How I started beading.
In 1960's, as a junior high school student, I became familiar with crochet, knitting and embroidery from my mother, who was very talented in any crafts and had a strong influence on me.
I started beading as a hobby in 1993, learning techniques to make jewelry for my daughter. Being in London in 1994 I accidentally went to a bead shop and was fascinated by the wide range of beautiful beads, and I totally fell in love with them.
In early times, while I worked full time I've made simple necklaces and earrings with seed beads, Czech and Venetian lampwork glass beads, and created a lot of them for my family and friends.
One day I sold a piece of my jewelry at a local flea market and then - to my surprise - most of my beadworks were quickly sold out. I became addicted deeper and deeper and since then I never get bored with beading. Creating beadworks is always happiest hours of my life.
How I get inspirations.
I love artist's lampwork glass beads and flowers best, and traveling too. I get my inspirations from nature - flowers, trees and beautiful landscapes when I travel, colors of the sky and sea. There are plenty of inspirational sources everywhere - when you are at home, in trains or galleries. Wherever I am, I intently look at designs and colors of fashion in the streets, at the ads in trains and subways. Sometimes I get inspired by paintings of Impressionists.
I highly respect art of the great French glass designer and artist Rene Lalique who lived in "Art Nouveau" and "Art Deco" era. His jewelry and other artworks hugely impress me every time I visit Rene Lalique's museum in Hakone, Japan; in 2013 I was in his museum in Lisbon, Portugal.
Being inspired, I usually have a pretty clear ideas and seldom fall into a slump, beads themselves tell me what to make. New ideas and designs come out from one to the next. When I create a new jewelry design or experience any difficulties, I open a Lalique's book and look through. Rene's artworks always give me some idea.
I try to create my flowers with a life-like texture. When I created Roses and Cherry Blossoms with seed beads, I have observed real flowers very long and even have drawn sketches. My Green Gable Necklace is inspired by the scenery of the Prince Edward Island in Canada which I visited after The Whole Bead Show in Cleveland, USA. The blue necklace with a focal lampwork bead was created in free-form style using peyote stitch which is my most favorite technique.
What is the most important in beading? I think, number 1 is color combinations. I lived and worked in London learning English in the 1970s and have returned there many times as I consider London as my home away from my native home. Having lived in England for one and half years influenced my color sense and my future as a bead jewelry artist. In my opinion, number 2 is design, and the third requirement is creating durable pieces carefully.
Awards:
2004 - The Purple Shadow Necklace won
an award in the contest of bead jewelry
at the Bead Grand Prix, Japan.
2005 - The Scent of Deep Green Necklace
won an award in the craft division at
Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto.
Books (available in the Etsy shop):
1.
Beadwork Collection 1, Expands the beading world with off-loom bead weaving technique
2.
Beadwork Collection 2, Beads into Blossoms
Future Events:
July 22-24, 2015 - workshops at
Stitchncraft Beads Shop, Dorset UK.
My gallery on MyLovelyBeads.com
About author:
| Masako Saito, Osaka, Japan | |
| Email: | masabead@gmail.com |
| Website: | www.msbeads.com |
| Etsy shop: | www.etsy.com/shop/Happymsbeads |
| Facebook: | facebook.com/masako.saito.12 |
