July Monthly Challenge

Alexander Calder :: Blue Feather, c. 1948

Sheet metal, wire, and paint

42" x 55" x 18"

Calder Foundation, New York (calder.org)

 About the Artist

"Alexander Calder (1898-1976), whose illustrious career spanned much of the 20th century, is the most acclaimed and influential sculptor of our time. Born in a family of celebrated, though more classically trained artists, Calder utilized his innovative genius to profoundly change the course of modern art. He began by developing a new method of sculpting: by bending and twisting wire, he essentially "drew" three-dimensional figures in space. He is renowned for the invention of the mobile, whose suspended, abstract elements move and balance in changing harmony. Calder also devoted himself to making outdoor sculpture on a grand scale from bolted sheet steel. Today, these stately titans grace public plazas in cities throughout the world."

About the Sculpture

"The shapes in Blue Feather have been so abstracted that, instead of literally depicting a bird, the piece suggests natural concepts such as floating, soaring wind, wings, feathers, clouds. Blue Feather combines Calder's two most important inventions — the mobile and the stabile. The interconnected lines and positive shapes in the piece interact with the negative spaces around them. The upper portion of the sculpture moves, causing the work to change from minute to minute.
— "Flying Sculptures" Scholastic Art"

The Prizes:

Winners will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on August 1st.

Our sponsors this month are sponsors: Creative Impressions In Clay,
Lyn Foley and Diva Designs please visit us Monday to see the prizes!

Featured Designer of the Week:

From all the entries during the month, an editor is going to pick their favorite design to be featured every Monday here on the ABS. We want to give our participants more time in the spotlight! Our Featured Designer will be this Monday, so get those entries in soon.

How to enter the Monthly Challenge:

1. Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.

***Beads by themselves and beads simply strung on a chain or cord will not be accepted.***

2. Upload your photo to our flickr group. Detailed instructions can be found here and click here for a tutorial for sending your picture to the group.

Please add the tag or title JULYABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is July 31st. Photos are approved by our moderators, if a photo hasn't followed the guidelines it will not be approved. You may upload 2 photos a day.

What is an Art Bead?
An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.

***A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.
Beaded beads, stamped metal pendants or wire-wrapped components are not considered art beads for our challenge.***

p.s. If you have a blog, post your entry and a link to the ABS challenge to spread the beady goodness.