Art Elements August Theme Challenge

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

The Art Elements Monthly Theme for August 2019 is swirl. Swirl makes a great design element and inspiration. Swirls are found all over from urban graffiti like in the photo above to the creations of Mother Nature found in nature.  Just look at the number of different swirls found in this seahorse in the photo below.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

A swirl can also be a thought or an idea.  In the following poem called Swirl by Carl Sandburg,  I think the swirl is a thought of a ghost.

                                                                        SWIRL

A SWIRL in the air where your head was once, here. 

You walked under this tree, spoke to a moon for me 

I might almost stand here and believe you alive.

Carl Sandburg

Purple and Pink Earrings by BayMoonDesign

These purple and pink earrings are textured ceramic earrings with a pink swirl design. Sterling silver is used in the ear wires and to wrap through the pink and purple ceramics. I stacked some pink and silver Czech glass flowers and faux pearls on top.   These "swirl" ceramics are by Jenny Davies-Reazor.  

Light purple earrings by BayMoonDesign

These light purple earrings are textured ceramic geometric earrings that dangle below lavender agate beads.  Natural brass wire is used to wrap the agate beads. I used natural brass ear wires on these circle earrings. These earrings hang about 2 inches and are light and comfortable to wear.   The artisan ceramics are made by Marsha Neal Studio.   These are trending circle earrings that you won't find in a department store!

Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

See what others created through the month of August with this swirl theme in mind.

Guest Artists:

Alison

Anita

Cat 

Caroline

Jill

Kathy

Karin

Kimberly 

Mischelle

Raven

Tammy 

Art Elements Team: 

Cathy

Caroline

Claire

Jen

Jenny & Lesley 

Laney

Marsha

Susan

We all love to hear your comments.  Please feel free to comment.  

Unscheduled Visit by Draken Harald Hårfagre while on Expedition America - East Coast Tour 2018

A dragon head at the bow of the Viking ship

Draken Harald Hårfagre while on Expedition America - East Coast Tour 2018 made an unscheduled stop in Lewes, Delaware on Aug. 20, 2018. Sailing south from Long Island, favorable northeast winds put the ship ahead of its scheduled time to dock in Ocean City, Maryland. After a day anchored near the Delaware Breakwater, the captain decided to spend the extra time in historic Lewes. I was delighted to spot the the Viking ship in the city dock.

Docked in Lewes, Delaware

The Draken Harald Hårfagre is the world’s largest modern fully functional viking ship, all the way from Norway. She is on a tour of the east coast. She left Lewes early in the morning on Aug. 22, 2018 to head to Ocean City, Maryland where she will be on tour from August 22-29, 2018. From there she goes to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from August 31 - September 6 , 2018. The entire schedule of the tour is available HERE.  Public deck tours are available daily at the scheduled stops. 

The ship, based in Mystic Seaport, Conn., made an ocean crossing in the spring of 2016 from Norway to Newfoundland, Canada, retracing the route of Leif Erikson, who led the first European expedition to the New World in 1001.  The 2018 tour involves stops at 14 harbors along the East Coast from Maine to South Carolina.

                                            Draken Harald Hårfagre Viking Boat under sail

The ocean and bay in Lewes, Delaware offer lots of inspiration for my jewelry. I began to collect nautical beads in the spring and this summer I put together a collection of Lewes inspired nautical bracelets for this summer. They are casual and have a boho look to them.

In the Open Sea My Heart is Free Message Bracelet by BayMoonDesign

This message bracelet says "in the open sea my soul is free".  The bracelet has pretty art jewelry components. I used a ceramic sea shell, a starfish ceramic, anchor bead along with the word bead. The turquoise blues and greens 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.

Saltwater Cures All Wounds Bracelet by BayMoonDesign

This message bracelet says "saltwater cures all wounds" .  It has pretty art jewelry components. I used a ceramic sea shell, a star fish ceramic and the word bead. The turquoise blues and greens in the bracelet are inspired by the sea.  Natural Irish linen thread was selected to give the bracelet a casual feel.

Boho Mermaid Bracelet by BayMoonDesign

This boho mermaid bracelet makes a great gift for a beach lover. I used 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 beach feel. Natural Irish linen thread was selected to compliment the colors in the bracelet.

All 3 bracelets are available to purchase in my online shop.

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We're All Ears:: August Inspiration :: Spoonflower

Winners of  Circles are the New Triangles Contest Entries

August's We're All Ears inspiration is from a website that prints custom fabrics--Spoonflower. At Spoonflower, you can get custom fabrics in a variety of styles, from cotton to satin to chiffon, and you can even design your own fabric pattern! How cool is that?

Our challenge is to interpret a favorite fabric into earrings from the Circles are the New Triangles Contest. To narrow it down, we are to select a fabric from one of the top 10 winners.  From the graphic above you can see these top 10 give you a wide range of colors and patterns and interpretations of circles for you to choose from.

Surprise Party By Kate Rhees 

My first selection for inspiration is the first place winner Surprise Party By Kate Rhees. Being a child of the sixties, I have always loved big circle earrings. Now, they are back in fashion. For me, they always have been in style. I had some red and brown ceramic circles by Marsha Neal Studio that I thought would be perfect.  I noticed the use of red and brown in this graphic which is a combination that I like. 

Circle Love Earrings by BayMoonDesign

These are ceramic red hoop earrings with a retro look. The red and brown hoop earrings are perfect for those who are looking for circle earrings with an earthy retro look. They are very light on the ears. I used natural brass findings and ear wires when I made the earrings. These boho earrings hangs 2 inches (5.1 cm.) in length.  They are available for purchase in my online store.

Pond Life By Vincent Desjardins

My next graphic selection that inspired a pair of earrings is Pond Life By Vincent Desjardins. I love how the circular ripples radiate across a pond filled with round lily pads and waterlilies. Koi fish circle below the surface. It caught my attention because it looks like my tiny backyard pond which is filled with lily pads and waterlilies too, but pond has goldfish instead of Koi fish.  

Pond Life Earrings by BayMoonDesign

The earrings are inspired by the blue green colors and circular shapes in the "Pond Life" graphic.  I used handmade oval, blue green ceramic beads by Grubbi and pretty green crystal beads to create modern earrings with a boho look. Natural brass ear wires are used to complete the design. The long earrings are light and comfortable to wear and measure 2.5 inches in length. They have a modern, distresses look to them.  These are unique earrings that are available for purchase in my online store.

I encourage you to join me and see what other jewelry designers were inspired to make.