Bethlehem House Gallery

So, I have the honor of participating in the current show at Bethlehem House Gallery.  This gallery is pretty amazing.  My silly pictures do not do it justice.  If you are local, please stop by the gallery and take everything in, in person.  

(this picture is by the Bethlehem House Gallery)

Here is a video about Ward, the gallery owner, his art, and his vision for the gallery.  I really hope you will watch it so you too can see what an amazing concept this is.
(this video was done with on the first show and grand opening...the music room you see is now where my jewelry is)

He completely changes artists every 3 months, as well as re-does the gallery, to better accent their art.  He does an amazing job of showcasing the artists as well as finding a wonderful variety of talent.

So the opening of the current show was Thursday November 6th and runs through January 1st.  The current artists:

Artists include: Jessica Bastidas, Erin Anderson, Khalil Allaik, Thomas John Shillea, Vivian Fishbone, David Sommers,Doug Kozo, Stephen Metz and Staci Louise Smith

  So Justin and I cleaned ourselves up a bit, and went out to see how everything turned out (since we had only seen the place during set up).

What a fun time!  I got to meet a few of the amazing artists that Ward had there, had a few glasses of wine, and talked about art with artists and art lovers.  What could have been better?  

This is the amazing painting that you see when you walk in the door...and that is Ward sitting in the chair- minus that pipe I think he should have had for the pic...lol

I got to see "my room" all done.  I still cannot believe the detail and thought Ward put into this room.  Everything in there is so perfect and accentuates my jewelry style.  He wanted to have it set up sort of like a jewelry studio.  So he had come and taken pictures a week or so ahead of time, of my studio.  

a really bad selfie with my pic and artist statement

He got these little cabinets with windows, 

a large glass top piece of furniture to put more of my work in

he used shutters for my earrings like I do

he got all these tools and stuff to make it have that studio workbench feel

he had this old workbench as a table

he got this mannequin which I may have to purchase after the show

and best of all, the art in the room is all stuff I just love, including this carpet which is made by the sculpture in the gallery, because he wanted to mimic the doodles I did on my floor.  It was made by Khalil Allaik.

Seeing my work like this makes me want to have my own store!!!  I am so excited to be a part of this and have the chance to see my work displayed like this.

This room is the front room too, so people on the street can look in and see my jewelry and some of the paintings by Vivian Fishbone, the ones hanging over the workbench and tools.

The gallery was so packed I didn't get pictures of all the rooms...because I had to wait until later to get pictures....and i was sooo tired!!

Here is Jess (Jessica Bastidas) and one of her paintings.  She brings a life to her work, that i find hard to give words to.  There is a visual texture in her brush strokes, and the colors just glow with life.
Oh, and she is really nice too- and so young.  She sold two of her paintings that night!  I am not surprised at all.

 Here are a couple of sculptures by khalil that I adore as well

Ward and his family talking in the "sitting room"

the dining room

the most fun people working the drink table!!!

all tired out at the end of the night, but happy, oh so happy

I learned a couple things: I love art and being around creative people even more then I thought, and two, I need to get out more!

I am totally humbled to be a part of this show.  I never thought my jewelry would be showcased in such an amazing way.  

Please make sure to stop by for this show if you are local.  It is worth the time.  I cannot wait to see what is next!

Inspiration....Move me Brightly

I am not just a bead maker, I love art...all art.  It has been way too long since I have gone to a museum, but when I do, I am always freshly inspired to pick up some form of expression and have at it.

 

Recently, a wonderful art gallery has opened around here, it is called Art Nouveau Galleries in Quakertown, and they have a great group of artists there.  I am honored to have some jewelry in there along side such wonderfully creative people! 

One artists work REALLY spoke to me.  You know how it is when you make a connection with a piece of art.....you just get it, it keeps drawing you back in, it haunts you.  Well, that is how Ward Van Haute's work is to me.  Ward paints in reverse on glass.............let me say that again, he paints in reverse on glass.  That alone is amazing.  His work reminds me of characters in a story, fairy tale meets reality.  So they speak to my love of reading and illustration.  Yet the ones I am REALLY drawn to, are his graffiti like paintings.

I instantly wanted this one for my living room

 

Sunday Drive with Tony

picture property of Ward Van Haute

available for purchase at Art Nouveau Galleries

 

http://www.wardvanhaute.com/galleria

 

 

And then there was this one...........the one I will own someday.  The one that reminds me of my studio floor designs, of my doodles, but done with color- in such a wonderful way!

 

Vision- by Ward Van Haute- picture property of Ward Van Haute

http://www.wardvanhaute.com/galleria

 

For those of you who have seen my studio, you know this is very very ME!  This computer screen doesn't do this picture justice, the colors are much more vivid in person.

 

So it haunts me.  I have no budget for buying art right now, but this, is at the top of my Christmas list this year!

 

(see, it would look great in here!)

 

 

 

Needless to say, its really inspired me. 

 

I finally got to begin making some polymer beads in preparation for bead fest.  I have been VERY behind, to say the least.  I am seeing all these other bead artists making new and inspired beads in for Bead Fest Philly in August, and I haven't even begun, and had no idea what new things I could add to the mix.  And then I got to thinking..................

I had tried doodling on plain white polymer beads before, and didn't like the results at all.  So they got put to the side, or given to a kid of mine, and forgotten. 

Then I thought of Ward's painting....and the color behind the beads.  I couldn't wait to try it!

 

Well, here they are.  I should be listing some this week, and saving the rest for Bead Fest.

 

 

Ahhhh.....inspiration strikes. 

 

And it didn't stop there either.

 

I did some in reverse, with white designs, to try to look like batik (you know my love of everything hippie, tye dye and fabric seeps into my jewelry and beads!)

 

These turned out ok.  I had hoped to put a crackle on them too for a more batik look, but you loose the subtle designs on the beads that way. 

 

 

I also made more of my black carved beads, which as become very therapeutic for me.  I began to make these because of I made a batch of black that wouldn't let paint stick for some reason (must have had oil on my hands at some point) and didn't know what to do with them.  After the studio re-do, I found an old carving set, and it happened to be near my pile of beads, and the rest is history.

 

 

I will blog before listing in my etsy shop this week.

 

Have you ever made beads inspired by a painting?  I am thinking this could be a blog hop in the future...what do you guys think?