In the next few weeks I will post some blogs about free form design, i.e. designing a necklace or bracelet when you have not drawn out a sketch in advance. As in the pic below.
This is a carved bone pendant, strung abstractly with 6 of my handmade glass beads (lampwork) and various bone beads. I dropped the beads on the bead board and let them fall where they may, then strung them.
Most of the time I am very symmetrical in my designs, making each side of the necklace match, left and right of the focal piece in the center, whether it be a bead, a carved bone pendant or a fused glass pendant I created, but occasionally I get a little wild and just drop the beads and string them. (My husband likes it when I do. The necklace in the pic is one of his favorite pieces.)
Maybe you purchased some semi-precious gemstone beads or just some glass beads, and you have been looking at these beads in your bead box for quite some time trying to figure, what am I going to make with them. How do you take them from just being a pile of beads, just sitting around the art studio, to finished jewelry? I will do some layout on my bead board and shoot some pics and post them to give you a concept of how I get creative, whether symmetrical or abstract, how does one come up with a design.
How do I get ideas for my designs, you ask? I look at the seasonal color charts that are published and I look at clothing magazines and jewelry design magazines. I get ideas from various places, nature, leaves, flowers. I never copy anyone’s work. All my pieces are my originals, but I can look at someone work and get a basic idea and then create my own unique piece from there.
If you have any questions, please post them. I will try my best to answer them.
Christina
