Art Journal 2011

I pray that this will be the year of many changes. I need to move out of my comfort zone and press into new creative territory. Inspired by the likes of Julie Balzer, and others, I have decided to try my hand at Art Journaling. My conscious purpose is twofold. I want to plunder the riches of God's Word and be inspired by it. And as I meditate on it, and make art, I believe it will transform my heart. 

Mamatoto Polymer Clay Bead

This beautiful bead was created in polymer clay. It represents the beauty of "motherbaby" or "mamatoto."

In addition to my work as a bead artist, I am a mothercare professional, serving women through the childbearing year. God is a Author and Giver of life and I am thankful to Him for choosing me to do this work. I celebrate this in my art. All inspiration comes from Him.

Soli Deo Gloria !

Inspired by the Sea

This is a commissioned piece, a gift to someone who loves the ocean.

I love the ocean too, so I was feeling it ! Can you tell ?

"Worship the LORD all the earth, let the sea roar and all it contains"

Like A Bride

My daughter's best friend is marrying her husband's brother. The bride's mother is also a dear friend of mine, so I was given the honor of making the bride's headpiece. 

I embroidered crystals and pearls and seed beads to the veil and it turned out very lovely, as befitting the bride. 

And I saw the Holy city, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. 

Rev. 21:2

Sunny Hoops

Sometimes a girl just needs something light and airy. These darling hoops fit the bill for steamy summer days. 

A friend gave me these adorable sun faces and I have had so much fun with them. I have wired a 6mm green faceted bead to the bottom of each one and dangled them from sterling wire hoops. 

Blessings !

Checkerboard Cuff Bracelet

This is a variation of another bracelet I have previously posted but I made it wider, using blueberry wine matte size 11 seed beads and peacock bugles, and finished it off with a pretty silver toggle. I love this weave, it is easy and works up quickly. 

Blessings !

Lacy Net Seed Bead Earrings

These were an experiment, but they came out kind of cool. I will use better ingredients next time, I am thinking some kind of drop bead in the middle. 

Blessings !

Brick Stitch Bracelet

A few weeks ago, I had fun using up some odds and ends and orphaned beads to make this brick stitched bracelet. The cornucopia of colors and textures make it fun to wear. I finished it off with a silvery snake toggle that was given to me by my beading buddy B.J. 

Click the photo for a better look. 

Blessings !

Emerald City Bracelet

A former bead student and I are planning to do some classes locally and recently, we went to a lovely bead shop in Matthews, NC called the Bead Boutique.www.beadboutiquenc.com 
 and they have something called "Club Bead" that is a monthly event in which you get to learn an easy project and sit around the beading table with some other ladies for beady fun!
This was the monthly project, an adaptation of the "Skinny Bracelet" by Deb Roberti
http://www.aroundthebeadingtable.com/
Please check out Deb's site for other great project patterns, many of which are FREE.
In addition, may I just say that Deb is the best pattern designer, hands down. Her instructions are excellent and don't leave me all flustered as many of them tend to do.
THis little bracelet was needle woven with 4 mm Vitrail fire polished beads and size 8 seed beads in right angle weave. Very pretty results with very little effort. I like that !

Click the photos for a better look. Blessings !

Ndebele Blue

It's been awhile since I have blogged, but you can be sure that I have been beading :)

My Nikon Cool Pics bit the proverbial dust, and so my son had to come to my rescue and be my photographer for the next few entries. Thanks, Zach !

I love Ndebele stitch, also known as Herringbone. It is an ancient African stitch that yields a beautiful slinky bead fabric. This bracelet was needle woven with blue hex beads and number 6 beads in a transparent lilac color. I sticthed a peyote loop and added a beautiful gold button with a floral motif. 

At 8 1/2 inches, this bracelet will fit the queen sized wrist and look spectacular !

Click each photo for a better look !

Blessings.

Spring Fever Freeform Peyote Bracelet

I have Spring Fever !

Here is my answer to all of the cold, snowy gray days. 

I love these beads ! They are alabaster finished and it's almost as it they GLOW. 

Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters."

Song of Solomon 2:2

Precious Pearls

This is a lovely little pearl necklace in glass pearls and seed beads, needle woven in right angle weave. 

