Hi Friends,
Mark your calendars!! Homer Watson House & Gallery has agreed to have an in-person opening on May 12th for my upcoming exhibition, Of Wood and Water. Cross your fingers for a safe event!
I hope you've all been doing well and staying warm. I thought that for this month's newsletter I'd discuss in more detail one of the sculptures I've been working on.
Unfurling, made with jade green and 24k gold beads, is all about the process of personal growth and celebrating potential and possibility. I've been thinking a lot about the point when, after a period of sadness, you inevitably begin to unfurl and regain the ability to welcome the new. The shape is meant to evoke plant matter blooming, expanding out towards the light and transforming into its full self.
The base shape is a geodesic icosahedron, which I extended at the top to resemble leaves or something organic expanding outward. I've made quite a bit of progress on these extension pieces since the pictures were taken and it's made the whole piece a lot more expressive (see image at the bottom). I've also been experimenting with putting lights inside, as you can see in the third image.
Since the beads are made of translucent glass and weaving naturally creates a certain amount of negative space, adding a light source makes sense to me, when appropriate, to showcase a different side of beadwork. In my experimentations so far, it's become apparent that different types of light can significantly alter the overall feel of the work. Finding lights with the exact right colour and intensity hasn't been easy but it's been interesting seeing how I can change up the colour and tone with a simple light change.
This the most up-to-date image of the work. I haven't published any of these anywhere else yet as this more free-flowing portion of the sculpture has been the hardest part. Now I'm working on a beaded encasing for the lights that will sit inside. Looking forward to sharing more sculpture updates with you all in the coming months!
Warmly,
Sharl
P.S. If you're looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift, I still have lots of original beaded jewellery pieces available! To book a shopping appointment at my studio, please email info@sundropsstudio.com