Art Bead Scene::Brown River

"The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color."  ~Hans Hoffman
 
A few years ago I discovered the Art Bead Scene and the monthly jewelry challenges inspired by a work of art. I would be remiss if I didn't give credit where credit is due: Heather Powers and the whole Art Bead Scene crew were the inspiration behind my solo art exhibit at Gallery Q last summer called "Inspired by..." using local artists for the inspiration, and bead artists (many discovered through the Art Bead Scene) for the components.

I love the challenges, particularly because they are challenges. Sometimes some of my challenge pieces have turned out so well that I have sold them, or better yet, had them accepted for publication. So if you are on the fence about participating in artistic challenges, I would say go for it!

Last year with my preparations for my show I was really a slacker with my participation on Art Bead Scene. This year I have no excuse and I plan to enter all 12 challenges. That's my plan. Now you all have to keep me honest with that.

The January inspiration painting really lit the ABS community on fire. I saw so many hopping on board and getting excited. And how could you not when you see the vibrancy of the challenge inspiration painting by Wayne Thiebaud.

{Brown River by Wayne Thiebaud}

From the Art Bead Scene website:

About the Art

"River-delta views from the Sacramento area, cityscapes from San Francisco and beach scenes from Southern California, no matter the subject, these works uniformly attest to the artist’s ability to sensuously manipulate pigment and capture clear light and vibrant color. It is this technical virtuosity, along with the artist’s tongue-in-cheek humor and ability to capture the realities of our place in time, that have helped to make Thiebaud a uniquely American painter."

About the Artist

Wayne Thiebaud (born Mesa, Arizona, November 23, 1920) is an American painter whose most famous works are of cakes, pastries, boots, toilets, toys and lipsticks. His last name is pronounced "Tee-bo." He is associated with the Pop art movement because of his interest in objects of mass culture, however, his works, executed during the fifties and sixties, slightly predate the works of the classic pop artists. Thiebaud uses heavy pigment and exaggerated colors to depict his subjects, and the well-defined shadows characteristic of advertisements are almost always included in his work. 

His family moved to Long Beach, California when he was six months old. One summer during his high school years he apprenticed at the Walt Disney Studio. He earned a degree from Sacramento State College in 1941. From 1938 to 1949, he worked as a cartoonist and designer in California and New York and served as an artist in the United States Navy.

{Sunny Sacramento}

My inspiration was the bright patchwork of  color. And I had the perfect pendant from Jennifer Heynen of Jangles. I took my pendant and a copy of the painting with me on a shopping trip to Michaels and found some speckled coral pink sponge coral rondelles and lime green mother of pearl coins for color. I also lucked out and found these really sweet new components that are loose wire coils that have what looks like dripped enamel on them, and antique copper chain for the brown river, both from the Industrial Chic line. I also added some bright blue wood coin beads and made a galvanized steel wire clasp in the angular shape of the river. Since the artist, Wayne Thiebaud focused his paintings on Southern California, I called this one 'Sunny Sacramento.'

Available in my Etsy shop here.

Does this painting grab you? What does it remind you of?
Check out the other entries in the Flickr site here.