A Recursive Bead, Otherwise Known as

A Beaded Bead

The standard joke is that a bead is a marble that's lost its virginity. (I saw this recently on a t-shirt, misspelled: ...lost it's virginity---though I always have admired Beadwork magazine for running that `bead whore' story, I'm too prudish myself to wear such a sentiment across my chest. Especially misspelled.) This of course makes more sense to the stone bead folks, since their objects of desire do indeed start out unperforated. No doubt others---beaders who lead dual lives as computer programmers or Douglas Hofstadter fans---have christened beaded beads recursive, but for some reason, the characterization hasn't caught on. Too bad.

Though I think of myself as self-taught, that's a tad on the generous side: it's fair to say, perhaps, that most of what I've learned, I've learned on my own, but ultimately, that's always the case. And does it make a difference if one learns from a book, or a person? If there are complete instructions, or merely an idea that points one in a certain direction?

In this case, I can safely say I was taught this technique: I took many classes through the Great Lakes Beadworkers' Guild, and one of them was taught by Joanne Laessig. Her specialty is beaded embroidery, and I did indeed make a beaded embroidered sample, though mine was a needlecase top rather than a pin. Just for fun she also threw in these `beaded beads'.

I'd done enough peyote by this time to be comfortable with my rather free form approach, which included some decidedly un-seed bead components, such as malachite chips. This piece was one of those lucky accidents that just came out really well. I had a nice piece of black silk kumi with royal blue and emerald green diamonds leftover from the Chatt piece, and since the wooden bead on which the beadweaving was mounted had a nice big hole I was able to string it on the silk cord.

It remains one of my favorite, quick-to-throw-on light, casual pieces for everyday wear. Wood, glass, semi-precious stone, nylon, silk. 90s, collection of the artist. Camera did a nice job (I bought this camera because it does such nice closeups) but of course every scratch and hair shows. To light the underside of the bead, I bounced light with a little mirror. That part worked okay.