HOW TO BEAD A ROGUE ELEPHANT

…A Guide For The Aspiring Bead Artist
by Warren S. Feld
blog.landofodds.com

Excerpts From This Ever-Evolving Tale.....

I don’t mean to drag a poor Elephant by its tail, kicking and screaming, into our bead world against its wishes. Nor do I perceive the elephant to be a threat, like you might see an Elephant in the boudoir, or the fine china store. And I don’t want you to shut your eyes and pretend not to notice that this Elephant is here, standing shoulder to shoulder with every beader and jewelry maker around.

The Elephant is not a joke. And the fact that it is “Rogue” makes it more important than ever to figure out why it’s here, among size #10 English beading needles, and Czech size 11/0 seed beads, and Austrian crystal beads. It seems so worldly, yet other-worldly, our Elephant. It’s not our muse. It’s not our Cassandra. It has no secret plan or strategy. It does not depend on its size to make its point. It does not hesitate to stomp and chomp and clomp because the beads before it are raku or glass or gemstone or crystal or metal or plastic. But a Rogue Elephant in the middle of our craft room forces upon us a completely different logic, so that we can make sense of it all.|

CURRENT ROGUE ELEPHANT BLOG ARTICLES

Finding Inspirations

Inspiration comes from many sources. Often magazines, books and the internet are the best places to get started. You find pictures of jewelry you like. You find patterns. You find advice. You might discover ideas during a trip to your local shopping mall.

You might have a dress that you need to have some jewelry for. You might see things at Department stores, and know you can make the same piece of jewelry for less.

You might feel bored and unmotivated and in search of a creative outlet or hobby.

You might need some extra money.

Beaders and Jewelry Makers visit bead stores, join bead groups, go to bead and gem shows.

Finding fresh inspiration might mean exploring nature around you – plants, animals, bugs, flowers, water falls. Find a color palette. Drawn inspiration for new shapes.

It might mean checking out pictures of jewelry in far away lands. Foreign cultures and places and ideas inject a new perspective.

It might mean looking to the past. Trace a path backwards. Find out who influences peers that you admire. Or what led up to current styles and fashion trends.

Look to a different medium. What’s happening in knitting or crochet or quilting or mixed media art or sculpture?

It might mean experimenting with new techniques, tools, materials and approaches.

I actually find some of the most innovative jewelry on TV on the news programs and on the soap operas. Watch what the female newscasters and actors are wearing. It’s current, sophisticated and usually very appropriate to the person’s body type, skin coloration, hair style and wardrobe.