Lisa Jones - Into the Deep

Into the Deep by Lisa Jones

Two of the artists in our Freeform Peyote Challenge don't currently have their own blogs, so I'm hosting them here as guest posts.  Here's Lisa Jones talking about her freeform peyote design:

I actually had a few found objects to choose from:  the big key found in the front yard, a small apothecary type of bottle found in the back yard and several old, rusty washers that I’ve been collecting from the front parking lot where I work.  I knew I’d used them sometime, as they have a great patina!  

The key kept grabbing my attention, so I definitely wanted to use it in my piece.  Keys are so symbolic and a myriad of ideas came to mind while thinking about it.  I began thinking about how our minds work, the conscious, the subconscious and the mysteries that lurk there, waiting to be discovered.  This led to the idea of the lock “box” clasp.  The color scheme sort of naturally came together as a result of my thought processes and the items being used.

The whole bracelet is symbolic, really, from black matte beads representing the mysteries of the deep subconscious to the quartz crystal drops, which represent moments of enlightenment.  I thought of the old, rusty washers as representative of the how our minds can become entangled (going in circles) in old, rusty thoughts which no longer serve us.  Red, to me, represents adventure, love, and stepping out into the unknown.  Gold and silver are the fun of life, the joie de vivre, lightness – AKA “The Good Stuff”.    The idea of the box clasp is seen as a vessel of sorts, sort of like our physical brain, housing our thoughts, dreams, hopes, memories, worries, fears and our neuroses.

full view, Into the Deep by Lisa Jones

At the outset, I wasn’t sure if the box clasp would work.  So I embroidered the lock first to see if I even liked it.  I do like it, but in the future, I would use size 15 beads, or charlottes to get a tighter embroider.  My 11’s look a little disheveled, so I would definitely do that differently.  The clasp does work well, although time will tell if it holds up.  It is a bit of an experiment.  Overall, I am pleased with the bracelet!  So much, I am currently working on a freeform necklace to coordinate with it!  I have had a really fun time working on this project and will most definitely work in freeform peyote again. 

Now take a moment to visit the other participants.  The full list is available here.