Double Reversible Bracelets (and an unreasonable cantilever)

Of course, I can't stop beading. It's like breathing, anymore. But it's been a busy week in other ways. I've been interviewing for a job, first by phone, then a one-way recorded interview with a platform called Spark Hire, and finally, an in-person chat, and then... I got the job! (Once I'm sure I've passed orientation next week, I'll share more on that later.) But in between writing a resume (I hadn't needed one of those in years) and the recent drug test (ditto!), I have managed to knock out a few "halves" of bracelets. 

You see, when I make Double Reversible Bracelets, I finish the first pass all the way down the bracelet, to set its size and overall structure, by making the equivalent of an 8-strand bracelet. The size sometimes can't be controlled on the first draft of a bracelet. Each one I make is different, and when I start creating repeats, the whole thing needs to end at a pattern break, so that the pattern repeats are whole. I can stop after any pattern sequence I want, so if I don't feel that the bracelet will be quite long enough, I need to add a whole additional pattern, or "medallion", as I sometimes call it. Now, when I have to attempt a custom-sized bracelet to fulfill a request, based on one I already made, I can plan in a tiny sequence between each repeated design (if the bracelet needs to be larger), or remove some element in each pattern (if the new bracelet is going to be smaller). But it's not always the easiest thing to do, sizing something with accuracy. That's why I really like to make bracelets that don't have to be any particular size. I usually shoot for something that would fit my own wrist, in the event that I decide to keep it, or if it doesn't ultimately sell. But it's a good idea to have extra large or extra small ones for those occasional hard-to-fit customers. So here are the four bracelets where I left off, in their half-finished state.

It's always easiest when I leave 'holes' in the beading, so that the next pass has room for bead strands to weave in and out. Some of these patterns don't leave much room for that, so the end result will be quite tight. But that's sometimes a nice effect. I'll tie off the end strings to another sterling silver bracket before I start with the next pass. That one will be the equivalent of a 12-strand bracelet. If you look closely at the silver brackets at the right end of each bracelet, you'll see 3 holes or loops in each of them. Each loop will be an attachment point for a 4-strand row, but those strands will separate and shoot through whatever hole might allow it to cut through to the other side. Knots will hold the strands on one side, then some or all of the strands will work their way to the other side, where they are knotted again. The decisions of how these pieces proceed aren't made ahead of time. It's an organic process, and I usually go with how the bracelet 'wants to be made'.

When I hear people say something like that about their artwork, I always roll my eyes. In my art-making decisions, I take full responsibility, and I know well in advance what I'll be doing, so I find it hard to understand how someone might not know those things. How can you know when you're done, if you are groping your way along? It seems so willy-nilly. But, those feelings are probably something of a double standard, given that I stumble along an unclear path while beading. But as soon as I get to the end of the first repeat, the details are set for that layer, and I usually don't have anymore decisions to make about the bracelet for awhile.

When I get these bracelets finished, I'll show them to you again. I will scan both sides, as they can differ greatly from this stage. That's what makes them reversible. In the mean time, here are some finished Double Reversible Bracelets, with both sides showing for each one.

"Savoy"

"Saskia"

"Transform"

"Geo-Marca"

When both layers are interwoven, it becomes very difficult to differentiate which layer is which. That makes it even harder to repeat a bracelet, which is why I started scanning them at the end of the first stage. If that part is not repeated in some similar manner, there's no chance in getting a match on the bracelet. I always make a few changes, but the overall look can be repeated somewhat, in a new size, or with slightly different colors. (I take my "one-of-a-kind" claim seriously!) So check back next time, and you'll see how those first four bracelets have been transformed with their final additions.

Last time, I mentioned needing a studio, and hoping to come up with some plans in order to build such a structure. I really didn't have time to work up a new plan, but I remembered that I'd spent a lot of time making a studio plan a few years ago. It never got built, but I was really just fiddling around while I was learning the beginnings of AutoCAD. I was intrigued with what I'd previously created, but it isn't entirely practical at this point, now having moved to new circumstances. This version has a main level, and a stairway which leads to a loft that only covers about a third of the whole layout.

