Azores...

My husband walked in the door the other day..so pleased with himself..'..I have something for you!'..ooh..?? I thought..must be goood...lol..had to swallow..my 'EEK!' ..and grin a rather yellow smile..

It was a very fresh (almost squirmy) HUGE squid!

Ha..welcome to the Azores.
  I.. who until my 20's, fish and seafood,apart from the odd shrimp or clam, had been basically square and breaded (as in fishsticks).. have learnt to be very brave..cleaning and cooking these lovelies..but well worth it..yum! Grilled with a bit of garlic, lemon and white wine ..yes ..can be easy to adapt.

My Secret Shops..revealed..

I want to share ..
.. a few of the wonderful shops I've found (on etsy and no so).
This first post presents..
Alchemy Shop  from Latavia..old Europe. A magical place full of unique vintage 'treasures'...

Tho' I visit almost every day..I have actually only bought one precious 'find' from here..but what a prize! I didn't even fav this one, as I usually do..hesitating, debating, wishing..right into the cart on first sight. Friendly and fast service and..delightful packaging!

I am pondering ..an image for the focal? ..or something else..This is a photo I took of a lonely chapel on a lake..here in São
 Miguel...I'd love some thoughts, comments or opinions..:)

The Lonely Chapel..Nossa Senhoa das Vitorias,Lagoa das  Furnas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..and another image pendant in the making .. distressed photo print on pyrite stone.

ArtBead Scene May Challenge 'Hide and Seek'

 Cache-cache (Hide-and-Seek), 1873

 by Berthe Morisot

Oil on Canvas, 18 1/4" x 21 3/4" 

Art Bead Scene blog's monthly challenge was truly a challenge..this engaging painting by Berthe Moiret ..at least for me. The wonderful earthy greens ..so familiar.. so easy to work with..but black and white? I had never, up until now, used or appreciated black and white in jewelery. The more I gazed on the this bewitching composition the more I admired such skill for color and composition. I found it very difficult to re-create any thing near this genius.  Feeling that black and white could not be left out..the spark or what makes it 'pop'..I did my best resorting once again to a familiar medium..textiles.

Vintage silk crepe plisse and a bit of black velvet ribbon coupled with a vintage black glass saucer  bead with vintage black and white enamel flowers.

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A totally wonderful and earthy raku art bead from WondrousStrange gave the greens and emeralds  life.

    A mix of labradorite, jade, faceted pearls, grassy green velvet and taffeta ribbon complete the picture.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75106145/silk-crepe-bracelet-assemblage-cache

                                                   

April's challenge..Finches and Bamboo

Oh..the delight and anticipation of interpreting 'Finches and Bamboo', painted by the Chinese emperor Huizong, 1082-1135.. almost 1000 years ago!

The Art Bead Scene blog's pick for the April challenge was perfect..
 
For what had touched me..beside the age of this painting , was not only the painting's sensitivity and delicate beauty, but the subtle texture .. the inks on silk. Fabric..my fav!

The images, and sound(!), and touch(!), of the dry rustling faded silk were dancing in my head..and just what I had been hoarding for years?...a length of  parchment colored wild silk fabric.

With a few brush stokes of paint I reddened the edges, added a strip of dupioni silk for the dark browns and a fabric cuff was born ..then..well ..lucky me.. I have a fantastic stash of  the most awesome art beads from Shannon of missficklemedia.. Her patina-ed beads and chains were perfect for the 1000year old 'look' ..the soft patina greens complimenting the 'canvas' color  as did the bamboo leaves in the painting.


One very ancient looking button from missfickle 
was the perfect final touch.
                     



I must leave here a note on how these monthly challenges from the Art Bead Scene are so good for me..to be able to have an excuse to create and dream at will. Not bound by the market.. what is popular, what  is cost-effective, what is best for SEO...blah..and yuck.I know, necessary.
But it is almost as if these hours dedicated to attempting, in a very small way, to pass on the beauty created by these master painters in another medium, adding and taking away as I please,whatever moves me ...are actually mini holidays!     Thanks ABS.:)

Sacred Spring, Sweet Dreams... ArtBead Scene March Challenge

 The March challenge from the wonderful Art Bead Scene blog..Even though I just recently discovered  Art Bead Scene, thanks to Shannon of Missficklemedia, I am so excited about these challenges..only my second but the great folks at Art Bead come up with just the BEST inspiration for these challenges...





Sacred Spring, Sweet Dreams... 
Gauguin painted this after he moved to Tahiti in 1891, seeking inspiration from the native "primitive" culture, which he regarded as more real and more sincere. It is characterized by clear outlines, flat forms, and vibrant colors, which reflect the influence of native art on the artist



 At first I thought..oh yuck..not my colors..boy, was I wrong! Leave it to the 'masters' to prove  just what we can learn from them.

This painting and its wonderful subtle warm colors and primitive style began to grow on me ..each day as I sifted through my stash..each night those colors clinging to me before dropping off to sleep..and what art beads did I have? 

