Autumn Stone
October 21, 2015
Inspirational Art
Is it just me, or do the dark colors of autumn seem so much more dramatic than any other season? I’m not knocking the spark of those first Spring flowers or the brilliance of a sunny mid-summer meadow, but the brightness and purity of those colors are beautiful and cheerful while Autumn’s palette speaks of deep emotion and, well, drama. At least to me. Life is not all bright and cheery and I think that is something we actually need. The tempered days of troubled thoughts and the rough patches we experience are what truly make us appreciate the good times. Life is for living and it’s one bumpy ride. But even the bumpy times can be beautiful.
Similarly, days like those in Autumn, with the foliage falling away, plants returning to the ground, and the days getting shorter, have their own wonderful beauty. The idea of beauty even in the process of decay has always interested me, so it’s no wonder Klavdija Kurent‘s liquid crystal stone caught my eye as I scoured for more Autumn palettes. The technique itself is gorgeous with the translucency of the shuffled layers, but also the colors in those reds, rusts, oranges and creams are so vibrant when juxtaposed. The play of this almost monochromatic palette is where the drama comes from. The many textures of this piece add to its drama and impact as well.
This image is from a promotion for a class Klavdija had last month in which she taught this liquid stone and a liquid rust technique. Hopefully she’ll teach this again in some fashion that might allow us in on her secrets. In the meantime, you can look at more drama and fun pieces on her Flickr and her blog.
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Outside Inspiration: Extruded Fall
August 8, 2014
Inspirational Art
This is the look of fall I think of as the season approaches.
The burning colors of orange-reds with yellows against ashy whites. But then, I live in Colorado where the aspen trees light the Rocky Mountains on fire as they change from lush to stark. These pieces are extruded wall vases. That is extruded ceramic clay. I really want to see that extruder. It must be amazing! I hope it has a motor.
Luckily, artist Michael Macone, is aided by his two sons, Miles and Clayton, (does anyone else find it funny that he named one of his kids Clay-ton?), so whatever extruding they do, it’s not one set of hands and arms on that. Michael looks to be best known for a unique engraving technique he developed that allows him to etch his designs right into the clay, rather than placing them only on the surface. This looks to be the technique on the top-end tiles of these vases. But, I just really like that simple twist to them. It allows more than one side to show from any view and gives it a bit of movement.
As in polymer, classic fall colors are fairly popular in ceramics, probably more so since earthen clay in these earthy warm-colored glazes go so well together. If you are looking for natural fall palettes, perusing through ceramic arts on Pinterest, Flickr or Google images will bring you many wonderful and inspiring combinations.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Is it just me, or do the dark colors of autumn seem so much more dramatic than any other season? I’m not knocking the spark of those first Spring flowers or the brilliance of a sunny mid-summer meadow, but the brightness and purity of those colors are beautiful and cheerful while Autumn’s palette speaks of deep emotion and, well, drama. At least to me. Life is not all bright and cheery and I think that is something we actually need. The tempered days of troubled thoughts and the rough patches we experience are what truly make us appreciate the good times. Life is for living and it’s one bumpy ride. But even the bumpy times can be beautiful.
Similarly, days like those in Autumn, with the foliage falling away, plants returning to the ground, and the days getting shorter, have their own wonderful beauty. The idea of beauty even in the process of decay has always interested me, so it’s no wonder Klavdija Kurent‘s liquid crystal stone caught my eye as I scoured for more Autumn palettes. The technique itself is gorgeous with the translucency of the shuffled layers, but also the colors in those reds, rusts, oranges and creams are so vibrant when juxtaposed. The play of this almost monochromatic palette is where the drama comes from. The many textures of this piece add to its drama and impact as well.
This image is from a promotion for a class Klavdija had last month in which she taught this liquid stone and a liquid rust technique. Hopefully she’ll teach this again in some fashion that might allow us in on her secrets. In the meantime, you can look at more drama and fun pieces on her Flickr and her blog.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read More
This is the look of fall I think of as the season approaches.
The burning colors of orange-reds with yellows against ashy whites. But then, I live in Colorado where the aspen trees light the Rocky Mountains on fire as they change from lush to stark. These pieces are extruded wall vases. That is extruded ceramic clay. I really want to see that extruder. It must be amazing! I hope it has a motor.
Luckily, artist Michael Macone, is aided by his two sons, Miles and Clayton, (does anyone else find it funny that he named one of his kids Clay-ton?), so whatever extruding they do, it’s not one set of hands and arms on that. Michael looks to be best known for a unique engraving technique he developed that allows him to etch his designs right into the clay, rather than placing them only on the surface. This looks to be the technique on the top-end tiles of these vases. But, I just really like that simple twist to them. It allows more than one side to show from any view and gives it a bit of movement.
As in polymer, classic fall colors are fairly popular in ceramics, probably more so since earthen clay in these earthy warm-colored glazes go so well together. If you are looking for natural fall palettes, perusing through ceramic arts on Pinterest, Flickr or Google images will bring you many wonderful and inspiring combinations.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
