Pearls and Jades

My husband has always encouraged me to try new artsy-craftsy pursuits. And thanks to him, I have now taken an interest in making jewelry. I started out thinking stringing beads on chord was all there was to it. Now I know better - I know when to use flat nose pliers and when to use round nose ones, I know how to use crimp beads, jump rings, and all those thingamajigs, and I can almost work with jewelry wire without poking myself in the eye.

This weekend I sat down to complete two jewelry projects. The first is a bracelet of pink pearls and crystal bicones, along with matching earrings. The second is a necklace and bracelet made of jades that my BFF gifted me (earrings for the jade set are WIP).

Pretty, ain't it? All I need now is an occasion to show off :)

Pearl bracelet and ear rings

Jade necklace and bracelet

Drapery - Still life in Charcoal

Drapery seems to be a popular still life subject amongst art teachers - it is easy to set up in a studio, and a tough assignment to keep students occupied with :)

Here is my charcoal drawing of some drapery from my art class. I know it looks a little like a Halloween ghost, but I swear thats how my art teacher set it up!!

Drapery - Still life in Charcoal

White on black

As a part of my recent class assignments, I have been trying out drawings in white charcoal. And here is one that I really liked. I loved the way the vertical white lines give the violin a woody texture, and how the bright of the white charcoal in the violin strings seems to glint in the light.

The Violin (White charcoal on black paper)

I used Generals white charcoal pencils on Strathmore Artagain black pad - the black pad is a gorgeous black, and the white charcoal pencils were a charm to use.

One challenge I have been facing has been the question of preserving this drawing. Whenever I have tried fixative spray in the past (and I have tried both the workable fixative as well as the permanent kind) , it has caused my white charcoal to turn bluish/greyish, and also eventually fade. Which is weird, because it totally defies the purpose of using a fixative! Feedback and any suggestions to preserve the drawing are very welcome.