Green Man Dreaming

I'm trying to make a Green Man bead.

For a while now I've been wanting to create a male themed bead to balance my Goddesses, I'm working on Cernunnos, he's tricky in glass.  My head is swimming with the Green Man at the moment so I thought I'd try him as well.

Here is the progression of my Green Man design.  With glass it can be tricky to get one part looking good without simultaneously melting in something you've already done.  Concentration on one part of the beads can lead to letting another part getting too cool so that it cracks when it's re-introduced to the flame - it's all a matter of balance, patience and nerves of steel!



This is my first attempt.  I was thinking of a stone face with leaves bursting forth.  This is not what I had in mind.  He looks impish which I guess is ok, but I don't like the way the bead looks as a whole.  I decided to try again.



 

I like this one rather more, my sculpting is better but I don't automatically think 'Green Man!' when I look at him.



 

Number three faired no better, he's just not quite what I really want.  I think it's time to loose the idea of a light coloured face.



 

This one was a deviation and I rather like it - no worry about sculpting a whole a face, it has more mystery associated with it, all in all I rather like this one.



 

My fifth attempt is heading somewhere!  I've been pulling leaf canes, which are strands of multicoloured green glass that add a little more dimension to the leaves.



 

Yes, I might be on to something but I think I need some larger leaves in his face and a bit more contrast in the leaves.



 

Ahhh!!!!  Getting closer!!  I actually rather like this one, I need more practise with the larger leaves.



This is number 8!  As far as I have got at the moment.  I want to make some leaf cane with a bit more orange in it and some that is maybe a bit darker, but I feel like I'm beginning to get the idea behind this design.

Bit by bit it comes together, each of these beads with the leaf cane in them took about an hour to make, first I have to wind the molten glass onto the mandrel and then shape the base bead.  Next I inset the eyes and outline them with leaf cane.  A rudimentary nose gets put in place as does the lower lip.  From then I work from the outside in, slowly laying down leaves and building up the design, the last thing is to finish off the nose.  Then I flip the bead over and work on the second side, I've decided for now to use my new stamps for this - I have an acorn, oak leaf and star/sun design.

It's definitely a challenge.  In my head is the most gorgeous glass Green Man bead - I don't know if I will ever make it, but I'm having fun trying!

 

 

Colour Wheel

As our earth and the  year spins through it's seasons we are treated to nature's palette of colours.

None of these are more glorious than at this time of year - Autumn. 

 

It seems to me we may not have as many reds this year but instead have been gifted the most beautiful oranges and golds, set like jewels in the sun on blue skies.



 

I've always enjoyed the crunch of leaves underfoot, and breathed deep on those Autumn days that were still warm and glowing.  It's only recently though that I have come to really appreciate Autumn for the season that it is.  The season of slowing down, of preparing for the Winter ahead and the season of glorious nature giving us one last show before she sleeps until Spring.



 

Autumn is the most wonderful time to look around and really appreciate all that we have.  Not just in our own lives but in the wider world, in the procession of time and the changing carnival before our eyes.



 

On this walk I found a young oak.  The sun was lighting up the leaves in blazing greens, yellows, oranges and reds - all at once.



How can one small tree be so many things all at one time - show so many different facets of itself in one instance.



After all is not 'just' a tree?



 

A walk in nature at any time not only stretches our muscles and cleans our lungs but also refreshes our spirit and our mind.



 

This walk was a reminder to me - to let all of my colours shine, especially the elusive red!