Page One
For whatever reason I have been a gypsy for the last ten years.
Gypsy in this sentence means I have moved a lot, have not had a place to call my own (except for a brief stint last year). I am ready to find that special place where I can live out my life in total joy.
That is what my BJP10 is going to be all about.
My shape is a circle. But not just a circle, these pieces will all be mandalas. A mandala represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds. Each mandala will be 5 1/2" in diameter.
I started by cutting out the circles out of Peltex. Then I wanted to be experimental so I tried staining the Peltex with leftover coffee. I left the circles in the coffee for about an hour and then went and rinsed them off. Needless to say all the coffee rinsed out of them and I was left with pure white circles.
So then I got out a Pyrex pie plate, added water and globs of acrylic paint around the edges. I used lots of water and painted the circles (I have only done 2 so far). I used the cheapie paint in a bottle, Liqutex, and Golden Interference paint for this mottled look. Even drying this became a learning process. I started by drying them right side up on paper towels. I went to check on them and all the paint had soaked to the bottom! So I turned them right side down. All the paint reversed itself and ended up again on the bottom which was really the top. That make sense? All this I did on New Year's Eve. I want this to be a year of creating, so what better way to bring in the New Year than by creating.
So New Year's Day was very laid back, I watched movies, I sipped hot chocolate, I stayed inside and beaded. I wanted to start at the beginning with my pages so I beaded a mandala that to me means roots. Most of it was done on New Year's Day. I went to the bead shop and picked up the beads that look like tiles around the outside and finished that part on Monday and then Tuesday I got together with my beady friends and finished putting on the back and beading around it. Wow and it was only the 5th.
What to do the rest of the month? Won't you be surprised!
7 comments:
GORGEOUS! I cant wait to watch throughout the rest of the year. Your name Roots is perfect and this expresses that perfectly. I love your tile beads around the edge. Bravo!
Beauteous! So excited for your new home and to see the rest of your BJP!
I LOVE mandala. I will be excited to see what you do with yours.
I bead on Peltex, or with Peltex under the fabric I am beading on for the BJP. Thanks for the info on dying it. Most of the time I use watered acrylic paint and blot on with a cotton ball.
I love this, Brenda (but then you already know that because I got to fondle it in person a few days ago!). I am so excited to see how this bead project guides you to the home of your dreams. I know that somewhere out in this wide wonderful world lies the perfect yurt with your name on the door!
Beautiful! Can't wait to see what else you do this year! Hadn't thought about painting the peltex, good idea. I've just recently gotten in to mandalas and it's on my list of things to work on this year. Good luck working toward your perfect home, will be sending you positive thoughts to find just the right place.
Take care!
Promise not to laugh, Brenda -- but I have colored Peltex with markers from time to time!
I love the idea of your mandala project and can't wait to see what magnificent results will be forthcoming.
Kathy V in NM
I'm not laughing Kathy!
I have done the same thing. I get tired of having the marker color my hands as I work though. Using paints keeps the color where it should be, and of course I love the sparkle that is added in with the Golden paints.
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