A Stunning Face
October 3, 2013
Inspirational Art
Just look at this face. I feel like there’s nothing much more that I can say about this sculpture. It is all hand sculpted polymer. It’s actually that tiny. It’s incredible, isn’t it?
The artist of this beautiful face is Poland’s Tatiana Nagrebecka. Her dolls are created without molds, completely by hand in polymer clay, using Genesis paints for the lifelike skin tones and details. If you are entranced by this face, take some time to look over the many photos she’s taken of her works in progress and finished creations on her blog.
Yay for Trees!
October 1, 2013
Inspirational Art
This work is simply the kind of thing that personally draws me in. Trees and vines and tendril-y things are my weakness, and Kael Mjoy does love her trees. It’s obvious that she has a lot of fun with these “fairy trees” of hers.
The tree wall art idea came from an illustration of a spooky set of trees that Kael rendered in polymer. She enjoyed it so much, she started making her own versions of tree-inspired wall art. She has this great snowy tree and fire tree on her blog that are simpler than the one here, but are really cool images nonetheless. Just being a tree geek for the moment. Don’t mind me.
Into the Woods in Germany
September 11, 2013
Inspirational Art
Much of the lore surrounding the mythical beings of the forest that we are familiar with today, such as faeries and elves, comes to us from Western Europe. The German lore is particularly colorful, influencing many accomplished artists and writers in Europe through the ages and certainly today. You may not presently believe in faeries and elves; but perhaps after peeking in on the work of Germany’s Tatjana Raum, you will wonder if she didn’t find inspiration and models for her pieces in some secret part of a deep Germanic forest. The amazing detail and wonderful expressions on these two creatures made me halt when I saw it. These are so realistic-looking for beings that are not supposed to exist.
Expressive faces are Tatjana’s specialty. Besides her figures and art dolls, she has these amazing pieces where she blends a face into a piece of old wood, as if she magically coaxed the spirit of the wood to emerge and reveal itself. Although this piece is less about the expression than the connection the artist is making between the wood and the personification of its spirit, it’s still quite emotive and definitely inspires wonder.
Take yourself off into another realm with a little visit to Tatjana’s gallery pages.
Stealing Texture
June 12, 2013
Inspirational Art
Sculpture works with all kinds of subtle and not so subtle textures, often both visual and tactile. Fantasy sculpture in particular offers some wonderfully inventive textures that can be pulled or used for inspiration for all kinds of other polymer work, not just sculpture.
There is no authority to say what skin, scales, wings, or anything else on a fantasy figure should look like, so the suppositions of the artist creating them can result in all kinds of fantastical colors, textures, and patterning you might not have seen before or might not expect. I love the effect Celia Harris created on the tail of her young fairy mermaid here, and the wings are quite lovely as well. But such effects don’t need to be relegated to wings and the slick skin of aquatic creatures.
Can you imagine some light earrings with the sheen and maybe even the punched out holes and ragged edges of the wings? The visual texture of the tail would be charming on a pod shaped pendant, or as a contrasting layer of texture on a vase covered in pearl clay.
For tactile texture, I don’t know if there is anyone that works in fantasy sculpture that can quite compare to Virginie Ropars. I really enjoy how well the texture shows without heavy competition with color. The honeycomb of perforations and the flow of sculpted lines on the chest and in the hairline are lovely and translatable to almost any other form, if you find yourself drawn to that kind of texture.
Bottom line: look at the components of sculpture — or any artwork — for inspiration, rather than the whole of a piece, and let your creativity translate it into whatever forms you prefer to work in.
Just look at this face. I feel like there’s nothing much more that I can say about this sculpture. It is all hand sculpted polymer. It’s actually that tiny. It’s incredible, isn’t it?
The artist of this beautiful face is Poland’s Tatiana Nagrebecka. Her dolls are created without molds, completely by hand in polymer clay, using Genesis paints for the lifelike skin tones and details. If you are entranced by this face, take some time to look over the many photos she’s taken of her works in progress and finished creations on her blog.
Read More
This work is simply the kind of thing that personally draws me in. Trees and vines and tendril-y things are my weakness, and Kael Mjoy does love her trees. It’s obvious that she has a lot of fun with these “fairy trees” of hers.
The tree wall art idea came from an illustration of a spooky set of trees that Kael rendered in polymer. She enjoyed it so much, she started making her own versions of tree-inspired wall art. She has this great snowy tree and fire tree on her blog that are simpler than the one here, but are really cool images nonetheless. Just being a tree geek for the moment. Don’t mind me.
Read MoreMuch of the lore surrounding the mythical beings of the forest that we are familiar with today, such as faeries and elves, comes to us from Western Europe. The German lore is particularly colorful, influencing many accomplished artists and writers in Europe through the ages and certainly today. You may not presently believe in faeries and elves; but perhaps after peeking in on the work of Germany’s Tatjana Raum, you will wonder if she didn’t find inspiration and models for her pieces in some secret part of a deep Germanic forest. The amazing detail and wonderful expressions on these two creatures made me halt when I saw it. These are so realistic-looking for beings that are not supposed to exist.
Expressive faces are Tatjana’s specialty. Besides her figures and art dolls, she has these amazing pieces where she blends a face into a piece of old wood, as if she magically coaxed the spirit of the wood to emerge and reveal itself. Although this piece is less about the expression than the connection the artist is making between the wood and the personification of its spirit, it’s still quite emotive and definitely inspires wonder.
Take yourself off into another realm with a little visit to Tatjana’s gallery pages.
Sculpture works with all kinds of subtle and not so subtle textures, often both visual and tactile. Fantasy sculpture in particular offers some wonderfully inventive textures that can be pulled or used for inspiration for all kinds of other polymer work, not just sculpture.
There is no authority to say what skin, scales, wings, or anything else on a fantasy figure should look like, so the suppositions of the artist creating them can result in all kinds of fantastical colors, textures, and patterning you might not have seen before or might not expect. I love the effect Celia Harris created on the tail of her young fairy mermaid here, and the wings are quite lovely as well. But such effects don’t need to be relegated to wings and the slick skin of aquatic creatures.
Can you imagine some light earrings with the sheen and maybe even the punched out holes and ragged edges of the wings? The visual texture of the tail would be charming on a pod shaped pendant, or as a contrasting layer of texture on a vase covered in pearl clay.
For tactile texture, I don’t know if there is anyone that works in fantasy sculpture that can quite compare to Virginie Ropars. I really enjoy how well the texture shows without heavy competition with color. The honeycomb of perforations and the flow of sculpted lines on the chest and in the hairline are lovely and translatable to almost any other form, if you find yourself drawn to that kind of texture.
Bottom line: look at the components of sculpture — or any artwork — for inspiration, rather than the whole of a piece, and let your creativity translate it into whatever forms you prefer to work in.
Read More