A Weekend of Collaboration
October 27, 2013
Inspirational Art
I thought today I would just talk a little bit about what I was doing this weekend (besides running about trying to find an internet connection). And besides, my group built a piece off of what was basically a glass box, so it fits the theme!
The polymer retreat at the Mammoth Cave National Park was really different in that the whole weekend was collaborative. The attendees were split into six groups, each creating a collaborative piece based on an organic theme. Most of the people here have not done anything like this–collaborating with 4 or 5 other people and creating something that represented them all in a matter of 3 days. There was a lot of fretting at the beginning, but all the projects turned out great.
There is really something special about collaborating. You are forced to relinquish control over the end result, which can be scary, frustrating, or freeing depending on the kind of person you are, but in the end, it’s quite exhilarating because what is created could never have been conceived and produced by you alone.
You also find yourself trying things you wouldn’t usually do. I know Ron Lehocky, known for his perfectly finished cane covered heart pins, had to let go and allow the work to be rough and less controlled to create moss and the bark of a tree. He even ended up making the impression of flowers on the side of our cave sculpture rather than actual flowers.
Created by Ron Lehocky, Iris Weiss, Anita Kennerley, Ellen Prophater, Amy Nemon, and Sage Bray.
If you have never collaborated with another artist, I highly recommend trying it. You can discover so much about yourself and will probably have your ideas pushed in directions you never imagined. This is especially good for times when you are feeling stuck or feel like you’re getting into a rut. And if not that, at least get out and join a group of artists at a guild meeting or class so you have the chance to exchange ideas and get input on your work. It’s so amazing and invigorating.
Building out the Box
October 26, 2013
Inspirational Art
With my connection (and faith) in the internet restored, we will resume chatting about boxes and ways to expand on the popular form.
For our weekend peek at lidded containers, I saved a piece by Kim Detmers. The concept here simply stretches the way that you can use your ‘canvas’. Even though a canvas is a flat space to begin with, that doesn’t mean you need to create your work based on that kind of two-dimensional space. Consider possible ways to build up, build out, and work into the space around the vessel, not just the ‘real estate’ that is the surface of the vessel. Kim builds up on the lid, and out into the space above the container. She has also made the lid the unmistakable focal point, which is a bit unusual since it would seem that the tendency is to make the lid an accent or compliment to the body of the box. In fact, with the lid on, it may not look like a container at first, but rather more of a sculpture. And in essence, what should an artistically formed box meant for a bit more than function be but a sculpture?
I know the concept of building into space, considering design and composition in terms of the form, and then using the space around it can sometimes be daunting to ponder. But it is great fun and quite visually impressive when something as simple as a box has been grown into a sculpture that lives in the space around the container, not just on its surface.
If you want a little more information on how to use the space surrounding your pieces, check out the article “Create With Space” in the very popular Spring 2012 issue of The Polymer Arts about this very subject. (Said issue which is just about sold out in the print format, so if you want this or the Summer 2012 issue, you might want to order them soon before we run out.)
And if you like Kim’s work, take a look at her engaging blog and her Etsy shop.
Disconnected in Kentucky
October 25, 2013
Inspirational Art
My internet connection out here at Mammoth Cave has been challenging, so this is going to be brief. I had a nice attendee’s husband drive me into town so I could get this little bit posted. (Thank you Pat Lacy & John Donica!)
I haven’t had much time to search for a piece today, but I have this box by C.A. Therien I found earlier in the week that I wanted to share. Believe it or not, this is polymer–but doesn’t it look like wonderful enamel?
Charlene (C.A.) has had her hands in quite a number of projects the last couple years. Her Etsy shop is on vacation but her you can still check out her Memorial Beads website.
Please forgive me for the brief post and if I manage not to get on tomorrow, know all is well and I will be back soon!
Defining the Box
October 24, 2013
Inspirational Art
Today’s thought on boxes is pretty simple: a box does not have to be square. It doesn’t even have to have straight sides or be flat on the bottom. A box is basically a container used to hold or store things and has a lid. That’s a pretty wide open definition, which is great for an artist.