I don't foresee needing a sleeping space in my next studio plan, so this loft is probably a little unreasonable. Likewise with the small kitchen and bathroom, which even includes a tub. I could see having a toilet and just a utility sink for cleaning paint brushes and such. I have been ever so enamored with a cantilevered room though. Do you see how the loft bed sticks out past the wall at the top? That is the cantilevered part, which would hang out from the structure, seemingly unsupported. The trick is to have the floor joists running far enough into the room, well-anchored in several places. A wide board is necessary for that, like a 2x10? Maybe 2x8? (I'd consult a builder before making that kind of decision.) This plan only extends three feet, so that isn't all that risky. If I ever get the chance to design my own dream house, I would love to include a cantilever feature, but I have a feeling this particular plan may not be quite the right solution for my current studio needs. I still intend to work on a new layout for a more reasonable shed. I have plenty of time, since we are currently in the middle of a severe freeze, with lots of snow in the forecast. Ain't nobody gonna be building anything for awhile.

I'm having serious MCD symptoms today, and I think I will need to take something for it. Rather, I will need to make something for it! (LOL! Don't worry, it's just my 'multiple creativity disorder' flaring up.)! I'm thinking I'll find a temporary remedy in turning out some kind of Valentine dessert or decorated cookie tomorrow.  I'll be sure to report that to you, if it happens. (Sometimes I'm all talk!)

See ya soon!

Making Earrings and Missing My Studio

It's been awhile since I've done beadwork. After recently moving to another state, I hadn't yet unpacked some of my tools and parts. More accurately, I don't even know which box is which  (I was WAY too lax on labeling!), so I've been somewhat hindered. But I got a request for a custom pair of earrings, so I gathered as much as I could find, and was able to make them. I've showed some of my beadwork previously on this blog, but out of the dozens of bracelets created in the last couple of years, here are just a few of the newer ones. In order, these photos show two 8-Strand bracelets, two 12-Strand bracelets, and two 4-in-1 bracelets.

"Soiree"

"Punky"

"Greeley"

"Crayon"

"Cosette"

"Armada"

Somewhere along the way, I was asked why I didn't make earrings. I had thought about it, but I felt that the macrame style I use wasn't practical on such a short item. It would require the beginning and end of the piece to be finished off with a few knots, and a bracket or ring of some kind, in order to tie the threads off securely. After giving it more thought, I realized there's no reason why I couldn't accept the ring at the bottom as part of the design. I could always hang a dangle or charm from it, which would look fine. It would just require the earrings to be fairly long, in order to include the starting knots, and the ending knots, and enough of a beaded design in the middle to make it worthwhile. But, I accepted this design constraint, and proceeded to create earrings. I'm glad I did. They were turning out to be statement-sized earrings, and yet they were very lightweight for their size. The first pair I made was a little more colorful than my usual palette...

...followed by this next intricate pair. Again, they're large, but not that heavy.

And then I unraveled a triple stranded cord to get down to a single strand, which I worked into these earrings, resulting in a much more petite scale.

I don't mind tedious, but that was so fine, it hardly wanted to stay together. The knots tried to untie themselves each time after I'd tighten them, as I went along. Gah! Finally, after I made it to the bottom, I got the threads well-fastened and trimmed, so they will no longer come apart. I like the effect, but I probably won't be doing much of this small scale work.

This pair is one of my favorites, so much so, that I took them out of gallery inventory, and put them in my own jewelry box. I wear a lot of grey, and also that sour yellow color.

And now for the most recent work. This pair in the following picture sold within minutes of being set out for sale at the gallery. It's also what was recently requested, so the pair I just made looks a lot like them.  (I don't like to exactly repeat any of my work, so I make some changes each time.) I plan to make a lot more of this dangly style, which I think lends itself to a "beachy" look, with lots of shell, mother of pearl, turquoise, coral and such. 

I'm a little sad that I no longer have a studio in which to work. I'm currently set up on the dining room table, but we're trying to decide what to do about this. Some of my "office things" are still boxed, without room to unpack and spread out the contents. Some things are upstairs, and some of my boxes of art supplies are still unpacked, lodged firmly in the garage. I'm thinking a studio/shed in the backyard would solve my problems, since there's no room inside the house to sacrifice for a studio. I'll get it figured out, and since I really love building things, the thought of getting to design and construct a small studio is something I could get jazzed about! Oh yeah, I could build it myself!  Since I have a little knowledge of AutoCAD, I might have to start there. The next time I blog, there might be floorplans! Oooh, I just got goose bumps!

...and I meant it!

 In my last post, I said I'd report back soon, didn't I?

I've said that a lot of times, and I meant it every single time, even though it often didn't play out that way. But here I am a MERE DAY LATER with something to show you. Bear in mind that a lot that happened last year runs together in the memory pool, but this piece clearly stands out in my mind, because it's my only drawing work from 2020. I made it before COVID-19, or at least before we started taking it seriously. I'd intended to generate one drawing after another, but after the pandemic situation set in, I seemed to lose all patience for pencil work. This piece is titled, 'What Pronoun Did I Use?'

