PDX Profile: Lisa Gastelum, of TQB Designs

I've been seeing Lisa Gastelum's precise, delicate beaded spheres in boutiques around town for a while now, and they always stop me in my tracks. That's a steady hand! Her use of color is also gorgeous - muted, but deep and elegant. Be sure and stop by Lisa's website, TQB Designs, and her Etsy shop to see more of her work. (What does TQB stand for? "The Queen Bead.")

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How did you first get involved with bead-weaving?
I first became interested in beads when I was 12. My mother gave me a beaded rope necklace from the 70’s, and I promptly started taking it apart. It had thousands of little beads in all colors and I was fascinated!

A little while after that my mother noticed my burgeoning obsession and bought me an inexpensive bead loom. I always like to work with my hands weaving (does anyone remember the friendship bracelet craze in the early 80’s...) Anyway, I loved the idea of beads and weaving and was very happy with my new loom. Then, in my early 20’s and living in Seattle, I discovered more intricate forms of weaving, I also beaded a few evening dresses for myself and co-workers.

It wasn’t until 1994, when I purchased The New Beadwork by Kathlyn Moss & Alice Scherer that I found my calling. David Chatt, the Godfather of Bead-Weavers, has his work featured in The New Beadwork. He uses a much different bead weaving technique than I, called right angle weave, that is much more open. I use the gourd stitch (a.k.a. peyote) that creates a tight fitting appearance with the beads. Anyway, I was absolutely fascinated with David Chatt’s beaded marbles from his sculpture “Hanging on By a Thread” and decided that I wanted to somehow replicate that, but with beads and with a much more overall coverage with the weaving.

So, I ran down to my local bead store and found the smallest beads I could find and bone pipe to weave them around. It turned out terribly, of course, but I didn’t give up. Almost 15 years later I’m still doing them. With many years of trial and error, I developed a methodical pattern system for each of the bead sizes that I make from 4mm to as large as 25mm.

Your beadwork has such precision! About how long does it take to produce one of your beaded spheres? And how many seed beads?
Well, I have 9 round sizes plus an oval, square, saucer, barrel and donut, so that’s 14 in all. Let’s first take my most medium size, the 8mm. I use this on my Petal Dot Earrings. Since I have been making beaded rounds for many years, it has gotten so much faster, of course. It now takes me anywhere from 15 - 20 minutes to make the 8mm size (just depends on how sleepy I am) and takes 156 tiny seed beads to cover.

But, if we were to take one of my largest beads, the 20mm (when finished it is 1” across) - well, that takes me anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours to make and has 648 of my tiniest seed beads. These are all woven on one at a time, too - whew!

Will you tell us about your Color Block Fridays?
There is something so satisfying about Friday. Though I don’t have a traditional Monday - Friday job, I did for many years and can appreciate the giddy behavior some may feel on Friday. I wanted to convey a sort of serendipitous feeling at the end of the work week with my blog color feature. It showcases either a block of color (for March it will be Green), and/or I showcase a specific color in my repertoire.

I believe that color is very powerful and I hope that my Color Blocks give you inspiration or courage to use and wear color in your daily life.

The colors you use are indeed lovely - subtle, yet rich. What inspires you when you're selecting bead colors?
I tend to see colors in my head long before I put them together - I’m always creating. I guess if I had to choose a specific inspiration it would have to be my yard (I have a huge garden). I really like to challenge myself visually, so I will sometimes work for hours just putting colors together, whether inspired from a photograph I’ve taken, or a look through my favorite book of Expressionist artists.

My best combinations really come to me suddenly, and usually when I’m working - that always stimulates my creativity.

What is your take on the difference between "Art" and "Craft?"
Someone once told me that Craft has function and Art hangs on the wall. I don’t think it’s quite that simple. I do think that Craft tends to be an item that you can use in your daily life, like a ceramic cup, wooden spoon or a pair of earrings. Art and Craft are all made with one's hands and imagination, but oftentimes, Craft can go with you - you can live in its Art. Craft is also a way of describing your process. Every Artist is working on their “Craft” - an actor, painter, sculptor, designer. It’s all connected in some way.

What are some of your favorite creative spots in Portland?
The ReBuilding Center on N. Mississippi, Powell's Books, the Chinese & Japanese Gardens. I love to sit and have a cup of coffee or a beer and watch people. Also, Tri-Met: You can really get your creativity going - just sitting on the bus or train waiting to get to your destination gives you permission to day-dream.