Here is a version of a box that may be taking a bow to the square, but there certainly aren’t any straight sides. Do you agree that it is still a box?
Maureen Thomas is the maker of this box. She created a whole series of these pinched edge boxes a few years back, all lovely in their texture and variety of generally subdued but delicious colors. You can check out the boxes and more her Flickr page.
Around the Corners
October 23, 2013
Inspirational Art
I am traveling today, heading out to the Kentucky/Tennessee Polymer Clay Guild’s retreat at Mammoth Cave National Park. I’m so excited to see the park, not to mention being immersed for four days in polymer creativity with a great group of people. I might be less verbose than usual (some of you may be relieved to hear!) but I will bring you something box related the rest of the week.
Fall is just about over but I am hoping there will still be colors in the park. I so love the change of seasons, that point of transition that brings us forms, colors, and textures that are only temporary but so much better appreciated because it isn’t static and isn’t what we see everyday. I found a very cleverly done box to match that sentiment today. This amazing piece is a lunch box created by Leigh Ross, one of the founders and wranglers of the huge Polymer Clay Central website. Every side of this represents a different season and each is just wonderfully done.
The polymer on here looks so much like a painting. Remember what I said earlier this week about a box being a many sided canvas? Well, here we have that certainly taken to heart!
Now off to catch a plane. More box fun tomorrow
On the Edge of a Tin Box
October 22, 2013
Inspirational Art
Okay … raise your hand if you’ve never covered a tin box.
Oh, I wish I could actually see the response to that. My guess is most of us have tried to, or still do cover tin boxes with polymer. And why not? They are inexpensive but wonderful little boxes whose curled and folded edges are perfect for holding onto that clay. They go into the oven without warping or deforming, come in many shapes and sizes, and are durable, long lasting forms for your clay art.
But just because tins are simple doesn’t mean they should be treated simply. Boxes as a form for polymer are nothing but a six sided canvas. You can just cover it with cane slices or sheets of treated clay, but why stop there? I’m not saying you need to go wild–although you certainly can if you are so inspired–but just push it a little. Layer on elements, break elements over the edge, use texture, form, pattern, repetition, focal points, movement, and color schemes just as you would with a pendant or bracelet. The form you apply your clay to does not change the standards of good design you should be considering, although it might force you to think of the piece in three dimensions the way a pendant, usually approached in a more two-dimensional manner, does not.
Here are a few examples of tins that don’t go overboard but have plenty of color and texture contrast, tension at the edges where the elements break off incomplete, and active repetition to hold your attention and admiration. Don’t they?
This is actually only a small sampling of what Mary Anne Loveless does with tins. She’s quite the tin box artist actually. Go take a look at her Flickr site for more tin box inspiration, among other things!
Containers of a Different Sort
October 21, 2013
Inspirational Art
We’ve seen quite a number of boxes and containers on this blog. I have a bit of a thing for boxes. They are such mysterious things. In a closed box, there could be any number of surprises–things left behind, trinkets misplaced, treasures hidden, memories buried just waiting to be rediscovered and, of course, emptiness with a wide open invitation to be filled. What is there not to like about a box?
So this week, I thought I’d dig up some boxes that approach the idea of how to construct or cover an existing box-like object in a slightly different way than we might commonly see–approaches and forms that will get you thinking. You know how I so like to get your noodles moving. (Now, I just need something to get mine to stop!)
So how does one go about pushing the idea of how to construct or decorate a box or container? Well, you can try what Lisa Pavelka tried last year and make one container a day. In her case, it was Carmex lip balm containers. Yes, she did actually accomplish this, even with her very busy schedule. And yes, I think she was nuts and I even said as much to her. I seem to recall she agreed. But it certainly will press you to get really creative if you are making a different container every day. At some point, you must lose any kind of careful editing of yourself and just let go. And that can be a good thing.
I don’t think these top views really do justice the level of sheer creativity she applied to this project. Take a moment (it’s only Monday … I’m sure you have a few minutes to spare, right?) to go through her blog pages, where she posted top and side views of them, alongside a few sentences on what she did with each. It’s really a pretty fascinating project, and the many applications are quite inspiring!