So timeless !

"The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each individual gate was one pearl."

Revelation 21:21

Harvest Ruffle Bracelet

 

This pretty "ruffle bracelet" is loaded down with all kinds of pretty glass leaves and beads in harvest colors. 

A bronze button with a floral motif holds it securely on my wrist. 

"And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

Revelation 14:15

Metamorphosis

This is my bead journal motif for February 2010. 

It represents my husband and me and our children. 

The themes represented are : 

Being forever united in Christ

Being forever changed by His LOVE

He is the only faithful lover of our souls. 

" For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, not things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LORD."

Romans 8: 38 &39

Lotus Flower Earrings

These earrings were woven with #8 and #15 seed beads to create the motif, and then I added a 4mm firepolished crystal and glass pearl. The pattern was in either Bead & Button, or Beadwork recently.

I haven't gotten up the nerve to weave them again. 

Sparkle Wave Earrings

These wavy earrings were constructed with  clear bicone crystals and  indigo fire polished, faceted beads. They have a lot of sparkle !

"If anyone has an ear, let him hear."

Revelation 13:9

Wolf Moon Necklace

I love this pendant ! I created the necklace to set it off nicely, and it must have because I sold it the first time I had it at a show. It reminds me of the "wolf moon" we just had the other night, which is the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. 

"WIsom rests in the heart of him who has understanding."

Proverbs 14:33a

Bronze Beauty Bracelet

This bracelet was needlewoven with bronze colored seed beads and firepolished crystals in right angle weave. 

A pretty button serves as the clasp !

This bracelet is sold. 

"The path of the just is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter into the perfect day."

Proverbs 4 :18

Paul C Rhyne Art Competition 2009 Lincolnton, NC

 

 

These were my entires in the Paul C Rhyne Art Competition 2009. 

Better photos of them can be seen in the older posts of my blog. They are called Genesis and Victoria. 

Paul was a great man and patron of the Arts here in Lincolnton, NC. 

He was the grandfather of my son-in-law, Marcus, who is an excellent painter, himself. 

I hope my little grand-daughter Abbi Rhyne will have a love for the arts.

Tribal Diva Necklace

This was one of my favorite necklaces, because it was so exotic, I used African trade beads and a pointed pendant. I sold this at Christmas. I have more Trade beads and I think my next tribal creation will have lots of movement, and really be over the top. Stay tuned !

Paper Bead and Peyote Necklace

I had fun making paper beads a while back. It's pretty addictive, and the come out so cool.
Here's a tutorial page:
http://www.paperbeadcrafts.com/

I strung my beads and created a peyote strand between them. I sold this necklace at Christmas, as the byuer wanted to layer it with my "Tribal Diva" Necklace ! They really looked great together.

Zig Zag Peyote Earrings

OK, so I have gone a little crazy with this technique ! These earrings are so much fun. The first pair is with 15 hex beads and they drape like buttah !

 

 

Twinkle Teal

These earrings feature a silver chain from which round, teal glass pearls and teal fire-polished crystals dance together. So sweet !

"He whose ear listens to lif giving reproof will dwell among the wise."

Proverbs 15:31

Fun in the Sun

I'm dreaming of a nice beach house, just like the ones I used to know !

It's been so cold for the last 24 hours and I thought it might do my heart good to feature some things that warm my imagination. 

These lovely earrings have sweet little sun face motifs and gorgeous emerald green glass droplets. 

Treasure Coast Necklace

 

 

It is snowing here in NC and so cold ! So I am fantasizing about somewhere warm with palm trees. 

This little necklace was inspired by warmer weather and sunny climates. It is has lots of little 'treasures" dangling down, including pearls, gemstone chips, art glass beads and crystals. 

Perhaps I will wear one like it on my first summer vacation. This one sold late last year.

"Thy word have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against Thee"

Psalm 119 :11

Blue Tattoo

About a year ago, I got a henna tattoo on my hand at the NC La Leche League area conference and I was fascinated by the art ! Since then, I have been scribbling and doodling, learning the many Mehndi strokes that comprise the art. I have not used actual henna yet, but have been practicing with felt tipped pens.

