I have created this beadwoven and bead embroidered piece for the Etsy Beadweavers June Challenge “Heal the World”. After letting the theme sink in for a while, I began to get an image of the sun and its healing rays and power. I am awestruck with the idea that the same sun and the same rays shine over us all…in every country and every nook and cranny of the globe. The sun does not discriminate, but casts its warmth and energy upon all of humanity, plants, animals and the very earth and water that surrounds us all. When I am troubled by the actions of some, or the natural forces that can cause disaster, I am humbled and encouraged with the Ray of Hope created by the warmth and energy of humankind in times of trouble.
As I sat down this afternoon to create the listing for this piece I noticed an interview by Barbara Keenlyside on CNN.com today (5/25/11) with poet and novelist Maya Angelou regarding the devastation caused by tornadoes in Missouri (her birthplace). http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/05/25/angelou.interview.joplin/index.html?hpt=T1
“In disaster, humanity shines.” Angelou believes catastrophes such as the one in Missouri reveal our common humanity -- we are united in concern and empathy and perform extraordinary deeds. “There's something good that comes out of a bad thing. It's good to remember that in crises, natural crises, human beings forget for awhile their ignorances, their biases, their prejudices. For a little while, neighbors help neighbors and strangers help strangers. It's amazing that it takes something like that to bring out the best of us. It was true in Katrina, true in Chile's mining disaster, in Haiti. People rallied to help. Americans have gone down there, to New Orleans, to Haiti, leaving their cozy nests to see what they could do. They showed their humanity. During bad circumstances, which are the human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced. You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that. We are obliged to know we are global citizens. Disasters remind us we are world citizens.”
Now for the particulars: The main focal “sun” is a beautiful cab by Lisa Peters Art http://www.etsy.com/shop/LisaPetersArt. I’ve captured this sun with a peyote stitched bezel in silverlined gold seed beads then surrounded it with a row of amber crystals. Continuing the “rays” of the sun are some rainbow bronze Czech glass leaves and rounds and accented with some rainbow burgundy seed beads. Two gorgeous gold Rivolis are captured in peyote bezels and surrounded with coppery Czech glass leaves and Swarovski glass pearls. The main ground has rows of matte silverlined gold seed beads and an area of Czech glass rounds in amber rainbow. The entire “bib” area of the necklace is lined with silverlined gold 8/o seed beads and backed with tan ultrasuede. It measures 7” wide and 4” long and hangs from three herringbone bail loops. The necklace uses the silverlined gold and matte gold beads with silk copper seed beads in a twisted herringbone rope 18.5” long with a peyote loop and toggle closure.
Please visit our team blog, www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com (http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com) between the 9th and 15th and vote for your favorite entry.
