Designing Around Color Palettes

Creating a color palette for your art can sometimes be a daunting task, even if you have formal training.  One of the challenges I discovered is that colors change and take on a different look when placed next to other colors.  For example, a green colored bead by it's self is just that a green colored bead, but place it next to blue or yellow and that green bead no longer seems like the green bead you started with.  Lighting can also change the color and in some cases drastically.  I have to take that in to consideration when I move my pieces from my home to my studio.  Yes, unfortunately, I am one of those who takes their work home with them and then stays up until 2 a.m. working on a project.....eek!

When I began following Art Bead Scene Blog I soon found that they have a very talented contributor who understands color and how colors compliment each other.  I then discovered a few days ago that she has her own blog and it opened up another dimension to my work.  Recently, she published a book on color and offered a competition to win one of her books (which would be awesome if I won).  She put together six color palettes and the requirement was to design something using one or more of the palettes.  So, I sorted through my beads and found colors that matched.  Because, I just discovered the competition yesterday and it ends tomorrow on the 10th, I did not have time to buy beads or hunt for some that would be more accommodating.....so the designs are interesting and certainly colorful.

Below I have posted the two I submitted - and I can already see the changes I could make......don't you hate when that happens?  Normally, when I design a piece I let it hang around the neck of my dress-form mannequin for a week or so.  I then make changes to it or scrap it, but I never just create something and make it available for sale.  This put me a little out of my comfort zone as I worked on the pieces last night and let the beads have their own way....... I hope you will find some inspiration from these two pieces and discover a new idea for your own.

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