The creative process behind my beadwork C O L O R series
...the results will surprise you!
There is something really special that happens when you create and sometimes it isn't until you're done that you can see what it was really all about.
The intent of my C O L O R series was to show of the beauty and diversity of seed beads. I wanted to tell a story about texture, direction and interesting shapes - all using the same color of beads for each piece. After completing this series, I realized that I was doing much more than what I set out to do - so much more!
The first color I created in this series was Y E L L O W. It was so exciting and refreshing to get away from making portraits and just use my intuition to create. I had no real plan or drawing - I simply laid out all of the yellows in my collection and started putting down the beads onto my fabric. It was great to let go and be free with my beadwork. At the time, I got offered a life changing opportunity to have my own studio space in East Austin with an amazing group of women. Y E L L O W really captures my joy and excitement.
Next came, PURPLE. Purple is my favorite color and so I chose to dive into this study next. As I laid out my purple beads around my workspace, my desk and my mood changed drastically. Coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally), I realized it wasn't the right time to invest in a studio space and I had to say no. It was a time of letting go and realizing that everything has it's time and place. This piece reminds me to be kind to myself and to give myself time to meditate, accept and let go. You never know what great blessings come with loss.
I chose G R E E N next because it simply felt right. At this point, I was started to wonder if the colors were choosing me! While working on green, I got my groove back. I had released my sadness and I was proud of myself for saying no to something that I knew wasn't right for me. I knew my "no" was more like "not right now". I was listening to my intuition - no matter how much I wanted to resist. Every time I look at this piece, I am reminded and grateful for growth.
O R A N G E was next. I hardly remember making this piece because of the f l o w that I was feeling while making it. It was at this time that I was starting to see exactly what was happening with my color series - it turned from an abstract idea in my head into an actual tangible thing. Every time I finished a piece, I would jump up and dance with it in my hands and then add it to the growing stack of circles. Not everyone dances with their art - can you tell I love my work?!
P I N K was the most surprising color study of them all. At this point, I was starting to see the synchronicity between the colors and the events in my life. I expected to feel calm and feminine when working with pink. But as soon as I laid my beads out and put on one of my favorite pink music videos, I felt the POWER! At the time, my collaborative women's art show was gaining so much momentum and we were landing sponsorships left and right. It was a time of realizing my own power and the power of working together. Whenever I look at this piece, I feel my own empowerment as a woman and as a an artist.
B L U E was all about balance. At the time, I was busy preparing for my show and at times refusing to take breaks. After starting on B L U E, I was reminded by my good friends of the importance of replenishing your body and your mind. So, I danced the night away at a silent disco party, slept in and then got very inspired by the amazing vendors out at the Feliz market. B L U E reminds me of balance, retreat and self-love - it was exactly the fuel I needed to finish this series.
The final piece in my beadwork color series was R E D . At the time, I was in the final countdown before my art show and R E D gave me the kick in the pants that I needed push through and finish. My hands felt energized and I worked faster. My decisions about where to put the beads down were less calculated and more impulsive. It felt good to be in the company of the color R E D - it pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed me the power of focus and not doubting my choices. I definitely need more red in my life.
When I started this series, my intention was to tell a story about color and beads. I realize now that while I thought I was telling their story, the beads were really telling my story - the ups and downs of creating and being an artist. This C O L O R series turned into a study on how colors can deeply affect human emotion and I was the unknowing subject. How ridiculously wonderful!
If you are interested, O R A N G E, P I N K and P U R P L E are still for sale - all other colors have sold. These are all completely one of a kind and come in a 10 x 10" white matted frame. Contact me here.
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lys