Man-made Handmade
March 3, 2019
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news, The Polymer Arts magazine news
Have you noticed that most people who work in polymer will cite nature as their primary inspiration? Do you, or would you, too? But isn’t it ironic that, as inspired as we are by nature, we work with a wholly man-made material? I’ve been thinking about this because, as I polished up the Polymer Journeys 2019 book, I was making notes on some of the trends and I noticed that all but three people who cited their inspiration said they were inspired by nature. It got me to thinking about why we aren’t more inspired by the man-made world, as rich and diverse as it is.
My curiosity piqued, I did some research and made more notes to see if, for one, my perception was correct in that polymer artists look to nature more than anything and, secondly, to see what things other than nature inspire people. So, the observations that inspiration from nature is predominant in polymer art was upheld by all I looked through. I also found it interesting that, when it boils down to it, nearly everything in almost all art forms looks to be inspired by nature or by man-made styles and designs that themselves were inspired by nature. To see examples of where nature is inspiration for man-made design, just take a look at styles such as Baroque or Art Deco. Flowers, trees, leaves, vines, butterflies, birds, and a myriad of other natural flora and fauna are evident sources of inspiration in the forms and lines of those styles. We might be inspired by the designs of that age but the inspiration is still rooted in nature.
However, I did my best to find pieces that were inspired by man-made objects, scenes, or styles. Let me tell you, it was not terribly easy but just because it is less often turned to does not mean it doesn’t have wonderful forms, colors, motifs, and textures for all of us. Let’s take a look at some of the work created by polymer artists who are inspired by the man-made.
A Gallery of Man-made Inspiration
One of the first people who came to mind when thinking about man-made inspiration was Cornelia Brockstedt. She has had several series such as “Street Life” and her “City” bangles. She also did a series of what she called “graphical studies” in 2015. So I went to her Flickr photo stream to find something to share with you and it struck me that, even with the graphical tendencies and inspiration taken from city life, there is so much organic that shows up in her work. This tended to be true with a lot of artists. This pendant, one of my favorite pieces of hers, was inspired by sidewalks and the grass that grows up from around it. So it was inspired by man-made walkways but with contrast in the nature that is still sneaking in.
Another artist who came to mind, even before I started my search, was Sona Grigoryan. She did a lovely series of polymer and resin pieces inspired by the Barcelona cathedrals and stained-glass windows she sees where she lives.
And of course, we have to consider the work of the Georg Dinkel who is inspired by architecture and machinery to the extent that even when he decides to create some creatures, they too look mechanical. He is also, apparently, inspired by literature and humor, as this Don Quixote scene he set up with two of his mechanized creatures hints at.
And, when talking mechanical, we certainly can’t ignore the influence of the mechanical from movements like steampunk. From jewelry to sculpture to journals and phone cases, this style is everywhere but it’s hard to say whether polymer found steampunk or steampunk found polymer first. The steampunk monster heart that opened this post is a sculpture by Kimberly Hart who posts under MonsterKookies on Etsy.
Carol Blackburn, whose work is so colorful and graphic, often cites fashion styles and movements as her source of inspiration. I think these fall under her “Missoni” fashion inspired line.
Another artist who seems quite enamored of fabric but also of metal and other man-made textures is Nikolina Otrzan. Mostly, she’s just a texture fiend but you’ll notice that her textures generally have a certain uniformity to them that automatically makes them feel that they would be man-made in origin, whether they were intended to or not. Even her shapes, like these tube pieces, reflect a penchant for uniformity that is beautifully balanced with her choice of rough or edge softening surface treatments.
So has this got you pondering the possibilities of man-made forms and textures as a source of inspiration for you? I know I’ve been looking at the shapes in my house, the walls in the neighborhood, and the forms on the buildings I pass with new eyes.
