Creatures Redesigned
March 23, 2017
Inspirational Art
I think we’ll stick with inspiring creatures this week. And what creatures are more inspiring to us than those we share our life with? Dogs, cats, birds, fish …we find something in them that we connect with so it’s not surprising that they make their way into our art.
Recently Angela Garrod posted these kindred creatures of hers on Facebook. With a beautifully stylized approach, she captures the look, and even a few good expressions of some of people’s favorite animals, and this while playing with geometric designs. The hand scratched texture keeps the geometric shapes from feeling too stiff and sterile and adds quite a bit to what would otherwise be just simple shapes and lines through which we, somehow, recognize the variety of animals. I don’t know how our brains see that but more so, it is always a wonder how cartoonists and other artists create images with just a few simple lines and shapes and know we’ll see it. The brain is just pretty darn nifty.
Angela has been up to all kinds of cool and curious geometric designs of late. You can see her explorations through her shared photos on Flickr, her Facebook page, and the gallery on her website.
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Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
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Blocks of Fall
November 2, 2016
Inspirational Art
Although fall colors in the changing trees is nearly over, I wanted to take a bow to my favorite color season with a couple beautiful pieces this week.
This necklace inspired several ideas for themes for the blog but in the end, I knew it was the color that is the real draw. I do love how the overlapping rough edges are mirrored in the cord strands but the rich colors of autumn are what pushes it beyond a clever bit of line repetition into a very elegant piece.
Craft artist Tatiana Saveliev is fond of using the rough edged look, stacked up or wound in circular patterns and almost always in a simple geometric form such as squares and circles. The uneven edges soften the feel of the symmetrical geometry while the lines impart energy. Her colors go from light and bright to deep and rich but this palette is my personal favorite.
You can see the various directions Tatiana takes this look by jumping over to her LiveMaster shop.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Try some seasonal color. What are you seeing outside today? Red, rusts, and yellow? Just blue sky and bare gray branches? Maybe green ocean and the pale buff color of sand? Create a palette from what you see, not trying to be too exact. Just let the colors of the day inspire you and create in these colors.
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Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
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Pushing the Triangle
July 7, 2014
Inspirational Art
This week I thought we’d look at pushing basic forms, triangles in particular. Triangles are the strongest form in nature. The three straight sides meet and push against each other so that the structure doesn’t move. It is also a form based on the number three which represents balance or completeness in many cultures and religions. But a triangle can be much more than three straight sides. How can you move beyond the basic shape and push it to be something more than the static, yet stable form we traditionally think of.
For instance, in this pin by Carol Beal, the usual static feel of a triangle is given a dynamic perk by taking a corner and sweeping it in a gentle curve. The interior shapes also echo this sweep, increasing the sense of movement up and off to the side.
Carol looks to be still exploring polymer and all its possibilities. She has work on her Flickr page and her Etsy shop.
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.
I think we’ll stick with inspiring creatures this week. And what creatures are more inspiring to us than those we share our life with? Dogs, cats, birds, fish …we find something in them that we connect with so it’s not surprising that they make their way into our art.
Recently Angela Garrod posted these kindred creatures of hers on Facebook. With a beautifully stylized approach, she captures the look, and even a few good expressions of some of people’s favorite animals, and this while playing with geometric designs. The hand scratched texture keeps the geometric shapes from feeling too stiff and sterile and adds quite a bit to what would otherwise be just simple shapes and lines through which we, somehow, recognize the variety of animals. I don’t know how our brains see that but more so, it is always a wonder how cartoonists and other artists create images with just a few simple lines and shapes and know we’ll see it. The brain is just pretty darn nifty.
Angela has been up to all kinds of cool and curious geometric designs of late. You can see her explorations through her shared photos on Flickr, her Facebook page, and the gallery on her website.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Read MoreAlthough fall colors in the changing trees is nearly over, I wanted to take a bow to my favorite color season with a couple beautiful pieces this week.
This necklace inspired several ideas for themes for the blog but in the end, I knew it was the color that is the real draw. I do love how the overlapping rough edges are mirrored in the cord strands but the rich colors of autumn are what pushes it beyond a clever bit of line repetition into a very elegant piece.
Craft artist Tatiana Saveliev is fond of using the rough edged look, stacked up or wound in circular patterns and almost always in a simple geometric form such as squares and circles. The uneven edges soften the feel of the symmetrical geometry while the lines impart energy. Her colors go from light and bright to deep and rich but this palette is my personal favorite.
You can see the various directions Tatiana takes this look by jumping over to her LiveMaster shop.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Try some seasonal color. What are you seeing outside today? Red, rusts, and yellow? Just blue sky and bare gray branches? Maybe green ocean and the pale buff color of sand? Create a palette from what you see, not trying to be too exact. Just let the colors of the day inspire you and create in these colors.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Read MoreThis week I thought we’d look at pushing basic forms, triangles in particular. Triangles are the strongest form in nature. The three straight sides meet and push against each other so that the structure doesn’t move. It is also a form based on the number three which represents balance or completeness in many cultures and religions. But a triangle can be much more than three straight sides. How can you move beyond the basic shape and push it to be something more than the static, yet stable form we traditionally think of.
For instance, in this pin by Carol Beal, the usual static feel of a triangle is given a dynamic perk by taking a corner and sweeping it in a gentle curve. The interior shapes also echo this sweep, increasing the sense of movement up and off to the side.
Carol looks to be still exploring polymer and all its possibilities. She has work on her Flickr page and her Etsy shop.
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.
