Friday, December 3, 2010

The Challenge of Color - reveal and blog hop

A few weeks ago, Erin of Treasures Found - TesoriTrovati, issued a challenge by color. She had issued challenges in the past - and really interesting challenges - which I had not been able to respond to. This time, I wanted to be a part of the challenge. We were to email her and select a colour preference - she would then send or email us a paint chip colour palette, and we were to create a piece of jewelry based on the colour palette she sent.

So far, so good. I chose purple. A colour not totally out of my comfort zone, but one that I don't use too often (anyone that has been stopping by regularly knows that green is my favorite colour to use...), so I thought this would inspire me. This is the colour palette I received from Erin:


That red did rock the boat a bit! Red has always been a bit of a problem for me. I do use it in jewelry occaisonally, but I will not wear it myself. Unless it is more of a rust colour. Or maybe a dark burgundy, verging on purple. But no real reds. Well, you get the idea - it is not my colour. So this was a challenge outside of my comfort zone - which I welcomed. That was the whole idea, really, wasn't it?

Erin also suggested that we use the names on the paint chip palette to name our piece. The name of that pale lavender spoke to me - loudly and clearly. Sanctuary. What a wonderful word. The implications. The associations. Sanctuary.

So, this is my piece. It is called Sanctuary.






I had this vision of a protected place - where delicate things were protected from harm and could thrive according to their nature. So a fence or gate came to mind - which I proceeded to build from heavy gauge copper wire, which was wire wrapped and soldered. Then I added flowers in glass and lucite, to represent the delicate things which need protection to flourish - in purple, lavender and red. I admit, I added some green (just couldn't help myself...). A couple of birds - more delicate things.

So - there were many participants for this fantastic challenge - Thank You again, Erin! - so please hop on over to see the magic created!

The participants:

44 comments:

creativelenna said...

oh Renate,
This is a most beautiful necklace. Sanctuary is the perfect name for it. The birds, leaves, the gate, the COLOURS - they all draw me in to look closer. My favorite shot is the one with the dreaded snow behind it!
beautiful.

Mary K. McGraw said...

I love the name of your piece and teh concept behind it. Great job!

My Life Under the Bus said...

Just amazing that focal makes the necklace - I adore this!!! You put that red in it's place. Have fun blog hopping!

Courtney Breul said...

Really nice. The colors look great together and the red is perfect. I love, love your focal. Brilliant.

mermaiden said...

Exquisite interpretation. I love the garden gate, cleverly and carefully woven.
I never wear red either, but make a lot of jewelry with red and I am so drawn to it! I actually want a red cloak, really really bad :D

SummersStudio said...

Oh my, but this is a stunningly beautiful piece. Without reading the name of your necklace, I thought of a trellis in a quiet corner of the garden, supporting a delicate clematis vine. A secret garden. Sanctuary seems so appropriate. That focal is gorgeous. This is definitely a colour scheme that would have been way way outside of my comfort zone because of the red. But wowser, does it work and you did a wonderful job of pulling those colours together. BTW, it needed the green :)

Kokopelli said...

Beautiful! Love the focal piece and the story behind it.

steufel said...

OH MY GOD! Love, love, love that piece. Renate, that is absolutly stunning and beautiful!

Deryn Mentock said...

Your little gate is just genius!

TesoriTrovati said...

WOW! That garden gate is hiding a beautiful space. A secret sanctuary. I love the use of the colors. And the pops of red really make this piece SING! Thank you ever so much for playing along and for agreeing to be challenged. I hope you will consider hopping again with me!
Thank you for sharing your color with the world!
Enjoy the day!
Erin

Unknown said...

Your wire work is stunning! You really made this palette work for you!

Cindy said...

Gasp! Renate...your necklace is so amazing, I think I am speechless!!! This is my new top favorite of all of your jewelry designs! Not only did you create an unbelievable design with your challenging color palette, your piece suits the title perfectly. I love, love, love it!!!! I love everything about it.

jeannieK said...

I'm going to rename it seeking sanctuary! I love your inspiring story. This is so pretty and the colors are spot on.

Beverly Herman said...

Renate I too *gasped* What a beautiful piece you created. It made my heart skip a beat!

Cristi Baxter Clothier said...

