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June Monthly Challenge

June 2, 2011

Ophelia by Odilon Redon

c. 1900-05; Pastel on paper mounted on board, 19 7/8 x 26 1/2 in; The Woodner Collection 
About the Art

“The depiction of Ophelia seems not at all tragic, but rather an idyllic scene of a naked bather in a limpid pool of flowers. The design and colour scheme is masterly and original, being merely suggestive of the tragedy of death after rejection and madness.” – Tony Thomas
About the Artist
Odilon Redon was born in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, to a prosperous family. The young Bertrand-Jean Redon acquired the nickname “Odilon” from his mother, Odile. Redon started drawing as a child, and at the age of ten he was awarded a drawing prize at school. Aged fifteen, he began the formal study of drawing, but on the insistence of his father he changed to architecture. His failure to pass the entrance exams at Paris’ École des Beaux-Arts ended any plans for a career as an architect, although he briefly studied painting there under Jean-Léon Gérôme in 1864. (His younger brother Gaston Redon would become a noted architect.)
Back home in his native Bordeaux, he took up sculpture, and Rodolphe Bresdin instructed him in etching and lithography. His artistic career was interrupted in 1870 when he joined the army to serve in the Franco-Prussian War.
At the end of the war, he moved to Paris, working almost exclusively in charcoal and lithography. He called his visionary works, conceived in shades of black, his noirs. It would not be until 1878 that his work gained any recognition with Guardian Spirit of the Waters, and he published his first album of lithographs, titled Dans le Rêve, in 1879. Still, Redon remained relatively unknown until the appearance in 1884 of a cult novel by Joris-Karl Huysmanstitled, À rebours (Against Nature). The story featured a decadent aristocrat who collected Redon’s drawings.
In the 1890s, pastel and oils became his favored media, and he produced no more noirs after 1900. In 1899, he exhibited with the Nabis at Durand-Ruel’s. In 1903 he was awarded the Legion of Honor. His popularity increased when a catalogue of etchings and lithographs was published by André Mellerio in 1913 and that same year, he was given the largest single representation at the New York Armory Show.
Color Palette
Blog Tour
The Blog Tour deadline is June 29th.
Links must be added to the monthly challenge post comments. 
The Blog Tour will be on the 30th.

Monthly Challenge Winners

Winners will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on June 1st.
Our Sponsors
Our sponsors this month are: Starry Road Studio, and Humblebeads please visit us tomorrow to see the prizes!
Featured Designer of the Week:
From all the entries during the month, an editor is going to pick their favorite design to be featured every Monday here on the ABS. We want to give our participants more time in the spotlight! Our Featured Designer will be this Monday, so get those entries in soon.
How to enter the Monthly Challenge:
1. Create something using an art bead that fits within our monthly theme. We post the art to be used as your inspiration to create. This challenge is open to jewelry-makers, fiber artists, collage artist, etc. The art bead can be created by you or someone else. The challenge is to inspire those who use art beads and to see all the different ways art beads can be incorporated into your handiwork.
***Beads strung on a chain, by themselves and beads simply wire or cord will not be accepted.***
2. Upload your photo to our flickr group. Detailed instructions can be found here and click here for a tutorial for sending your picture to the group.

Please add the tag or title JUNE ABS to your photos. Include a short description, who created the art beads and a link to your blog, if you have one.

Deadline is June 30th. Photos are approved by our moderators, if a photo hasn’t followed the guidelines it will not be approved. You may upload 2 photos a day.
What is an Art Bead?
An art bead is a bead, charm, button or finding made by an independent artist. Art beads are the vision and handiwork of an individual artist. You can read more about art beads here.
***A bead that is handmade is not necessarily an art bead. Hill Tribe Silver, Kazuri ceramic beads or lampwork beads made in factories are examples of handmade beads that are not considered art beads.
Beaded beads, stamped metal pendants or wire-wrapped components are not considered art beads for our challenge.***
p.s. If you have a blog, post your entry and a link to the ABS challenge to spread the beady goodness.

Addition to the Monthly Challenge!
7000 Bracelets for Hope Challenge
This month we’d like to encourage our community to rally together and send in a handmade blue bracelet to the 7000 Bracelets for Hope project.  The bracelets will be donated to families with children suffering from rare disease and disorders.  Visit the website for complete details on creating and donating a bracelet.  http://www.globalgenesproject.org/7kbracelets.php

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31 Comment

  1. THEAjewellery (lesley)
    June 2, 2011 at 11:17 am

    This is just gorgeous! – looking forward to seeing what this inspires people to do. Great choice!

  2. Kristi Bowman
    June 2, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    Oh boy oh boy, this one is very exciting. So much vivid color I can't wait to create using this as my inspiration!!

  3. Malin de Koning
    June 2, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    Oh Boy!!!!!
    I love that painting, have never seen it before. When I think of Odilon Redon, I think of mystical surrealistic motifs in black and white. He's a really interesting artist.
    I must start NOW to look for parts for my piece. Might make some myself even. Yellow yellow yellow!
    What an excellent choice of inspirational art. Thanks!

  4. Jen V.
    June 2, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Bring it on! Very neat inspiration choice!

  5. ladynoble
    June 2, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    oo la la. love this pastel! I think this month may be my first challenge submission.

  6. Andrew Thornton
    June 2, 2011 at 2:20 pm

    What a great prompt!