Of course, she used many of her own products in making these. Her line is pretty extensive and there is much more than what you might have seen at your local craft store, so take a look at her store for things you might not be aware of yet. And of course, on this Monday we have plenty of time for some important window shopping, right?
And don’t forget … tomorrow (Tuesday, October 22nd) is the last day of our BIG print back issue sale, so get your extra print copies while the price is still really low! http://www.thepolymerarts.com/Single_issues.html
Vase Gone Wild
October 9, 2013
Inspirational Art
Tendrils and squiggles on the surface of a piece are wonderful elements that add direction and energy, but it just seems to take it up a notch when the piece is actually made from such lines alone.
Emily Squires Levine creates most of her vessels with this open type of form, pinning together canes and lines of clay to create vases, bowls, and other decorative containers. This wonderful vase is aptly called “Tendril Vase.”
The tendrils look to be from a caned sheet, made from layers of clay folded over onto one another, rather than a roll or bar cane. These long sliced lines create the very structure of this sinuous vase. Does her approach get you thinking about open forms, or just what wide range of shapes a cane can actually take?
For more examples of this kind of structure with many different caned shapes, take a look at her website and blog.
Concept in Composition
September 7, 2013
Inspirational Art
This was actually the first piece I found that made me go “Oh wow! I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like this in polymer!” Well, it’s not all polymer, but I still thought it was a wonderful piece by a primarily polymer artist with a composition worth talking about. This container was created by the ingenious Fabiola Perez Ajates, simply known to most people as Fabi.
The body of this piece is actually paper-paper streamers, to be exact. Many streamers, rolled up tightly into a disc, then pressed from the center to expand into tapered shapes like this one here. What I enjoy so much about this piece is that it is a container, but on top these random red balls are emerging and escaping down the side of a vessel made for holding things. It’s a nice ironic juxtaposition between the function of the objects and the imagery. The top of the paper lid, indented and tilted as well as being inherently striped, also makes it feel like the balls were spinning in the concavity before being spilled out, so there is quite the sense of moment with these very simple additions to the paper shape.
Fabi is another explorer-type artist. She has quite the collection and variety of work on her blog and Flicker pages.
I thought today I would just talk a little bit about what I was doing this weekend (besides running about trying to find an internet connection). And besides, my group built a piece off of what was basically a glass box, so it fits the theme!
The polymer retreat at the Mammoth Cave National Park was really different in that the whole weekend was collaborative. The attendees were split into six groups, each creating a collaborative piece based on an organic theme. Most of the people here have not done anything like this–collaborating with 4 or 5 other people and creating something that represented them all in a matter of 3 days. There was a lot of fretting at the beginning, but all the projects turned out great.
There is really something special about collaborating. You are forced to relinquish control over the end result, which can be scary, frustrating, or freeing depending on the kind of person you are, but in the end, it’s quite exhilarating because what is created could never have been conceived and produced by you alone.
You also find yourself trying things you wouldn’t usually do. I know Ron Lehocky, known for his perfectly finished cane covered heart pins, had to let go and allow the work to be rough and less controlled to create moss and the bark of a tree. He even ended up making the impression of flowers on the side of our cave sculpture rather than actual flowers.
Created by Ron Lehocky, Iris Weiss, Anita Kennerley, Ellen Prophater, Amy Nemon, and Sage Bray.
If you have never collaborated with another artist, I highly recommend trying it. You can discover so much about yourself and will probably have your ideas pushed in directions you never imagined. This is especially good for times when you are feeling stuck or feel like you’re getting into a rut. And if not that, at least get out and join a group of artists at a guild meeting or class so you have the chance to exchange ideas and get input on your work. It’s so amazing and invigorating.
Read MoreWith my connection (and faith) in the internet restored, we will resume chatting about boxes and ways to expand on the popular form.
