Challenging myself to create more art beads

I want to be an art bead maker. I mean, I already am- but I'm looking at what I've been creating lately, and feeling like I could be doing better, making more, and providing more of a service to the community by selling my beads.

So I've decided step one is to participate regularly in the largest online monthly challenge for art beads, which is held by the ArtBeadScene blog.  One of the things I can gain for myself by participating in the challenge is a schedule, a discipline, a way for me to challenge my own inspiration on a monthly basis to look at things in a new way.

I created a palette for myself from this month's artwork. The challenge is usually based on a particular piece of art- you are to get inspired by the theme and the colors. This month features a very textural gesso art nouveau piece, and those are two of my VERY favorite things in the world!

Here's where I created the palette, pretty neat! Click here.

Evolution of an Artist

I went to art school. Yup, 4 years. I enjoyed taking electives in many things I don’t use, such as paper making, the only course I got less than a B in during the whole 4 years. Not for lack of trying either, I was in that stupid paper making studio for loads of extra hours- but it still didn’t really work out for me.

I got my degree in teaching, and went on to teach for a few years. Love it. Hated it. Definitely a love/hate thing. Still Jones for it whenever I drive by a high school, and have to talk myself down. It was awful to be a free spirit stuck in a classroom with my wings clipped. I was in a constant state of anxiety, because I was nervous that I was too close to the kids, too personable, and would end up smeared all over the news because I touched someone or made too personal a comment. It was horrible. But I loved it too, because I loved spending time influencing teenagers. I LOVE them! And I was never inappropriate, although I worried because of all the pressure of society and parents. It was awful feeling that way, did I mention that?

I am primarily a polymer clay art jewelry artisan. I fought being a jewelry maker for years, but it’s just part of me. I make tiny beautiful things. For a while, I called my etsy shop StudioBijou…until I found a porn studio using the same name. Whoops, didn’t want that association! So I changed to my name, KiraSlyeDesigns. I keep that, because it’s been around for so long and it’s me. But again, evolution rears it’s head. I needed to follow a colorful dream and associate more with the style I love.

I love Bohemian style, color, the gypsy connotations. I love the movie Moulin Rouge and highly recommend it- Freedom, Beauty, Truth and Love.