Thursday, August 9, 2012

It took me a long time to decide on which animal to do next. Finally I began to "see" the sea horse covered with moss green stone chips. When I went out to the studio to get them I realized they were among the cache I gave to B. So I began to consider the anteater. While looking for some good gray beads I pulled out the tray with tubes of pearl seed beads and remembered I had wanted to use them on one of the animals. Then it hit me - almost with the force of an actual object - that putting pearls on a sea horse was a perfect idea. As I began to sew the various colors on the head, I saw how keeping to the original colors and hues worked so well with the pearl beads as well as being the best for the animal. The fish is made from this same mottled fabric and I think this is where I went wrong with that one. My ordinary bead colors were too bright and too intense on the fish. Now I am thinking of doing another fish with these pearlized beads. There is no blue and the palate is very limited but so far I am delighting in the soft look they have and the marvelous way they blend. In real life the pearls make the animal seem like something for a bride. A fish or a sea horse for your marriageable daughter?