Trapping Roses

November 12, 2014

wiwat hidden roses earringsIt would be particularly difficult to pass up a week dealing with the hidden and barely glimpsed without bringing up a huge influence of mine in that area, Wiwat Kamolpornwijit. Hiding little handcrafted roses and gems beneath strips or folds of clay or held by a lattice work of polymer to faux metal or black bases was the stamp of his work for a long time. It’s still his mainstay, although, he branched out into abstract forms and much more color in recent years. However, his little roses still grab me every time.

There is something in particular about a flower being trapped or hidden away that goes against our standard for flower presentation. They are usually centerpieces, standing proudly in vases or flowing from bowls or planters. They are left to present their color and grace to the open air, to enliven a room or an outdoor space. To take them and hide them or restrict them seems to be a very intentional comment, something along the lines of controlling or holding back beauty. I find it intriguing, both visually and conceptually, and I think most people, when first encountering Wiwat’s work, are also intrigued by this unusual presentation of the revered rose.

Do take a little time to peruse his website, especially if this is your first exposure to his work. He is active at shows but less so online, so his newer pieces like these earrings can be found on Pinterest boards and by searching Google images. He has a featured gallery spread in the Summer 2012 issue of The Polymer Arts as well if you would like to get a closer look and read more about this unique artist.

 

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.

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Refined Depths

November 6, 2014

6899439868_7ab272ca75_oIt would be hard to do a week on the illusion of depth without taking a look at one of our foremost masters in the category of mica shift. Dan Cormier and his uncompromising approach has given us some of the most beautiful examples of illusionary depth in polymer.

And here’s a treat, even for those of you quite familiar with his work. This black necklace hasn’t really made the rounds primarily because it was not in Dan’s possession very long, being sold off to a worthy student and artist shortly after its creation. The other half of this treat is that I got Dan’s thoughts on this piece and a little of its story in a recent email to add depth to our admiration of the work:

When working in a medium of infinite colour like polymer clay, sometimes it’s fun to turn the volume down a few notches. This monotone necklace is another example of my “Texture Without Texture” techniques. Like my Discovery Necklace, the impressions were made with custom-made polymer clay punches, bent wire, ball stylus tools, and also bits of patterned sheet metal. With the exception of actual holes in some of the bead veneers, the surfaces of these beads are all smooth.

The woman who owns this necklace is a very cool brain surgeon and potter from Victoria, BC . We met her when she signed up for one of our week-long retreats on Gabriola Island, BC … she confessed on Day 1 that, while she was comfortable as a crafts person in clay, she’d never even opened a package of polymer. Nevertheless, knowing her ‘day job,’ I was confident that my medium was in capable hands.

Dan and his partner Tracy also continue to innovate and develop new tools and techniques. They recently vastly expanded their die sets collection with a beautiful line of elongated shapes that came out this summer, and a new set based on the beauty of the insect world is about ready for shipping. Check out their new offerings and their classics on The Cutting Edge website

 

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.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm      TPA Blog Newsletter Ad  ShadesofClay 1014 v2  

Trapping Roses

November 12, 2014
Posted in

wiwat hidden roses earringsIt would be particularly difficult to pass up a week dealing with the hidden and barely glimpsed without bringing up a huge influence of mine in that area, Wiwat Kamolpornwijit. Hiding little handcrafted roses and gems beneath strips or folds of clay or held by a lattice work of polymer to faux metal or black bases was the stamp of his work for a long time. It’s still his mainstay, although, he branched out into abstract forms and much more color in recent years. However, his little roses still grab me every time.

There is something in particular about a flower being trapped or hidden away that goes against our standard for flower presentation. They are usually centerpieces, standing proudly in vases or flowing from bowls or planters. They are left to present their color and grace to the open air, to enliven a room or an outdoor space. To take them and hide them or restrict them seems to be a very intentional comment, something along the lines of controlling or holding back beauty. I find it intriguing, both visually and conceptually, and I think most people, when first encountering Wiwat’s work, are also intrigued by this unusual presentation of the revered rose.

Do take a little time to peruse his website, especially if this is your first exposure to his work. He is active at shows but less so online, so his newer pieces like these earrings can be found on Pinterest boards and by searching Google images. He has a featured gallery spread in the Summer 2012 issue of The Polymer Arts as well if you would like to get a closer look and read more about this unique artist.

 

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.

businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front      TPA Blog Newsletter Ad  ShadesofClay 1014 v2  

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Refined Depths

November 6, 2014
Posted in

6899439868_7ab272ca75_oIt would be hard to do a week on the illusion of depth without taking a look at one of our foremost masters in the category of mica shift. Dan Cormier and his uncompromising approach has given us some of the most beautiful examples of illusionary depth in polymer.

And here’s a treat, even for those of you quite familiar with his work. This black necklace hasn’t really made the rounds primarily because it was not in Dan’s possession very long, being sold off to a worthy student and artist shortly after its creation. The other half of this treat is that I got Dan’s thoughts on this piece and a little of its story in a recent email to add depth to our admiration of the work:

When working in a medium of infinite colour like polymer clay, sometimes it’s fun to turn the volume down a few notches. This monotone necklace is another example of my “Texture Without Texture” techniques. Like my Discovery Necklace, the impressions were made with custom-made polymer clay punches, bent wire, ball stylus tools, and also bits of patterned sheet metal. With the exception of actual holes in some of the bead veneers, the surfaces of these beads are all smooth.

The woman who owns this necklace is a very cool brain surgeon and potter from Victoria, BC . We met her when she signed up for one of our week-long retreats on Gabriola Island, BC … she confessed on Day 1 that, while she was comfortable as a crafts person in clay, she’d never even opened a package of polymer. Nevertheless, knowing her ‘day job,’ I was confident that my medium was in capable hands.

Dan and his partner Tracy also continue to innovate and develop new tools and techniques. They recently vastly expanded their die sets collection with a beautiful line of elongated shapes that came out this summer, and a new set based on the beauty of the insect world is about ready for shipping. Check out their new offerings and their classics on The Cutting Edge website

 

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.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm      TPA Blog Newsletter Ad  ShadesofClay 1014 v2  

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