Art Elements June Theme Challenge – Sunflowers

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

I love sunflowers so I knew that I would be participating in the June Art Elements challenge by creating something inspired by the theme of sunflowers.  This also gave me the opportunity to revisit some photos of sunflowers that I took in the Fall 2017 when I visited my son who was living in Duluth, Minnesota at the time.  My husband and I decided to celebrate his birthday in Grand Marais, Minnesota which is several hours north of Duluth by car.  Grand Marais is a gorgeous little town and art enclave located on the shores of Lake Superior.  It isn't too far from Canada and has both lots of woods and coastline along Lake Superior.

sunflower photo by Kathy Lindemer, BayMoonDesign

Where we camped there was a community garden that had a number of sunflowers in different varieties.

sunflower photo by Kathy Lindemer, BayMoonDesign

Photo of marigold and butterfly by BayMoon Design

The sunflowers attracted lots of butterflies the weekend we were there. I couldn't resist capturing some photos of these pretty creatures enjoying the flowers. They just about posed for the photos.

Coastline of Lake Superior at Grand Marais by BayMoonDesign

I took lots of photos of the town because it was so quaint and beautiful.  It is a great place to camp in the summer and fall.  I am sure that the winters are long and difficult there.  

Photo of boat anchored at Grand Marais by BayMoonDesign

There were a number of excellent spots to eat in town as well as very cute shops.  Since many artists live here the shops sell their creations.  I even managed to find some beads made by local artists to buy.  

Photo of Grand Marais by BayMoonDesign

Grand Marais has lots of scenic views. I think you will agree that this is one gorgeous place to visit. 

Boho Yellow Earrings by BayMoon Design

The sunflowers there inspired me to make a pair of yellow and brown earrings. These boho yellow earrings are inspired by the colors of the some of the sunflowers. The yellow and browns are great colors for late summer into early fall fashions. The colors of these earrings add a nice pop of color to them. The triangles are enameled tin by Numinosity. I added seed beads to white Irish linen thread to add additional color. Brown Czech glass flowers were also added to bring out the browns. They are available for purchased HERE.

Photo by Charlotte Coneybeer on Unsplash

I can't wait to see what others are inspired to make.  Feel free to visit and leave kind comments.  

A special thanks to Sue Kennedy who selected the theme.

Guests

Alysen

Anita

Cat

Divya

Jill

Kathy  (HERE)

Linda

Linda

Mischelle

Norma

Raven

Sarajo

Tammy

AE Team

Caroline

Cathy

Claire

Jenny

Laney

Lesley

Sue  (hostess)

Art Bead Scene June Monthly Challenge-Les Ibis

Title: Les Ibis

By: Jean Metzinger
Date: 1907
Medium: Oil
Style: Fauvism

Every month the Art Bead Scene challenges their readers to create jewelry inspired by a featured artwork. You have until the end of the month to share your work and then they pick two winners to receive beads and jewelry-making supplies from their sponsors. The only rule is that you must use at least one art bead in your piece!

June's challenge is based on Les Ibis by Jean Metzinger. Jean Metzinger was at the center of Cubism both because of his participation and identification of the movement when it first emerged.  The style of the oil painting is Fauvism. This is the style of les Fauves (French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early twentieth-century modern artists like Metzinger whose works emphasized artisitic qualities and strong color over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism.

Boho Blue Earrings by BayMoonDesign

I decided to focus on the strong colors of the blues that are in the oil painting.   These boho blue earrings have seed beads in the blues, aqua, and white on turquoise blue Irish Linen Thread. The rectangular pieces were enameled by artisan Kimberly Rodgers of Numinousity. They are enameled tin with specks of blues and yellows. The geometric earrings have an on-trend color combination and are easy to wear for those who like a pop of color. I love the fact that the tin is very lightweight. That fact enables the creation of long earrings without the weight that often occurs.  The blue color is perfect for a summer.

Mermaid Bracelet by BayMoonDesign

The blues in this painting are among some of my favorites so I was inspired to make a second piece of jewelry.  This boho mermaid bracelet has a  sea shell ceramic, a mermaid ceramic and a word bead that has the saying "as free as the ocean". The blues and yellows in the bracelet are used to give the bracelet a bohemian beach feel. Natural Irish linen thread was selected to give the bracelet a casual feel.   The 3 square beads are by Scottish artisan at Grubbi Ceramics. 

Mermaid bracelet by BayMoonDesign

I am anxious to see what others are inspired to create based on this oil painting. For me this painting offered color combinations and are perfect for my love of the blues found in the ocean.

We're All Ears :: June Inspiration :: Kaleidoscopes

Photo by Frida Aguilar Estrada on Unsplash

June's We're All Ears Challenge inspiration is the kaleidoscope. This reminded me of a simpler time in the past when I was a child.  I am talking about back in the day when there was no Internet or television.  I was 5 years old when my family got a black and white television.  There wasn't colored television.  A kaleidoscope was pretty exciting.  Even though this handheld device meant you had to manually turn a tube of colored bits of glass to make ever-shifting patterns and colors, it brought lots of enjoyment!  I remember my mother cross stitching a kaleidoscope for my children. The cross stitching was on the outside of course.

I was in a panic over making earrings for this challenge.  I would like to have done something with polymer clay, but I'm not there yet.  I thought of  a pair of earrings that I made awhile back.  They were made of paper.  I went to my go to source of creative materials--Etsy and located kaleidoscope paper images.  There were so many choices I needed to decided on a specific size. I went with 1 inch circles.  I also wanted a variety of  colors. 

kaleidoscope paper circles

I purchased the paper on Etsy and downloaded it and printed 4 sheets on heavy, white card stock. I decided early on that these beads would have pattern on front and back. I also thought about putting them into bezels. If you are considering doing a project similar to this, you might consider using bezels at this point.

I used a one inch circular punch on them. I brushed on some Mod Podge on the non pattern side and put them together. I let them dry thoroughly. This left a little white around the edges which I darkened with permanent ink. I used Mod Podge matte. Here you can decide if you prefer a glossy finish versus matte.

Edges darkened to give richer and vintage look

I put some permanent ink carefully around the edges of the paper. This is where you apply the Mod Podge with a brush to the paper circles. This has the effect of sealing and protecting the paper. It also was the added effect of deepening the colors and gives the earrings a bit more weight.

Metal punch for tiny holes

I put on 4 coats of Mod Podge on each side and around the edges. The last step is the best-designing the earrings. I had the option of putting in however many holes I wanted anywhere. I used a metal punch because it cuts tiny holes easily through the paper beads.

Blue Kaleidoscope Earrings by BayMoonDesign

The blue kaleidoscope earrings are perfect as an eco-friendly fashion accessory. These blue and yellow paper earrings are for someone who enjoys repurposed, ooak, or unique earrings. They also are perfect for a first anniversary which is the paper anniversary. Since the blue patterned components are very light weight, this offers lots of design opportunities.

chartreuse earrings by BayMoonDesign

I made these chartreuse earrings by starting with chartreuse and pink kaleidoscope patterned paper. Once again I put some permanent brown ink carefully around the edges of the paper to give an antiqued look. I added chartreuse glass beads and pink lava rock beads. Vintaj ear wires help give the earrings a vintage look.

What do you think of my kaleidoscopes earrings that began with paper ?

Thanks for stopping by and please visit other participants in this challenge and see what they created.