This year I’m really going to make an effort to participate in Art Bead Scene ‘s monthly challenge as often as I can. January‘s art inspiration is a lovely floral textile design by talented American artist Lois Mailou Jones. The colours are soft with the muted blues and greens balancing the brighter yellows, oranges, purples and reds.
by Lois Mailou Jones
Tempera on Paper
The focal of the necklace I was inspired to make by this painting is a sweet floral pendant from Natalie Fletcher, aka Peruzi. The soft purple-pink of the flower is close to Radiant Orchid, the 2014 Pantone Colour of the Year, and the pendant is rimmed in a soft aqua blue. I paired it with a variety of Czech beads in blues and pinks, including a deep dark pink flower, as well as some beautiful faceted amazonite beads.
I’ll be linking this blog post up to ABS’s blog tour on 31 Jan, so pop over there to look at everyone’s designs. And I hope to get back to a more regular blogging schedule now that the kids have started school for the year. Stay tuned for more blog hops and some new designs. I might even throw a recipe or two in there!
beadrecipes 
I really like the mix of colors and materials you used. Very pretty!
Love this! That pendant is gorgeous and really calls to mind the textile for me.
GORGEOUS!! Thank you so much for playing along with our challenge. You’ve captured it perfectly here!
how beautiful and in your colours!
I love the pendant and love what you have made with it. It makes me long for summer
That pendant is a real find! And I love the colors you chose to use and the wire wrapped links 🙂
Melissa, this necklace is GORGEOUS!! Peruzzi’s focal is just perfect and where did you get those beautiful garnet czech flowers? Someone must really think your special! :O)
Using an ‘excerpt’ from a design is a great idea…it just goes to show that any piece of art can be an endless source of other ideas and inspirations…and yours is particularly beautiful!
Beautiful! What a great challenge — not just the January challenge from ABS but the one you’ve given yourself to participate regularly in all the ABS challenges — because we get the treat of seeing & enjoying the incredible jewelry you create! Love the Peruzi, your wire work & patterning, the exquisite choice of color & beads. Powerful and lovely reflection of Jones’ work. Bravo!