Color Islands
September 26, 2018
Inspirational Art
In the latest issue of The Polymer Arts, we spent some time with Eva Haskova through an interview by Lindly Haunani. It’s a lovely article full of thought-provoking statements on Eva’s use of color. Lindly also shares an approach for tinting translucents with opaque polymer clays in the “Color Expiration” section that always follows this “Color Spotlight” article.
We couldn’t fit this lovely tile by Eva into the layout but I wanted to share with it you for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you read the posts last week about the use of squiggles, then you are certain to already recognize the way her folded polymer creates a vibrant energy and liveliness. The flow of these neutral colored folds around the islands of saturated color really make those spots pop. Those circles of color also give the eye a place to rest amid the rush and flow that makes up the majority of the surface texture. It’s a mass squiggle approach to texture reined in with bright color and simple forms.
I also thought I would take the opportunity to talk about forms that allow us to work on concept and exploration of technique without having to worry about things like construction and wearability. Although tiles are not always an easy sell because the functionality of a single tile is not as apparent as a piece of jewelry—not many people are out looking for a single tile to decorate their home with, although they may be inspired by a title such as this. But as an artist, this little canvas is perfect for letting yourself work on a technique, composition, or juxtaposition of elements without the other concerns that a functional object such as a necklace or vase would require.
This tile could also be a lovely brooch, don’t you think? The work done on a tile can, usually, be scaled down into a brooch or pendant. These jewelry forms can also work as exploratory canvases for your ideas and they result in an easily recognizable piece of functional adornment that should be easy to sell.
So do take a good look at Eva’s article and if you want to look at more of her work, go to her website or her Flickr photostream.
Outside Inspiration: Muses from Other Art Forms
April 25, 2014
Inspirational Art
Another blog you really should be following is the wonderful Daily Art Muse (DAM) which also has a monthly version sent as a newsletter (MAM). Susan Lomuto doesn’t actually post daily but her intermittent posts are always intriguing. I have found many of our Outside Inspiration artists thanks to her discoveries shared on this blog.
For instance, I would not likely have found the wonderful work of Phiona Richards who creates jewelry and sculpture from old books, beads and textiles. Just look at this wonderful pin. I love the play on the idea that books are filled with “pearls of wisdom” making this both a visual and metaphorical delight.
With the folded polymer trend these days, Phiona’s work is a great source of polymer inspiration and ideas for complex folds. See more of her work on her website and then be sure to get signed up for DAM and MAM. Susan does feature a lot of polymer art on her blog but more importantly she features very different craft art in general, because we cannot grow on the inspiration of polymer artists alone.
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.
Outside Inspiration: Jeweled Folds in Fabric
April 4, 2014
Inspirational Art
Eva Fulinova, a Czech designer living in the UK, calls her work Tinctory. They are brilliant jewelry designs using fabric folding and hand stitching. Her other jewelry pieces are created by folding vintage silks or new natural dyed fabrics into accordion centric shapes, something that can also be done with polymer although not quite with the delicate touch you see here.
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.
In the latest issue of The Polymer Arts, we spent some time with Eva Haskova through an interview by Lindly Haunani. It’s a lovely article full of thought-provoking statements on Eva’s use of color. Lindly also shares an approach for tinting translucents with opaque polymer clays in the “Color Expiration” section that always follows this “Color Spotlight” article.
We couldn’t fit this lovely tile by Eva into the layout but I wanted to share with it you for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you read the posts last week about the use of squiggles, then you are certain to already recognize the way her folded polymer creates a vibrant energy and liveliness. The flow of these neutral colored folds around the islands of saturated color really make those spots pop. Those circles of color also give the eye a place to rest amid the rush and flow that makes up the majority of the surface texture. It’s a mass squiggle approach to texture reined in with bright color and simple forms.
I also thought I would take the opportunity to talk about forms that allow us to work on concept and exploration of technique without having to worry about things like construction and wearability. Although tiles are not always an easy sell because the functionality of a single tile is not as apparent as a piece of jewelry—not many people are out looking for a single tile to decorate their home with, although they may be inspired by a title such as this. But as an artist, this little canvas is perfect for letting yourself work on a technique, composition, or juxtaposition of elements without the other concerns that a functional object such as a necklace or vase would require.
This tile could also be a lovely brooch, don’t you think? The work done on a tile can, usually, be scaled down into a brooch or pendant. These jewelry forms can also work as exploratory canvases for your ideas and they result in an easily recognizable piece of functional adornment that should be easy to sell.
So do take a good look at Eva’s article and if you want to look at more of her work, go to her website or her Flickr photostream.
Read MoreAnother blog you really should be following is the wonderful Daily Art Muse (DAM) which also has a monthly version sent as a newsletter (MAM). Susan Lomuto doesn’t actually post daily but her intermittent posts are always intriguing. I have found many of our Outside Inspiration artists thanks to her discoveries shared on this blog.
For instance, I would not likely have found the wonderful work of Phiona Richards who creates jewelry and sculpture from old books, beads and textiles. Just look at this wonderful pin. I love the play on the idea that books are filled with “pearls of wisdom” making this both a visual and metaphorical delight.
With the folded polymer trend these days, Phiona’s work is a great source of polymer inspiration and ideas for complex folds. See more of her work on her website and then be sure to get signed up for DAM and MAM. Susan does feature a lot of polymer art on her blog but more importantly she features very different craft art in general, because we cannot grow on the inspiration of polymer artists alone.
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.
Eva Fulinova, a Czech designer living in the UK, calls her work Tinctory. They are brilliant jewelry designs using fabric folding and hand stitching. Her other jewelry pieces are created by folding vintage silks or new natural dyed fabrics into accordion centric shapes, something that can also be done with polymer although not quite with the delicate touch you see here.
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.
