We're All Ears :: November Reveal

Gah! I have pods on the brain!

I so enjoyed making the polymer clay pods at Heather Powers' Inspired by Nature retreat this year in October. There is an endless variation of seed pods in nature and just about anything looks like it is alien, but still plausible, so you can really go wild with seed pods. I got so intrigued that I came up with some more inspiration photos. I think that I will be paying closer attention to the plants in the world around me from now on!

Sorry for the hideous image quality... I forgot that I saved this on my work computer and I didn't send it home so this is a picture of a printout. Doh!

In addition to making earrings for this challenge, I am currently working on making a multitude of pods, in at least five different varieties. I have shot them in black and white to showcase the forms, as they will be colored eventually (when I figure out what colors they need to be!). I also quite like them in white, and might consider that for a future batch. Can you pick out the images in my inspiration photos that inspired each pod?

 

I plan to magically whip them into a pod-ilicious jewelry set for a gallery exhibit I have always longed to be in at a Central Wisconsin art gallery called the Center for Visual Arts. This annual exhibit is called 'Midwest Seasons' and is interpreted in a variety of mediums. I have tried {unsuccessfully} to get in previous years. I am hoping that this will be my year! (And if it doesn't work out, there is always the 'Winter Garden' exhibit at the same time in our local Riverfront Art Gallery.) Keep your fingers crossed....that I can complete the pods, make the necklace, get it entered in time for the deadline...by Saturday... and that it makes it in! It really would be a feather in my cap to be juried into this exhibit.

So many different shapes to choose from in the world of pods! I have been down a rabbit hole by typing in 'seedpods' in Google and perusing he images. I had some pods from Heather's retreat that I had made in matched sets and I made one more as an experiment shape. I like the earthy colors and the odd organic shapes. I don't mind that they are not exact, in fact, I celebrate that!

Peaseblossom Pod
Hand made pod headpins, hand-patinaed leaf beads, copper leaves, embellished ear wires

Amber Lotus Pod
Handmade pod headpins, amber carved leaf beads, copper leaves and wired ear wires.

Passiflora Pod
Handmade pod headpins embellished with wire, handmade copper ear wires.

So which pod shape is your favorite?

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We're All Ears :: November Inspiration

Papilionaceae seed pods

The last weekend in October found me winding my way along the coast of Lake Michigan to the sleepy little tourist town of South Haven for the 5th annual Inspired by Nature retreat hosted by Heather Powers. This year the theme was inspired by the forest floor. One of the things we did was investigate the unique shapes of seed pods.

We were given instruction on replicating different species of pods and then painting them. Mine turned out quite alien looking, but they really do resemble something that is not of this world!

Mahogany tree seed pod

So I went in search of some more inspiration, and found that in the form of vintage botanical illustrations. This art depicts the form, color, and details of plant species, frequently in pen and ink or watercolor paintings. They were frequently published in books, magazines devoted to their study, and seed catalogs. I would dearly love to unearth a vintage book or magazine devoted to this commonplace art! I find it fascinating.

Seed annual, 1908

So this month, I thought we could honor the seed pods that might be all about us. It really has made me stop and search for these tiny treasures! Since the illustrations don't really have much in the way of color, my hope is that you will focus on the form of the pods, and let their shape be your guide for your creations. It will be fascinating to see where this one takes you!

Join me for the We're All Ears reveal on
Friday, November 20th!

We're All Ears :: September Reveal

My color palette for this month was very earthy shades of moss green, brown and tan, with touches of a light aqua and copper and brass metals. I wanted to honor the spirit of the forest and the wonder that these tiny worlds hold, the forest that is teeming with life. There is a softness in these furry mosses, a curve to the landscape of these tree trunks, an organic patina to these miniature peaks and valleys.

A seed pod holds within it all the makings of a plant or a tree. What a marvel those tiny seeds are! There is so much potential within.

Seedling Springs Forth
polymer clay fractured beads - JKD Studio
pearl head pins, hand painted bead caps
Vintaj wire, brass ear wires

Like a seed bringing forth new life, these silken roots reach deep down as if seeking a place to take hold and push their way through the crowded forest floor.

Deep Roots 

polymer clay - Humblebeads
wood plank beads
silken Japanese knotting cords on Vintaj brass wires

 Once the seed takes root and beats the odds of growing tall and strong toward the light, the leaves provide the shelter and the wings to make this regal beauty flutter.

Breathe Out The Sky

 hand patinaed flower bead caps and leaves
glass peanut beads
copper ear wires

What inspired you about the Macro World photography? Do share!

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