Texture talk!

I didn’t think that this blog post was ever going to get written! Some of you know that my old desktop crashed, only to be replaced by a new notebook. Unfortunately, my photo editing software doesn’t appear to be compatible with Windows 10, so I needed to search for a quick replacement! No time for research, so after a few misfires, I ended up just using Google’s own photo editor (the one that replaced Picasa). All I can say is that it works, and I was able to download my photos. No other info to share!

The real subject of this post, is to share my day at the beach! My friend Ann, a new instructor at BeadFX, wanted to gather supplies, for her upcoming, "Pebble Beach" bracelet class (don’t you love it when some of your supplies are free?). I’ve been wanting to collect small driftwood pieces for future projects (yes, they will involve beads!), so I decided to tag along. I love texture photos, so never visit the beach without my trusty camera! Candid photos are great, and who would know that a dead fish, would make such an interesting composition? What type of fish is it, and how did it end up beached, in such a sorry state? Inquiring minds want to know? I found the other wildlife to be much livelier, but still an interesting study in contrasts!

There are no jewellery photos in this post, but rest assured, there will be lots of jewellery and mixed media pieces, made from our collection efforts! As an artist, I’m a firm believer that you should never stick to just one discipline. I work with fibre, paint, beads, stones, resin, photography, paper, metal, natural materials, the written word, and just about anything else that suits my fancy. Don’t ever be afraid to mix your media! You never know when or where inspiration will strike, and photographs are often a good stepping off point for new projects. Think texture! Think colour! Think shape and form! Your normal palette could be bold, saturated colours, but what would happen if you introduced beachy theme projects, and crisp, gnarly, frothy, or crunchy textures? Wouldn’t that be a refreshing change of pace? I’m a strong believer in stepping outside of your comfort zone, cleansing your artistic sensibilities, and waking up your muse!!! My day at the beach, certainly did that for me! I’ve been wallowing in creative ennui lately, and needed to give myself a break.

Texture is front and centre in most of these photographs! Feel free to borrow the beach palette, and introduce relaxing colour, and soft inviting textures into your projects! No time to play with my driftwood for a while, but do keep tuned for future updates. As the days get cooler, it will be refreshing to work with these colours and textures in the coming months. You never know when you’ll need a day at the beach!