Art Happens
Talismans
Dianne Belnay
Work Created During the Month of January, 2021
by
Contact at dmbelnay@yahoo.com
I’m a painter and a retired art teacher. I still teach art privately. When I decided to take part in Art Happens I wanted to do something different and return to a project I worked on 16 years ago- making assemblaged, sculptural compositions, affixed to fabric and leather supports that could be worn as necklaces. I called them talismans. The first couple of days of January I set up my workspace with selected piles of semi-organized design “possibilities” from my extensive stash of collected “stuff.”
I use vintage glass beads, carved wood and bone, horn, semi-precious stones, like amethyst, turquoise, and jasper, bits of vintage brass and metal, freshwater pearls, coral, mother-of-pearl, seashells, etc.
This is my design tray. I can play with my tweezers for hours arranging and rearranging- this is the fun part ! Some compositions come out very formal, and some more “whimsical,” but hardly ever symmetrical.
Then I sew them onto paper-backed fabric samples, mostly with clear nylon thread. I back them with leather and add adjustable jewelry cord for wearing.
That was my last talisman for now.
I will go back to painting and put away my talisman “stuff.” I have a big unfinished painting waiting on my easel. Maybe I’ll decide to play around with my talismans again- perhaps next January?
I want to thank Art Happens for getting me to revisit a fun project I had almost forgotten about. It kept me focused for all of January, and was a great excuse for putting off house cleaning. Thanks again to all the people who made this “Happen.”
P.S. A few of my paintings.