May Monthly Challenge Blog Tour

I was delighted to find this painting Flower Vase in a Window Niche by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder for the May challenge. Why I chose this: The realism of the flowers and insects and shells in Bosschaert the Elder’s still life painting is remarkable. On the first look it seems like a pleasing arrangement of flowers, but on closer examination there is a very symbolic representation of the subject. The leaves on the flowers appear to be eaten. The petals are starting to fade. The flowers themselves are not ones that would be in bloom at the same time hinting to the transience of beauty and the passing of time. Including insects like caterpillars and butterflies hint at transformations, while flies and spiders hint at the inevitability of death. In the Flower Vase in a Window Niche, I like the arch of window and the view. The blue sky and puffs of clouds. In the distance there appears to be a castle in a pastoral setting. It is all very romantic, very lush, teeming with life and vibrancy while also showing a sensitivity to a fleeting moment in time.

All of the entries this month were so wonderful! From the color palette to the shapes of various flowers and the tiniest details, you really nailed this painting!

We will start out the tour with a new participant. Welcome DiLuna! Our painting challenged her to push her creative boundaries. She made a polymer clay pendant in the deep swirling colors of the flowers (above). There is even a hint of the bright blue sky. Wonderful entry! We look forward to seeing your designs in the future!

I always love hearing the stories of how the mother-daughter team of Beth & Evie McCord (above) come up with their designs. This month marks the return of the dynamic duo who work so well in tandem - this month they even strung the each half of the design together, making their bead choices on the fly! This bold bloom is hand sawn and enameled and makes quite the statement.

Picking up on the warm saturated tones of the painting, Just Beadey (above) found a home for some beads that she won in a previous monthly challenge! That is pure serendipity and this design is timeless.

I am totally crushing on this necklace from Backstory Beads (above). There is a lush quality to this that echoes the jam-packed vase of flowers in Bosschaert's still life. The colors blend so well with the subtle gradation, and the fringe makes me want to reach out and touch it! I also loved reading about the special memory that this painting evoked. Check it out!

Miss Angela Lund-Logan (above) got super inspired this month and created two great pieces inspired by the painting! Flowers take center stage with both of her creations. This one has the feel of the vase in those barrel beads and allow the beauty of that one solitary bloom to be extra special.

Learning about how a piece comes together is just as important to me as seeing the finished product. Miss Sarajo Wentling (above) gravitated to the finer details in the painting. She focused on the tiny bugs and insects and chose to turn the vase of flowers on it's head. You should go and read about her thought process at SJ Designs Jewelry.

A lot of thought went into this stunningly beautiful design by Jewels of Sayuri (above). She chose to use epoxy clay as her medium to create a bouquet of flowers in various stages of bloom. This necklace encircles the wearer with a ring of blooms. Ingenious styling! Welcome to the Art Bead Scene challenges. We look forward to your future participation!

This painting has a great many details in it that lend itself perfectly to a collage of components. That is what inspired Purple Fish Studios (above) while creating. The focal is a filigree wrapped piece of broken china! Each detail keeps my eye roaming over this pretty necklace and adds to the story of the whole.

Fulgorine (above) is busy being a new mommy so hasn't had as much time to play in our challenges, but we are so happy that she did for this month! A pendant she made b.b. (before baby) with a stylized flower in polymer clay embellished with sequins for a little pop of color really suited this month's painting inspiration well. We are happy to have your creative voice among us, Fulgorine. Go give that sweet baby a kiss on the head for letting you play!

I love it when a design can bring together a whole world full of art beads. That is exactly what the Beady Eyed Bunny (above) gives us. How wonderful that so many different artists are represented in this pretty bracelet!

So much richness and detail abound in this necklace by Gingko et Coquelicot (above). From the blooms and the bird to the leaves and the tiny hidden insects, this necklace is a feast for the eyes! And her blog name - literally Gingko & Poppy - is perfect for this challenge as well!

I enjoy seeing what element of the inspiration paintings will spark the creativity of our readers. Miss Mary Ellen of bee tree by m.e. (above) selected that frilly, showy bloom to bring to life. The details in her polymer clay focal are really remarkable.

Thank you to one and all for adding your special touch to this month's challenge inspiration. We look forward to seeing what you do with the June monthly challenge. Come back here on Tuesday, June 4 to see the reveal!

Pantone's 2013 Fall Colors

Pantone released their 2013 Fall Color picks back at the beginning of February, but I've been sitting on this post for a couple months now. Mostly because I really loved the Spring Colors and I wanted to enjoy them for a while. And partly because I didn't want to think about fall yet.

But because creatives work several months in advance, and some of you might already be working on (or planning) fall pieces and shows, let's go ahead and talk about the fall colors.

Very simply put, I love them. Love them. Take a look:

Overall, they've got a cooler tone to them, but a few are still nice and saturated (my favorite kind of color). Compared to Fall 2012, I like these colors better. They're more saturated and closer to colors I personally favor, where Fall 2012 seemed a little dull to me. I'm also loving pretty much every shade, versus last fall, when I didn't immediately react to choices like Honey Gold or Rhapsody. What do you think about this year's picks?

What I'm especially loving are the quasi-neutrals they included: Linden Green, Deep Lichen Green, Turbulence, and Carafe. I had a feeling those four colors will be so beautiful next to any and all of the other fall colors, so I starting playing with those first.

And I think I'm right - those neutrals/quasi-neutrals look fantastic with pretty much anything they're paired with, which is great for color lovers like us since we can match up any other color to one of them and have it look good. Fall is usually when I start reaching for neutrals/quasi-neutrals more, so having more than one option is nice, too.

When I was playing with the swatches, I did have one surprise: I kept reaching for Vivacious a lot. I knew I'd be reaching for Samba and Koi, as those are deeper, richer versions of Poppy Red and Nectarine (which I'm a big fan of), and I love pretty much any blue, so Monaco Blue was a given. But Vivacious caught me off guard.

At first, I didn't think I'd like it much, but the more I look at it, the more I think it's beautiful. And it pairs really well with other colors, especially Deep Lichen Green, Turbulence, and Carafe. Those are my favorites to use with Vivacious because they really let it shine without taking anything away from it.

So while I obviously used Vivacious a lot, I also had fun pairing up the other colors, too (can you tell?). I can't get enough of the blue-gray Turbulence, or the gray-greenish Deep Lichen Green. If I had to pick a favorite neutral, it's a dark gray, so it's fun to have two shades to play around with.

Your turn: what's your favorite Fall 2013 color? Favorite pairing?

Featured Designer of the Week - Ann Schroeder

Each week the Art Bead Scene features a Designer of the Week.
One of our editors picks her favorite from the Monthly Challenge entries. 

This week's winner is Ann Schroeder. You can see her necklace here.

 
Here is what ABS editor Erin Siegel had to say about Ann Schroeder's design:

"When I looked at the pool of designs for this month, Ann's necklace pulled me in right away. A chic, stylish piece anyone would love to wear. When I took a closer look, I was drawn in even further. The hip floral pendant and mix of colors, materials and textures appealed to me. I adore each element chosen. It all flows together so nicely. I love the simple, modern composition of her design. It really allows each of the art beads to stand out and shine. Ann managed to incorporate several different artists beads and components in her necklace while achieving a cohesive, balanced, haromious design. That can be difficult to do! Ann makes it look effortless here. Wonderful. I love it."

Erin Siegel is a jewelry designer, beading instructor and co-author of the jewelry book, Bohemian-Inspired Jewelry: 50 Designs Using Leather, Ribbon and Cords. To find out more, visit her blog: Erin Siegel Jewelry.