Betterly Ceramic Is Perfect for June Art Bead Challenge

Trees Laden with Parasites and Epiphytes in a Brazilian Garden, 1873 

      
This month's Art Bead Challenge is a landscape painting by Marianne North, an English Victorian biologist and botanical artist.  She is  notable for her plant and landscape paintings.  She is also well known for her extensive foreign travels, her writings, her plant discoveries and the creation of her gallery at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

 The painting selected for our inspiration is called  Trees Laden with Parasites and Epiphytes in a Brazilian Garden.  The scientific accuracy with which she documented plant life in all parts of the world, before photography became a practical option, gives her work a permanent value. 

When I first looked at the painting I was struck by all of the reds and greens. That combo reminds me of Christmas, but it's also a really powerful complementary color scheme. Red never looks more red than when it's against green because they sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel.  I pulled out a bracelet bar made by Moriah Betterly because it is red and has a design that reminds me of the flowers in the painting.

Red Floral Cuff Bracelet by BayMoonDesign

I decided against trying to use the dominant color of the painting green in the same proportion as the artist did.  After selecting the beautiful red ceramic and I struggled to do it justice.  I came to realize that the tiny green button pearls that I originally decided to use were way too small for this large cuff.  The ceramic cuff is large and sits on top of the wrist. It is about 2 inches in height and completely covers the top of the wrist. The bracelet has 2 strands of beads on the back --green freshwater pearls, gold beads, and red sea glass beads. The long red sea glass beads that I got from Znetshows are the perfect vibrant color and their unique shape worded well.   I made the  golden brass clasp so that I had control over the length of the clasp.  I am so glad I have decided to make most of my clasps.  It lets me customize the design.  I am very happy with the bracelet.  I didn't want it to end up screaming Christmas and I don't feel it does.  I love the reds in the bracelet.  I also feel that I captured the tropical colors in the painting.  The bracelet is for sale HERE.

What are your thoughts?