Art Inspiration for DIY Jewelry: Two Sisters (On the Terrace) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881

When looking for a color palette for a new design, you can find inspiration in unexpected places. Over the years, I have used the pattern of a dress, a flower, a pretty pillow, and even famous artworks as inspiration. Basically, anything that you see around you that has a pleasing color combination can be used as the basis for a jewelry designs color palette. Look at the colors that you see and then start picking them out in beads, findings, and focals. You can use all the colors you see or just pick out a few that you like best. This is a great technique if you are "stuck" and looking for some inspiration! 

For this blog post, I wanted to use one of my very favorite paintings as inspiration. From the time I was a young girl, I have always loved Pierre-Auguste Renoir. There is just something so appealing about his romantic impressionistic style. The way he combines color and light to convey mood, warmth, and charm is alluring and mesmerizing. The painting we are going to design from today is titled Two Sisters (On the Terrace) and was painted by Renoir in 1881. If you want to see this painting in person, it currently resides at the Art Institute of Chicago along with many other Renoir drawings and paintings.

I hope you enjoyed this selection; it was so much fun to choose them! There are lots more options too in our beads section! 

Happy Beading, 
Julie 



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Comments

Ms. Jaie (NOVA) - November 5, 2025

Good evening, Julie,

I enjoyed this article because I love to hear and experience how others find inspiration with any pieces created. I, too, can see the beauty in many things while on a nature walk, or walking along the beach. I find much inspiration from fabrics being an avid sewer, just as you did hear with the portrait of Renoir’s Two Sisters (On the Terrace). Any fabric selected allows me to pull together colors but the design of a piece is always the tricky part. Personally, I spend far too much time deciding the best piece for any new creation. Sometimes, I start with a necklace, and then move on to a bracelet. I wish I could say that earrings were the easiest, but that is farthest from the truth, lol. I would love to see the piece you created after viewing this portrait; perhaps I will view it in the many live recordings that Beadaholique has on the site. These, I do not want to miss after the store closes. Take care and be well. I will miss the live sessions with you, Michele and Eric!!!

Harriet Meltzer - August 5, 2025

Dear Julie and your wonderful staff: I am quite sad to see your store closing. I will surely miss you
and all of your amazing creativity and inspiration. I have spent much time browsing and purchasing from
your website. I have also very much enjoyed the many tutorials and live teaching of so many techniques.
I thank you very much for all the time and effort you have put in to share with all of your numerous fans.
You will be missed!! Wishing you and your staff the best of everything in the future.
Harriet Meltzer
BeadVisions

P.s. will your online tutorials still be available? Thanks again!

Irene Epple - May 13, 2025

I see that mainly blue, red, bronze, and pale blue were picked from the Renoir painting. True, these are the main colors in the palette. I think adding a hint of the other intriguing colors such as pale pink, coral, golden rod, pale yellow, nude, olivine, Kelly green, hunter green, and white as touches of added color to the jewelry can invoke the total mood of the painting. Of course the use of these colors in the jewelry composition are what art and design are all about- finding the right balance between color, texture, shape, medium.

terry - May 13, 2025

I get inspiration from birds. For example, the male American Kestrel and my parrot, a Sun Conure. Other beauties are the Lazuli Bunting and all hummingbirds.

Faraneh Javan - May 13, 2025

I love making jewelry and learning new techniques. Thank you

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