The Need for Light and Dark
June 21, 2020
Inspirational Art, Tips and Tricks
Libby Mills uses value in color to create drama and depth with a mostly monochrome color palette.
I planned on talking about color variation this week but then it occurred to me, that we will need to talk about color contrast and you can’t talk about contrasting color without talking about value. So, I switched up my plans and we’re going to talk about the often neglected concept of color’s lights and darks, otherwise known as value.
The Light and Dark of It
So, what exactly is value? Value is simply what I just mentioned – the lightness or darkness of a color. This has nothing to do with their hue. Remember, hue works more like a category so mint green and hunter green both are a green hue, but mint has a light color value while hunter green has a very dark value.
The most important thing to remember about value is that it used to create contrast. For instance, purple has a much darker value than yellow, right? Used together, they are high in value contrast and, so, make a rather dramatic color palette. On the other hand, a dark magenta and forest green will have the same or similar middle-dark value. Putting them together will not create much value contrast. Although there is nothing wrong with that – they belong to complementary (opposite) hues on the CMY color wheel so they have contrast there – the lack of value contrast greatly reduces the potential of their dramatic contrast in hues.
To be blunt, similar values in rich colors such as dark magenta and forest green would just be boring. Now, if you choose a slightly darker magenta and a lighter green such as a burgundy and an jade, that will increase the value contrast and make a much more interesting color combination, as seen in the example image here. Below the color combinations you see them with the hue removed, leaving just their gray value. So that’s another way you can think about value – it’s the lightness or the darkness of the color without any color in it.
Seeing the Value
If you are a painter you might be shaking your head at the simplicity of the above explanation so let’s get a bit more precise. (If your head is already spinning a bit, just read through this but don’t worry about understanding it fully yet. You can come back to this later.)
Value is not just the lightness or darkness of a color. It is the lightness or darkness of what is SEEN. That’s an important distinction because the color of things we are looking at out in the world won’t stay constant as the light changes.
For instance, have you ever been around someone in a restaurant or on a train – some poorly lighted space – thinking their hair is dark brown only to see them step outside and find that it’s a rich red? Their hair didn’t change color. The light did.
The less light there is, the darker things appear, right? That seems obvious, but it’s really important to consciously understand that. It underlines one of the primary principles about creating art, especially imagery you’re trying to reproduce in any realistic manner – it’s not about what you think something is, it’s about what you actually see. So, if you are painting a portrait of me in a dark room, you would not paint me with the bright henna red and copper hair you know I have, because in the dim light, my hair would not actually look red or copper.
You may not be a painter but if you plan to build images in canes or are painting with polymer or create pretty much anything where you are developing a two-dimensional illusion of form and depth , you will be working with these kinds of value changes in color. Even if you don’t create imagery, the concept of how light changes the value of a color is useful for understanding what value is and why it is important in your designs.
You’ve actually learned about the importance of value if you’ve ever tried to draw a ball – to make it look round you have a very light spot where light hits the sphere directly, a dark side where the light doesn’t reach, and a gradation from light to dark between the two. Now, if that ball had color, like the blue ball you see here, you can tell that it’s a solid blue ball even though it actually has a variety of blues in this rendering of it. But I couldn’t just fill in a circle with one shade of blue and have you understand it is a ball. We need to see that change in color value – the swatches pulled from the blue ball are all the same hue of blue but are all different values – in order to see a dimensional form.
Without those changes of value – those lights and darks, those highlights and shadows – everything would just look flat. That is also why you don’t want to take a photo of an object with the light shining directly on the front facing view – it will kill the shadows, eliminate value changes, and make it difficult to perceive its form.
Intentional Value
So, a change in color value provides us with visual information, right? We like that. We like to be able to perceive if something is round or flat, textured or smooth. The contrast between light and shadow gives us that information. It is one of the reasons that we look for (mostly unconsciously) the contrast in value in works of art as well. Contrast, or the lack of it, can tell us a great deal.
In these beads by Jennifer Morris, there is very little contrast in value but these are not about drama so it makes sense. There are muted and pale colors with feminine floral motifs on round forms with low value contrast to match. The intention for this to be soft and quiet is obvious and with all the characteristics servicing that intention, she has designed some very lovely beads.
On the other hand, here are liquid polymer painted pieces by Lynn Yuhr who is clearly going for a bold and graphic look with wide ranging color values to support that objective.
So, don’t think that you must have a high contrast in the value of your colors. It can be high or low depending on what will best serve your intention. Value contrast also can bring attention to certain portions of your work or lead your eye around the piece.
For example, the fish on this clock by Gera Scott Chandler are much lighter in value than the background, bringing our focus to them first. The light value of the circles on the background subtly connect to the larger fish since they are similar in value so that your eye moves from fish to circles, going around the face of the clock.
Furthering Your Color Consciousness
So, before I get into how to manipulate values – something we will get into next week – I suggest you spend some time getting familiar with the values of color. I have a couple suggestions for you.
Go Grayscale
To better familiarize yourself with the actual value of colors, I find it helpful to look at colors in grayscale. A grayscale image will show you the actual value of colors, relative to the colors they are grouped with.
This means taking photos of your work in “black and white” mode or changing color images (yours or other people’s if you want) to grayscale in a photo editing app or software. Not all cameras have a black and white (or grayscale) mode. If you’re not sure, look up your camera model online along with “how to shoot black and white” and if no information comes up, then it probably doesn’t have that option.
The other way to do this is to edit the image. To do this on your computer, use Photoshop or whatever default photo editing software is available on your computer.
- In standard Photoshop, go to Image> Mode> Grayscale.
- In Microsoft Paint.net, you go to Adjustments> Black and White.
- If you are using another program, search the web for “how to convert image to grayscale” along with the name of your editing program.*
If you take a picture with a mobile device, you can usually edit it to grayscale directly in the phone or tablet.
- On an iPhone or iPad, select an image, hit “Edit”, tap the three overlapping circles icon, then scroll the little thumbnails of the photo over until it is in “mono”. Tap “Done” if you want to save it but keep in mind it will save over the original. If you do this accidentally, just follow the same steps and you’ll find the original version in that little row of thumbnails so you can convert it back.
- In Android, and pretty much any mobile device, you can use Google photos. Open your image in this app, tap it to bring up the icons and choose the three stacked lines. Slide the thumbnails over until it is in “Vogue” mode. You can also save it and undo it later.
