This is the first in a series of a long-standing concept: floral sculptures that mix (relatively) traditional wire-wrapping techniques, needlelace, and french beaded approaches. (Oh, and lampworking, why not?) This piece only incorporates the first, third, (and fourth) techniques, and it took me three or four tries over about 8 years to get to this far; but I'm so happy to finally be making progress.

wire, beads, lampwork. Spring 2008. (Too lazy to measure, sorry. It's probably between 5–6" across, depending on how you stretch the petals out.) The stem is an old 3/32 mandrel wire.

Even the fact that I failed to wind the ruff of loops tightly enough around the central bead could not dismay me. The mixed blue and white striped beads in the "fantasy" petals came out of a bead soup created by one of the kids years and years ago, and which I am still (sigh) sporadically using up. —That's why this series is currently blue, which is not the first color I'd naturally turn to, being more likely to choose either of its analogs, green and purple.

Back side.

But I'm quite happy with the way this first effort came out, even if it's not perfect; of the three versions I've made so far, it remains my favorite.

photos sept, 14oct08; post 14oct08.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.