Scars

December 1, 2013

I thought it would be hard to come up with a quote related to carving and cutting for this Sunday’s thought, but then I opened my folder of quotes and this one was sitting there in the first row. It has more personal relevance than artistic application, but I think we can all relate to this thought on some level.

528192_4894647356437_1610581883_n

I have a lot of scars. Some were imparted during some very hard times, others are actually reminders of blissful moments. I have always had a kind of affinity for scars. They all have stories. Scars, like discarded art projects, are simple evidence of the journey you’ve been on. They are nothing to be ashamed of and are quite often something to be proud of, especially if you are still getting out there and taking chances .

For Your Wish List

If you’ve ever done any scrapbooking, you may be familiar with the Cricut machine, which cuts out complex shapes loaded into the machine’s little onboard computer. It really saves on the aching hands that comes with trying to make small, intricate cuts in paper. Did you know, though, that you can use it to cut polymer too?  Jenny Barnett Rohrs explored this idea on Craft Test Dummies a couple years ago. I’ve been wanting a machine ever since.

FSGZHN2GROOOOM7.LARGE

Although this post  made the rounds back when it was posted, I thought it was worth revisiting. Not only can you cut polymer shapes, you can also cut on a variety of other materials to create templates, stencils, and shapes for impressing in your clay. So if the family is complaining that you’re impossible to shop for because you have everything, maybe you can get this on that list. Unless, of course, you do have everything, including this!

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription to The Polymer Arts magazine, or buy the latest issue. We also encourage you to support our wonderful advertising partners!

Cover 13-P4 web

Just released! The Winter 2013 issue …

120113 snowflake display ad

Polymer Clay Workshop Tutorials

WhimsicalBead051512

The Whimsical Bead–polymer art supplies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside Inspiration: Glass Reveals

November 29, 2013

I know very little about making glass beads, so I can’t even begin to guess how Harold Williams Cooney made this amazing piece.

2e807cbb4ecb27abd81607449e391b1d

So … do you cut into glass to get this? Grind it down? Carve it out while hot some how? Yep, I’m clueless on the technique. The only thing I do know is that this kind of thing could be done beautifully with polymer clay by cutting, carving, or grinding. It reminds me somewhat of Jana Roberts Benzon’s lazer cut technique, just with more form and less cut away. Also, consider Vera’s beads from yesterday’s post. If they were covered by a solid sheet of clay and the cuts were farther apart to allow more surface, the cut-out areas would look something like what we see in these glass beads. But it’s definitely something to think about–especially for all you extrusion-mad clayers.

Harold is a particularly prolific artist with a lofty goal. It’s hard to explain his single-source American Trade Bead collection, but basically he is collecting his own work in order to create the largest collection made by a single bead artist. If you’re interested in his concept, you can read more about it on his blog. But if you are more interested in wonderful glass beauties, go look at his Etsy shop. There are more than just this bead to inspire a polymer artist there!

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.

Cover 13-P4 web

Just Released! The Winter 2013 issue …

120113 snowflake display ad

Polymer Clay Workshop Tutorials

WhimsicalBead051512

The Whimsical Bead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snip, Snip

November 28, 2013

There is more than one way to cut into polymer! Yesterday we looked at cutting in to reveal many layers in extruded beads, but here we have a simple yet brilliant technique that requires cutting in with scissors, but not actually cutting away and removing clay as the other examples this week have shown. Here is the snipping portion of this technique by Kazakhstan’s Budanceva Marina (also known as Aquamalinka).

120506194723

And here is an example of one of her finished pieces using the elements it creates. Wonderfully realistic clover flowers, aren’t they?

120506194726

 

Although this technique  is specific to creating these flowers, there is no reason why taking scissors to polymer in this manner must stop here. It’s a great texture that can be added as half dome accents, and if you snipped a little longer across the surface you could have small lengths of clay curling back on itself. I wish I had time to do some exploration and show you some possible ideas, but this week, I leave that to those of you who are inspired by this idea.

Go explore more of Budanceva’s predominantly floral work on her Livemaster shop page.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers. I personally am very thankful for having such kind and enthusiastic readers who have allowed me to make publishing and polymer a focus in my life. Now, off to enjoy family while trying not to do myself in with too much turkey and pie.

Cutting In

November 27, 2013

Cutting and slicing is part of many different polymer techiques, most commonly to reveal the colors and patterns hidden beneath the layers. Germany’s Vera Kleist accomplishes this reveal with her extruded beads, but the cutting in also creates a tactile texture.

il_570xN.485265192_gix3

Its amazing what a little slicing can do, don’t you think? Are there pieces you usually leave smooth that might benefit from a little cutting in?

Speaking of cutting … there is cooking to be done for the holiday! If you’ve already done your cooking or have been spared the chore through not being in the US or having someone else to supply your bounty tomorrow, look through Vera’s Etsy shop and Flickr pages for more cutting and textural ideas.

Carve and Reveal

November 26, 2013

As I mentioned yesterday, we’ll look at ways to cut and carve polymer both in a raw and cured state this week. Today we’ll actually look at both from a single artist.

