Picasso beads are one of our most beautiful and popular finishes within the Miyuki collection. These delightful, paint-flecked colors are available in size 11/0, 8/0 and 6/0 seed beads, as well as in long magatamas, tila beads, half-tila beads, and cubes. I love how the colors appear on the shapes, as their larger surface area makes the subtle variations in colors more visible.
The coloring in the Picasso collection has the essence of an earthy gemstone or Jackson Pollock painting. The true beauty of these 'spatter-painted' beads is that every one one is unique. The colors remind me of the marbling technique used to hand dye silk scarves (if you haven't seen 'marbling', you need to go on YouTube STAT!)
The Picasso beads have different tones and splashes of color, much like you'd find in nature. Some colors have the appearance of picture jasper, or a beautiful lapis stone.
The turquoise blue shade is especially beautiful, as it appears to have darker areas, much like a turquoise gemstone. The color effect of this finish is subtly displayed on the round seed beads. They make great spacer beads for gemstone or other natural beads.
The larger shapes with a Picasso finish are great at being the center of attention. Try a peyote stitched bracelet using the cubes for a cool bohemian cuff. Or stitch tila beads into your leather wrap bracelet for a free-spirited look that is festival ready (Coachella, here I come!). I especially love using half tilas in a leather wrap. The half shape makes it easy to create variations in the patterns or color. When it comes to the Picasso long magatamas, my favorite is kumihimo. Try braiding Picasso long magatamas for a 'dragon scales' effect. The specked finish of these beads speaks to my inner 'mother of dragons'.
You can really appreciate the natural hints of beauty in the Picasso beads - the subtle undertones of color within each bead is extraordinary. They bring to mind the writing of John Muir and his view on natural beauty. "Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” Beading, much like knitting, has a meditative effect. It calms us and provides focus, relieving anxiety. All my cares melt away when I am absorbed a great jewelry project.
Visit our Pinterest page to see more creations made with picasso beads.