*Note: There are quite a number of articles online suggesting you convert an image to grayscale by using a “saturation” adjustment. DO NOT do that for this value exercise. As we will discuss next week, saturation has nothing to do with color value. Reducing saturation tends to also reduce value, more for some colors than others. It will completely mess you up. You need a conversion to “grayscale”, “black and white”, or “mono”.
If using software and apps is just too much of a bother or you don’t have a software program, here is a free online service. You just click the file icon, browse to and open the file, and it will appear in the browser window in grayscale. You can save it from there by hitting the floppy disk icon.
Once you have these grayscale images, start looking at how much value contrast shows in the images.
- Is there a lot of contrast or all the values fairly close?
- Does the amount of value contrast match with the probable intention or feel of the piece?
- Do any of the colors set next to each other just blend into one another because the values are so close? If so, do you think that works for the piece or do you think more value contrast could help it? (We’ll talk more next week about how to choose alterantives when you want a different value.)
Just make yourself more familiar with value. You can also use this value scale (click on it, then print it out) to check values of colors or pieces you have. You can lay the scale next to a color and see which value you think is the closest. Then take a photo of the scale next to the color, convert it to grayscale, and see how close you came to matching the color to the right value. Do this a few times and you’ll be seeing in values quite quickly!
Get a CMY Color Wheel
You know how I recommended you get a CMY color wheel? Well, the more I work on these articles, the more I wish you ALL had the CMY color wheel from the Color Wheel company. I can’t tell you how many times I reference mine, and I am convinced that when we get into how to use these color concepts to pick color palettes and to mix color, having this particular CMY color wheel will make it all such a breeze.
No, they’re not paying me to push this. I have met the owners and they are a fantastic little family company (who worked with the polymer community’s very own Maggie Maggio to help build a CMY based grade school art curriculum, by the way) but more than that, they are so intensely passionate about color and education. That’s why they’ve done such a superior job with this particular color wheel.
So, if you haven’t gotten one yet, you can buy it directly from the company for $9 (including shipping in the US) and you will have it within 5-7 business days. It’ll be the best $9 you ever invested for your creative journey. Outside the US, I am not sure where it is best to get them but you can search for “Color Wheel Co CMY” and look for this wheel:
https://colorwheelco.com/buy-now/product/cmy-primary-mixing-wheel-7-3-4-diameter/
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this immersive in value. I have to say I am always surprised at how much there is to talk about each characteristic of color. These articles really could be much shorter but I don’t know if you would walk away really understanding and feeling confident about these concepts. We retain concepts better when we spend some time with them. I’m hoping these articles do that for you! If you have any thoughts or suggestions about the length or detail of these articles, I am always up for hearing them. Just reply to this if you get it by email or write me through the website.
Wondering about my references to Intention? Or how to support this content?
Read what so many VAB members have said was a life altering (or game changing or mind opening) set of articles on Intention in the February edition of the Virtual Art Box and catch up on the concept of marks, lines, and shape too. And they are all on SALE, 25% off right now – no promo code needed. I’m also having a 20% off sale on ALL books!
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Crosswise Crafts
August 4, 2019
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
Heather Campbell – “Keep Circling”
If you read this blog because polymer is your primary art material, do you consider yourself a polymer artist or a mixed-media artist? This question has arisen in a few conversations recently – how to identify oneself as an artist – and also in regard to the content of these blogs posts because a lot of people that are writing me of late have turned out not to be primarily polymer artists, or at least identify themselves as mixed-media rather than polymer artists. I think that’s really cool and I don’t find it terribly surprising that people who work in other art materials are interested in polymer because polymer has so much crossover and such a wide range of possible applications.
I mean, is polymer clay the only material in your art studio? Aside from maybe dedicated caners, I think the majority of us who identify as polymer artists also have drawers and bins and boxes of other things like beads, fabric, paints, paper, resin, and so much more. So, is your polymer art really a type of mixed-media art? And what is mixed-media art really anyways?
And most of all… do the labels really matter?
Labels are important for the purpose of organizing all the information we are inundated with daily, but unfortunately, it also puts people and concepts in restrictive boxes and that can become problematic. When someone is labeled (or calls themselves) a polymer artist, it doesn’t mean that they work only with polymer or even primarily with polymer. They may simply have an affinity for the material more than any other single material.
Not only do we use a lot of other materials in polymer work, but we can also so readily draw inspiration from looking at artwork in materials. I, myself, find fiber art to be an immense resource for ideas in my polymer work, especially modern quilting, so I thought I’d bring you along to explore some of the ways today’s quilt art and polymer creatively crossover.
Crosswise Crafts
Quilt art is a form of fiber art which pushes beyond functional bedcovers and quilted clothing of the past. Fiber Art itself is a relatively recent term, first used shortly after World War II to categorize fine art using natural or synthetic fiber as the material. This speaks to how relatively new the focus has been on fiber as an art form. Luckily, the term quickly worked its way out of the relatively elite world of curators and art historians into a more generalized use encompassing all fiber-based artistic applications, from weaving and quilting to intensely detailed embroidery and monumental outdoor installations.
There has been a tremendous amount of experimentation going on in fiber arts since the latter decades of the twentieth century, something as polymer artists we understand and applaud but, unlike polymer the many forms of fiber art draw from some of mankind’s oldest crafts so experimentation tends to rally not around techniques but around form, nontraditional materials, unusual use and placement of materials, and conceptual approaches, especially those involving cultural issues and activism. This makes it a rich source of inspiration that can really light the way for new possibilities in polymer.
As I’m sure you know, not only do we emulate fiber in polymer, we also have methods of construction and layout with veneers and inlays which use basically the same approach as quilting, less the sewing. Both art forms also technically work in three-dimensions but are commonly composed in two-dimensions which is why I think it’s such a great arena to look to for a creative shot in the arm.
Here is a very direct example of the crossover between quilting and polymer. Lindly Haunani draws the patterns for her polymer quilts directly from classic quilt patterns, like this one based on a half square quilt design.
She uses these wall pieces to examine and teach color. She also applies the concepts to brooches like these lovely pieces.
By the way, Lindly has a series of workshops teaching color through the creation of veneers and polymer quilts coming up in late August/early September at Creative Journey Studios. You can check those out here.
