Meet My New Friend: Wassily

"The artist must train not only his eye but also his soul."

~Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky was a Moscow-born artist who felt the color all around him was alive. Kandinsky’s distinctive style of painting has the color bursting forth from the canvas. His color study painting Farbstudie Quadrate is the inspiration for the June Art Bead Scene challenge.

In studying about Kandinsky I am most struck that he didn’t embark on his art career and study until he was 30. In fact, he gave up a very successful and promising career teaching and practicing law. I take heart in the fact that he found his path to happiness at a later moment in his life. That gives me hope and encouragement that I am not completely off my rocker to want to chuck it all and follow in his footsteps!

Do you use music when you create? The connection between painting and music is very strong with Kandinsky. When I was a 7th grade English teacher (in another lifetime) I used to use music as a writing prompt. Music that was without words and not recognizable to the listener as any genre or time period was the best because it evoked a depth of writing that was intense. The most fantastic writings came from those 13 year olds when we did that, I think that is surprised even them.

"Everything starts from a dot." ~Wassily Kandinsky

Kandinsky was held very strong religious beliefs in sync with theosophy. This was something new to me. I learned that theosophical teachings believe that creation is a geometrical progression, beginning with a single point. This belief is very present in the June challenge painting for Art Bead Scene. The different geometric shapes of circles, squares and triangles are present in much of his work and speaks to his deep thinking of the basic components of life.

I appreciate the deep thought that he associated with his art theory. I think that his color composition is vibrant and full of life. I think his forms are simplistically intricate. I am so glad that the Art Bead Scene is doing these challenges so that we all may experience the art of the Masters through another’s interpretation.

Color is so key to Kandinsky. As a child his artistic renderings were with very specific color palettes because as he said, “Each color lives by its mysterious life.” I really like that image that each color is alive and distinct and separate yet harmonious. And mysterious. What could they be hiding?

My homage to Kandinsky’s Farbstudie Quadrate (Color Study of Squares) is called "The Key To Kandinsky (is Color)." I found the best little pinwheel bead from Jangles and a large ceramic hoop. From there I wanted to play up the abstract nature. I wove three wires through the red banded turquoise. These are from the SoftFlex Trios palette "Sophisticated." To offset that stone there is one disco faceted vintage coral colored bead. The opposite side features two strands. One is an irregular turquoise seed bead alternating randomly with vintage bronze trade spacer beads; a little pop of color comes from the red coral round. The second strand has graphite shell beads with a little glass bead that has turquoise and coral stripes floating on the red coral wire. The closure is a skeleton key from my collection. The colors and the geometry are a good reference point to Kandinsky’s color study. I have found that this can be worn multiple ways depending on the look that you want to acheive. The clasp can go in the back, on either side and even in front as a lariat with the strands pulled through.

If you would like to read more about my creative process, and to see another piece of jewelry insprired by this painting, please hop on over to the Watch Me Create blog here.

Check it out::Dot Art Dude