"The Branch" Artwork

I am a self-taught artist who creates primarily for my own enjoyment. I love all that I do, from the idea, to the creation of the idea, to producing that final piece. There is an intense pleasure to be derived from seeing something you thought of take shape under your fingers and come to life. Most of my artistic education has involved in me teaching myself. I consider my process one of observation, trial and error and whatever I can teach myself from an art theory textbook. I will often spend as much time analyzing my art after creation as I do prior to creation. It is the best way I have found to learn. My artistic career has not been steady. From creating as a child to creating as an adult there were long gaps. Some came about as I struggled to improve my artistic skills. Others were due to health complications. Yet for me, even with the challenges I face, the creation of art is an all important aspect of my life. Beads are my favorite medium. I love the shine, the way they are little beacons of light that act in ways that are totally unexpected, reflecting any light that is present in a room. It makes the artwork unpredictable and means that you often have no idea how a piece will be until it is finished. They are also very different to work with than a painting. When painting I start with the background and work forwards, adding in details as I go, correcting things here and there. With the beads, I will spend a significant amount of time deciding which component of a piece to do when, so that it creates the effect that I am after. This is especially true of realism, where the wrong order of creation can see a tree in the foreground become a part of the background. The process of creating bead mosaics is simple. I place each bead/mosaic tile/glass individually into a permanent adhesive called Aves Apoxie Sculpt. The adhesive starts to dry after an hour or so thus I work tiny sections at a time. Once a section is complete I seal it with a tiny amount of brushed on UV protecting sealant (polyurethane). This ensures that the beads form an excellent bond with the Apoxie Sculpt and that if the piece was ever knocked (or dropped, yes I have tested this onto a wooden floor!) that they do not fall from the artwork. I will usually create my bead art without anything more than a basic plan, figuring it out as I go. I love solving the problems it presents.