Let There Be Fire
January 5, 2015
Inspirational Art
It is cold here in Colorado. I’m having a hard time keeping warm in my basement rooms where I spend so much of my time. So this week, I just want to talk fire. The amazing colors and gradients we can make with polymer makes an illusion of fire and heat fairly easy to create, but there are a number of ways to do this. So while many of us deal with cold and snowy weather, let’s think heat.
Here we have Elsie Smith showing us a bit of fire and shimmer with foil, alcohol ink and liquid clay. The foil and inks are one of my personal favorite go-to combinations because the foil reflects light and makes reds and oranges appear to glow like firelight or burning embers. Elsie’s addition of liquid clay as a sealant works to magnify the effect by bouncing light around beneath its surface. The wave of lines, of course, doesn’t hurt to bring the idea of fire to the forefront. Elsie writes that the top of this is more pink than red, so in person this probably does seem more like a Fiery Sunset, for which it is named, but I’m happy just enjoying the warmth of the colors.
Elsie has many more fiery, graduated and interestingly textured pieces in her more recent work as you can see on her Flickr pages. Be sure to take a look at her curiously painted cabochons with their lava-like texture for more warming inspiration.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Strewn and Balanced
December 3, 2013
Inspirational Art
Here is another example of scatter in a composition. There is no organized pattern. The many elements are different in color and size and although most are round, there is smattering of crackle on the outside edges to counter that. So why does this pendant by Cecilia Button still work?
The approach that holds this together is repetition and relationship. All the elements are arranged in a vertical alignment so although they are not quite lined up, the items scattered across the face of the pendant follow a general up and down path. The gold is also repeated, foil on either side, gold-green clay and those gold micro beads in the center. Then the gold micro beads are primarily on the darker colored clay while blacks beads roughly mirror them, sunk into light colored clay. Both sides have large muted green or gray spots. Repetition, mirroring and carrying characteristics of the elements across draws the relationship between them all and creates a cohesive piece.
Cecilia says the technique on this was adapted from a tutorial from Leggende Segrete although I can’t figure out which one, probably because she so very much made it her own. Cecilia is highly innovative with whatever technique or form she works with. Time on her Flickr pages and her blog site are worth more than just a quick perusal. Get some coffee or tea, take a little break, and spend some time with her work!
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.
It is cold here in Colorado. I’m having a hard time keeping warm in my basement rooms where I spend so much of my time. So this week, I just want to talk fire. The amazing colors and gradients we can make with polymer makes an illusion of fire and heat fairly easy to create, but there are a number of ways to do this. So while many of us deal with cold and snowy weather, let’s think heat.
Here we have Elsie Smith showing us a bit of fire and shimmer with foil, alcohol ink and liquid clay. The foil and inks are one of my personal favorite go-to combinations because the foil reflects light and makes reds and oranges appear to glow like firelight or burning embers. Elsie’s addition of liquid clay as a sealant works to magnify the effect by bouncing light around beneath its surface. The wave of lines, of course, doesn’t hurt to bring the idea of fire to the forefront. Elsie writes that the top of this is more pink than red, so in person this probably does seem more like a Fiery Sunset, for which it is named, but I’m happy just enjoying the warmth of the colors.
Elsie has many more fiery, graduated and interestingly textured pieces in her more recent work as you can see on her Flickr pages. Be sure to take a look at her curiously painted cabochons with their lava-like texture for more warming inspiration.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Here is another example of scatter in a composition. There is no organized pattern. The many elements are different in color and size and although most are round, there is smattering of crackle on the outside edges to counter that. So why does this pendant by Cecilia Button still work?
The approach that holds this together is repetition and relationship. All the elements are arranged in a vertical alignment so although they are not quite lined up, the items scattered across the face of the pendant follow a general up and down path. The gold is also repeated, foil on either side, gold-green clay and those gold micro beads in the center. Then the gold micro beads are primarily on the darker colored clay while blacks beads roughly mirror them, sunk into light colored clay. Both sides have large muted green or gray spots. Repetition, mirroring and carrying characteristics of the elements across draws the relationship between them all and creates a cohesive piece.
Cecilia says the technique on this was adapted from a tutorial from Leggende Segrete although I can’t figure out which one, probably because she so very much made it her own. Cecilia is highly innovative with whatever technique or form she works with. Time on her Flickr pages and her blog site are worth more than just a quick perusal. Get some coffee or tea, take a little break, and spend some time with her work!
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.
