Art Bead Scene January 2013 Challenge

While I did say I did not plan on doing a lot of challenges this year, I did WANT to participate in as many of the ABS challenges as possible. (Wow! That sentence will definitely trip a grammar teacher! So many "did"s! Let's try reconstructing)

While I was not planning to join a lot of challenges this year, I did WANT to participate in as many of the ABS ones as possible. (Much better!)
 Actually, a stretch goal is to be a featured designer there!

I was looking forward to seeing the inspiration artwork for January, and was thrilled to see this:

 

Black Peacocks with Japanese Persimmons
Jessie Arms Botke, 1940
Oil and Gold Leaf on Panel
32 x 40 inches

Do click on the photo to read more about the art.

Oh no no, I don't really know the artist, am not in love with peacocks or anything like that. It was all for a very selfish reason. You see, I had this really pretty focal pendant that I got from my partner in the 6th Bead Soup Blog Party, Miss Kathy Combs.

I have been hoarding this and a few other things she sent me for a long time now. And this was a perfect choice for this painting! I did not want to pick up the "theme" of the painting...peacocks, but I wanted as many elements as possible in there. The pendant, while not being anything like the peacock feather, has a lot of its colors, and its circles! Sweet!

Next...what do I DO with it? Its an asymmetric pendant, and enameled, so I knew I could not punch in more holes if I wanted to make a bracelet (which I did not, I am scared of making them, remember?). So it had to be a necklace. On to how do I string it. I have some gorgeous Marsha Neal silk cord in co-ordinating colors that I considered, but I was feeling like playing with wire.

I have this gorgeous brown colored wire in my stash, which went very well with the focal.  I used the wirework to depict the flow and the shape of the ferns. I used faceted czech glass beads in slowly graduating colors, from the brown of the earth to the yellow-gold of the persimmons.

Finally, the delicate brown chain is for the thin bare branches of the persimmon tree.

So now that we have the description and the design process out of the way, here is the necklace itself :-)

 

I did learn a lot while doing the wirework...mostly that I should measure the wire pieces exactly if I have to make a replica!

I was worried that the symmetrical stringing would not look good with the asymmetric focal, but it looks quite nice :) I do like it a lot!

The necklace is listed in my etsy store :)

Now that I am done with the January challenge, I am getting impatient and want to see the February artwork right away!