In Loving Memory of Liat Lichtmann

Liat Lichtmann

1966-2008

I had the honor of being friends with the most amazing woman from Israel named Liat Lichtmann.  She was intelligent, creative, beautiful and humorous.  She had many talents and one of these was beading. Liat passed away leaving behind memories of beaded treasures.  I hope you will take as much pleasure in viewing her work (below) as I have in knowing her.  I find it difficult to express my sadness in words but I know that she will live on in the minds and hearts of those who share the beauty of her wonderful works.  I love you Liat! Your words were as colorful as your art. Thank you my friend, for your art will live on forever.

Necklace made of Pearls and Kala Flowers carved in rose quartz, 

concealed magnetic clasp with an antique wooden seal, hand painted shades of silver and abstract forms.  

Necklace worn assymmetrically.

 

 Dedicated to her grandfather- 2006

These old wooden stamps ( shown above ) were brought by her grandfather from Odessa Ukaine to Israel.

This necklace is in shades of honey, gold, gray, light blue and orange.  

Gold plated seal clasp and orginal drawing.

"AfterGlow" 2007

This was her last design which was a dedication to her one true love 

who passed away from a sudden heart attack at age 40.  

She wanted to express the growth of her life in the "After" of his once glowing life.

Art Deco Homage- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

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Bird Scroll- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

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Collar in Forest Shades- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

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The Dragon- Finalist in Bead Dreams 2006

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Perles & Rock

For the first time I viewed this French blog and discovered some interesting beaded designs and music.  I hope you enjoy.  Perles & Rock blog.

Crocheted Art Jewelry- Veerle Maes

Crocheted afghans and crocheted clothing have been around forever but have you ever thought about crocheting jewelry?  I think more and more people are taking an interest in this direction and one person that I happened to find online that has made this an art form, is Veerle.  Her work is bright and full of shapes and movements.  From viewing her designs I picked up on the spontaneous nature of her jewelry.  I wonder how she dreams up these designs?  

I learned to crochet as a child but only recently did I start to wire crochet and after my first few pieces I became addicted to using wire.  There are many other materials that can be used like yarn, ribbon, beads and even polymer clay for jewelry.  Don't let yourself be limited, try exploring new materials.  

So, it isn't only the grannies that are doing crocheting now. Please take a look at Veerle's lovely website and her blog.

Trompe l'Oeil painter- Ron Isaacs

Come and See- 2007
34 x 24.25 x 2.25"
acrylic on birch plywood construction

Into the Garden- 2005

What I love about Trompe l'Oeil paintings are the 3-D effects that makes it seem as if you can touch the layers. When I saw this painting of "Into the Garden" on birch plywood I couldn't believe that it was not made out of cloth and real plants. Ron Isaacs is an artist with great success, showing his work in many galleries. He taught painting and drawing at Eastern Kentucky University from 1969- 2001 and currently is Professor Emeritus, Art.

To view his work click here.

Beaded Sculpture- A. Kimberlin Blackburn

Sitting Pretty
Glass beads, acrylic, wire on wood
12" x 9" x 48"

Farmer's Sanctum
Glass beads, acrylic, wire on wood
13" x 13" x 8"

Luna At The Water's Edge
Glass beads, acrylic, wire and wood
9" x 9.6" x 7"

I remember seeing her sculptures in the "500 Beaded Objects" book and admiring her designs. I have always wanted to understand the structure underneath the beads as well.  A.Kimberlin Blackburn's works are depicting the culture of her home, the Hawaiian Islands. She lives on the island of Kaua'i on a farm up in the mountains, her studio is surrounded by tropical flowers, fruit trees and a stream. This sounds like a dream!

Polymer Clay Artist- Julie Picarello

Navaho

Lazy River Carnival- Pendant

Portal

When I discovered the great designs by Julie Picarello I had to post about her website called Yellow House Designs. The name, which was inspired from her yellow house that she lives in. She says that her focus is on symmetry and clean lines which is very clear when you view her elegant simple designs. I love the addition of metal tubing, hardware and gemstones that she has added to her designs to give them a bit of whimsy.

Last year if you remember julie came in second at Bead Dreams for lovely designed beads called "Tulip Field".

To view her jewelry designs click here.
To view beads click here.

Polymer Clay- Sandra McCaw

Cover Design by Sandra McCaw- Flower Brooch

Book by Katherine Duncan Aimone, Larks Books

Bouquet- 1999

Taking Flight- 2007

Falling Leaves- 2007

When I saw the cover of " The art of Jewelry, Polymer Clay" by Katherine Duncan Aimone. I knew I had to buy the book if only for the cover photo. I am very serious, the work is so gorgeous I wanted to see more. The cover design was created by Sandra McCaw. She is known for the process called the "McCaw Cane". You can learn more about this process by buying her DVD, which is available on her site.