Sunday, August 07, 2011

work in progress

This is (a rather blurry) picture of one of my latest beads. Its carved in polymer clay on a brass rod. Its a few hours away from completion....but I'm at the point where I tend to go wild with details. I can't resist noodling on a piece forever. I adore simple, rustic and rough hewn pieces, with marks of the artists hand readily visible (Kathy Van Kleek comes to mind). Work like that always seems to have a magical quality to it, as if the fingerprints and tool marks lend a bit of mystery. I suppose its a subtle reminder of the artist.

Yet, its so difficult for me to make things simple. So, should I noodle away, add roof plates, window panes and other fancy details? Or should I aim for something less ornate? Smooth it out, crisp up the edges and cast it? What do you think?

16 comments:

Regina said...

I say, noodle away. We love it.

Lorelei Eurto said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lorelei Eurto said...

I think its the details that I love most about your beads. So I would say to go for it and add roof plates and window panes and anything else your heart desires!!

Lori Bowring Michaud said...

Noodle away!!

Vintajia Adornments said...

Detail. Its all about the detail!

Therese's Treasures said...

It looks great, but I agree with the others noodle away!
Therese

Patti Cahill said...

Noodle! I think it needs a teeny, tiny bird sitting on the roof!

Unknown said...

Yes details! The details make one wonder about its nook and crannys!

Deb from Holden ,MA said...

Yup. I looovve details. In everything. My eye goes right to them. And great craftsmanship is always something to behold. Not a lot of people have the talent that you have so it's your job to make things others can admire! We thank you for it.

TesoriTrovati said...

Noodle away! I love the details on your pieces for sure. I used one of your heart and key toggles in my special necklace to wear for my reunion this weekend. That paired with an awesome Basha bead that I got from Andew at the Bead & Button this year were gorgeous (pop over to my post from Sat 8/6 to see the picture). I love little houses and hav been looking for beads like that. I can't wait to see what this becomes!
Enjoy the day, Miss Cynthia!
Erin

Gaea said...

Can I be a stinker and say both? I love it either way!

Ann said...

When I first saw it, I gasped! I love it, but I understand your need to keep working at it. Use your artist's intuition, it will tell you when it is finished.

Ann
http://mycriticaleye.com

Kathy Van Kleeck said...

I'm with the others ... your carving skills are such profound gift ... flaunt 'em!
BTW - thanks for the link!

aerialpig said...

I know that "branding" can be a bit of a dirty word in the artist community, but Green Girl Studios is a business and I think it's the details that you're selling. Even better, it wasn't something consciously decided upon— it's just who you are and what you like to do.

Those mechanical owls were amazing, I miss seeing more of them. And can I just say, the word noodle makes me hungry. I'm having trouble finding a suitable synonym. "Experiment" is the best I can do and it is decidedly no fun.

Gina Chalfant said...

Details, we want details! This so much reminds me of the place I stayed in tuscany while going to school, Palazzo Guinigi. In Medieval times the taller the building the better so people plated trees on top of the towers to make it bigger. Our palazzo still had a tree on top of the tower, as it had since the 13th century. Ninety nine steps to my room, I went up and down at least 8 times a day!

My Life Under the Bus said...

I am late to the party but I vote NOODLE I too love the tiny details - they make the bead and leave your fingerprint behind.