What's New?

Robin Atkins, bead artist

For a day-to-day look at what's new, please visit my blog, Beadlust.
The following sections are included on this page:

2007 Bead Journal Project
Painting decorative papers
Book of Plenty

2007 Bead Journal Project

What is the Bead Journal Project? An invitation to make a 1-year beading committment. Journal with bead embroidery. Starts June, 2007. Create twelve beaded journal pages, one per month. Share your work on your website or blog (optional). Possible exhibition opportunity at end of year. Details Your journal pages can be any size, but should be consistent from month to month. Your journal pages can be beaded solidly or not, as you wish. Your bead embroidery can be any style, from representational to abstract. The idea for this project comes from the Quilt Journal Project. You may want to identify one or more personal goals for your participation in this project (such as: to develop an artistic "style," to experiment with techniques, or simply to "journal" about your feelings and experiences with beads). You have total freedom to define "journal page" any way you want: flat or 3-dimensional, pages in a book or loose, only beads or combined with quilting, collage, writing, etc. The official start date is June, 2007. If that doesn't work for you, start as soon as you can.

Joining the Bead Journal Project Registration for the 2007 BJP closed on May 30th, with over 225 participants. No further registrations will be accepted for this year's Project. Anyone interested may create "pages" unofficially, on their own, and all are welcome to vist the BJP blog.

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Painting decorative papers with layers of acrylic paints

Recipe for fun: 3 or 4 tubes or jars of acrylic paint ~ luscious colors you adore. small foam paint roller. a few foam or rubber stamps. cardboard or plastic stencils. big sheets of drawing paper. To the right are some examples of papers I've painted. How can they be used? Sky's the limit: Use them for bookmaking, and as cover papers for small journals and booklets. Make cards, postcards, and fancy envelopes. Wrap special gifts with them. Sew beads on them. Cover boxes. Frame them. Add them to your collage art. Line your drawers with them. Sometimes you make a sheet of decorative paper so fabulous that you can't bring yourself to use it... You just like to have it around where you can look at it.

Layers of acrylic paint over gesso texture. Layers of acrylic paint, stamped, stenciled.

Layers of acrylic paint, textured.		Layers of acrylic paint over stenciled gesso.
Acrylic paints and inks, crystalized.		Layers of acrylic paint on semi-transparent deli paper.
Layers of acrylic paint, stamped, stenciled.		Layers of acrylic paint, stamped, stenciled.
Layers of acrylic paint, stamped, stenciled.		Layers of acrylic paint over stamped gesso.

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The Book of Plenty
Hand made book using painted decorative papers

Below are some pictures of two books I made using some of the papers shown above. You can enjoy the colors and details much better in the enlarged versions by clicking below each picture.
click to enlarge The Book of Plenty Handmade book, painted papers 8" H x 5.5" W x 1.75" D	click to enlarge Mini Prayer Book Handmade book, painted papers 2.4" H x 2" W x .5" D
click to enlarge Mini Prayer Book and The Book of Plenty	click to enlarge Mini Prayer Book and The Book of Plenty
For the past few years, I've been attending events like ArtFest and Art & Soul, taking painting and bookmaking classes from Albie Smith, Anne Bagby, and Lynne Perrella - some of the best teachers in the country! So far I haven't gotten into scenic or fine art painting, but decorative papers are another story. It's all about play, messing around experimenting with paints, and having fun.

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