For our weekend peek at lidded containers, I saved a piece by Kim Detmers. The concept here simply stretches the way that you can use your ‘canvas’. Even though a canvas is a flat space to begin with, that doesn’t mean you need to create your work based on that kind of two-dimensional space. Consider possible ways to build up, build out, and work into the space around the vessel, not just the ‘real estate’ that is the surface of the vessel. Kim builds up on the lid, and out into the space above the container. She has also made the lid the unmistakable focal point, which is a bit unusual since it would seem that the tendency is to make the lid an accent or compliment to the body of the box. In fact, with the lid on, it may not look like a container at first, but rather more of a sculpture. And in essence, what should an artistically formed box meant for a bit more than function be but a sculpture?
I know the concept of building into space, considering design and composition in terms of the form, and then using the space around it can sometimes be daunting to ponder. But it is great fun and quite visually impressive when something as simple as a box has been grown into a sculpture that lives in the space around the container, not just on its surface.
If you want a little more information on how to use the space surrounding your pieces, check out the article “Create With Space” in the very popular Spring 2012 issue of The Polymer Arts about this very subject. (Said issue which is just about sold out in the print format, so if you want this or the Summer 2012 issue, you might want to order them soon before we run out.)
And if you like Kim’s work, take a look at her engaging blog and her Etsy shop.
Read MoreMy internet connection out here at Mammoth Cave has been challenging, so this is going to be brief. I had a nice attendee’s husband drive me into town so I could get this little bit posted. (Thank you Pat Lacy & John Donica!)
I haven’t had much time to search for a piece today, but I have this box by C.A. Therien I found earlier in the week that I wanted to share. Believe it or not, this is polymer–but doesn’t it look like wonderful enamel?
Charlene (C.A.) has had her hands in quite a number of projects the last couple years. Her Etsy shop is on vacation but her you can still check out her Memorial Beads website.
Please forgive me for the brief post and if I manage not to get on tomorrow, know all is well and I will be back soon!
Read MoreToday’s thought on boxes is pretty simple: a box does not have to be square. It doesn’t even have to have straight sides or be flat on the bottom. A box is basically a container used to hold or store things and has a lid. That’s a pretty wide open definition, which is great for an artist.
Here is a version of a box that may be taking a bow to the square, but there certainly aren’t any straight sides. Do you agree that it is still a box?
Maureen Thomas is the maker of this box. She created a whole series of these pinched edge boxes a few years back, all lovely in their texture and variety of generally subdued but delicious colors. You can check out the boxes and more her Flickr page.
Read MoreI am traveling today, heading out to the Kentucky/Tennessee Polymer Clay Guild’s retreat at Mammoth Cave National Park. I’m so excited to see the park, not to mention being immersed for four days in polymer creativity with a great group of people. I might be less verbose than usual (some of you may be relieved to hear!) but I will bring you something box related the rest of the week.
Fall is just about over but I am hoping there will still be colors in the park. I so love the change of seasons, that point of transition that brings us forms, colors, and textures that are only temporary but so much better appreciated because it isn’t static and isn’t what we see everyday. I found a very cleverly done box to match that sentiment today. This amazing piece is a lunch box created by Leigh Ross, one of the founders and wranglers of the huge Polymer Clay Central website. Every side of this represents a different season and each is just wonderfully done.
The polymer on here looks so much like a painting. Remember what I said earlier this week about a box being a many sided canvas? Well, here we have that certainly taken to heart!
Now off to catch a plane. More box fun tomorrow
Read MoreOkay … raise your hand if you’ve never covered a tin box.
Oh, I wish I could actually see the response to that. My guess is most of us have tried to, or still do cover tin boxes with polymer. And why not? They are inexpensive but wonderful little boxes whose curled and folded edges are perfect for holding onto that clay. They go into the oven without warping or deforming, come in many shapes and sizes, and are durable, long lasting forms for your clay art.
But just because tins are simple doesn’t mean they should be treated simply. Boxes as a form for polymer are nothing but a six sided canvas. You can just cover it with cane slices or sheets of treated clay, but why stop there? I’m not saying you need to go wild–although you certainly can if you are so inspired–but just push it a little. Layer on elements, break elements over the edge, use texture, form, pattern, repetition, focal points, movement, and color schemes just as you would with a pendant or bracelet. The form you apply your clay to does not change the standards of good design you should be considering, although it might force you to think of the piece in three dimensions the way a pendant, usually approached in a more two-dimensional manner, does not.