Rebecca Geoffery works in metal, enamel, and semi-precious stones as well polymer, usually mixing them. The possibility of  carved polymer has a lot to do with what it will reveal beneath the surface. I thought that was the case with these pendants, until I read that the contrast is not revealed clay but paint. The paint makes it look like the carved portions were just scooped out, but it seems that they were actually solid black clay that was carved to provide a space for the paint.

RGeoffery Cut Pendants

But what of cutting away clay to reveal a layer below? Rebecca does this as well. With these pieces, shapes are cut out of raw clay and then laid over another layer so the contrasting color peeks out from beneath it. I love that she adds additional hand-tooled accents in the layer below as well as on the top layer.

3833066603_c902a1e744_o

 

What I think we can really take away from these examples is the variety of shapes the carved and cut clay can take on. The spaces revealed can also be just patterned or can be stylized or graphic or rough. Cutting and carving can help fulfill any mood, message or aesthetic, and adds instant complexity even when it’s not so complex.

Although this kind of work is not a major part of Rebecca’s posted collections, these pieces are making the rounds. Soon after I found and decided to write on these pieces, I found the same two photos in Cynthia Tinapple’s book Polymer Clay Global Perspectives. They are eye-catching. Most of her work is. You can see more of her polymer as well as her other work on her Flickr photostream and on her website.

Cut and Carved Polymer

November 25, 2013

Maybe it’s the turkey and ham cutting and carving that will be happening all over the US later this week as we celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday (which seems to be more about eating than anything); but in any case, I thought we’d explore some of the ways polymer is cut and carved this week.

I wanted to start with a page link from Celie Fago, who works with a variety of materials; and even when she works with polymer, she manipulates it in a variety of ways. I don’t think she believes in limitations.

So here is one of her stunning bracelets with carved polymer on the bracelet’s base and on the rings that intermix with metal elements. Lovely texture, don’t you think?

290bbd3c36f716307f65479234e2691f

This work is carved after the polymer is cured which gives the carved marks a crisp, clean edge. Celie generously outlines the process and tools used to achieve similar effects in a very detailed blog post here.

We’ll look at cutting and carving both in raw and cured forms this week, but perhaps this little bit will whet your curiosity. It’s something to ponder while cooking up delicious food for Thursday or traveling to see family this week in the US.

In the meantime, take a look at Celie’s many wonderful creations on her website.

 

 

Scars

December 1, 2013
Posted in

I thought it would be hard to come up with a quote related to carving and cutting for this Sunday’s thought, but then I opened my folder of quotes and this one was sitting there in the first row. It has more personal relevance than artistic application, but I think we can all relate to this thought on some level.

528192_4894647356437_1610581883_n

I have a lot of scars. Some were imparted during some very hard times, others are actually reminders of blissful moments. I have always had a kind of affinity for scars. They all have stories. Scars, like discarded art projects, are simple evidence of the journey you’ve been on. They are nothing to be ashamed of and are quite often something to be proud of, especially if you are still getting out there and taking chances .

Read More

For Your Wish List

November 30, 2013
Posted in ,

If you’ve ever done any scrapbooking, you may be familiar with the Cricut machine, which cuts out complex shapes loaded into the machine’s little onboard computer. It really saves on the aching hands that comes with trying to make small, intricate cuts in paper. Did you know, though, that you can use it to cut polymer too?  Jenny Barnett Rohrs explored this idea on Craft Test Dummies a couple years ago. I’ve been wanting a machine ever since.

FSGZHN2GROOOOM7.LARGE

Although this post  made the rounds back when it was posted, I thought it was worth revisiting. Not only can you cut polymer shapes, you can also cut on a variety of other materials to create templates, stencils, and shapes for impressing in your clay. So if the family is complaining that you’re impossible to shop for because you have everything, maybe you can get this on that list. Unless, of course, you do have everything, including this!

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription to The Polymer Arts magazine, or buy the latest issue. We also encourage you to support our wonderful advertising partners!

Cover 13-P4 web

Just released! The Winter 2013 issue …

120113 snowflake display ad

Polymer Clay Workshop Tutorials

WhimsicalBead051512

The Whimsical Bead–polymer art supplies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read More

Outside Inspiration: Glass Reveals

November 29, 2013
Posted in

I know very little about making glass beads, so I can’t even begin to guess how Harold Williams Cooney made this amazing piece.

2e807cbb4ecb27abd81607449e391b1d

So … do you cut into glass to get this? Grind it down? Carve it out while hot some how? Yep, I’m clueless on the technique. The only thing I do know is that this kind of thing could be done beautifully with polymer clay by cutting, carving, or grinding. It reminds me somewhat of Jana Roberts Benzon’s lazer cut technique, just with more form and less cut away. Also, consider Vera’s beads from yesterday’s post. If they were covered by a solid sheet of clay and the cuts were farther apart to allow more surface, the cut-out areas would look something like what we see in these glass beads. But it’s definitely something to think about–especially for all you extrusion-mad clayers.