Although classic quilt patterns pop up in polymer quite often, contemporary quilts are nothing like these. Here is an example of traditional quilting techniques but without the traditional patterns by Lisa Jenni. Do the colors or composition poke at your creative brain but with polymer on the mind? It could be an arrangement with alcohol ink dyed polymer, striped canes, and stamped clay medallions, right?
That quilt reminds me a little bit of Gera Scott Chandler’s work. The colors and the emphasis on oblong circles are probably the connections but you see how one could possibly inspire the other, yes?
And how have we not seen something like this piece below done in polymer? This is embroidered quilting by Susan Lenz It’s less than 3’ x 2’ so such a piece in polymer would not be a monumental task. This has given me an idea … I think I know what I’m going to do with all the inchies collected over the years. Let’s all make wall pieces from our collections!
Be sure to look at Susan’s Lancet window series too. They have a similarly open layout but in kind of stained-glass patterns.
Contemporary quilts, like polymer, are not restricted to a two-dimensional canvas or flat layers. There are a lot of things being added into and onto quilts today. Just look at this riot of wonder by Molly Jean Hobbit.
Does this piece bring to mind any polymer artists who also use lots of pieces and materials in their work? Maybe Laurie Mika, Heather Campbell (as seen in the opening image), or even Christi Friesen with her mixed-media mosaics? If you have always liked what these ladies are doing, just imagine the fresh batch of ideas you could get from contemporary quilts.
Want to really delve into the quilt world now? You go down a rabbit hole by simply putting “quilt art” into Pinterest, or you could start on the Contemporary Quilt Art associations gallery pages. Click on each image to get a whole slew of additional quilts by various artists. It’s quite the fabulous (and possibly time gobbling) rabbit hole to go down.
Want to do a little polymer quilting of your own today? Well, you could sit down to this video by Jan Montarsi, demonstrating how to make striped polymer quilt squares. Mind you, he uses his new Create Template, but you could do it without the template if you want to get right to it. If you have the latest edition of The Polymer Studio, Issue #3, go to Jan’s article on multicolor blends first to make some really bright and saturated blended sheets to work with. If you didn’t subscribe or purchase your copy yet, you can get an immediate digital download or order a print edition on the website here. And you can get Jan’s templates here.
Where Two Crafts Collide – working with the Craft Industry Alliance
So, my curiosity about this mixed media labeling question pushed me to do some research early last month and, in the process, I found the Craft Industry Alliance. This is a fairly new organization – it was created in 2015 – but it is growing quite quickly as an information and supportive advocacy trade association for all working craft artists – this includes you!
I really liked that this organization recognizes craft art as a broader community that is not segregated by material or form. Since the founders are primarily fiber artist, however, it started out heavy in that arena, but they are actively growing into other communities. I know this because the president of CIA (gosh, their acronym sounds so covert!) contacted me after I joined their organization online with an earnest request to get to know the polymer community better. After a lovely chat and a few emails, we are now working on polymer based content for the Alliance. How cool is that?
So, what is this organization and what might it do for you? Well, here is the skinny, straight from President, Abby Glassenberg:
Craft Industry Alliance is a community of craft professionals. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections within a supportive trade association. Artists who are interested in becoming teachers of their craft, writing books, and showing their work in galleries need to think about setting up a solid business foundation from which to grow. Marketing and branding, legal, accounting and tax issues, social media and blogging … these are all issues creative business owners need to think through. Don’t do it alone! Come together with 1,300+ fellow members in a supportive community where you can find solid answers to your questions, make connections with the right people, and find the resources you need. Check it out at https://www.craftindustryalliance.org
As you can see, the organization is focused on active artists who show and sell their work or promote themselves as teachers or writers. It doesn’t really matter how small or how big your creative operation is, you’ll always benefit from a little help and I think it’s a fantastic idea to have a community of people from all areas of craft supporting each other. I’ve always been a little worried that the polymer community has remained a bit insular since we have issues that few other material arenas have, being such a very young material, working with a plastic in an environmentally sensitive world, and battling the “kids art material” image. But growth in this community will come from the outside, not from within so the more we reach out and network with other craft artists and the larger craft community, the more energized and innovative we will be as a whole and that will keep the community growing and vital.
The Sage Sabbatical
So, as most of you probably know by now, August starts my little sabbatical from production work on print publications so I can attend to some health issues. I have to admit, it’s made me a little depressed. It’s just rather sudden and I’m such a workaholic and so used to having a deadline hanging over me all the time so it’s a little unnerving. Luckily, it actually started out busy since we wrapped up the release of The Polymer Studio Issue #3. It turned out just beautiful and we’ve already received so many great comments on it with particular excitement around articles like the fascinating story of Brazil’s polymer master, Beatriz Cominatto, Debbie Crothers’ acrylic and polymer exploration, and Jan’s multi-color skinner blend techniques.
If you’re waiting on your copy, the digital edition went out on the 31st – check spam/junk mail folders if you’re due one and didn’t see it in your inbox. Print editions went to the post office this past Wednesday, so they are on the way too. I have my batch of stock here if you need to order it. Just go to the website.
We also added a Special 3 issue Package of all three of The Polymer Studio issues if you need to do some catching up.
If you’re unfamiliar with my silly little situation that forced me into taking time off, you can find the more-or-less full story in our most recent newsletter here.
If you don’t get our twice a month newsletter, signing up for the newsletter is one of the best ways to stay informed on our publications and new projects, of which there will be something before the year ends even if I can’t do print! But yes, I promise I will not overextend myself and do with the doctor orders!
Speaking of which … I should go now. I hope you are excited by the peek at quilts and the connection to polymer. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend and an inspired week!
Twiggy Moments
October 17, 2018
Inspirational Art
You know when you are having a rough week and then something just pops up and makes you smile—that quick change of mood can be such a boost. These Twiggy Muses by Gera Scott Chandler were just such a ticket for me today. It’s a crazy time here at Tenth Muse headquarters with two books on the way, a new magazine to get off the ground, and old Murphy and his silly law throwing things at us left and right, so anything that elicits a spontaneous grin is golden to me.
Gera’s work always gets me smiling, so I was happy to see her pop up on my Instagram feed with one of these beauties. I bounced over to her account to see that there is a whole tribe of twiggy-headed muses out in the world. Mixing natural elements with her joyous colors and organically fun textures topped with these cute little faces makes it very apparent why she calls her studio aMused Creations. I am well and happily amused. Aren’t you?
