The Amazing Laura McNab

So everyone has art or artist that inspire him or her, I actually have a few. But, the biggest influence I have had in my art is Laura McCabe. I was sticking primarily with flat peyote stitches to create jewelry. Then I saw the work that Laura had created. She did a workshop at one of my local beading stores. So I got the chance to get close to the glittering pieces. All of Laura’s pieces at the time included Swarovski crystal stones called rivolis. I love these. They are incredible. They sparkle. They glitter.

So I sat down with the book Laura wrote, a drink, and all of the necessary beads. I will admit that my first several attempts went the way of all beading disasters. It was jumbled. It got knotted. And, I got so frustrated that I poured a second drink. After a few months I sat down with someone who knew what they were doing and realized I don’t learn well from a book. But now the wrapped rivolis are a staple in my design. So I wanted to give a shout out to the people who help to inspire me.

Here is an example of her work:

Spring Time, Weather, Vivid Colors

Fashion. It affects the clothes we find in stores, the jewelry we adorn ourselves with, and the accessories we choose. So as a jewelry designer, I find that staying on top of the up coming trends is one of the most important things I can do. It is important to maintain my own voice as an artist, but I also learned at art school that you can not design in a vacuum. So I wanted to pull out the colors for the current season and next season. The links below will take you right to the Pantone Color Forecast for that season.

Pantone Color Forecast for Spring 2010





Pantone Color Forecast for Spring 2011

Birth of the Metallicuff

Each piece has a birth. It is a moment of conception. It is the moment you feel the piece in your mind even if you can not see it. And, this piece was born out of another interest of mine. I adore the genre of a supernatural reality under the veneer of a normal world. Because of this I am drawn to books like the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, movies like Underworld, and TV like Supernatural. So during the second break of Supernatural series this year this year, I was left wondering what would happen next. I watched old episodes to get my fix. Because like many I find myself faithfully following the Winchester brothers as they battle Heaven and Hell to protect the humans around them.

I also found myself wanting to own the car. It is a 1977 Impala with a hard top. It is the sexiest car that would allow you to fit a dead body in the trunk. It drives up next to you and you instinctively lock your doors. The long shiny black lines flicker in the rear view mirror. Then somewhere along the line, I found myself surrounded my black beads, a silver center piece, and a cuff blank. Then the Metalicuff was born. It is named after it's automotive brother the Metalicar.

Side note: I am totally a Dean Girl.

The Tudors...

As I have said before, I like TV. Or rather, I love TV. So I watch TV when I bead. When I am working on the bead embroidery, I like to watch Tudors. The overly lush costuming and extravagant jewelry always shows me a more traditional art style that I can bring into my modern interpretation. In many ways the pieces we see are someone else's recreation. They are lush combining fabrics you want to hold with stone you wish you owned.

There is a broach worn by Anne of Boleyn in the end of the first season. It has dripping pearls and emeralds that are lined in beads. It is given to her by Henry at the beginning of her seduction. She eventually wears it on a lavish green dress. The piece has stuck with me and I hope to design a necklace based on this piece.

Where do you find inspiration?