Beaded Fox Skull.

This is my third installment of beaded fox skull and I do believe I am thoroughly tired of the beading process.  My brain must be healed because I started working on a painting (that has been gathering dust for over two months) yesterday, it felt very natural.  No self loathing, no frustration, no nothing...just me and a paintbrush.  Perfection.

Beaded Muskrat Skulls.

I had a fabulous weekend.  We visited the Des Moines Art Center and experienced the wonderfully curated show, "Transparencies."  You can check out the show write up at http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/exhibitions/Transparencies.aspx, if you're in the area you have no excuse not to go.  GO!

We also ate delicious medium rare steak, bought some brewing supplies and mix n' match beer at Beer Crazy (I bought an agave wheat beer, AMAZING), found an awesome art supply store by the Drake Campus (why do I have such expensive tastes in paper?), and ate wonderful sushi at Hoshi Sushi (it was so fresh and delicious...and in Iowa).  It was a lovely, rainy day.

I also finished up these two lovelies.  I'm kind of on a roll with these skulls.  Thanks goodness it's almost spring because I'm running out of skulls to embellish.  A friend recently asked me where I acquire all of these skulls.  Good question.  All of them have been found during arrowhead or fossil hunting ventures.  Yup.  Found them all on the ground.  Nature!

A Beaded Fox Skull.

Well, Folks, I'm at it again.  Iowa has been covered in snow for what feels like forever and I have a mega case of cabin fever.  You know what helps cabin fever?  Compulsive behavior.  This little fox has been encrusted with Swarovski crystals and pearl, gold, clear, red, and turquoise seed beads (one by one, my god). I hope you like him.

A Need to Bead.

I'm familiar with my artistic patterns.  When I need a mental break from drawing or painting I'll generally do something compulsive and semi-mindless.  My logic? :  When I paint for five hours straight the payoff isn't gigantic...it takes multiple five hour sessions to complete a painting. Sometimes a gal needs immediate gratification.  If I sit down and focus I can bead an entire small skull (fox, raccoon, skunk) in roughly five hours. The whole process is very rewarding.  That fox skull is shiny as fuck and I love it as an object.  I love immediate gratification!

Why are compulsive activities so rewarding?  My guess...compulsive activities reward certain centers of the brain by relieving stress (duh).  Creating something that appears totally complicated but only requires focus has always centered me. So, expect more of these.

Part of a Larger Project.

1. A raccoon skull I found two years ago.  Bleached and boiled, ready for some gaudiness.

2.  The beads and glass crystals are lovingly (gaudily) applied one by one.

3.  Four hours later!