Wednesday, August 07, 2013

MUSE-ings

“Muse” is one of my sister’s favorite rock bands, and I was inspired by the lyrics in one of their songs, “City of Delusion,” to create a tribute to them. I had the perfect pair of shoes for my artwork, but wanted my own twist on it, so I changed the title to “City of Illusion.”  I also chose some of my favorite lines to rearrange into a more hopeful mood.
Build a Fortress, Touch the Divine,
Hide from the All-seeing Eye.

 

 


 
 



Tuesday, August 06, 2013

A little beading

A dear friend brought me these beads from her recent trip to China.  They are Lucky Fish, with some surprising carved artwork in the backs (Warning: Adult Content! They remind me of Kama Sutra figures).

They are so beautiful that I wanted to bead them as pendants ... one for her and one for myself.  Here are the results.

           Fish Netsuke-front      Fish Netsuke-back

The green crystals are Czech, and the topaz ones are Swarovski.  They are stitched onto a base of craft felt, and then the Lucky Fish were mounted on some of my fiercely-hoarded deerskin, which was then cut away to reveal the secret carvings.  Simple crystal loops were stitched for the bails.

I hope my friend will like hers ... she will have her pick of which one she wants.  This reminds me of my childhood days of “trading disks” with your friends ... “Besties forever!”