Being a Graphic Artist has definitely helped me in the color choosing area when making jewelry. But don't worry you don't need a degree in the arts to pick a beautiful palette for your project. You may not even realize it, but you have professional help in your own home right this very minute! But wait you say...I am home alone...who is this person you speak of? You need only take a look around your home for a plethora of inspiration and ideas. You see, just about any decorative item or piece of clothing you have purchased and is in your home right now, has at some point been designed by a professional - someone already trained in the art of color most likely. And since you have these items in your home, we can safely assume that you are fond of them in style and color. (ok, that old plaid sofa in the basement from your husbands bachelor days does not count for this exercise).
Take a stroll around your living area and look at any art you have hanging on the walls. Whether it be a Van Gogh print or an original oil painting you bought at the art fair last fall, these are ready-made color palettes for your next jewelry project. Walk into your bedroom and into the closet. See that beautiful silk print blouse you wear for special occasions? That will make a stunning palette for a necklace. That fun glittery top your wear for bar night? - it's inspiration for a bracelet and earrings. Look on your shelves....painted pottery, candles, picture frames...these are all potential light bulbs going off in your head! If still you are not inspired, look at book covers or photo albums. Try looking at vacation pictures of you favorite beach...the blue skies, the aqua waters, and the champagne colored sparkling sands. The possibilities are endless.
In clothing and in home decor, we tend to gravitate toward certain colors that please our sense of style. Most of my clothing is black, reds, blues, greens and purples. If you look at my drawers of beads you will find the same color schemes also. Even though I sell my jewelry I tend to make things that are pleasing in color to my own eye. I don't really care for the color pink, so it's not satisfying for me to make pink jewelry...nor do I use it in my home decor. So using myself as an example...I look at my favorite holiday blouse and see purple and turquoise and fuchsia. And since I already like these colors, I am likely to already have beads in those same colors so I don't even need to go shopping (though let it be known, I am not against shopping for more beads in any way!).
So next time you are stuck and indecisive about your next project, just take a walk around the house and look at all your favorite things. (I order you to ignore the dust bunnies and unmade beds!) Without even realizing it, you have amassed a staggering number of color palettes just waiting to be mused by you!
The above picture shows my pile of treasures from the Bead and Button show. The picutre was taken on the floor of my friend Nikki's booth. After a long day of classes and shopping she let me crash in her booth for a bit to rest up for more fun!
Seriously, I could start my own store with the amount of disc and flower beads I bought from Thornburg Bead Studio! Her stuff is awesome and very affordable for someone like me who buys them to make jewelry for resale. The disc necklaces are one of my best sellers and I can't wait for my customers to see all the new colors and styles! In the future I would like to do a post about Nikki Thornburg and her works.