    It should be noted that some of his darker themes were directly influenced by his sometimes paralyzing depression. But… he also drew a lot of inspiration from the then new-found imagery from the microscope and from Darwin's Origins.

    There's a great quote of his:

    "All my originality consists in bringing fantastic beings to life by making them plausible, and, as much as possible, in putting the logic of the visible at the service of the invisible."

  7. Gardanne
    June 2, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    This is a striking image, and pastels really look like enamel. You got the wheels turning this morning.

  8. Eleanor Snare
    June 2, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    I actually said 'oh wow' as I scrolled down this post in my Google reader to reveal the image. Fantastic, really looking forward to seeing the makes for June!

  9. Grubbi
    June 2, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    That blue is fab! Great piece.

  10. Heather
    June 3, 2011 at 1:09 am

    Now this is a luscious color palette! I am very inspired by this month's challenge art. Great Choice!

  11. Cillaw
    June 3, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    This is a great choice as always!
    I have some great lampwork cubes to work with. I better get started!
    Cilla
    tellyourgirlfriends.com

  12. maryharding
    June 3, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    I love this pic and the color scheme but it looks like it is upside down? Is that possible?

  13. diane hawkey
    June 4, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    The image should be rotated so that Ophelia is facing upwards.
    http://www.odilon-redon.org/Ophelia-1900-1905-large.html

  14. Tari of ClayButtons.com
    June 5, 2011 at 5:17 pm

    Diane, I have seen this image in three different configurations…..go figure.

  15. stacilouise
    June 10, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    Loved this challenge, here is my post

    http://stacilouise.blogspot.com/2011/06/ophelia-june-art-bead-scene-challenge.html

    Thanks!
    Staci

  16. Kate
    June 13, 2011 at 4:22 pm

    Loved this challenge! Totally got me back on track after vacation. Thanks! Here's my post.

    http://tropicalblonde.blogspot.com/2011/06/abs-challenge-june-2011.html

  17. Green Shoot Jewellery Designs
    June 13, 2011 at 10:19 pm

    Really enjoyed this challenge, here's the link to my blog
    http://greenshoot.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-abs-reveal.html

  18. Elly Snare
    June 18, 2011 at 12:04 am

    Great painting this month and really have enjoyed looked at all the different entries. My entry is blogged about here:

    http://ebsnarejewellery.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/abs-challenge-june/

  19. Mackin-Art
    June 19, 2011 at 5:08 pm

    Great inspiration piece!
    I blogged about my submission here:
    http://mackin-art.blogspot.com/2011/06/teal-drift.html

  20. THEAjewellery (lesley Watt)
    June 19, 2011 at 10:30 pm

    Loved this challenge even though my entry is quite different to how I thought it would at first…you never know where inspiration will take you.

    Blogged here:

    http://thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com/2011/06/art-bead-scene-monthly-challenge-june.html

  21. treasureislandcrafts
    June 19, 2011 at 11:41 pm

    My first challenge submission. Here's my post:
    http://treasureislandcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/06/ophelia.html

  22. Sandy
    June 24, 2011 at 12:23 am

    I blogged about my submission to the ABS June Monthly Challenge here:
    http://essentiadesigns.blogspot.com/2011/06/art-bead-scene-june-2011-monthly.html

  23. My Life Under the Bus
    June 25, 2011 at 12:14 am

    I'm in!!!

    I blogged about it here : )

    http://mylifeunderthebus.typepad.com/my-life-under-the-bus/2011/06/art-bead-scene-challenge-june.html

    Thanks!

  24. Erin
    June 26, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    Love this color palette. I blogged about a piece I made inspired by the colors in this month's inspirational art. Here's the link:

    http://www.erinsiegeljewelry.blogspot.com/2011/06/zinnia.html

    Thank you!

  25. Lorelei Eurto
    June 27, 2011 at 5:14 pm

    Here is my link!
    http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com/2011/06/art-bead-scene-challenge-ophelia.html

    great challenge painting, i just love it!

  26. Jill Palumbo
    June 28, 2011 at 3:44 am

    Thanks for the challenge. This painting was so intriguing. I have the habit of making your monthly challenge piece my computer background. How sweet it was each day this month to be greeted by Ophelia as I turned on my computer.
    Blogged about my challenge piece here http://palumbojewelry.blogspot.com/2011/06/abs-june-challenge-tada-365-156-june-6.html

  27. Grubbi
    June 28, 2011 at 3:42 pm

    My submission has been blogged here

    http://www.grubbi.co.uk/2011/06/art-bead-scene-june-challenge-ophelia.html

    Thank you for the challenge, loved it!

  28. Kym Hunter Designs
    June 29, 2011 at 2:41 am

    I really enjoyed this month's challenge. Here is the link for my blog post

    http://kymhunterdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-art-bead-scene-monthly-challenge.html

    Thank you!

  29. Linda Landig
    June 29, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    I love the vivid colors in this painting. Here's my link:

    http://lindalandig.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/abs-june-challenge/

  30. Anonymous
    June 29, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    Challenge me… My link:
    http://www.thebeadingyogini.com/2011/06/23/june-abs-challenge-macrame-necklace/

  31. MiddleEarthsJewels
    June 30, 2011 at 12:37 am

    Once again the challenge does not disappoint! Amazing painting and love exploring the entries..
    here's mine..
    http://middleearths.blogspot.com/

Comments are closed.