Spring is Almost Here …
February 1, 2016
Inspirational Art
… not that you can tell by the weather! But we are doing our best to get you a bit of Spring by the end of February. Here is your first peek at the next issue of The Polymer Arts, Spring 2016 – Convergence. The issue is set to come out around March 1st.
Gracing our cover is the fabulous Fabiola Periz Ajates, otherwise known as Fabi. And what a fitting name. These brooches give you an idea of some of the articles and eye candy you’ll see in this mixed media, yet polymer-centric, issue. We’ve been trying for a while to do mixed media again, but we had to wait until we had the best ideas and great artists to share them and we really think we do.
Articles you can look forward to include:
- Focal Convergence: Composing with Focal Points
- Converging Clays: Create Metal Clay & Polymer
- Found Fusion: Working with Found Objects
- Fold, Cut, Shred, and Clay: Exploring Paper & Polymer
- All Knotted Up: Polymer & Micro Macrame Designs
- When is a Technique Ready to Share?
- The Best Camera for You and Your Art
- The Perfect Cure: The Final Word on Time & Temperature
- Training Your Artistic Eye
- Convergence at Ravensdale, 20 Years Later
- … and so much more!
I am off today for a family gathering so we are going to get a breather from the challenges today, but I will be back with one on Wed!
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
A Patterned Rainbow
April 15, 2015
Inspirational Art
Consistent forms or motifs in a pattern can get a bit stale, but they can also be raised to sublime heights with the judicious use of color. In this case here, Angela Garrod uses a gradient wash of color across a series of alternating lines consisting of triangles, more like arrows, to bring in variation and change the atmosphere of the piece.
The arrows create energy that pushes the eye back and forth across the width of this ‘neckring’ as she calls these forms, but the soft colors bring in a calming element. The gradient of color in the rest of the circle is deep and rich, and it borders on almost being too much of a contrast to the soft color of the center texture. But that tension may be just what Angela is after, and only the viewer or–maybe more importantly–a buyer can say whether it really works or not.
Angela has been playing quite a bit with patterns of late, as well as this interesting form of neck adornment. To see just what she has been up to, flip through her shared photos on Flickr and the gallery on her website.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
Outside Inspiration: Tension in Jet
January 4, 2013
Inspirational Art
In our present issue of The Polymer Arts, there is an article about focal points–that place in a piece of art that the viewer’s eye immediately finds or continuously returns to. There are many ways to establish a focal point and our article discusses the more common ones. Jacqueline Cullen‘s bracelet, shown here, is an example of yet another type of focal point, one that is undeniable. In fact, you almost can’t pull your gaze from the central focus of the piece.
This strong focal point is created by tension. We have granulation in gold which, in contrast with the black, already would draw the eye. But, by bringing the two textured ends together, just barely touching, Jacqueline has also created tension. We want to see more certainty in the connection, more undeniable strength especially with such a strong solid band created in the rest of the pieces structure. But no … we’re denied that and so we see that barely-there point as tense. We as humans are drawn to tension, whether we like it or not. (If the popularity of reality TV with all it’s confrontations and drama is any indicator, many, many people really like tension!) That’s why this focal point is so strong. If you are after a really strong, impactful focal point on a piece, this approach will almost certainly do it for you.
A note on this interesting black material. It is called Whitby jet and is basically a prehistoric black fossil that is usually associated with Victorian mourning jewelry, a trend started by Queen Victoria who wore it when she went into mourning for Prince Albert. It is not mined much today making it a rare material. Jacqueline is the only contemporary artist working with this material in a non-traditional manner. Pretty cool.
… not that you can tell by the weather! But we are doing our best to get you a bit of Spring by the end of February. Here is your first peek at the next issue of The Polymer Arts, Spring 2016 – Convergence. The issue is set to come out around March 1st.
Gracing our cover is the fabulous Fabiola Periz Ajates, otherwise known as Fabi. And what a fitting name. These brooches give you an idea of some of the articles and eye candy you’ll see in this mixed media, yet polymer-centric, issue. We’ve been trying for a while to do mixed media again, but we had to wait until we had the best ideas and great artists to share them and we really think we do.
Articles you can look forward to include:
- Focal Convergence: Composing with Focal Points
- Converging Clays: Create Metal Clay & Polymer
- Found Fusion: Working with Found Objects
- Fold, Cut, Shred, and Clay: Exploring Paper & Polymer
- All Knotted Up: Polymer & Micro Macrame Designs
- When is a Technique Ready to Share?
- The Best Camera for You and Your Art
- The Perfect Cure: The Final Word on Time & Temperature
- Training Your Artistic Eye
- Convergence at Ravensdale, 20 Years Later
- … and so much more!
I am off today for a family gathering so we are going to get a breather from the challenges today, but I will be back with one on Wed!
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read MoreConsistent forms or motifs in a pattern can get a bit stale, but they can also be raised to sublime heights with the judicious use of color. In this case here, Angela Garrod uses a gradient wash of color across a series of alternating lines consisting of triangles, more like arrows, to bring in variation and change the atmosphere of the piece.
The arrows create energy that pushes the eye back and forth across the width of this ‘neckring’ as she calls these forms, but the soft colors bring in a calming element. The gradient of color in the rest of the circle is deep and rich, and it borders on almost being too much of a contrast to the soft color of the center texture. But that tension may be just what Angela is after, and only the viewer or–maybe more importantly–a buyer can say whether it really works or not.
Angela has been playing quite a bit with patterns of late, as well as this interesting form of neck adornment. To see just what she has been up to, flip through her shared photos on Flickr and the gallery on her website.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
In our present issue of The Polymer Arts, there is an article about focal points–that place in a piece of art that the viewer’s eye immediately finds or continuously returns to. There are many ways to establish a focal point and our article discusses the more common ones. Jacqueline Cullen‘s bracelet, shown here, is an example of yet another type of focal point, one that is undeniable. In fact, you almost can’t pull your gaze from the central focus of the piece.
This strong focal point is created by tension. We have granulation in gold which, in contrast with the black, already would draw the eye. But, by bringing the two textured ends together, just barely touching, Jacqueline has also created tension. We want to see more certainty in the connection, more undeniable strength especially with such a strong solid band created in the rest of the pieces structure. But no … we’re denied that and so we see that barely-there point as tense. We as humans are drawn to tension, whether we like it or not. (If the popularity of reality TV with all it’s confrontations and drama is any indicator, many, many people really like tension!) That’s why this focal point is so strong. If you are after a really strong, impactful focal point on a piece, this approach will almost certainly do it for you.
A note on this interesting black material. It is called Whitby jet and is basically a prehistoric black fossil that is usually associated with Victorian mourning jewelry, a trend started by Queen Victoria who wore it when she went into mourning for Prince Albert. It is not mined much today making it a rare material. Jacqueline is the only contemporary artist working with this material in a non-traditional manner. Pretty cool.
Read More