Gera has always created to the beat of her own drum and is not afraid to add whatever inspires her. Her muses have been around for a bit and have taken a number of forms. Why not take some time to wander through her website and her Instgram account while I go attend to Murphy and his laws?
Fishing About
May 2, 2016
Inspirational Art
Although I’ve been so buried over here under the enthusiasm of readers and the many orders for the Polymer Journeys book as well as getting ready for the Summer issue and picking up slack while my key staff is in the process of moving or settling into a new home, my better half has regularly been dragging me away from work to help with the new home project, a large fish tank. I thought setting this up would be more like a chore but I have to say, it’s actually quite a creative process, picking out fish with an appropriate mix of sizes, colors, textures and temperaments as well as plants and structures for the fish to play around and hide under. The tank is like a canvas with a whole composition to work out. With two artists on it, our conversations have sounded more like we are working on a collaborative painting than creating an underwater environment so it’s been quite the relaxing and creative escape.
I also seem to be spotting more and more fish in the streams of art going through Flickr, on Pinterest and in my Facebook searches. (It’s been a little creepy actually … like the computer knows what I’ve been up to when I’m away from it!) So I’ve pulled a few favorites to share this week.
I absolutely adore the work of Gera Scott Chandler and spotted her hand in this Halibut Bowl as soon as I saw it. Her intense colors and the surprised expressions of the silly fish make me smile every time I look at it. The circular texture of the bowl emulates a flow of water and, with the saturation of these colors, it collectively gives the bowl a very energetic and fun feel.
Gera has a beautiful new site here. There isn’t a gallery but if you want to get this bowl for yourself, it is up for sale! You can keep up with her latest creative endeavors (including lots of fish!) on her Facebook page as well.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Bring your outside life into your studio. What has been going on in your family or social world, or with you personally that you can pull visuals from or create visuals for. If you’ve been spring gardening, bring a texture you’ve seen in the plants or the landscape into a piece of your art. If you have a lot of abstract things going on, imagine what colors, shapes or textures could represent it and create work around the visuals you conjure up in your mind.
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Framed Beads
February 1, 2014
Inspirational Art
Frames are great for directing focus and presenting your beads and surface treatments but it let’s look at one more way to make them an integral element. In this case, let’s essentially make them the beads themsevles.
In this beaded necklace by Gera Scott Chandler, she provides a rich three dimensional bead by combining multiple elements, which includes beads and frames.
This Canadian artist likes to combine polymer clay with found objects for her mixed media wearable art, canvases and sculptures. Gera’s work can be found in collections in Canada, USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan, as well as on her Flickr site. She talks also about her process, and even provides some brief tutorials, in her blog “a Mused Studio” on her website.
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.
Decorative Figurative
June 11, 2013
Inspirational Art
Figurative sculpture, of course, doesn’t need to be literal. In fact, with polymer, you have this wide open invitation to play with shape, color, texture, etc., and just go wild because… why not?
Gera Scott Chandler has become one of my favorite artists in recent years because of her very unique style, sense of playfulness, and rather emotive work. These muses below appear so optimistic and benevolent due to the facial expression and stance, with a joy and liveliness radiating from the mix of color and texture. It’s quite the metaphor for moments of great inspiration.
This kind of work is a brilliant (pun intended!) example of how techniques and approaches in polymer can cross over from jewelry or decor to sculpture. There is a freedom in this kind of sculpture that, if you haven’t already, you should try. You can even use your favorite jewelry or decor techniques. You don’t have the engineering of how a piece of jewelry will hang or the restrictions of the functionality or form of a piece of home decor. And if you usually do more realistic sculpture, taking a stab at this looser approach will allow you to let go of the reality of forms so you can just play. Its just pure art and pure expression, which you may find to be a wonderful way to get your creativity to get up and stretch a bit.
Outside Inspiration: Obsessive Ceramics
February 1, 2013
Inspirational Art
Ricky Maldonado has to be at least a little bit obsessive. I saw his ceramic work as an image on Pinterest first and thought for certain I was looking at a polymer cane covered form. But no, the designs he applies are completely hand done, every dot, every dash drawn out on the piece before he carefully fills in the pattern with glazes.
He creates teapots, plates, gift boxes and other vessels as well as balance focused sculptures like this one he titled Alien Mardi Gras.
Ricky’s work is just another reminder that with polymer, we really do have it easy. We can develop patterns of intense intricacy with a handful of skillful steps and end up with yards of it from that one process. We can cover any kind of form with an infinite array of color, marks and texture and rather rapidly.
But sometimes, an extensive, hand applied process just can’t be beat. We have a couple artists in the next issue that apply detail carefully and fastidiously to achieve a complexity that draws you in not just in wonder at the visual impact but also in wonder at the patience and vision that created them. When the Spring issue of The Polymer Arts comes out (due to be mailed in digital and print out by the 18th) look for the work of artists such as Aniko Kolesnikova, Gera Scott Chandler, Marisol Ross, Sandra McCaw and Susan Dyer … all artist who obviously spend a great deal of time working out and developing the details in their pieces.
Quick and simple can be great for producing a large number of items that can be sold at a reasonable cost but as an artist, there is nothing to compare to a piece you spend hours and days, maybe even weeks or months with, a piece that gets every last consideration and fully expresses your intent and vision. These kinds of pieces take time, are harder to sell for a price worthy of your efforts (we also have an article on pricing your art work in this next issue) and can be much harder to part, especially if you don’t do this kind of thing often. But then, if you find you love it and do have a hard time parting with such pieces, doesn’t that just tell you that you probably need to take this approach more often?
Something to ponder this weekend. Me, I will be pondering the last of the seemingly never-ending details that accompany a periodical being readied for the printer. At least this is the kind of project is something I not only have no problem parting with, I am thrilled to send it out to all of you so you can get as excited about the inspiring ideas, words and art of the artists who so generously share their stories and work with us this issue. I very much look forward to hearing what you think.
Suspended Vessels
August 4, 2012
Inspirational Art
Gera Scott Chandler has lately been working on a concept she calls suspended vessels. They appear more as sculptural pieces than functional decor although they are both.
The central aspect of these pieces is a woven basket suspended between a series of tall thin sculptures that appear, in either an abstract or literal manner, to be figurative totems all facing inward. The impression is that there is a gathering of people with a yet to be filled basket connecting them, giving the open vessel a mysterious importance, as if these people have gathered to either give or receive something very precious.
