An Abundance of Color

My weekend was largely spent judging entries for the IPCA’s Progress & Possibilities competition. (If you are a member, you are eligible to cast votes for the Member’s Choice portion of the competition. Check your email for you invitation to vote or go to the IPCA website to request a voting token be sent to you.) The use of color this year was either very bold or completely subdued. Going subdued can be relatively easy compared to going bold and having to judge when enough is enough.

I thought this when perusing pendants created by Cathy of Dumauvobleu. Her work is a bombardment of color as well as visual texture. But, for the most part, she does keep it from getting out of control. This pendant below is, I think, pushing that boundary but it just sits on the edge of tipping over. The well dispersed use of blues manages to hold it together and the sun like image created by the cane slice and radiating lines on the bottom right create a focal point that where your eye can rest, even if it can’t do so for very long with all that is going on.

After that, the success of a piece like this comes down to skill and finish. The inlay is well done without any noticeable spaces and the edges are blended with the use of pin prick points so even if the color and texture strikes you as a bit overboard, you can still call it a well done piece.

Make note as you look around at the work of various artists, how some can pull off a great looking piece even when the attention to finishing is obviously not a priority. Then there are pieces that may not be particularly original or dramatic but you are entranced by how well finished they are. Of course, when both design choices and finish are well done, it is a work to just drool over.