Self - December 2012 Bead Journal Project

A few days late, but 2012 is complete!

My December rune stone represents the force of self-knowledge; if we are willing to evaluate and embrace both our strengths and faults, we can become forces in our own future and lives.

My found object is a small beveled mirror, salvaged from an Edwardian purse - it is quite flawed, only allowing a true reflection in bits and pieces. Our self-knowledge is usually equally flawed, distorted and glimpsed in tiny, isolated portions.

Bands of peyote stitch bind the mirror to the stone - just as we are bound by our flawed perceptions.

2012 is complete, but I don't think I'm finished exploring this concept; expect more rune stones in the future.

Technology - September 2012 Bead Journal Project

My series of rune stones have been all about forces and there's no denying the force of technology in our lives - it's what allows me to share these stones with you!

Like all forces, there is a duality to technology; it has the ability to be both a positive and a negative force in our lives. It's important to consider how a new technology may change our quality of life before embracing it, as once it becomes part of our routine, it's hard to go back to life without!

 Having said that, I'm probably the last human being on earth who does NOT have a cell phone - I'm really not a Luddite, I just don't feel the need to be available to the world 24/7. For me, the technology of a cell phone would decrease my quality of life, so I choose not to have one - simple!

For my rune stone, I used a portion of a circuit board, removed from a defunct VCR, as my focal point. 

As all modern technology is oil based, I used matte black beads to secure the circuit board to the stone - I wanted it to look like oil dripping down the edges.

I was initially unsure about this stone; it seemed out of place among the other stones, which are much more based in the natural world. But I decided it was appropriate after all; all the elements of modern technology are rooted in the earth - oil, metals, water, etc.

Do you embrace new technologies? Or do you adopt a bit of a "wait and see" attitude?

Spiral - July 2012 Bead Journal Project

Each of my rune stones are intended to represent a force, for July, I chose to represent spirituality with a natural spiral - a snail shell.

The spiral has found its way into the art of almost all cultures, from ancient primitive rock carvings on all continents to today's corporate logos. They show up in Celtic art, native American petroglyphs, Nazca earthworks, Arabic architecture, Japanese rock gardens, Hindu spiritual texts, Australian aboriginal paintings and African art. Surprisingly, no religious or political group has claimed exclusive rights to the spiral. It remains non-sectarian, the spiral  seems to belong to everyone and excludes no one.

In terms of spirituality, the spiral symbol can represent the path leading from outer consciousness (materialism, external awareness, ego, outward perception) to the inner soul (enlightenment, unseen essence, nirvana, cosmic awareness).

The snail shell was found in a walk in the woods; we find many especially in the spring. the shell required a quite deep bezel to secure it and I echoed that depth in the surrounding roadwork, giving the overall piece a great deal of texture and dimension.

Some consider the spiral a symbol of the spiritual journey. It is also considered to represent the evolutionary process of learning and growing. It seems that life doesn't proceed in a straight line. The path of life more closely resemble a spiral. We seem to pass the same point over and over again but from a different perspective each time, always moving from our center, but yet still connected .

Myth - June 2012 Bead Journal Project

Mythology, and more specifically the term myth, represents a common misconception in modern American society. This misconception has bred certain interchangeability with the term "lie," when the true, academic form of myth is quite different. It is these myths, steeped in every culture throughout history, that provide deeper meaning and understanding of our universe, world, society and people.

I choose to interpret the force of myth for my June rune stone.

The creation myth of Mackinac Island involves a "great turtle" rising from the watery depths and allowing his shell to become a home for all the land creatures. I used a vintage Czech glass button to represent the turtle shell - I've been saving this button for a long time, waiting for just the right project.

The button is changeable, sometimes green, sometimes a reddish pink, depending on the light; I thought this was a great way to show the mutability of myth, how myth can adapt to the changes of society and culture.

 

I beaded the remainder of the stone in a "camouflage" pattern, to represent the idea of myth camouflaging truth.

I need to make a confession - I actually have completed ten rune stones and they are on display at Crooked Tree Arts Center as a part of the "Artists of Mackinac Island" exhibit - and they've SOLD!

I will be completing my final two rune stones and I suspect many more - they've been so much fun to create and have been really well received by everyone who has had the opportunity to see them in person.

Touring Michigan (And Making Art) - Brimley State Park

Even when you live in a great place, sometimes you just need to get away and do some things you can't do at home. In our case, that means a campfire in the evening followed by sleeping in a tent near the water. Brimley State Park is a great fit for us: not to far away, quiet and beautiful.

The park is on the shore of Lake Superior and has a great sandy beach - a beach that is a great place to collect drift wood.

I love to use driftwood in my art, it's so light weight and has such interesting markings and patina after it's time in the lake.

It's been so cold that I suspect there haven't been many visitors and there's a lot of reeds, driftwood and other objects on the shore.

This piece really caught my eye:

And I was inspired to create an ephemeral "environmental sculpture" ala Andy Goldsworthy:

The Viking marauders landed at sunset and alas, were never seen again, their ship destroyed by the waves of Lake Superior in the night.

When the creative muse speaks, the wise artist listens - my sculpture may have only survived a few hours, but the memories will last much longer!