The photos show rather subdued colors but they are actually quite colorful. Take a closer look here on her blog.
Libby Mills uses value in color to create drama and depth with a mostly monochrome color palette.
I planned on talking about color variation this week but then it occurred to me, that we will need to talk about color contrast and you can’t talk about contrasting color without talking about value. So, I switched up my plans and we’re going to talk about the often neglected concept of color’s lights and darks, otherwise known as value.
The Light and Dark of It
So, what exactly is value? Value is simply what I just mentioned – the lightness or darkness of a color. This has nothing to do with their hue. Remember, hue works more like a category so mint green and hunter green both are a green hue, but mint has a light color value while hunter green has a very dark value.
The most important thing to remember about value is that it used to create contrast. For instance, purple has a much darker value than yellow, right? Used together, they are high in value contrast and, so, make a rather dramatic color palette. On the other hand, a dark magenta and forest green will have the same or similar middle-dark value. Putting them together will not create much value contrast. Although there is nothing wrong with that – they belong to complementary (opposite) hues on the CMY color wheel so they have contrast there – the lack of value contrast greatly reduces the potential of their dramatic contrast in hues.
To be blunt, similar values in rich colors such as dark magenta and forest green would just be boring. Now, if you choose a slightly darker magenta and a lighter green such as a burgundy and an jade, that will increase the value contrast and make a much more interesting color combination, as seen in the example image here. Below the color combinations you see them with the hue removed, leaving just their gray value. So that’s another way you can think about value – it’s the lightness or the darkness of the color without any color in it.
Seeing the Value
If you are a painter you might be shaking your head at the simplicity of the above explanation so let’s get a bit more precise. (If your head is already spinning a bit, just read through this but don’t worry about understanding it fully yet. You can come back to this later.)
Value is not just the lightness or darkness of a color. It is the lightness or darkness of what is SEEN. That’s an important distinction because the color of things we are looking at out in the world won’t stay constant as the light changes.
For instance, have you ever been around someone in a restaurant or on a train – some poorly lighted space – thinking their hair is dark brown only to see them step outside and find that it’s a rich red? Their hair didn’t change color. The light did.
The less light there is, the darker things appear, right? That seems obvious, but it’s really important to consciously understand that. It underlines one of the primary principles about creating art, especially imagery you’re trying to reproduce in any realistic manner – it’s not about what you think something is, it’s about what you actually see. So, if you are painting a portrait of me in a dark room, you would not paint me with the bright henna red and copper hair you know I have, because in the dim light, my hair would not actually look red or copper.
You may not be a painter but if you plan to build images in canes or are painting with polymer or create pretty much anything where you are developing a two-dimensional illusion of form and depth , you will be working with these kinds of value changes in color. Even if you don’t create imagery, the concept of how light changes the value of a color is useful for understanding what value is and why it is important in your designs.
You’ve actually learned about the importance of value if you’ve ever tried to draw a ball – to make it look round you have a very light spot where light hits the sphere directly, a dark side where the light doesn’t reach, and a gradation from light to dark between the two. Now, if that ball had color, like the blue ball you see here, you can tell that it’s a solid blue ball even though it actually has a variety of blues in this rendering of it. But I couldn’t just fill in a circle with one shade of blue and have you understand it is a ball. We need to see that change in color value – the swatches pulled from the blue ball are all the same hue of blue but are all different values – in order to see a dimensional form.
Without those changes of value – those lights and darks, those highlights and shadows – everything would just look flat. That is also why you don’t want to take a photo of an object with the light shining directly on the front facing view – it will kill the shadows, eliminate value changes, and make it difficult to perceive its form.
Intentional Value
So, a change in color value provides us with visual information, right? We like that. We like to be able to perceive if something is round or flat, textured or smooth. The contrast between light and shadow gives us that information. It is one of the reasons that we look for (mostly unconsciously) the contrast in value in works of art as well. Contrast, or the lack of it, can tell us a great deal.
In these beads by Jennifer Morris, there is very little contrast in value but these are not about drama so it makes sense. There are muted and pale colors with feminine floral motifs on round forms with low value contrast to match. The intention for this to be soft and quiet is obvious and with all the characteristics servicing that intention, she has designed some very lovely beads.
On the other hand, here are liquid polymer painted pieces by Lynn Yuhr who is clearly going for a bold and graphic look with wide ranging color values to support that objective.
So, don’t think that you must have a high contrast in the value of your colors. It can be high or low depending on what will best serve your intention. Value contrast also can bring attention to certain portions of your work or lead your eye around the piece.
For example, the fish on this clock by Gera Scott Chandler are much lighter in value than the background, bringing our focus to them first. The light value of the circles on the background subtly connect to the larger fish since they are similar in value so that your eye moves from fish to circles, going around the face of the clock.
Furthering Your Color Consciousness
So, before I get into how to manipulate values – something we will get into next week – I suggest you spend some time getting familiar with the values of color. I have a couple suggestions for you.
Go Grayscale
To better familiarize yourself with the actual value of colors, I find it helpful to look at colors in grayscale. A grayscale image will show you the actual value of colors, relative to the colors they are grouped with.
This means taking photos of your work in “black and white” mode or changing color images (yours or other people’s if you want) to grayscale in a photo editing app or software. Not all cameras have a black and white (or grayscale) mode. If you’re not sure, look up your camera model online along with “how to shoot black and white” and if no information comes up, then it probably doesn’t have that option.
The other way to do this is to edit the image. To do this on your computer, use Photoshop or whatever default photo editing software is available on your computer.
- In standard Photoshop, go to Image> Mode> Grayscale.
- In Microsoft Paint.net, you go to Adjustments> Black and White.
- If you are using another program, search the web for “how to convert image to grayscale” along with the name of your editing program.*
If you take a picture with a mobile device, you can usually edit it to grayscale directly in the phone or tablet.
- On an iPhone or iPad, select an image, hit “Edit”, tap the three overlapping circles icon, then scroll the little thumbnails of the photo over until it is in “mono”. Tap “Done” if you want to save it but keep in mind it will save over the original. If you do this accidentally, just follow the same steps and you’ll find the original version in that little row of thumbnails so you can convert it back.
- In Android, and pretty much any mobile device, you can use Google photos. Open your image in this app, tap it to bring up the icons and choose the three stacked lines. Slide the thumbnails over until it is in “Vogue” mode. You can also save it and undo it later.
