Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you'll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner.
This weeks winner is
Valerie C., congratulations!
You have won a ceramic clasp from Gaea, compliments of
Lorelei Eurto. Please
email Lorelei with your mailing address and she'll send that right out to you.
Welcome to the Humblebeads Studio this week.
You know how when the universe wants to tell you something you'll keep hearing it over and over again from all sorts of different places? Well, the universe has been saying to me - good design is good design and returning to the basics will give your work strength, vitality and new life.
Margie Deeb gave an insightful talk on the Bead Cruise about
Finding Inspiration Everywhere and using the basic elements of color to improve your jewelry design. That really got my attention. So much of my design process is based on instinct, what I like and want to work with at the moment, that I don't give much thought to using those basic principles of design anymore. And this is something I've been working on this week, having a thoughtfulness to my process.
I've been keeping a little checklist in my head:
Unity - an overall cohesiveness to the design, each element relates to another part.
Balance - usually asymmetrical, but there is a sense of each part balances another whether in shape, color or texture, etc.
Repetition - it may not be overt, but there is repetition and some form of pattern.
Texture - a play of textures adds excitement to a piece.
Contrast - there has be some part of the design that stands out, the contrast can be in any of the other design principles. A lack of contrast is a sure-fire recipe for a boring design.
Color - color can be second nature, but taking a little time to think out a palette based on color theory principles can add a new sophistication to a design.
So what creative lesson has the universe been whispering or shouting to you lately?
Leave a comment and we'll draw one random winner next week to receive one of my
Poppy beads.