I have seen Mehndi done with an indigo color and thought it was so pretty, so I doodled this in blue.

Kathryn

This painting is a collaborative effort by my husband and me. It is an abstract portrait of me. He painted my form and I painted the water and sky.

Over the Moon

I am so happy this sweet little brooch found it's "forever home" today at an art sale.

I will make another one some day.

I embroidered it at the beach, years ago, inspired by the moonlight on the surf.

"And God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. "

Genesis 1:16

Blueberry Wine Cabochon Necklace

This necklace is one of my favorites because of the amazing cabochon created in polymer clay by Sharon Solly. I beaded around it and added the spiral chain in number 11 and number 8 seed beads. I used a combo of matte and shiny seed beads in "blueberry wine" with really great results. I may not be able to part with this one.

"I sleep but I am awake. It is the voice of My Beloved !"

Song of Solomon 5:2

Checkerboard Bracelet

OK, this is not my design, but I had fun beading it with this fun pattern from

http://moonkatz.org/checkerboard.html

It is made with bugle beads, I used black twisted ones, and seed beads, I used ones with an aurora borealis finish, to create a basketweave pattern. I want to play with this pattern some more.

"Blessed is the LORD, Who daily loads us with benefits."
Psalm 68:19

Talk to the Hand

 

This is a project for the "Show of Hands" art show which was the brain child of Kim Deneault, a fellow board member at the Lincoln County Arts Council. Kim bought a bunch of antique porcelain glove molds, and  I was fortunate enough to be able to have my way with a couple of them !
I was going to try a mehndi design on this one, but got sidetracked when I decided to get out some fabric squares I had been saving for a watercolor art quilt and wondered how a fabric decoupage would do.
What you see is the result, and I was rather pleased with it.

"My soul follows close behind you. Your right hand upholds me."
Psalm 65:8

Winter Bead Embroidered Cuff

It's winter and last week I enjoyed playing with dark and warm colors. I particularly love the reddish brown cabochon in the middle circle of this bracelet, which is similar in design to the Deco Flora bracelet I created for my daughter-in-law for Christmas. It's fun to see how different colors completely change the look of a design.

"You have set all the borders of the earth. You have made summer and winter."

Psalm 74:17

BIRTH Stories, Panel One

This collection of twelve 3x3 inch beaded motifs is, I hope, the first of many more. The collection started as a way for women to express their feelings or experiences of pregnancy and birth in a time when there is a huge women's health crisis in maternity care. For more information on the, please see my other blog www.birthwhisperer.blogspot.com

The artsists and titles, starting from the upper left corner and working down from left to right are:

Diana Mains Welte "Baby Bump, Cherish the Gift"

Paula Motsinger Meyncke "Placenta Heart"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "My Body Rocks"

Diana Mains Welte "Here We Go"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "Labor Spiral"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "Doulas Know Squat"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "I Can VBAC"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "PUSH"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "A Cruel Cut"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "Episiotomy V-Section WHY?"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "BabyMoon"

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz "Peace on Earth Begins At Birth"

As an artist, a birth activist and conference speaker I plan to use this panel, and the others to follow, to raise awareness about the need for transparency and reform in maternity care. If you would like to contribute a square to this project, please leave a comment and I will give you more information on how you can participate.

Bridal Lace Cuff

This beautiful cuff bracelet started as a remnant of lace from an old bridal gown. I added cabochons and much more bead embroidery to add some pizzaz to the appliqued 4mm pearls and sequins. The result was so pretty ! I have the rest of the gown, so I think more projects will follow including a bib necklace. Stay tuned. 

"Then I saw the holy city, the New jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Rev 21: 2

January Bead Journal 2010 : The Dove

I decided to start a bead journal this year and plan to complete a motif for every month of the year.

This piece is called "The Dove" because in January 1983, I was rescued by God from a very dark and hopeless life. In the midst of a cold and hopeless winter, despair and depression, He came, by His Holy Spirit ( as represented by the dove in the motif) and gave me new hope and a new life. Because of Jesus Christ and His love, I live a forgiven, redeemed, beautiful, fruitful and creative life. His mercies are new every morning !

"And John bore witness saying, " I have beheld the Spirit, descending as a dove out of heaven."

 John 1:32