*Note: There are quite a number of articles online suggesting you convert an image to grayscale by using a “saturation” adjustment. DO NOT do that for this value exercise. As we will discuss next week, saturation has nothing to do with color value. Reducing saturation tends to also reduce value, more for some colors than others. It will completely mess you up. You need a conversion to “grayscale”, “black and white”, or “mono”.
If using software and apps is just too much of a bother or you don’t have a software program, here is a free online service. You just click the file icon, browse to and open the file, and it will appear in the browser window in grayscale. You can save it from there by hitting the floppy disk icon.
Once you have these grayscale images, start looking at how much value contrast shows in the images.
- Is there a lot of contrast or all the values fairly close?
- Does the amount of value contrast match with the probable intention or feel of the piece?
- Do any of the colors set next to each other just blend into one another because the values are so close? If so, do you think that works for the piece or do you think more value contrast could help it? (We’ll talk more next week about how to choose alterantives when you want a different value.)
Just make yourself more familiar with value. You can also use this value scale (click on it, then print it out) to check values of colors or pieces you have. You can lay the scale next to a color and see which value you think is the closest. Then take a photo of the scale next to the color, convert it to grayscale, and see how close you came to matching the color to the right value. Do this a few times and you’ll be seeing in values quite quickly!
Get a CMY Color Wheel
You know how I recommended you get a CMY color wheel? Well, the more I work on these articles, the more I wish you ALL had the CMY color wheel from the Color Wheel company. I can’t tell you how many times I reference mine, and I am convinced that when we get into how to use these color concepts to pick color palettes and to mix color, having this particular CMY color wheel will make it all such a breeze.
No, they’re not paying me to push this. I have met the owners and they are a fantastic little family company (who worked with the polymer community’s very own Maggie Maggio to help build a CMY based grade school art curriculum, by the way) but more than that, they are so intensely passionate about color and education. That’s why they’ve done such a superior job with this particular color wheel.
So, if you haven’t gotten one yet, you can buy it directly from the company for $9 (including shipping in the US) and you will have it within 5-7 business days. It’ll be the best $9 you ever invested for your creative journey. Outside the US, I am not sure where it is best to get them but you can search for “Color Wheel Co CMY” and look for this wheel:
https://colorwheelco.com/buy-now/product/cmy-primary-mixing-wheel-7-3-4-diameter/
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this immersive in value. I have to say I am always surprised at how much there is to talk about each characteristic of color. These articles really could be much shorter but I don’t know if you would walk away really understanding and feeling confident about these concepts. We retain concepts better when we spend some time with them. I’m hoping these articles do that for you! If you have any thoughts or suggestions about the length or detail of these articles, I am always up for hearing them. Just reply to this if you get it by email or write me through the website.
Wondering about my references to Intention? Or how to support this content?
Read what so many VAB members have said was a life altering (or game changing or mind opening) set of articles on Intention in the February edition of the Virtual Art Box and catch up on the concept of marks, lines, and shape too. And they are all on SALE, 25% off right now – no promo code needed. I’m also having a 20% off sale on ALL books!
The purchase of a box would help support this free content that I am creating now as well as give you a stronger base for the conversations we will be having going forward. You can help me keep the lights on by making a purchase of any of the publications I have on the Tenth Muse Arts website or by making a one-time or monthly contribution here.
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Read MoreHeather Campbell – “Keep Circling”
If you read this blog because polymer is your primary art material, do you consider yourself a polymer artist or a mixed-media artist? This question has arisen in a few conversations recently – how to identify oneself as an artist – and also in regard to the content of these blogs posts because a lot of people that are writing me of late have turned out not to be primarily polymer artists, or at least identify themselves as mixed-media rather than polymer artists. I think that’s really cool and I don’t find it terribly surprising that people who work in other art materials are interested in polymer because polymer has so much crossover and such a wide range of possible applications.
I mean, is polymer clay the only material in your art studio? Aside from maybe dedicated caners, I think the majority of us who identify as polymer artists also have drawers and bins and boxes of other things like beads, fabric, paints, paper, resin, and so much more. So, is your polymer art really a type of mixed-media art? And what is mixed-media art really anyways?
And most of all… do the labels really matter?
Labels are important for the purpose of organizing all the information we are inundated with daily, but unfortunately, it also puts people and concepts in restrictive boxes and that can become problematic. When someone is labeled (or calls themselves) a polymer artist, it doesn’t mean that they work only with polymer or even primarily with polymer. They may simply have an affinity for the material more than any other single material.
Not only do we use a lot of other materials in polymer work, but we can also so readily draw inspiration from looking at artwork in materials. I, myself, find fiber art to be an immense resource for ideas in my polymer work, especially modern quilting, so I thought I’d bring you along to explore some of the ways today’s quilt art and polymer creatively crossover.
Crosswise Crafts
Quilt art is a form of fiber art which pushes beyond functional bedcovers and quilted clothing of the past. Fiber Art itself is a relatively recent term, first used shortly after World War II to categorize fine art using natural or synthetic fiber as the material. This speaks to how relatively new the focus has been on fiber as an art form. Luckily, the term quickly worked its way out of the relatively elite world of curators and art historians into a more generalized use encompassing all fiber-based artistic applications, from weaving and quilting to intensely detailed embroidery and monumental outdoor installations.
There has been a tremendous amount of experimentation going on in fiber arts since the latter decades of the twentieth century, something as polymer artists we understand and applaud but, unlike polymer the many forms of fiber art draw from some of mankind’s oldest crafts so experimentation tends to rally not around techniques but around form, nontraditional materials, unusual use and placement of materials, and conceptual approaches, especially those involving cultural issues and activism. This makes it a rich source of inspiration that can really light the way for new possibilities in polymer.
As I’m sure you know, not only do we emulate fiber in polymer, we also have methods of construction and layout with veneers and inlays which use basically the same approach as quilting, less the sewing. Both art forms also technically work in three-dimensions but are commonly composed in two-dimensions which is why I think it’s such a great arena to look to for a creative shot in the arm.
Here is a very direct example of the crossover between quilting and polymer. Lindly Haunani draws the patterns for her polymer quilts directly from classic quilt patterns, like this one based on a half square quilt design.
She uses these wall pieces to examine and teach color. She also applies the concepts to brooches like these lovely pieces.
