Anatomy of a head piece

How does an idea gets shaped into an actual head piece on someone's head? 

Often, I start with a sketch. Some sketches are very detailed. Some are NOT detailed at all. Some start from a photograph, some from a colour that caught my eye. 

Sometimes a particularly awesome conversation and exchange of ideas gets me started on a head piece. 

This one, started as a dream. I dreamt about these belts for days. I saw them lined in a row, with the strings hanging down either side of the head. And that is how far I went ... and OH, I saw feathers, lots and lots of feathers. Wasn't sure how, or where but I knew I wanted feathers in there. 

Once the belts where on, I sat back and looked and looked and turned it around and around and then I pulled out the flowers, red, white, cream, orange and red .... and the red was the winner indeed! 

I didn't start with the flowers as an idea but things have started coming together quite quickly after that. 

This is not finished yet. I have a lot of feathers to attach to the cords - one ... by ... one .... labour of love baby, labour of love! And then the flowers with the nice touch of surprise yellow flowers on the back and then I dont know ... a few more feathers? 

The bottom line is though, the birth of a head piece or any art piece for that matter is a dynamic fluid experience. I truly cant recall a piece that I started working on and it ended up exactly as I had imagined it. Something always speaks up and wants to go on a different spot. 

Or something else just doesnt feel like coming along for the ride. Either way, its a creative process and its addictive and keeps me coming back for more and more.

We have added a lot of new head pieces to our online shop at Etsy. It seems like we are going through a creative surge! Funny enough true to the story above, only one of the head pieces (the one featured here) is loosely based on a sketch. All the other ones that I have sketched I haven't started on yet!

Truly, sky is the limit when creative wave is upon us.