Designing from Nature Balmoral Forest New Zealand Designs April 2011

         http://artjewellerybymarianb.blogspot.com/

Some folk have asked where I get my ideas for designs - well like most of us lots of places I guess but one of the aspects I use a lot in my work is  outlines

" Ask and you will receive"

I once asked a  Drawing tutor how to find/make my own designs.

He suggested I look at the outlines of nature for design ideas.

He said "even if people do think you're weird walking around Christchurch gazing up at all the beautiful trees" there (and there are a lot of them)....

These Pine bark and cone shapes were available in their 100's on the ground at the Balmoral Reserve in April - just a few scattered on a white sheet of paper, photographed - gave so many ideas...
and then you can put your photos on the computer - bigger/smaller/ upside down, overlaid with other shapes
etc etc

P.S. Something I use if the ideas don't come straight away is to pin up in my studio some photos or the physical objects that "intigue" me- putting them on my laptop background for a week or two often helps too.

The ideas seem to "sneak" into my subconscious. Then I use a notebook to record those first ideas and often just let them "build' or develop for a few more days.

By then I usually have "itchy" fingers and simply have to have a first"go" at creating them.. although my process is pretty fluid and I often let  the process take control of the idea - it always seems to come out better (I think) than if I try to insist that the materials do exactly what I want.....