By the way, Lindly has a series of workshops teaching color through the creation of veneers and polymer quilts coming up in late August/early September at Creative Journey Studios. You can check those out here.
Although classic quilt patterns pop up in polymer quite often, contemporary quilts are nothing like these. Here is an example of traditional quilting techniques but without the traditional patterns by Lisa Jenni. Do the colors or composition poke at your creative brain but with polymer on the mind? It could be an arrangement with alcohol ink dyed polymer, striped canes, and stamped clay medallions, right?
That quilt reminds me a little bit of Gera Scott Chandler’s work. The colors and the emphasis on oblong circles are probably the connections but you see how one could possibly inspire the other, yes?
And how have we not seen something like this piece below done in polymer? This is embroidered quilting by Susan Lenz It’s less than 3’ x 2’ so such a piece in polymer would not be a monumental task. This has given me an idea … I think I know what I’m going to do with all the inchies collected over the years. Let’s all make wall pieces from our collections!
Be sure to look at Susan’s Lancet window series too. They have a similarly open layout but in kind of stained-glass patterns.
Contemporary quilts, like polymer, are not restricted to a two-dimensional canvas or flat layers. There are a lot of things being added into and onto quilts today. Just look at this riot of wonder by Molly Jean Hobbit.
Does this piece bring to mind any polymer artists who also use lots of pieces and materials in their work? Maybe Laurie Mika, Heather Campbell (as seen in the opening image), or even Christi Friesen with her mixed-media mosaics? If you have always liked what these ladies are doing, just imagine the fresh batch of ideas you could get from contemporary quilts.
Want to really delve into the quilt world now? You go down a rabbit hole by simply putting “quilt art” into Pinterest, or you could start on the Contemporary Quilt Art associations gallery pages. Click on each image to get a whole slew of additional quilts by various artists. It’s quite the fabulous (and possibly time gobbling) rabbit hole to go down.
Want to do a little polymer quilting of your own today? Well, you could sit down to this video by Jan Montarsi, demonstrating how to make striped polymer quilt squares. Mind you, he uses his new Create Template, but you could do it without the template if you want to get right to it. If you have the latest edition of The Polymer Studio, Issue #3, go to Jan’s article on multicolor blends first to make some really bright and saturated blended sheets to work with. If you didn’t subscribe or purchase your copy yet, you can get an immediate digital download or order a print edition on the website here. And you can get Jan’s templates here.
Where Two Crafts Collide – working with the Craft Industry Alliance
So, my curiosity about this mixed media labeling question pushed me to do some research early last month and, in the process, I found the Craft Industry Alliance. This is a fairly new organization – it was created in 2015 – but it is growing quite quickly as an information and supportive advocacy trade association for all working craft artists – this includes you!
I really liked that this organization recognizes craft art as a broader community that is not segregated by material or form. Since the founders are primarily fiber artist, however, it started out heavy in that arena, but they are actively growing into other communities. I know this because the president of CIA (gosh, their acronym sounds so covert!) contacted me after I joined their organization online with an earnest request to get to know the polymer community better. After a lovely chat and a few emails, we are now working on polymer based content for the Alliance. How cool is that?
So, what is this organization and what might it do for you? Well, here is the skinny, straight from President, Abby Glassenberg:
Craft Industry Alliance is a community of craft professionals. Strengthen your creative business, stay up to date on industry news, and build connections within a supportive trade association. Artists who are interested in becoming teachers of their craft, writing books, and showing their work in galleries need to think about setting up a solid business foundation from which to grow. Marketing and branding, legal, accounting and tax issues, social media and blogging … these are all issues creative business owners need to think through. Don’t do it alone! Come together with 1,300+ fellow members in a supportive community where you can find solid answers to your questions, make connections with the right people, and find the resources you need. Check it out at https://www.craftindustryalliance.org
As you can see, the organization is focused on active artists who show and sell their work or promote themselves as teachers or writers. It doesn’t really matter how small or how big your creative operation is, you’ll always benefit from a little help and I think it’s a fantastic idea to have a community of people from all areas of craft supporting each other. I’ve always been a little worried that the polymer community has remained a bit insular since we have issues that few other material arenas have, being such a very young material, working with a plastic in an environmentally sensitive world, and battling the “kids art material” image. But growth in this community will come from the outside, not from within so the more we reach out and network with other craft artists and the larger craft community, the more energized and innovative we will be as a whole and that will keep the community growing and vital.
The Sage Sabbatical
So, as most of you probably know by now, August starts my little sabbatical from production work on print publications so I can attend to some health issues. I have to admit, it’s made me a little depressed. It’s just rather sudden and I’m such a workaholic and so used to having a deadline hanging over me all the time so it’s a little unnerving. Luckily, it actually started out busy since we wrapped up the release of The Polymer Studio Issue #3. It turned out just beautiful and we’ve already received so many great comments on it with particular excitement around articles like the fascinating story of Brazil’s polymer master, Beatriz Cominatto, Debbie Crothers’ acrylic and polymer exploration, and Jan’s multi-color skinner blend techniques.
If you’re waiting on your copy, the digital edition went out on the 31st – check spam/junk mail folders if you’re due one and didn’t see it in your inbox. Print editions went to the post office this past Wednesday, so they are on the way too. I have my batch of stock here if you need to order it. Just go to the website.
We also added a Special 3 issue Package of all three of The Polymer Studio issues if you need to do some catching up.
If you’re unfamiliar with my silly little situation that forced me into taking time off, you can find the more-or-less full story in our most recent newsletter here.
If you don’t get our twice a month newsletter, signing up for the newsletter is one of the best ways to stay informed on our publications and new projects, of which there will be something before the year ends even if I can’t do print! But yes, I promise I will not overextend myself and do with the doctor orders!
Speaking of which … I should go now. I hope you are excited by the peek at quilts and the connection to polymer. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend and an inspired week!
Read MoreYou know when you are having a rough week and then something just pops up and makes you smile—that quick change of mood can be such a boost. These Twiggy Muses by Gera Scott Chandler were just such a ticket for me today. It’s a crazy time here at Tenth Muse headquarters with two books on the way, a new magazine to get off the ground, and old Murphy and his silly law throwing things at us left and right, so anything that elicits a spontaneous grin is golden to me.
Gera’s work always gets me smiling, so I was happy to see her pop up on my Instagram feed with one of these beauties. I bounced over to her account to see that there is a whole tribe of twiggy-headed muses out in the world. Mixing natural elements with her joyous colors and organically fun textures topped with these cute little faces makes it very apparent why she calls her studio aMused Creations. I am well and happily amused. Aren’t you?