Going for Man-made
Freebies
If you want to try a few man-made inspired textures or forms, there are quite a few out there although the quick and free were a bit more scarce. Nonetheless, here are a few pages with related free tutorials. You’ll want to pop the last two URLs into Google translate if it doesn’t automatically translate for you:
- Faux ceramics tutorial.
- Faux Peruvian fabric.
- There are actually a lot of steampunk tuts you can find with any search but here is a fun Steampunk Seahorse.
Tutorial Shops
Your best sources of tutorial with man-made inspiration are going to cost a couple of bucks, but are well worth it. Here are some of my favorite shops for this:
- Anything from Nikolina Otrzan‘s shop is just fabulous.
- Angela Barenholtz has beautiful fabric techniques to share.
- If you really just want to get more graphical, you can’t beat tutorials from Bettina Welker.
A Bit o’ News
And now for a few tidbits about things going on in the polymer community you might want to know about:
Vote for the 2018 International Polymer Clay Awards!
The International Polymer Clay Association member voting is now open through March 8. Active members should have received an email with a link for your ballot. If your membership has expired please renew at www.theipca.org before March 8, 2019 so that you may vote for your favorites.
Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes Online Courses
Dan and Tracy have recently announced the lineup for their 2019 online Master Classes. Check out the present information and sign up for future announcements on their website here.
Polymer Journeys 2019 has been released!
- Our latest publication, the second installment of the Polymer Journeys retrospective series was released this morning in digital format for those who purchased early or otherwise supported the project. (It was noon PST time if you need to search your inbox or your spam folder if not there.)
- Print Pre-orders (ordered prior to Feb 27th) will go into the mail a little later than we had hoped but will be shipped directly from the printer on March 6. Our shipment should be our doorstep March 8, so newer orders will ship out as soon as we have them in our hot little hands. Buy yours here if you haven’t yet. (We’ve already sold half our print run so don’t wait too long!)
- BOGO Half Off! We’ve added special package pricing for the new book … Purchase both the 2016 and 2019 edition of Polymer Journeys with half off the 2016 book, or get both the print and digital edition of the new 2019 book with half off the digital. No promo code needed. Packages available here when you click on the Polymer Journeys book cover here.
- The Polymer Arts Collection on sale for HALF off! Purchases the whole collection of The Polymer Arts and get HALF off the entire package – all 29 Digital issues or the 23 Print issues we still have available. If you want to collect them, now would be the time!
Until next week, have an inspired and creative Sunday and upcoming week!
The Shape of Polymer in Russia
May 2, 2017
Inspirational Art
Russia is in the news a lot lately, especially out here in the States, but the conversation is not often a positive one, which can leave us with a rather uneven view of things. Personally, I think Russia is an amazingly beautiful place and I have so enjoyed the people I have met from there. My parents spent some time traveling through the country in the 90s and the photos and stories they brought home were so wonderful and memorable.
Their artistic heritage and rich culture translates beautifully to modern materials like polymer but it is not easy to find a good range of the work being done in Russia since on the internet, the difference in language keeps their pieces, listed on Russian sites and with Russian text, from popping up on English searches. So this week, we’re going to take a look at Russian polymer work in a teeny tiny effort to rectify this.
The idea for the theme this week came from the IPCA‘s most recent International Polymer Clay publication, a digital publication sent to members every other month. When I saw this wall piece, referred to in the brief article’s title as a Russian Blanket, I just thought it would be a shame not to get this out to more people. This community project, coordinated by Svetlana Taratunina had 362 polymer participants contribute work for the completely polymer quilted map of Russia. The piece is going on tour in the country right now although no schedule was mentioned.
If you are a member of the IPCA, you should have this publication in your inbox right now (or check your spam folder). If you’re not a member, considering supporting our community’s central organization with a membership and you’ll be getting this little treasure of a publication in your inbox every other month.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
IPCA Auction … Join the Madness
July 29, 2016
Inspirational Art
Live auctions are mad. There is such a scramble for the items up for bid because you know it’s your only chance to get that rare piece that caught your eye and you can feel that same energy from others in the room. Online auctions won’t have that same live energy but there is a scramble nonetheless! The IPCA, in an effort to include members that were not able to attend Eurosynergy this year, saved about half the donated items this year and created an online auction that you can participate in.