Here are a few examples of tins that don’t go overboard but have plenty of color and texture contrast, tension at the edges where the elements break off incomplete, and active repetition to hold your attention and admiration. Don’t they?
This is actually only a small sampling of what Mary Anne Loveless does with tins. She’s quite the tin box artist actually. Go take a look at her Flickr site for more tin box inspiration, among other things!
Read More
We’ve seen quite a number of boxes and containers on this blog. I have a bit of a thing for boxes. They are such mysterious things. In a closed box, there could be any number of surprises–things left behind, trinkets misplaced, treasures hidden, memories buried just waiting to be rediscovered and, of course, emptiness with a wide open invitation to be filled. What is there not to like about a box?
So this week, I thought I’d dig up some boxes that approach the idea of how to construct or cover an existing box-like object in a slightly different way than we might commonly see–approaches and forms that will get you thinking. You know how I so like to get your noodles moving. (Now, I just need something to get mine to stop!)
So how does one go about pushing the idea of how to construct or decorate a box or container? Well, you can try what Lisa Pavelka tried last year and make one container a day. In her case, it was Carmex lip balm containers. Yes, she did actually accomplish this, even with her very busy schedule. And yes, I think she was nuts and I even said as much to her. I seem to recall she agreed. But it certainly will press you to get really creative if you are making a different container every day. At some point, you must lose any kind of careful editing of yourself and just let go. And that can be a good thing.
I don’t think these top views really do justice the level of sheer creativity she applied to this project. Take a moment (it’s only Monday … I’m sure you have a few minutes to spare, right?) to go through her blog pages, where she posted top and side views of them, alongside a few sentences on what she did with each. It’s really a pretty fascinating project, and the many applications are quite inspiring!
Of course, she used many of her own products in making these. Her line is pretty extensive and there is much more than what you might have seen at your local craft store, so take a look at her store for things you might not be aware of yet. And of course, on this Monday we have plenty of time for some important window shopping, right?
And don’t forget … tomorrow (Tuesday, October 22nd) is the last day of our BIG print back issue sale, so get your extra print copies while the price is still really low! http://www.thepolymerarts.com/Single_issues.html
Tendrils and squiggles on the surface of a piece are wonderful elements that add direction and energy, but it just seems to take it up a notch when the piece is actually made from such lines alone.
Emily Squires Levine creates most of her vessels with this open type of form, pinning together canes and lines of clay to create vases, bowls, and other decorative containers. This wonderful vase is aptly called “Tendril Vase.”
The tendrils look to be from a caned sheet, made from layers of clay folded over onto one another, rather than a roll or bar cane. These long sliced lines create the very structure of this sinuous vase. Does her approach get you thinking about open forms, or just what wide range of shapes a cane can actually take?
For more examples of this kind of structure with many different caned shapes, take a look at her website and blog.
Read MoreThis was actually the first piece I found that made me go “Oh wow! I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like this in polymer!” Well, it’s not all polymer, but I still thought it was a wonderful piece by a primarily polymer artist with a composition worth talking about. This container was created by the ingenious Fabiola Perez Ajates, simply known to most people as Fabi.
The body of this piece is actually paper-paper streamers, to be exact. Many streamers, rolled up tightly into a disc, then pressed from the center to expand into tapered shapes like this one here. What I enjoy so much about this piece is that it is a container, but on top these random red balls are emerging and escaping down the side of a vessel made for holding things. It’s a nice ironic juxtaposition between the function of the objects and the imagery. The top of the paper lid, indented and tilted as well as being inherently striped, also makes it feel like the balls were spinning in the concavity before being spilled out, so there is quite the sense of moment with these very simple additions to the paper shape.
Fabi is another explorer-type artist. She has quite the collection and variety of work on her blog and Flicker pages.
