Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Bead Journal Project ~ Christi C ~ A Sense of Place

Christi Carter, BJP, Aug, Shells, Sky
Above is a preview of a feast for your eyes which follows!

Christi C. lives on lovely Lopez Island, which is one in a chain of islands off the NW coast of Washington state, known as the San Juan Islands. This place is near and dear to me, as I also live here on one of the islands.

Christi Carter, 07-08 BJP participant
Christi joined the 07-08 BJP and completed her piece for the first month, which was June. Then life got in the way and for some months she didn't do any beading at all. After a while, she realized there was something missing in her life and that she needed to return to beading and the BJP. This year, in November, she is working on last year's November piece. She plans to finish all 12 pieces to complete the project.

Personally I very much identify with Christi's work, feel its pull on my heart and hear the songs in her designs... She's chosen to explore her relationship with the place where she lives, showing with found objects and beads what her island is like. I love the notion of art used to reveal a sense of place and her pieces do it particularly well in my opinion! Since she is another BJPer who doesn't have a web presence, I've photographed her pieces and you get to see them (all click-to-enlarge) below!

Bead Journal Project, Christi Carter, driftwood, water
^June ~ Driftwood ~ the beach and all the water that surrounds her.

Bead Journal Project, Christi Carter, lavender
^July ~ Lavender ~ Christi grows lavender as a business and July is the height of the growing season.

Bead Journal Project, Christi Carter, shells, sky
^August ~ Three Shells ~ about the sky.

Bead Journal Project, Christi Carter, Sept, Lichen
^September ~ Lichen ~ this lovely grey-green plant form becomes more apparent in early fall.

Bead Journal Project, Christi Carter, bark, Madrona trees
^October ~ Madrona Bark ~ distinctive tree with rust-colored bark, found only along the NW coast.

Bead Journal Project, Christi Carter, beach stone, fog
^November ~ Beach Stone ~ about fog and layers of clouds in the sky, both of which are common at this time of year. This one is still in progress.

I think it's fabulous that Christi is continuing to work toward completion of her 12 pieces for the 07-08 BJP! I personally know three other women who are also still finishing their pieces for the first BJP... I am so very proud of them (and many others unknown to me) for their perserverance!

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If you have any interest in seeing photographs of our islands, my husband, Robert Demar, also explores his relationship to the place where we live. You can see his photography here. Some of my favorite images are here and here. He's done two studies of Madrona trees (featuring macro pictures of their peculiar fracturing bark)... one in black & white and one in color.

32 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:24 AM

    dear robin

    im fascinated with Christi's beadwork. it just like the 'BATIK' pattern in MALAYSIA! good job.. i really love it!

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  2. Incredible! Thank you for sharing the collection!

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  3. I am moved to tears by Christi's work...Innovative, beautiful, and filled with heart...I lived my life on the sea until a few years ago. Her work heals my ache and longing...And inspires me to step outside of the beading box and try something NEW! Thank you.

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  4. Christi's work is exquisite - thanks so much for showing it for us. Reading this post, I realized that I'm doing the same thing with my pieces this year - exploring the nature around me. It's a huge inspiration.

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  5. What talent!
    The way she has incorporated the fabric, the beads and found objects.
    I am glad she decided to finish, if only for my selfish reason, I want to see more!
    2 more and we can make her a page on the website, these pieces scream to be shown.

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  6. Not only do I love Christi's work, especially the way she incorporates natural items into her bead work, but it's a real credit to you, Robin, that you are so generous with your blog in featuring other artists.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  7. Wow these are beautiful pieces. I love how she incorporates natural and found items. There is such movement and flow to these. What a lovely dedication she has to continue on with last years commitment. That says lots about her soul.

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  8. Moving, brilliant work. Just breathtaking.

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  9. Having been raised on Puget Sound, although considerably south of the San Juans, I feel a close connection to Christi's work...it's just wonderful and so true to the Sound.

