Octahedral Cluster

This is a recent example of one of my all time favorite beaded bead designs, the Octahedral Cluster. Octahedral Clusters all have six stars, like the 6 faces of a cube.  In the beaded bead below, I colored two of the stars silver.

I colored two of the stars black and two of them gold.  Each pair lies on opposite faces.

The points of the stars come together three at a time, one star of each color. There are 8 places on the beaded bead that look just like this.  Four of them are identical, and the other four are mirror images of this.

The beaded bead has the symmetry of an octahedron, which is the same as the symmetry of a cube. Knowing this, you might wonder if this beaded bead is really an octahedron, as I told you, or maybe, it is really a cube. If we look at the largest beads (in green), there are 12 of them.

That could be useful because cubes have 12 edges, but so do octahedrons. In fact, the holes are line segments.  So if you look at the holes of the largest beads, and you extend those lines so that the lines intersect, you will form the 12 edges of an octahedron.  For that reason, I think it is an octahedron, and that is why I call it an Octahedral Cluster.

Here you can see how big it is.

Do you want it?  This beaded bead is for sale.

Do you want to make your own?  The tutorial for the Cube and Octahedral Clusters is available. If you make one of each, then you will really see the difference.

Slugs in Love Earrings

Here's a new pair of earrings, Slugs in Love.

I made them using peyote stitch with increases and Cellini Spiral.

Do you want them?  This pair is for sale.
Do you want to make your own?  The Slugs in Love Tutorial is available.
Do you want to learn more about Slugs in Love?  Read my blog post on Slugs in Love.

Pixel Painting 4 - Tom Davis Cellular Automata

This painting is the fourth large piece in my series of painting using cellular automata on a staggered grid.

Here you can see the four that I have finished so far. I hope you can some sense the range of designs that are possible using this technique.

In this series, I am trying to achieve a sense of rhythm, repetition, order and chaos. I like cellular automata because the designs are a balance between organic and geometric.

Each pixel has many layers of paint, making the colors rich and complex. The colors are were inspired by Pantone and Benjamin Moore Color Trends for 2015. Prominently featured are Marsala and Guilford Green. So, if your interior decoration is contemporary, this painting will match the couch. Thirty years from now, when we look back on the two-thousand and teens, these are the colors we will think of, you know, in the same way when you think of the 1970s, you think of avocado green, mustard, and dull orange.

I named this piece after mathematician Tom Davis, who was likely the first person to discover the rule set I used to design this piece (after I told him where to look). Tom's assistance on my work with cellular automata has been invaluable to me.

20" by 30", unframed. The sides are painted black so it doesn't need a frame.

Signed and dated. I sealed it with three coats of acrylic clear coat to make it a little shiny and protect it from scratches. Looks nice. Want it?  It's for sale here: Pixel Painting 4.

Pixel Painting 3 - Hanging Baskets Cellular Automata

This is an acrylic painting from my new series "Pixel Paintings." In this series, I explore the designs created with cellular automata. This painting is the third large piece in the series.

In this series, I am trying to achieve a sense of rhythm, repetition, order and chaos. I hope to create a balance between organic and geometric.

Each pixel has many layers of paint, making the colors rich and complex. The colors are mostly blue, purple and gray with a variety of pinks and burgundies. Here's a close up. 

20" by 30", unframed. Signed and dated. I sealed it with three coats of acrylic clear coat to make it a little shiny and protect it from scratches. The sides are painted black so it doesn't need a frame. This painting is SOLD.

Have a great weekend. Thanks for looking.

New Tutorial - Baroque Cube Beaded Beads and Earrings Made with Peyote Stitch

I love beaded beads, and one of my favorite inspirations for them is the symmetry of a cube.  This version is one of my smallest and most detailed.  Since the design is based upon the structure of a cube, each beaded bead has 6 holes running through its center. 

This tutorial will show you how to weave little beaded beads with seed beads and little drops.  Using just a pinch of each color, these beaded beads are a great way to use up leftover seed beads from other projects. The little beaded beads on the earrings use mostly size 15° seed beads.

This tutorial is suitable for intermediate bead weavers who know how to do tubular (circular) peyote stitch. Presented are the two variations shown. This is the larger version made with mostly size 11° seed beads.

Both are stiff and quite small for such detailed beaded beads.  Side length of each cube on the earrings is just 13 mm (1/2 inch), and for the larger ones on the necklace, they are just 17 mm. The larger version are still small enough for bracelets and necklaces. I like them simply strung on cord with lampwork glass.

See how small the earrings are, just the way I like them!  They're fancy enough to be noticed, but small enough that I hardly can tell I'm wearing them.

Each beaded bead contains over 300 beads, each precisely woven into place.
The tutorial is available in my Etsy shop, or if you'd just like to have these earrings and not make them, check out my earrings section to find yourself a pair.

Thanks for looking!