work in progress: asymmetrical necklace

I love asymmetrical designs and like to explore them from time to time however, when it comes to beading I tend to create with symmetry.  My confidence level isn't as high with beading as it is in other mediums so, I think that is why I have stayed in the comfort of symmetry.  Symmetry makes sense and is much easier.  Asymmetry is hard. Although it looks effortless, it actually takes a lot more time and thought.

This weekend I started a beaded necklace design with asymmetry in mind. Here is my work in progress:

This was my starting point.  I wanted to even out where the brown beads ended on each side and then finish the design with turquoise.  The 3 brown beads on the right side were bugging me and once I snapped this photo I knew why.  It wasn't asymmetrical enough.  It was almost there, I needed to push a little further.

This second design felt much better for the asymmetrical look I was going for. I really liked it but, again after taking the photo I knew the star pendant wasn't right. The beads and the design were too strong for that pendant, it was getting lost.  I needed something bolder.

Now this pendant, I was sure, would be it!  It's a gorgeous ceramic pendant and the colors blend really well with the turquoise beads however, once again when I snapped the picture it didn't feel right.  It was unbalanced.  The turquoise color took a larger stage in the overall design because of this pendant and made that side of the necklace seem heavier then the other side.

Finally, I tried this brass tree pendant.   The natural brass pendant doesn't compete with the brown or turquoise beads, the circle shape flows nicely with the natural brass rings giving the brass more weight and made the entire design feel balanced even though it is not symmetrical. Whew!  That was challenging. But feels oh so good to stretch out of my comfort zone. I have always admired asymmetrical design because of their complexity and now I created one of my very own!

Because I wanted to share the process with you on my blog I took all these pictures and they really helped me "see" the design better.  Sometimes just taking a step back and looking at a project differently, like through the lens of a camera, helps you make decisions about the design that you may have overlooked otherwise.

What do you think?  Do you like my final design or do you think one of my earlier versions is better then the last one?  Have you tried something outside of your comfort zone recently?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!