This drawing is considered mixed media, a combination of watercolor, acrylic and graphite. I call works such as this 'drawings' because of the proportion of time spent using each of the media. It may take me just a few minutes to slap on a bit of watercolor here and there, and maybe a couple hours to apply the acrylic, usually in the background areas, but the time spent on the graphite often takes dozens of hours. (Larger work might be in the hundreds!)

The skull is something I've recently started rendering. This would be my second drawing with a skull as the subject. I don't see such an iconic image as creepy, but rather something commonplace that we all possess just under the surface. I've used it as a continuation of a person, who ponders ideas, questions outcomes, and isn't meant to be a symbol of death. Here, our skull is looking in the mirror, contemplating his or her gender. At a glance, it isn't apparent.

Hidden in the dark background is a textured pattern that looks like a slightly tangled beaded doorway. These strands are actually lines of Morse Code, written in dots and dashes. If anyone cares to decipher these phrases, more power to them. It just takes a quarter turn of the artwork, but deciding whether it's clockwise, or counter-clockwise, is part of the challenge. Some lines refer more to the point of the artwork, such as "Politics and the public bathroom", and others have no relation, as in "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine".

You may recall seeing my other skull drawing entitled, 'Enduring the Countdown', which won a prize at the Texas & Neighbors Annual Juried Art Exhibit a few years ago.

I'd been thinking about skulls just prior to that, and I was marveling at how I hadn't given much thought to the one right behind my own face. I was sitting at the table, tracing the 'rim' around each eye with my finger, through my skin, and my husband couldn't help but ask what I was doing. I explained my new fascination with the skull, and how I would be interested in drawing it, if I had one to look at. He immediately ordered a true-to-life skull model used for teaching. I mean, what husband wouldn't jump at the chance to order something so weird, when his wife all but gave him permission?

Both of these pieces of artwork are available for purchase from Graphite Gallery in New Orleans. Their website is https://graphitenola.com/. While these pieces aren't pictured on their site yet, a simple phone call should be enough to accomplish a purchase.

To see these and more of my artwork (mostly unavailable, but fun to peruse), please visit my own website at http://renatekasper.com/.

See you soon?

See you soon? What?? Yeah, that was the final sentence I typed in my last blog post. Nothing unusual about it. Well, that was over

For those of you that understand procrastination as well as I do, you know it can be comforting as well as annoying. It causes your conscience to gnaw at you, but then proceeds to soothe the situation with its own salve of acceptance. It's really an emotional Push-Me-Pull-You! At first, I thought about the blog every once in awhile, intending to roll up my sleeves, make a bunch of excuses, and get back into the rhythm of it. But that didn't happen. (Oh, don't worry. I HAVE excuses. Read on.) But after awhile, I thought it would be easier to stop blogging, than to feel bad about ignoring it. But really, I don't like to give up on anything. And then... well... LIFE. 

Most people want to forget all about 2020, and move ahead with a brand new, potentially better year. Well, I'll also throw in 2019 as a year I'd just as soon forget. July 31, 2018 was the last time I posted a blog entry. I don't remember what was going on the second half of 2018 that caused me to be absent, but skipping a few months was quite normal for me. And then came 2019.....

My husband had a stroke on the evening of March 12th, 2019. He'd started using weird words that evening. When he tried to tell me about a "flonk", I had to remind him, "Sweetie, I don't speak Klingon!" But that was our clue that he needed help. A hurried drive to the nearest hospital was followed by a seriously expensive helicopter flight to a serious medical facility! It was an intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and resulted in several weeks' hospitalization at a combination of facilities in Austin, Texas. On the night it happened, Bill's blood pressure was 250/? (I don't recall the bottom number.) His brain had no choice but to spring a leak!

Thanks to the expertise and care of many greatly skilled people, Bill survived, and returned home by May. He had no outwardly physical signs of having had a stroke, like speech impediment, no limp or facial droop. He just had severe short-term memory loss. And now, just under two years later, his memory still suffers quite a bit. But, by golly, if you were to ask him a question about early Star Trek trivia, he'll produce the correct answer in a heartbeat! Just don't ask him what he did yesterday. He won't remember.