Of course! Something very special  from Claire Maunsell..of stillpointworks..called..'Lovely Fly Beads'..I remember so well the phrase that made me buy them..an admirer had said.."They are so interesting. They look like they've been jiggling about in some Medieval peddlers pocket for years..."

I do believe I take  inspiration too literally.. I added flys (beads) and limes and pineapple leaves for the girls' picnic in the painting..The fantastically detailed limes and leaves are actually for doll house miniature collections.

A very vintage silk embroidered  trim from India had just the tones to tie all my other found bits and vintage pieces all together.

 ..can't wait 'till next month..:)

My Twilight Blue and ... 'Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose'

John Singer Sargent's wonderful  painting  'Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose 'was chosen as the inspiration for the February challenge of the Art Bead Scene blog. 

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Intrigued by the painting, I decided to investigate ..here follows an excerpt from the JSS Gallery site ..

"..The seed of the idea was first planted in the fertile garden of the Lavington Rectory in 1884 when Sargent was staying with the Vickers. The white lilies in full bloom around the two children in a garden would be the framework on which he would mount this most ambitious project. The idea (a purely fanciful one to be sure) was to capture, not the most perfect sunset, but the affect of the most perfect sunset has, in terms of color, shadows and light on a scene. But it was more than that. How about the artificial light of Chinese lanterns at the precise moment of twilight when lanterns and sun are at perfect equilibrium!  -- Could he paint that magical transient moment that lasts no more than a couple of minutes most -- capture that most perfect color of mauve when the sun is still flush in the sky and the lanterns glowing equally?  Not create the scene from his mind or memory of what it would or should look like, but actually capture it -- could he paint the exquisite beauty between those two minutes?  

Of course not. No one could paint in two minutes and even come close to a faithful adaptation no matter how prepared he or she was prior. But what if he painted only for those magical minutes every day?  If he was faithful, if he kept true to the principles of Impressionism -- painting only what he saw and not what he thought he saw or wanted to see, if he did it every day for two minutes could he capture lightning in a bottle so to speak?..."

And so..a medley of blues is born.. a jumbled array of ribbon  and rags with chains and vintage beads of all sorts and species. Hand patina-ed, handpainted..hand distressed in a attempt to obtain the peaceful 'twilight' tone and dusky textures of  the painting.

The main stage is taken by a beautiful melancholy blue raku cross focal pendant by a favorite and most talented etsy artist, Dorcus, from Wondrous Strange.
Lush midnight blue and faded grey velvet , dusty blue green vintage calico print fabric and sun-faded lavender silk rag strips make up the ribbons..  inspired by the little girl's dresses.  

                                                                              
  I thoroughly enjoyed the last few days.,distressing,constructing..dreaming. ..faintly hoping the necklace may evoke perhaps just a small bit of that wonderful and peaceful, melancholy 'twilight' that John Singer Sargent so wonderfully captured on canvas.

Santa Maria

Sailed to the neighboring island of Santa Maria..population..6,000.. 'a jewel' in the Atlantic.

It was here that Christopher Columbus sought refuge in 1493 on his return from his voyage to America.

Santana..St..Anne

St. Anne's feastday was July 26..








http://www.etsy.com/listing/52600938/necklace-pendant-saint-anne-tile-image

Azorica brown lava pendant..

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51941358/azorica-brown-pendant-flowers-and-lava

Fast cars..beautiful scenery.. Sata IRC rally Azores

The trees draw you in..

Lucky you if you lose a ball in the woods of the Furnas golf course here on São Miguel.  I swear you can feel the trees talking...be careful..you may never want to leave...bewitched.
http://www.top100golfcourses.co.uk/htmlsite/productdetails.asp?id=560

Landing in the Azores..scary!

Sata (local airline)pilots are known to be the best in Europe with an average of 8 to 10 landings per day on short runways and high seas weather. The Azores are nine islands (nine airports!) in the Atlantic,1500 miles from the US east coast.


second try...

Raku Cross pendant...The Dead Marshes

http:MiddleEarths.etsy.com

"Yes, yes," said Gollum. "All dead, all rotten. Elves and Men and Orcs. The Dead Marshes.."

 You know how at times you pick something up and  can't put it down..mesmerizing..as you look upon it you are drawn in..your imagination is in gear..must do something..This is how it was when I opened my package from wondrousstrange (http://wondrousstrange.etsy.com) (see earlier post below..) This raku cross pendant was truly a joy to create..one of those experiences that give you a certainty .. it is worthwhile to create, to be an artist ..to be financially struggling to be sure..but a strange happy, fulfilled.feeling.

 

Mirkwood Forest Clearing locket pendant

This was a special order for a special client...who then graciously sent me a photo of how 'precious' the inside of the locket became.. with the wonderful photos of her young daughter and son..

The Postman ..brings Shallow Waters..

Best part of the day..when the postman brings a package like this one ! Even the stamps were  a treat..

Well rewarded for anxiously waiting for this wonderful creation, 'Beneath the Shallow Waters Sins Are Washed Away...Raku Cross', from the so talented artist who is WonderousStrange..http://wondroustrange.etsy.com
..it just is literally pulling me in to make a pendant..I think lots of ribbons and chain..