.

Beadwork by Maria Rypan

This loomworked piece has small blue pressed glass flowers embellishing the mixed green base. The fringe effectively combines additional flowers and glass leaves.

Beadwork by Jo-Ann Woolverton

For this 3-D Snowflake Fanwheel's long twisted bugle beads form points. 6mm Swarovski AB crystals gives it extra sparkle.

Beadwork by Maria Rypan

New styles of beads are being made available to beaders around the world. Tilas (flat square two-holed beads) are among the hot new shapes. Here Kerrie Slade has used them to create stars that are joined to make a bracelet or singly as an earring.

beadwork by Kerrie Slade

Lampwork beads are miniature works of art on their own. They can be the inspiration for more that just a bracelet or necklace.

Owl, Book & Heart beads by Lucie Kovarova-Weir

Owl bead by Lezlie Winemaker

This set of bright blue, yellow, red and orange beads by Amy Waldman-Smith inspired a complete set of beaded boxes.

Lampwork beads by Amy Waldman Smith

Beadwork by Jo-Ann Woolverton

Elly Peters' lampworked blue beads with brown and red accents inspired this box.

Beads by Ellie Peters, Beadwork by Jo-Ann Woolverton

Beadwork by Jo-Ann Woolverton

There maybe times when you can't find that bead to inspire you, so you may have to make your own beaded beads. Using seed beads, crystals and other shaped beads you can make a bead to become the centre of a great design or a unique piece on their own.

Assorted Moorish Tile Beads, designed by Diane Fitzgerald

Crown Jewel, designed by Laura McCabe

Belissimo Beaded Beads, designed by Marcia DeCoster

I hope that you will let amazing beads take your creativity down a new and different path.

Happy Beading!

ABC's of Creativity - A is Art

Over 2013 we are going to journey creatively throught the alphabet. Touching on techniques, inspiration and eye candy we hope to help spark your creative process.

Creativity is defined as the state or quality of being creative; the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; and the process by which one utilizes creative ability. (from dicitonary.com)

We will start our journey with A for Art. Art is defined as the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance; and the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings. (from dictionary.com)

Art is whatever you creatively produce, but it is also the process of the creation and it can also be the work of another that inspires you.

Taking the time and effort to learn the techniques of your chosen art form is an important part of the creative process. You will expand your ablities and see the possiblities in the any variations of your art. For beaders a great reference book for a variety of techniques is The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving by Carol Wilcox Wells.

When looking to art for inspiration galleries and museums are the obvious places to go, but the world of the visual arts are available in books and online sources. Without leaving home you can go to the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim.

Mona Lisa by da Vinci as see at the Louvre

Bridge of a pond of water lilies by Monet as see at the Met

Green Violinist by Chagall as seen at the Guggenheim

Here are some handmade beads inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night. These polymer clay beads are from Humble Beads by Heather Powers.

Inspired by the painting and the beads I combined the beads with navy blue pearls and bright yellow crystals.

 I hope that this will ignite a spark or two in your creative process.

Happy Beading!!!

Tucson Classes

With snowflakes starting to fly here in Toronto, many are starting to head to warming climates. One of those hot stops is Tucson, Arizona. Another great reason to head there is the amazing bead and gems shows that take over Tucson from late January to early February each year.

Maria has been a few times teaching and bringing back new and fun beads to work into her designs. This past winter she did not go, but at an event at a wholesale supplier, John Bead, Maria won a trip to Tucson for 2013.

She will once again be teaching and finding some amazing beads to work into designs for 2013.

With sponsorship from Swarovski Elements Maria will be teaching her Tennis Bracelet design at the Best Bead Show.  It is shown here with demin bicones but will be offered with the new for 2013  Lt. Turquoise colour.

She is also going to teaching her Beaded Soutache design in bracelet and/or necklace length.

 

As Maria's sample maker I get to make these amazing projects to be photographed and displayed. The Tennis Bracelet is simple but elegant. The Beaded Soutache  is an creative combination of beads that become a textured beadwoven band for a bracelet or necklace.

I am also looking forward to seeing what new beads Maria will bring back to the chilly north for some new designs for 2013.

Bonus days at Ukrainian Museum and Library courtesy of Hurricane Sandy

The Museum was celebrating it's 75th Anniversary inside as Hurricane Sandy created a foreboding atmosphere outside

The calm before the storm... Ukrainian Museum on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, 3:30 pm

These leaves are from a tree near the chateau, but ended up at the far end of the property after Sandy's fury

Marian and Maria dressed for the 75th Anniversary celebration.

Luckily, the College and Seminary, Museum and Library were spared the worst. Stamford was other side of Manhattan from New Jersey. 

However, Hurricane Sandy did leave it's mark on the property. It also gave me extra days as my flight was delayed three times. BONUS!! I devoted this time to researching the vast collection on books on my favorite subjects. Monday was spent in the Library.

 

The Library is located in the former college which my uncle, Lubomyr Cardinal Husar, attended in the 1950's. This is Monday and it's stormy outside. The wind was blowing hard. A fine rain was being whipped around all day. 

Monsignor John Terlecky, the Director and Librarian, catalogued a few more books while there was still power.

A full collection of magazines about Kyivan Rus. Brilliant artwork on the spines.

A magazine issue from the series

 On Tuesday, the Library lost power along with the rest of the neighborhood homes and buildings. I was able to take the books to my "Gerdany" teaching room and continue my research.

Bishop Paul and Maria survey the damage after the Hurricane winds died down on Tues morning 

Library Assistant Anna poses for a photo of the toppled tree

Branches litter the grounds near the pavillion

Freshly split off branches litter the grounds

Other view of the Museum. More tree branches of every description

Monday we had a "Gerdany-making" evening with a free "Hurricane Special" kit for interested participants. I highly recommend such diversions if you're lucky enough to be in a safe building. The winds were whipping around, but our minds were on the beadwork.

Natalia beaded this Textured Net in three hours at our Hurricane Sandy beading night.

Taras, Natalia in her new Pearl Twig Willow and Marian with her Byzantine Cross

I even renamed my INDO Netted X's and O's "Sandy" as I beaded it Monday, Tuesday while on the phone for 1.5 hours trying to change flights, and at JFK on Thursday evening.

"Sandy" Netted X's and O's" with Indonesian lampwork beads