Wow! That gate is fabulous, Renate! Beautiful necklace.

Lisa Godfrey said...

Wow, this is absolutely stunning and magical! I can't take my eyes off it! I wish I had something more profound to say but I'm speechless!

romantic decay said...

Very pretty! The colors look like summer!

mairedodd said...

this is absolutely, positively one of the finest pieces you have created... i love how you had vision to work from and it is stunning in its execution... i am so taken by the meaning of the piece - and it must have spoken to you, because you balanced all of that gorgeous color... the gate? perfection...

Judy said...

Such a gorgeous garden! I love how you combined the colors and little treasures and your addition of green just perfect! It is indeed a sanctuary!

Silver Parrot said...

Love the unusual gate focal - and the lovely flower garden you planted to go with it.

Yeli said...

Oh! Lovely. I love your focal. It reminds me of picked fences.

Cynthia said...

OMG. LOVE the Garden Gate - how creative. And the necklace is fabulous!!

Brandi Hussey said...

Oh, it's like a little garden for your neck! How wonderful! I love the way it came together - the handmade gate is genius, and the flower beads are so wonderful. Beautiful job!

Rebecca said...

What an amazing focal piece! I love it. Pretty colours too!

rosebud101 said...

Wow! That is a beautiful work of wearable art, and I do call it art! You did a great job with your colors, too!

BooBeads said...

You rocked out with this piece- including those colors- WOW!

Awesome and that fence you created is great!

N Valentine Studio said...

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful piece. I love the gate, I want to open it, wander inside the garden and never leave. Fantastic work!

Pretty Things said...

Oh my. That just takes my breath away -- completely unique and I love all the dangling twining flowers!

sallyt said...

This is a beautiful necklace. Love the copper gate! Wow. I leaped over here to your blog because you were so nice to say you liked the Christmas ornament I gave Kelly Snelling in our exchange. Thanks for that. I've bookmarked your blog so I can come back and see your jewelry.

Mary Newton Designs said...

Oh, my gosh, that little fence is so cute!!! What an incredibly original piece! I love it!

Nicki said...

this is so special - probably the most original of all that I have seen. It looks like a fence flower garden. I love it, and especially that wire work.

EB Bead and Metal Works, LLC said...

Wow! I love the gate that you made from copper and how you tied the gate to the name of your piece! I also love the how delicate the flowers look. The necklace is fabulous!

Diane said...

A beautiful piece of artwork!!

lilylovekin said...

This is gorgeous, it needs to be framed!

sharon said...

I am speechless Renate! Ohhhhh this is sooo beautiful...the gate is gorgeous by itself, with the addition of color and all the other elements it is breahtaking!!

Sally Anderson said...

This is just lovely. The name of it is totally evocative of the piece itself (or is it the other way around?). Whatever Sanctuary is PERFECT! --SallyA

lunedreams said...

This is phenomenal! So creative! I saw that little gate and immediately thought of an enchanted, wild garden. I love the additional colors you've added to the lavender and red, and your mix of copper and brass is charming! Makes me wish for spring again!

Karyn said...

Oh my that is stunning... I keep going back for another look as I keep finding something new! Well done - am amazing piece!

Karyn
Australia

The Joy of Nesting said...

Oh Hermanita!!!

I agree with Lit'l Mama this is most certainly my most favorite piece now!!! Woo the sublime beauty you create. All in response to a color and weather challenge!! Incredible!

Oye I really think you must have snuck into my dreams because you have recreated my vision of "The Secret Garden"

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.

PS Thankfuly I was only spammed not hacked!! It took LW a while to wade through the briar&defeat the dragon, but all is well now!!

Holly said...

I'm coming back to this blog hop party a tish late...but I was totally stopped in my tracks when I saw your sanctuary. Stunning - and that's an understatement!

Jen Judd said...

How fantastic! Way to work that red in there...it's a hard one for me, too. :)

Palimpa Lim said...

Oh!
My!

This!
Takes!
My!
Breath!
Away!

Awesome!


And you have found the perfect name for it.

Unknown said...

Oh my...the necklace is fabulous! Such a great color combo and I LOVE the gate, and the story behind it. You really knocked this one out of the park!

peggy aplSEEDS said...

this is an awesome piece! i love the way you put it together and the meaning behind it.