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  10. oops...forgot to mention how much I love robert's work...makes me homesick to see it sometimes!

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  11. I am also very attracted to Christi's work. It's very grounding.

    Robert's phoographies are great too.

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  12. Thank you for sharing Christi's work. It is just beautiful. They way she incorporates 'found' treasures is wonderful.
    Hopefully all these comments will inspire her to maybe start blogging...

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  13. Robin!
    What pure delight to see Christi's exquisite work!!She is so gifted. She seems to be able to read the beads and the fabric and know what to do and where to do it- just stunning work. Tell her that she has inspired me to jump into the current BJP (unofficially of course) as her pieces have spo0kent o me of such possibilities. My uncle who lives in Seattle used to own quite a bit of land on Orcas and we sailed there many summers ago- her pieces make me wish to be there again!!
    Now I am off to Robert's blog to get my San Juan Island Photo fix!!
    Hugs!
    Elizabeth

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  14. I really really love her work Robin. Thank you for sharing it! Liz

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  15. Her work is beautiful. I'm glad she's gone back to it. It makes such a difference when life gets in the way.

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  16. Thank you for posting these pictures. Christi's work is wonderful and needs to be shared! I love your islands and these pieces really capture the essence of the PNW.

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  17. Robin, These are gorgeous! Her color sense and the batiks she chose really speak to me. Love the way she incorporated the found objects into her designs. Good for her, finishing the BJP 07.

    Arline

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  18. Robin, thanks for sharing Christi's amazing bead work with us. It's just exquisite.

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  19. Robin, Christi, all of the pieces are just exquisite! Love the color the found objects, just everything about them. Very original approach to beading. Too bad Christi doesn't have a 'web presence' we could all learn so much! Thank you Robin.

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  20. Christie, I can just feel your work. Its very beautiful. I can just feel how you feel about your world on the Island. JulieCook

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  21. Anonymous11:34 AM

    I love beads, but never ever thought that it was possible to create collages like these ! they are great , I would love a few of them to hang on my walls.

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  22. Wow, so glad I checked out the old BJP blog one more time so I could be lead back to Christi's work! I just love the way she has threaded strands of beads around and through shells and driftwood, etc. Absolutely beautiful work.

    I still have two journal quilt pages to finish as part of the 07-08 BJP. I'm not making any promises as to when they'll get done but I DO intend to complete them someday!

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  23. very nice, thank you for sharing. have a great week

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  24. Wow, these are very beautiful! :D

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  25. Christi's pieces are fantastic. I can understand why you connect to her art so easily, for there are similarities in mood and appearance between what you and Christi do. I especially admire the way in which the found objects are attached - very imaginative.

    Sabine

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  26. Beautiful. Absolutely Beautiful! What more is there to say

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  27. Christi's work is just beautiful!!!! I love how she ran the strands of beads through the holes in shells and driftwood! I love all of her pieces! Thank you for your comments on my Nov BJP also! :) Marva

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  28. gorgous work, i love love beads but, i don't wear jewlery. this is how i like to see beads used. bravo!!!!

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  29. They are absolutely beautiful. Please give my compliments to Christi. Wow, I will come back to look at them more than once.

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  30. Hi Robin,
    I've coincidentally reached to your blog. Christi's amazing works are so so nice.Special thanks for sharing those beautiful things with us.
    Best wishes for the coming year.
    Rengin, in Istanbul

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  31. Thank you for sharing Christi's beautiful art with us. I am a Crazy Quilter and tend to work with fabrics and some beads and surely will be thinking on a different level now that I've seen Christi's work. Just Beautiful!

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  32. What can I say? It's so beautiful,perfect, all is perfect, beads, batiks, colours, place. I love all of her pieces!! Hopefully, you share with us, thanks. Christi, you have inspired me, I am embroidering a card for a friend. It's not serious, I'm in late on the BJP :-)!
    Hope we can see another piece soon.

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Thanks you for joining the discussion on this post today!