The Van Gogh Series: On the Bead Table

I have a new series I'm starting to encourage myself to finish a large bowl of 'half finished' earrings. I'm calling it my van Gogh Series. This painting by Vincent Van Gogh is known as Self Portrait with Ear Bandaged, 1889. There are several accounts of how exactly he lost a part of his ear. Most believe that it was not van Gogh's issues with sanity, but instead the result of a fight with his friend Paul Gauguin who sliced it with a sword.

I figured that as I dig through a little history, and dust off a few art books that I'd use them as inspiration to finish up some jewelry projects. I have this bad habit of creating a single earring because I love creating patterns, but I hate making the copy to finish the pair of earrings! So I have a bowl of singles. 

To kick off my series, I'm posting a very unusual piece (at least for me). It is called an ear cuff, but it isn't your usual ring cuff that wraps around the ridge of your ear. But instead wraps around that backside of one ear with beads hanging down from behind. 

This was a custom request from a bloggy friend of mine: Marcela of Fashionadictas. She asked if I thought I could make this piece, and well I just can not pass up an opportunity to try a new pattern. 

It was a bonus that it calls for only one ear! I don't have to make a pair for the other ear - ha! Sign me up. 

The trick for me with this piece was trying to figure out how to create loops for the several dangles coming off the cuff. I don't solder, but it just might be time to take a class to learn. My excuse up to this point has been that I have young children and don't really want a torch in the house. But my oldest is in High School, and my youngest just about to go to middle school. So that excuse might have expired. For now, I decided to use a pattern that might be considered abstract expressionist ... Miro comes to mind. I created a shape and hand hammered it in silver. My friend Marcela is an artist, and so I'm hopeful that she will appreciate the pattern and style of this piece.

I really don't think that in a million years I would have come up with this pattern. But then that is the fun of meeting all these new people in the blogosphere, and finding new inspiration to create with. Thank you Marcela.

Anybody else have a bowl of singles? Feel like taking the challenge with me? Over the next few weeks, I hope to make it to the bottom of the bowl. AND have several new pieces to list on my Etsy for the holiday season.