Art Bead Scene January Challenge

Brown River by Wayne Thiebaud

This month Art Bead Scene's Challenge is to create, using at least one art bead, a work inspired by the painting Brown River by Wayne Thiebaud.  The minute I saw the painting I knew I would participate in the Challenge this month.  I was immediately transported to memories of my childhood spent in Hanford, California  located in the southern portion of the San Joaquin valley, part of the same vast agricultural area depicted in  this painting.  I have titled my necklace Brown River Remembered.

Here is what I wrote about my entry

I have fond childhood memories of the San Joaquin Valley as I lived there during 2nd and 3rd grade. We used to play in the irrigation ditches despite being forbidden due to the possible danger of water being released and filling them up suddenly. We were very careful and never had any mishaps. Loved the warm weather, the summer days that stretched on forever, and as an adult the realization that I had lived near where Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat took place.

I also have a memory of tubing down a wide brown river, but don't know the name of it. My Dad went with us and my Mom picked us up later. Seems it was a slow easy current and plenty warm outside.

Brown River Remembered

I think of the copper chain in this necklace as the brown river and the colorful ceramic beads as representation of the multitude of produce grown in the San Joaquin Valley and my love for color.  The necklace is very fluid and the silk ribbon from which the charms hang adds to the feel of the movement of water as the necklace shifts and undulates quite a bit when I wear it.  The stamped copper tag "Create Art" with the heart hanging from it stands for my wish to be an artist which began in childhood long before I knew how I would make it happen.