During the grueling daily grind of driving back and forth to the hospitals all those weeks, I was encouraged by the gradual progression of things in the positive direction. I also know that the prayers of a lot of people were at work. A few small milestones come to mind, as my favorite parts. Hubby had been non-responsive for a few days, early in the ordeal. I felt lucky if I could get him to open his eyes. But when he finally came out of this state, the nurses told me to only ask him 'yes' or 'no' questions for awhile. They said he may give me a nod or shake of the head at first, but he'd eventually get to the point of one-word answers. One day I was flipping through the television channels and came across a sci-fi channel that I thought he might like. I asked him if that was something he'd care to watch. As I waited for a nod of his head, or possibly a murmured response of  "yeah" or "uh-huh", I was overjoyed to hear him clearly say, "Indubitably!"

On another occasion, Bill was asking for a drink of water. Since he was a choke risk, the nurses told me he couldn't have any. He kept asking though, and I repeatedly told him I couldn't give him any. "Yes you can!", he exclaimed. I was thrilled that we'd moved on to two and three word phrases by now. But I couldn't oblige him. "No, I can't", I replied. "Yes you CAN!"..."No, I can't"... etc. Finally, unsatisfied with my answers, Bill frowned and very slowly (with great enunciation) said, "Then kindly fetch me a medical attendant."

So, that momentous and traumatic life occurrence resulted in my husband and provider no longer being able to provide. I went back to work at Art Connections Gallery where I'd worked previously, only it had moved to a town farther away. Still, it was a pleasure to be back there, working in such a beautiful space. It only started with four hours a week (that's all there was to offer me), but before long, I was working two days a week, and then three. It was only part time, but somehow, we managed. We learned to sacrifice and become more frugal. Although life got much harder, I was just happy not to be a widow!

To supplement my small paychecks, I spent most of my free time generating beadwork to sell through the gallery and other venues. I made several new Boot Halters, a new style of necklace with macrame links, and I added earrings to my repertoire.

I turned out one new piece of artwork in 2020. And then COVID hit, and everyone's lives became more challenging. Honestly, I don't think it affected me as much as most people. For one thing, I love staying home, and I've never had a shortage of things to work on. My husband is also very content to spend the day at home. We're both 'only children', so we've always known how to entertain ourselves. 

My phone rang this past May 3rd, a Sunday. By the caller ID, I could see it was my Dad. He often called, or he was always the one to answer the phone when I'd call their house. But this time, when I answered, my mom was on the line, and I immediately knew there was a reason to be concerned. She said my Dad had collapsed, and he was in the hospital. His heart had stopped. I won't go into all the details, but in a nutshell, his problem stemmed from a severe allergic reaction, and he had accidentally eaten something the night before that caused his heart to race, beat irregularly, and ultimately skip such a long beat that it was like it had stopped. (He's had these food allergies for years, and he suffers from these episodes once in awhile, but they'd always been mild enough to tolerate, until now.)  This time, it was severe, and resulted in a total collapse. They called it a combination of anaphylaxis, arrythmia, and atrial fibrillation. It could've killed him. He blacked out and hit the floor, causing two bad breaks in his ankle. He couldn't move when he regained consciousness. He thought his neck was broken, as well as his back. So, paramedics came, stabilized him, and took him to the hospital. I drove all night (a 12-hour trip) to be there with my mom as soon as possible. She has been more or less confined to a wheelchair for a couple of years now, so she couldn't be left alone. Dad spent several days in the hospital, then was in a wheelchair awhile, got a cast on his leg, then it came off, and he continued to get stronger. (It turned out that he didn't have a broken neck or back. Just his ankle was mangled.) But now he's doing very well, he's been on meds, and as long as he watches much more closely what he eats, he should be good. But it became obvious, through this whole ordeal, that it was time I stepped in to help.

So a couple months ago, my husband and I moved to Missouri to take care of them. We don't exactly fit into my parents' house, with our belongings, but somehow we're making it work. With both of them in their 90's, they felt like I might as well get settled in this house, as I'll be inheriting it one of these days. We have some remodeling projects planned, so I get to weigh in on the improvements. I love that kind of thing!

Obviously, this blog post hasn't been my normal display of creativity. (It isn't even creatively written.) But these times are anything but normal. Just when I had all the time in the world, I couldn't clear my head enough to create any artwork. Finessing a pencil was a little too delicate. I could do beadwork, but only in short spurts. It didn't seem fair to basque in my own solitude and creative joy when I knew someone out there was fighting for life, or taking their last breath. (My Multiple Creativity Disorder was definitely in remission, which isn't the positive prognosis it sounds.) But what IS positive is the future! I continue to have a lot of time at home, while assisting my parents, and all this free time is about to turn into creations which I'll report on soon.

And this time, I mean SOON!