October Art Bead Scene Challenge

Have you ever entered the Art Bead Scene Challenge? Each month a work of art is chosen as a starting point and participants create a piece of jewelry, using art beads, that reflects and expands on the theme and visual imagery of the artwork.

This month the chosen piece was an assemblage by Kurt Schwitters. The original work features overlapping circular shapes, bisected and transected by lines and shaded areas. The work is filled with shades of blue, green, gray and gold.

This collage shows the inspirational work at the lower right hand corner and the response work created by Lorelei Eurto. Her necklace features disc beads from Elaine Ray combined with stitching and layering. I can't imagine a more fitting interpretation of this work, but I may be a bit biased. I have been in love with those discs from Elaine since she first showed them to me this past summer. I love the piercings, the dramatic size, the way the flat shapes let the glaze speak. I also LOVE the designs of Lorelei Eurto. Lorelei is a co-author (with Erin Siegel) of an Ornamentea-favorite book, Bohemian Inspired Jewelry, a blogger and a best-selling etsy designer. Her work is always textured and layered, and worth a look. She's also the author of the e-book Asymmetry Made Easy. Check the book out, it's well worth the download if you struggle with asymmetry or 'matchiness' the way many jewelry makers do.

Do you enter contests with your work? A contest can be a great way to push yourself outside your 'usual' area, into a new color grouping, or unusual material, or make you try an unfamiliar technique. If you have been stuck in a rut entering a contest like the Art Bead Scene Challenge can help you really move forward, fast.

Give the contest a look-see and let us know if you enter!