Outside Inspiration: Rippling Glitz
September 26, 2014
Inspirational Art
What else would we do for an outside inspiration that started out looking at shibori, than shibori itself? The artist behind these earrings and ring, Serena Di Mercione, has a number of pieces we actually found on a few polymer clay focused Pinterest boards even though this is silk with beads and pearls and metal findings. I’m not really surprised. It would not be hard to imagine these as polymer instead of silk ribbons. But how would you do that?
I was thinking maybe thinly folded pearl clay colored with diluted alcohol inks applied to just the edges of the folds with a cosmetic sponge. Or Skinner blends applied in thin strips to a pearl clay back and then rolled thin so you can fold it, letting the folds land on the strips of colored blended clay. I’m not really sure how with would work, but I’d be willing to give it a try . I just might do that this weekend as I pull out my clay and tools to show the wonders of this medium to a few curious young minds. We must instill a love of polymer into the next generation, right?
To really brighten your Friday, take a stroll through more of Serena’s delicious shibori and soutache jewelry creations on her Facebook page. You will either get your creative juices flowing or start craving rainbow sherbet!
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.
Fiber Arts Inspiration–Rough Soutache
April 14, 2014
Inspirational Art
I have meet a lot of polymer artists who had, and usually still have, a love affair with fiber and fabrics. I think it must be the similar breadth of possibility in color and textures found in fiber arts that attract polymer artists to it as well. So, it’s no surprise that many polymer artists look to fiber arts as inspiration for their work. There seems to be quite a bit showing up online lately so this week we’ll focus on fiber and fabric based inspirations.
Driven by what she learned in a tutorial by Alenyà Vitûgovoj, Tanya Mayorova used her ragged edge technique to add more texture to a faux soutache process. At first glance, I was certain this piece was actually fiber art as the ragged edge gives the soutache the look of handspun thread. The choice to use a textured edge instead of the extruded polymer snakes in the tutorial was genius. The effect of the ragged edge along with the deep forest palette and the light sheen of Czech glass pearls makes for an enchanting pendant.
Tanya is quite the texture maven, inspired by a wide variety of other craft arts and their textural approach. Browse through her Live Journal pages and her Live Master shop which is just brimming with her lovely polymer creations.
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.
What else would we do for an outside inspiration that started out looking at shibori, than shibori itself? The artist behind these earrings and ring, Serena Di Mercione, has a number of pieces we actually found on a few polymer clay focused Pinterest boards even though this is silk with beads and pearls and metal findings. I’m not really surprised. It would not be hard to imagine these as polymer instead of silk ribbons. But how would you do that?
I was thinking maybe thinly folded pearl clay colored with diluted alcohol inks applied to just the edges of the folds with a cosmetic sponge. Or Skinner blends applied in thin strips to a pearl clay back and then rolled thin so you can fold it, letting the folds land on the strips of colored blended clay. I’m not really sure how with would work, but I’d be willing to give it a try . I just might do that this weekend as I pull out my clay and tools to show the wonders of this medium to a few curious young minds. We must instill a love of polymer into the next generation, right?
To really brighten your Friday, take a stroll through more of Serena’s delicious shibori and soutache jewelry creations on her Facebook page. You will either get your creative juices flowing or start craving rainbow sherbet!
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.
I have meet a lot of polymer artists who had, and usually still have, a love affair with fiber and fabrics. I think it must be the similar breadth of possibility in color and textures found in fiber arts that attract polymer artists to it as well. So, it’s no surprise that many polymer artists look to fiber arts as inspiration for their work. There seems to be quite a bit showing up online lately so this week we’ll focus on fiber and fabric based inspirations.
Driven by what she learned in a tutorial by Alenyà Vitûgovoj, Tanya Mayorova used her ragged edge technique to add more texture to a faux soutache process. At first glance, I was certain this piece was actually fiber art as the ragged edge gives the soutache the look of handspun thread. The choice to use a textured edge instead of the extruded polymer snakes in the tutorial was genius. The effect of the ragged edge along with the deep forest palette and the light sheen of Czech glass pearls makes for an enchanting pendant.
Tanya is quite the texture maven, inspired by a wide variety of other craft arts and their textural approach. Browse through her Live Journal pages and her Live Master shop which is just brimming with her lovely polymer creations.
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.
