Beadwork

Arabesque is an unusual piece for me, in that it is symmetrical. The glass floret in the center was the seed of the design. It takes practice to get the tension correct in bead embroidery. In a balanced motif such as this, there can be no errors or it will be painfully obvious. I prefer free-form peyote, because it is intuitive. This necklace required thinking!

Freda has been my muse several times. She dreamed out loud. Her image has become iconic. This necklace features a miniature collage of Freda Kahlo. Gold tulle makes a textural bed for the variety of glass beads and crystals. Turquoise and garnet chips add interest and the vibration of natural stone.

Talking to the Moon is special because it uses the last of some of my favorite beads - the turquoise lined tiny beads from Japan and the sparkling raspberry Delicas. Nestled within the mix are the most challenging beads of all - Maco's. I call them needle bugle beads, because that is a better description. I almost always break a needle when working with them, as the hole is so tiny. Notice the pyramid beads around the moon face - each one has an eye in gold.

Sadly, all the shots were taken on a pile of wood that was once our Redbud tree. Notice the raw jagged white meat of the limb on the Freda shot. That is what the wind did - snapped my favorite tree past redemption.