Gera has always created to the beat of her own drum and is not afraid to add whatever inspires her. Her muses have been around for a bit and have taken a number of forms. Why not take some time to wander through her website and her Instgram account while I go attend to Murphy and his laws?
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Although I’ve been so buried over here under the enthusiasm of readers and the many orders for the Polymer Journeys book as well as getting ready for the Summer issue and picking up slack while my key staff is in the process of moving or settling into a new home, my better half has regularly been dragging me away from work to help with the new home project, a large fish tank. I thought setting this up would be more like a chore but I have to say, it’s actually quite a creative process, picking out fish with an appropriate mix of sizes, colors, textures and temperaments as well as plants and structures for the fish to play around and hide under. The tank is like a canvas with a whole composition to work out. With two artists on it, our conversations have sounded more like we are working on a collaborative painting than creating an underwater environment so it’s been quite the relaxing and creative escape.
I also seem to be spotting more and more fish in the streams of art going through Flickr, on Pinterest and in my Facebook searches. (It’s been a little creepy actually … like the computer knows what I’ve been up to when I’m away from it!) So I’ve pulled a few favorites to share this week.
I absolutely adore the work of Gera Scott Chandler and spotted her hand in this Halibut Bowl as soon as I saw it. Her intense colors and the surprised expressions of the silly fish make me smile every time I look at it. The circular texture of the bowl emulates a flow of water and, with the saturation of these colors, it collectively gives the bowl a very energetic and fun feel.
Gera has a beautiful new site here. There isn’t a gallery but if you want to get this bowl for yourself, it is up for sale! You can keep up with her latest creative endeavors (including lots of fish!) on her Facebook page as well.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Bring your outside life into your studio. What has been going on in your family or social world, or with you personally that you can pull visuals from or create visuals for. If you’ve been spring gardening, bring a texture you’ve seen in the plants or the landscape into a piece of your art. If you have a lot of abstract things going on, imagine what colors, shapes or textures could represent it and create work around the visuals you conjure up in your mind.
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Read MoreFrames are great for directing focus and presenting your beads and surface treatments but it let’s look at one more way to make them an integral element. In this case, let’s essentially make them the beads themsevles.
In this beaded necklace by Gera Scott Chandler, she provides a rich three dimensional bead by combining multiple elements, which includes beads and frames.
This Canadian artist likes to combine polymer clay with found objects for her mixed media wearable art, canvases and sculptures. Gera’s work can be found in collections in Canada, USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan, as well as on her Flickr site. She talks also about her process, and even provides some brief tutorials, in her blog “a Mused Studio” on her website.
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.
Figurative sculpture, of course, doesn’t need to be literal. In fact, with polymer, you have this wide open invitation to play with shape, color, texture, etc., and just go wild because… why not?
Gera Scott Chandler has become one of my favorite artists in recent years because of her very unique style, sense of playfulness, and rather emotive work. These muses below appear so optimistic and benevolent due to the facial expression and stance, with a joy and liveliness radiating from the mix of color and texture. It’s quite the metaphor for moments of great inspiration.
This kind of work is a brilliant (pun intended!) example of how techniques and approaches in polymer can cross over from jewelry or decor to sculpture. There is a freedom in this kind of sculpture that, if you haven’t already, you should try. You can even use your favorite jewelry or decor techniques. You don’t have the engineering of how a piece of jewelry will hang or the restrictions of the functionality or form of a piece of home decor. And if you usually do more realistic sculpture, taking a stab at this looser approach will allow you to let go of the reality of forms so you can just play. Its just pure art and pure expression, which you may find to be a wonderful way to get your creativity to get up and stretch a bit.
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Ricky Maldonado has to be at least a little bit obsessive. I saw his ceramic work as an image on Pinterest first and thought for certain I was looking at a polymer cane covered form. But no, the designs he applies are completely hand done, every dot, every dash drawn out on the piece before he carefully fills in the pattern with glazes.
He creates teapots, plates, gift boxes and other vessels as well as balance focused sculptures like this one he titled Alien Mardi Gras.
Ricky’s work is just another reminder that with polymer, we really do have it easy. We can develop patterns of intense intricacy with a handful of skillful steps and end up with yards of it from that one process. We can cover any kind of form with an infinite array of color, marks and texture and rather rapidly.
But sometimes, an extensive, hand applied process just can’t be beat. We have a couple artists in the next issue that apply detail carefully and fastidiously to achieve a complexity that draws you in not just in wonder at the visual impact but also in wonder at the patience and vision that created them. When the Spring issue of The Polymer Arts comes out (due to be mailed in digital and print out by the 18th) look for the work of artists such as Aniko Kolesnikova, Gera Scott Chandler, Marisol Ross, Sandra McCaw and Susan Dyer … all artist who obviously spend a great deal of time working out and developing the details in their pieces.
Quick and simple can be great for producing a large number of items that can be sold at a reasonable cost but as an artist, there is nothing to compare to a piece you spend hours and days, maybe even weeks or months with, a piece that gets every last consideration and fully expresses your intent and vision. These kinds of pieces take time, are harder to sell for a price worthy of your efforts (we also have an article on pricing your art work in this next issue) and can be much harder to part, especially if you don’t do this kind of thing often. But then, if you find you love it and do have a hard time parting with such pieces, doesn’t that just tell you that you probably need to take this approach more often?
Something to ponder this weekend. Me, I will be pondering the last of the seemingly never-ending details that accompany a periodical being readied for the printer. At least this is the kind of project is something I not only have no problem parting with, I am thrilled to send it out to all of you so you can get as excited about the inspiring ideas, words and art of the artists who so generously share their stories and work with us this issue. I very much look forward to hearing what you think.
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Gera Scott Chandler has lately been working on a concept she calls suspended vessels. They appear more as sculptural pieces than functional decor although they are both.
The central aspect of these pieces is a woven basket suspended between a series of tall thin sculptures that appear, in either an abstract or literal manner, to be figurative totems all facing inward. The impression is that there is a gathering of people with a yet to be filled basket connecting them, giving the open vessel a mysterious importance, as if these people have gathered to either give or receive something very precious.
The photos show rather subdued colors but they are actually quite colorful. Take a closer look here on her blog.
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