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Amy C. Clarke - The Seven Swans : moment of transformation
Category: Wall-Hanging.
The piece was created using bead embroidery, working in a growing spiral from the center out.
This piece illustrates the moment of transformation in the Brother’s Grimm fairy tale, The Seven Swans. A girl reaches up as her brothers, changed into swans by their jealous stepmother, fly away. The story continues as the girl learns from a wise woman that in order to restore her brothers to their human form she must not speak for seven years. During this time she must spin and knit nettles into seven sweaters. Near the end of the seven years the girl marries a neighboring king. Her stepmother plots to frame the girl for the death of her own children. The girl cannot speak to defend herself and she is imprisoned and sentenced to burn at the stake. Just as the flame is being touched to the pyre, the seven swans return to their sister. She throws the sweaters over their heads as they descend. Each is restored to his human form—all except the youngest who is left with a swan wing for an arm as one sleeve was not completed. The brothers defend their sister, punish the stepmother, and restore their sister’s kidnapped children to her.
I started beading in 1998. I was the editorial assistant for Beadwork magazine and decided to participate in the bead embroidery staff project. By the end of the project I had purchased a small stash of beads and was making plans for my next piece--I was hooked. Since then I've completed several bead embroidery pieces--most have fairy tale themes. I enjoyed working for Beadwork magazine until June, 2000 when I was asked to be the editor of Spin-Off magazine--Beadwork's sister magazine (I earned my MFA in Fibers--spinning was my focus). I still beads at night and visit the Beadwork office frequently.
The entry: I painted a watercolor sketch to use as my cartoon for the beaded piece. I started embroidering in the center, working in a continuous spiral to the outer edges. I decided to enter the contest when I only had 17 days until the deadline--and it took me 116 hours to bead the piece.
I don't have a personal web site, but the Interweave site is here.
If you wish to contact me my email is: amyclarke.nospam@uswest.net
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Amy's article about entering competitions was published in the Fall 1999 issue of Beadwork Magazine.