Thank you — from the bottom of my heart — to those who joined me at the 14th Annual Sandia Heights Studio Tour. It was my pleasure to talk with you about art, my creations and your thoughts on open studios.
As you know, it’s the back stories that delight and intrigue me.
Many of you asked about my bead mosaic, “Gratitude’s Light.” I first learned about bead mosaic from a Cloth Paper Scissors magazine article entitled “Beads, Baby! A Creative Way to Embellish Surfaces.” The pictures and descriptions made my heart sing. As is my practice, I made two or three items to play with the technique.
The moment I saw a metal heart/hand combination at vendor day during Art Unraveled this summer, I knew it was to be my next beaded mosaic. I bought the piece from Katherine England, a well-known glass artist from Fullerton, CA. Little did I then connect the fact that she was the author of my article. Aren’t things serendipitous? By the time I made the connection, I’d already imagined my hand.
Beaded Mosaic Design
The initial design included some natural stones like rhodechrosite, frequently referred to as the love stone, a quartz crystal and an ammonite which came from Madagascar.
©2017, Mary Ellen Merrigan, “Gratitude’s Light” layout
My finished piece shifted slightly although it incorporated the gist of my original idea.
A Quan Yin bead from my stash (Quan Yin is the goddess of compassion) served as the focal. The body was loosely represented by an up cycled vintage pin. Faceted cup chain from the 40s outlined the heart shape. I used a combination of white, pink and transparent seed beads for background, positioning them in a way to simulate movement.
“Gratitude’s Light” delighted show attendees. I’ve decided to organize a class to teach the technique. I’ll share the details here.
Several show attendees signed up for my class list. To receive first notice of my upcoming classes and events, sign up for my newsletter, Soul Juice.