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Monday 10 January 2011

Taken On A Journey by Mary - ABS Jan Challenge

It seems like we are quite a few who have been super inspired by this months challenge painting on ABS. I had never heard of or seen anything by this artist before. But now I am a big fan. This painting is wonderful. The colours, the way he has applied the paint, the composition, the motif, all of it. I feel I can travel into that landscape. And last Saturday I was sitting working on this necklace for a good hour in my studio. All the time with the paining in front of me.
I took a break and went to flickr's ABS-page to see if anyone had put anything there for the challenge. Mary Harding had. And she wrote about her own personal experiences from that particular place on earth. I don't know what happened, but I just made the most extrodinary journey into that painting together with Mary both of us around 8 or 9 years old. It was totally mind blowing, and I sat there with tears down my cheeks. Very very powerful! I guess her telling related to memories from my own childhood. Read on Mary's blog about her entry.
I was still in this feeling all Sunday and half of today as I've continued working on my necklace. So many dimensions have been added for me. Not only have I really enjoyed working on this challenge, and experienced a new artist, completely fallen in love with a painting. But I have traveled to a place I've never been, become a child again and I made a new friend as that child. We were playing in those ditches although we weren't allowed to (always also was where I wasn't supposed to be, often in connection with water...). The sun was really bright and the colour yellow was dominant, aswell as the brown river water. Then we went paddling on the river with Mary's father. Magic!
I can't name this necklace anything else than "Taken On A Journey By Mary". Thank you so much for this special and unusual experiance. I hope I could visit there with you in real life one day. And I LOVE the necklace you made. It is soooooo beautiful.
Of course Mary's necklace was picked for Designer of the Week. Of Course!!!!

I should say something about my own design I guess. And this is what i wrote on flickr:

I just loooove this month's inspiration painting by Walter Thiebaud. I can look for ages at all the little dots of paint in all different colours. (And I really have). All the structures that are created, the composition, the motif. The colour combinations. It is all so utterly appealing. And I can't get enough.

So for my necklace I wanted to create the yumminess of all these colours. And really I could just pick them right there from his marvelous palette (hence the hours of staring…). Lots and lots and lots of colours, and structures and … No need to hold back at all. Just go for it!

Art beads:
Polymer clay filled toggle clasp by Heather Powers of Humble Beads
White dotty ceramic bead by Lisa Stevens of C-Urchin
Shank button in brown-red and dark blue by Shannon LeVart of MissFickleMedia
Pewter dangle from Objects and Elements (the top part of the pendant)

Some of the other components:
Recycled Sari Silk
An unusual chain I believe is in steel and which has a few small rust marks here and there
Opal of different kinds
Agate
Czech glass beads of many kinds and colours
Seed beads of many kinds and colours
Millifiori squares
Brass
Trade beads
and more

All my best,
Malin

11 comments:

steufel said...

Your necklace ist stunning! As your experience!

Malin de Koning said...

Thank you Stefanie!

Heidi Post said...

Lovely!

Mary Harding said...

I love what you wrote Malin. And now I understand better how you were thinking and why. So cool that you went on this journey with me as a child. I hope it was a happy time for you. I think sun and water and warm weather always make me happy. I am very happy that we connected on this painting. I remember writing on your blog that I would look for a poster for you. I didn't find one, just the Allan Stone Gallery has a nice pic of the painting. But no poster .
I see you included components from many of my favorite artists in your necklace. It is so lovely and fresh.

Malin de Koning said...

Ahum - no I have not LITERALLY been staring for AGES on that painting. Slight malfunction in my language center there. I better change that line to: and I have
It's good read through your writings every now and then, innit.

Malin de Koning said...

I have changed the "literally" now. It says really instead. Changed it both here and on flickr.
:-)

Unknown said...

Just lovely Malin! Your necklaces always have such intrest to them a different and unique twist.

Malin de Koning said...

Thank you Janet!

TesoriTrovati said...

Malin! You never cease to amaze me! I love the way that you connected with Mary from halfway around the world. So powerful this connection to people who 'get' us! Your fiber, the textures, the colors, the awesome chain links (where oh where did you find those?) are all so lovely. Thank you for sharing your inspiration. Enjoy the day!
Erin

Malin de Koning said...

Oh Erin, thank you so much! You know YOU are such an inspiration to me, always. :-)

Jeremiahnasb said...

Thank you Janet!