I Promised I Wouldn't Do This...

...but apparently I lied.  Or was easily tempted to change my mind.  Or had a bead that was too perfect to ignore.

Let's go with #3.

I swore I wouldn't do another challenge until after the holidays, but the other night I heard a little voice saying "Psst, hey, I'd be perfect for this month's Art Bead Scene Challenge."

What, you don't hear your beads talking to you?  Okay, maybe it's partially the fever I've been fighting for a couple of days, but I'll let you be the judge.  Here's the inspiration artwork this month, Revolving by Kirt Schwitters.

Revolving by Kirt Schwitters 1919
Assemblage-Wood, metal, cord, cardboard, wool, wire, leather, and oil on canvas
48 3/8" x 35" (122.7 x 88.7 cm)
Museum of Modern Art, New York

And on the work table, just begging to answer this challenge, was a lovely lampwork swirl focal by Nikki Thornburg-Lanigan.  So here's what it became:

Okay, I admit it.  I'm weak and give into the beady temptation too easily.  Can you blame me?

February Art Bead Challenge

To celebrate the three day weekend (thanks, George and Abe, for having birthdays close enough to warrant a Federal holiday for you and the other presidents!), I've been spending lots of time today at the bead table, working hard on my first entry for the Art Bead Challenge.


These challenges have been so intriguing and inspiring, but this month I finally had enough time and an appropriate art bead, so yippee skippy, I'm finally giving it a shot.


The inspiration this month is The Conference of the Birds by Habiballah, from a manuscript of the Mantiq al-Tayr (The Language of the Birds) of Farid al-Din 'Attar, c. 1600.  Isn't it spectacular?  You can read more about the artwork, and the challenge, here.


My eye was immediately drawn to the peacock and to the lovely lavender shades in the stream.


I started with this porcelain focal by Forever Young, which I topped with a carved cinnabar bead with a phoenix (sadly, you can't see the phoenix in this photo, nor can I get the photo to display upright.  Crap.)

Then I added a couple of carved bone beads, lavender jade, a carved agate barrel, a dyed agate lentil, copper wire, and fiber.  I don't often use fiber in this way in my work, so this was a little added degree of personal difficulty for me.

The reveal date for all the challenge entries is February 29 (Leap Day).  With such gorgeous art for inspiration, I can't wait to see what everyone has created!