Friday, May 14, 2010

In a Beading State of Mind


Since April 20 and the announcements that there was oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico and that the oil companies had no idea how to deal with it all, I have been working on beading projects. I am extremely upset about this spill and the devastation that is being brought on the environment and the people who struggle to make their living from the gifts from the sea. I am totally apalled at how the compaqnies involved are dealing with this mega disaster. I know that alot of my anxiety goes back to a time when I was a uyoungster on the beaches in Santa Barbara California, during the oil spills in the Santa Barbara Chanel. I walked those beaches and we helped to rescue birds and sea life from the devastation. I have never forgotten coming home after a trip to the beach and having to clean the oil tar off of our feet with gasoline or kerosene. That spill was a drop in the bucket compared to this one. They say that things that happen early on in your life, can greatly impact your adult life. In my case this spill has brought on a huge wave of anger towards the oil companies who are doing all they can to make money and cut corners to get what they want. It has also reinvigorated my energy to fight any forms of offshore drilling anywhere along our shores as it is totally obvious that the Oil companies are not to be trusted.
I also have extended family members who make their livings as fishermen,, who work on the sea and care for the animals and fishes who inhabit it and who depend on the pristine beaches of Cape Cod , for their livelyhood, through tourism and summer rental properties. The oceans give us so very much and there is a very definate limit as to how much we can perturb the environment, before we are left with an empty lifeless pool.
In my state of stress I have turned to the rhythmic activity of creative beadwork, in the evening. I am working on projects to encase my own treasured gifts from the sea.

This first attempt at bead weaving around glass, turned out better than I had hoped. I found this piece of coke bottle glass at the mouth of the Potomac river. The color is wonderful and I love the grid texture. The piece is bigger than most pieces that I have, at about 2 by 3 inches. I am planning on making it into a focal pendant for a glass necklace combined with some of my treasured african recycled glass beads.

This is a piece of an old blue glass canning jar that I found in the surf at Nauset Beach on Cape Cod , last summer. This will also be a focal pendant.



This teardrop shaped piece is a lovely sea green color and it is so very smooth. I love creating these pieces and I hope to create several to offer as pendants, in my Etsy shop. If anyone of you has a special piece of glass or a stone that you would like to be able to wear as a pendant , feel free to contact me! (for email see my profile on the right hand border of this blog)
I would love to do some custom pieces for those who might be interested.
I really did not intend to rant about the oil spill situation, I guess that I really did not know the extent of my anger about this situation till I began to write about it!
Once again I have come to realize how very important my art is to my state of well being and to my abilities to manage various stressors that can arise from the most distant of events.
Art heals, art is therapy, art is very important.

9 comments:

Jackie said...

Such a beautiful group of pieces Elizabeth.

Holly Loves Art said...

I love this idea for a pendant. Your work is so pretty... and I LOVE the colors for this piece.
Cheers,
Holly

gg said...

Yes, Art does heals and art is therapy! I loved reading this entry and how you've taken the pain what's going on in the Gulf and turned into beautiful pieces. I live on the Gulf of Mexico, (a few miles from the Mobile Bay) for 12 years... I can tell you the news brings so much sadness to those I know and love that still live there ... and especially the wild life there. It breaks my heart. Makes me want to create some ocean/Gulf art. :-) gg

Susan Elliott said...

we just re-watched Avatar last night and the whole time I was thinking about this unbelievably huge spill...and I was thinking it is probably a much bigger disaster than even we know yet. And how to repair such unbelievable damage? The only thing I could think of was to fight for our own waterway...the Chesapeake Bay...to try to improve the earth on my own piece of property...and I like your idea of beading to relieve your anxiety. Your work on your pendants is a really good idea and I love how you trapped the glass with the beading.

Lorie McCown said...

I agree Elizabeth with you here. I grew up in SoCal, and I remember that spill as well. But until we as a nation, give up our fossil fuel addiction, these events will occur. The mining disaster in WV, this spill, the Valdez, all due to our hunger. Your pieces are beautiful, as ever. Love when there is a story behind the art. Great to chat with you yesterday, let's do it again soon.

Michelle said...

Your pendants are beautiful. The sea gives many gifts and asks for nothing in return except to respect it and the life it sustains. Every time I think of the oil in the gulf I am overwhelmed with sadness.

Anonymous said...

They're beautiful, Elizabeth. So are your thoughts. I agree.
Diane

Mosaic Magpie said...

Elizabeth I agree so sad and when will this diaster end. We can even imagine the extent of this on every aspect of our Gulf Coast.
Debbie

Connie said...

My husband and I are both very upset about the oil spill. I could say so much but I guess what I feel most is sadness. I'm sad that we the people are causing so much damage. Especially to the earth and the animals that cannot fight back. I think the oil company has done more damage than they will admit. And the sad thing is they can't stop it. I hear they are trying but it's not enough.

Your jewlery is lovely.

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