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August Monthly Challenge

Fishing Boats, Key West, 1903 by Winslow Homer
Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper
13 15/16 x 21 3/4 in. (35.4 x 55.2 cm)

About the Art
Few of Homer’s watercolors rival this one for its effects of shimmering sunlight and steamy atmosphere, achieved through the rapid application of wet-on-wet surfaces, the broad and dexterous exploitation of the white paper reserve, and the judicious sponging of wet pigment, especially in the shadows, reflecting light off the water. This picture is also exceptional for the number and visibility of its pencil marks, not only to indicate some of the boats’ rigging (and betraying the pentimento of a sloop in the background that the artist edited out), but also to enliven the rustle of the sailcloth lifted by a phantom breeze. By contrast, Homer, in masterly fashion, merely daubed in the figures freehand, sacrificing nothing of their form and weight—they even seem to speak.
About the Artist
Winslow Homer (February 24, 1836 – September 29, 1910) was an American landscape painter and printmaker, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th century America and a preeminent figure in American art.
Largely self-taught, Homer began his career working as a commercial illustrator. He subsequently took up oil painting and produced major studio works characterized by the weight and density he exploited from the medium. He also worked extensively in watercolor, creating a fluid and prolific oeuvre, primarily chronicling his working vacations.

Blog Tour
The Blog Tour deadline is August 29th.
***Note Change***
Links must be added to the Art Bead Scene flickr page where you upload your entry
The Blog Tour will be on August 31st.

Monthly Challenge Winners
Winners will be randomly chosen from all the qualifying entries on August 1st.
Our Sponsors
Our Sponsors this month are Gaea Handmade and Painting With Fire Studio.
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 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. 
An Art Bead must be used in your piece to qualify for the monthly challenge.
***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 AUG 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 August 31st. 
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.

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7 Comment

  1. A Half-Baked Notion
    August 2, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    Ah, an American artist I (in my extremely limited knowledge of art) have actually hear of! Just when I thought I had already taken on more than I can handle for August… Homer's name is inextricably linked to my childhood summer visits with maternal relatives. A large print of "The Herring Net", an oil painted by Homer in 1885, was displayed in the home of my grandfather, who had actually spent many years earning his bread as a working fisherman. I love to think he appreciated the foreboding atmosphere of the sky and sea, and the honest simplicity of the hard-working pair in the tiny dory. However, he was a simple man, and had I asked, he no doubt would have replied, "I like it because it looks real." That is high praise, indeed!

  2. riche
    August 3, 2012 at 7:55 am

    Thanks for this post! Nice and interesting!

  3. Beaditi
    August 3, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    how apt for a stormy summer !

  4. kim Idalski
    August 27, 2012 at 8:35 am

    This challenge was so much fun. Here is my blog & my entry. Good luck everyone. Cant wait to see all of your beautiful designs.

    http://kimisjewelryandgifts.blogspot.com/2012/08/art-bead-scene-september-challenge-my.html

  5. Sharyl
    August 29, 2012 at 10:15 am

    I don't know if any of you are having this problem, but I know it extends to more than just myself. Blogger is not loading photos today. When I try to insert a photo, it goes to a white screen with a spinning wheel that just spins until I close the window and try again. Then same thing. I see on another forum that others have had the problem too, That was 11 hours ago.

    Hope it gets fixed in time! If not I suppose I can link to the text and the photos on flikr? Clunky but might work….

  6. Sharyl
    August 29, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    Just an update on Blogger. It still isn't allowing me to post photos today.

    Marla James has found this info. It appears there are many of us having the photo problem with Blogger:

    http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/blogger/something-is-broken/uyd7Gh8Zy5I

    Just sharing in case you are one of the frustrated! I'm struggling with Flickr too, as I often do each month, so I'm giving this project a rest. I'll try again later tonight. If not, I'll sit this one out. Bummer!

  7. Sharyl
    August 30, 2012 at 7:19 am

    I kept trying and finally got a blog post up. At first I thought it would be picture-less, but finally managed to paste some in (rather than using the insert feature.) I couldn't seem to do anything about the formatting though, so text and photos appear on one side of a page or another randomly.

    If anyone wants to take a look, you can at least see the bracelet now! I think I also managed to load several photos onto Flickr and submit 2 photos to the ABS group.

    Hope this has gone more smoothly for everyone else! I'm anxious to see what others have done with this ABS challenge! –Sharyl

Comments are closed.