Friday, July 13, 2007

Manic CC and VanGogh!

OMG! What a week! I was gonna post tomorrow but have to be in town.

I always knew (in theory) that color & pattern affect your mood...but I had never REALLY had a major experience with it until this week! I was beading along on my July piece when I started feeling really nervous! What? I kept going. But I knew something was wrong. I just felt too weird! I looked at the fabric I was using & thought that it looked like a painting by VanGogh! I was beading on what looked like a painting by VanGogh! No wonder I felt so bizarre! So I stopped. My pal in Malaysia had sent me a PPS on VanGogh, so I went to my computer & watched it. Sure enough there were those short, varied, colorful strokes! Aack! What to do? I thought, "Is this what he felt like?" OK, back to beading. I decided I had to calm myself & the fabric down. Horizontal lines! Yes! That will help....me anyway! So that's what I did. I immediately felt better! Amazing! So the rest of the week, I felt comfortable with the fabric. I didn't have to follow those lines & colors. Whew! So, in the mail comes some sequins from that same pal in Malaysia! I decided I'd just honor that old painter & put some stars in the sky. July, after all, is full of starry nights! Here's the progression:


Panic sets in!


Getting calm!


Much better...at least I am! Especially on starry nights!


19 comments:

Denise said...

Wow! Continue with the colours! It's looking fun and brilliant! It's that whole experience of the beads taking over the art that makes this so neat! I love the texture you are creating too!
By the way, Your link to Robin's site goes to Beading Gram - and thanks for linking to me!!!
Cheers, Denise

vivage said...

Love it, looks like a party!

Azlina Abdul said...

Wow! Love the wavy looking white beads you did on the fabric...a lot of texture and movements going on, on your flag...very colorful and cheerful :)

Chaska Peacock said...

Way to go, CC! I love the way you are documenting your process. I, myself,probably would have had to abandon the "Van Gogh". :-)

Brenda said...

Yep the fabric would make me nervous also. It is interesting to see the transformation. I like the beading technique you are using, especially the beads that cross over the "river" .

Anonymous said...

Hey HRH,

CALM DOWN- BREATHE!
The piece looks magnificent! I loved the journal too...you little over achiever you! :)
love & miss you....wanna hug & kiss you!

Love, HRP Erica

Jody said...

looks like fireworks---with a spectacular WOW!!

The process from each is very interesting...& I can see how you must have felt...hugs Jo

Lois2037 said...

Your piece is fabulous! And your idea of using the horizontal lines for calming is a very good one. I'm not sure your fabric is really Van Gogh, but it certainly is very, very active in that similar way you noticed. It's bright and colorful, but it would have made me nervous, too. It's great that you figured out a way to keep using it and be calmer.

Veleta (Sammy) said...

I love what you are doing on this... I am not sure I could have started on a piece that was so dramtic... I give you a A+++ for even tempting to do that!

CC said...

Denise, thanks for letting me know about Robin's link! Yikes! What a gaffe! Of all people to screw up on! Sorry Robin.
And thanks to all for the encouragement. I never expected to run into feeling that way. Beading almost always calms me, so this was bizarro!
Miss you too HRP! :)
Ciao bellas! CC

Mary Timme said...

Cute post, and I mean that very nicely. I like the colors, but I'm an intense person. Very nice.

KV said...

Simply amazing . . .


Kathy V in NM

mAtilda said...

hallo CC, spelndidi i tuoi colori.

sì, forse c'è qualcosa di VanGogh, i colori densi, pastosi e brillanti, il blu della notte stellata, l'arancio dei girasoli e le linee dritte dei campi coltivati che lui riusciva a rendere.

ma sento molto di più... una forza di contrasto che si libera da forme consuete ed erompe come acqua in cascata (le lunghe dita bianche che come dita di pianista picchiano sulle linee orizzontali, che daranno idea di calma... ma rotta da un uragano improvviso), non so se riesco a spiegarmi, sto cercando un modo semplice e con brevi frasi.

comunque, mi piace molto il tuo lavoro e non vedo l'ora di vederlo completo.
ciao matilda

Lillian said...

Glad that you calmed down CC :o) I also like the movement you created within all the color, Lillian

Timaree said...

I think maybe the fabric was a good choice for a journal page. It made you reach into yourself to make something from something else. I like that kind of challenge but sometimes it can be overwhelming which is when we need to be able to set it aside and move on. In this instance though, you were able to grow on! When I move on from felt I will have to remember your experience and CAREFULLY choose my fabric!

Judi D said...

Good gracious woman, I would have to bead standing up with that fabric. You are doing a terrific job, I will be watching for the finish.

CC said...

Thank you all for your comments! It's interesting to hear what others see in what I do! Do you find that? Since I'm not planning anything except the idea of what "June" or "July" or...whatever month means to me, I have all sorts of memories, & things that are currently happening in my life, that I sometimes have no idea what will come out on the fabric! It really is improvisation! It's not always as easy as just following the rules & designing something wonderful! Wow! It's nice to also be doing some things with "art rules" I can retreat to when the intensity gets too high! ;)
And you're right, judi d! I did have to get up & move out of the room! But I'm better now! Whew!
Mahalo! With aloha, CC

Robin said...

I agree with LoisB and Freebird. And, as you said, it may help to be doing something "designed and rule-following" concurrently with your improvisational work. Thanks for the corrected link ;>) Robin

CC said...

It really does help to have something orderly & routine on the side...at least for me during this month's journal piece. In fact, I took the weekend off from beading altogether! :D And now, can't wait to get back to it!
Sorry about the link, Robin! I hope I'm getting better at figuring this all out!
With aloha, CC