Inspiration Part I

 Yesterday right before a long drawn out snow, sleet and freezing rain storm locked us in, a delightful package of sea shells from Florida arrived.  They were sent by a dear friend who had recently returned from a vacation in the sun and was sharing this beachy goodness with me.  I was so pleased to have them and so grateful for her generosity in packing them up, carrying them home and then posting them out to me, that I wanted to do something very special with them.

She knew I love textures and looked for them especially.  I began by sorting some of them into texture piles.  These I think of as poetic textures.

This assortment seems to me to be strong texrures with a clear statement of purpose.

And these are fun and almost silly. 

  In the process of sorting, I came up with the idea that I will turn this serendipitious gift of inspiration  into art beads and share what I make with you in my next Inside the Studio post on Art Bead Scene scheduled for March 25.  That is just a little over a  month away and should be time enough for me to show you what I made and how I did it.  I hope you like the  process of creating as much as I do and will look forward to seeing what I come up with.  I have not made a thing with these shells yet  so it will be a real adventure.

When I ventured outside this morning after the storm was over I found so many images that pleased me that I began taking pictures.  The ice was different than usual, it was dripping and making patterns.

And more patterns.

And watery.  When I got up close to the trunk of this tree I could see water moving along the tree's bark under the ice.  It was exciting.

And the sun cast its shadow on the snow.

This tree which we planted some time ago looked so sprightly in that field of snowed over ice, that  I have decided to add it and these other photo images into the inspirational mix and see how they come out as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  See you in about a month with some art beads inspired by sea and ice.  

Mary