Harold is a particularly prolific artist with a lofty goal. It’s hard to explain his single-source American Trade Bead collection, but basically he is collecting his own work in order to create the largest collection made by a single bead artist. If you’re interested in his concept, you can read more about it on his blog. But if you are more interested in wonderful glass beauties, go look at his Etsy shop. There are more than just this bead to inspire a polymer artist there!

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.

Cover 13-P4 web

Just Released! The Winter 2013 issue …

120113 snowflake display ad

Polymer Clay Workshop Tutorials

WhimsicalBead051512

The Whimsical Bead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read More

Snip, Snip

November 28, 2013
Posted in

There is more than one way to cut into polymer! Yesterday we looked at cutting in to reveal many layers in extruded beads, but here we have a simple yet brilliant technique that requires cutting in with scissors, but not actually cutting away and removing clay as the other examples this week have shown. Here is the snipping portion of this technique by Kazakhstan’s Budanceva Marina (also known as Aquamalinka).

120506194723

And here is an example of one of her finished pieces using the elements it creates. Wonderfully realistic clover flowers, aren’t they?

120506194726

 

Although this technique  is specific to creating these flowers, there is no reason why taking scissors to polymer in this manner must stop here. It’s a great texture that can be added as half dome accents, and if you snipped a little longer across the surface you could have small lengths of clay curling back on itself. I wish I had time to do some exploration and show you some possible ideas, but this week, I leave that to those of you who are inspired by this idea.

Go explore more of Budanceva’s predominantly floral work on her Livemaster shop page.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers. I personally am very thankful for having such kind and enthusiastic readers who have allowed me to make publishing and polymer a focus in my life. Now, off to enjoy family while trying not to do myself in with too much turkey and pie.

Read More

Cutting In

November 27, 2013
Posted in

Cutting and slicing is part of many different polymer techiques, most commonly to reveal the colors and patterns hidden beneath the layers. Germany’s Vera Kleist accomplishes this reveal with her extruded beads, but the cutting in also creates a tactile texture.

il_570xN.485265192_gix3

Its amazing what a little slicing can do, don’t you think? Are there pieces you usually leave smooth that might benefit from a little cutting in?

Speaking of cutting … there is cooking to be done for the holiday! If you’ve already done your cooking or have been spared the chore through not being in the US or having someone else to supply your bounty tomorrow, look through Vera’s Etsy shop and Flickr pages for more cutting and textural ideas.

Read More

Carve and Reveal

November 26, 2013
Posted in

As I mentioned yesterday, we’ll look at ways to cut and carve polymer both in a raw and cured state this week. Today we’ll actually look at both from a single artist.

Rebecca Geoffery works in metal, enamel, and semi-precious stones as well polymer, usually mixing them. The possibility of  carved polymer has a lot to do with what it will reveal beneath the surface. I thought that was the case with these pendants, until I read that the contrast is not revealed clay but paint. The paint makes it look like the carved portions were just scooped out, but it seems that they were actually solid black clay that was carved to provide a space for the paint.

RGeoffery Cut Pendants

But what of cutting away clay to reveal a layer below? Rebecca does this as well. With these pieces, shapes are cut out of raw clay and then laid over another layer so the contrasting color peeks out from beneath it. I love that she adds additional hand-tooled accents in the layer below as well as on the top layer.

3833066603_c902a1e744_o

 

What I think we can really take away from these examples is the variety of shapes the carved and cut clay can take on. The spaces revealed can also be just patterned or can be stylized or graphic or rough. Cutting and carving can help fulfill any mood, message or aesthetic, and adds instant complexity even when it’s not so complex.

Although this kind of work is not a major part of Rebecca’s posted collections, these pieces are making the rounds. Soon after I found and decided to write on these pieces, I found the same two photos in Cynthia Tinapple’s book Polymer Clay Global Perspectives. They are eye-catching. Most of her work is. You can see more of her polymer as well as her other work on her Flickr photostream and on her website.

Read More

Cut and Carved Polymer

November 25, 2013
Posted in

Maybe it’s the turkey and ham cutting and carving that will be happening all over the US later this week as we celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday (which seems to be more about eating than anything); but in any case, I thought we’d explore some of the ways polymer is cut and carved this week.

I wanted to start with a page link from Celie Fago, who works with a variety of materials; and even when she works with polymer, she manipulates it in a variety of ways. I don’t think she believes in limitations.

So here is one of her stunning bracelets with carved polymer on the bracelet’s base and on the rings that intermix with metal elements. Lovely texture, don’t you think?

290bbd3c36f716307f65479234e2691f

This work is carved after the polymer is cured which gives the carved marks a crisp, clean edge. Celie generously outlines the process and tools used to achieve similar effects in a very detailed blog post here.

We’ll look at cutting and carving both in raw and cured forms this week, but perhaps this little bit will whet your curiosity. It’s something to ponder while cooking up delicious food for Thursday or traveling to see family this week in the US.

In the meantime, take a look at Celie’s many wonderful creations on her website.

 

 

Read More
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