Have you ever dreamed of owning an original Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, a Melanie Muir, or a Bettina Welker piece? Those big names and others have donated their gorgeous work to help raise money for the IPCA projects. So it’s not only a chance to own a beautiful piece, like this unusual Kathleen Dustin necklace, but its money that goes to a cause dedicated to polymer artists. The IPCA has a lot of ambitious ideas on the drawing board but they need money to get them of the ground. So take a look at the items up for bid on the IPCA auction page.
Our contribution was a copy of Polymer Journeys signed by 25 of the contributing artists. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, this is the copy to have. Or if you have one but want one signed by so many of the artists you love, you can bid on this rare copy here. If you just can’t wait, get your copy from our website at 10% off the cover!
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
_________________________________________
Inspired Pins–Portugal
May 5, 2014
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
So you saw Dan’s pin that started this different version of the inspiration centered project on my previous blog (see it here.) Now he has sent me three of the resulting pins to share with you until he is back and can get the whole project up on their own website and Facebook pages.
The first is from Cristina Almeida who lives in Lisbon, Portugal. Can you see what she pulled from Dan’s work to create her own personal version?
Go back and look at Dan’s pin and see where they connect. Then take a gander at more of Christina’s work to better understand where her style and aesthetics meet and what she drew from Dan’s work on her Flickr page and blog site.
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.
Success by Working Together
March 18, 2013
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
My apologies for this being late today. Travel plans were a little more hectic than expected, but I am safely back in Colorado after a most energizing week. Now that the majority of the fun is over, the hard work is about to start. I’ll be going through all my notes and recordings soon, putting together a picture of what Synergy was about. There were numerous important discussions, but they were only discussion – taking action is the important step and we’ll be doing our part here at The Polymer Arts to ensure, in whatever way we can, that discussions continue and the material we love is raised to higher ground.
We did have two extremely successful fundraising efforts at the show. The primary one was for the IPCA, and a good number of well-known artists donated to the auctions. This beautiful piece was donated by Julie Picarello who was not able to attend but sent this to be auctioned to help raise funds for the IPCA’s efforts.
The IPCA auctions broke records, which is fantastic considering all of the whispering about big plans for the IPCA. On top of this generosity, individuals and the IPCA itself, as well as Ron LeHockey (each putting in $1,000; and Ron was matching funds … not the first time he’s done that!) pitched in to help raise the rest of the money needed for the Samunnat project. Not only did the group manage to meet the project’s goal, but it was actually surpassed by nearly $2,00o. Now, the women in Nepal who benefit from this can get the building they need, as well as furniture and other things that will make their lives and efforts easier and more impactful.
We’ll get out a bit more news this week along with some pretties but right now, I need to catch up on some sleep. Until then …
Higher Grounds
January 20, 2013
Inspirational Art
This quote brought two thoughts to mind. First, there has been a bit of chat on several fronts lately about criticism. It is really pointless and even unkind to give criticism that is of a purely negative nature, yet it’s not that uncommon for people to blurt such things out. If you have people like that around you, don’t listen and don’t keep them around. What you need are people that support you. They don’t always have to agree and they may not like something you’ve made but if they can tell you why and give suggestions, they are the ones that will help lift you and your work.
It also reminded me of the theme of the upcoming Synergy 3–Higher Ground. I can’t wait for this show. Being around the enthusiasm and creativity of so many dedicated polymer artists … talk about lifting one up! If you can manage it, you really should try to make it. It only happens every two years, so it will be your last chance to be among so many kindred souls for another couple years. Check out the details on the IPCA website.
An Abundance of Color
December 17, 2012
Inspirational Art
My weekend was largely spent judging entries for the IPCA’s Progress & Possibilities competition. (If you are a member, you are eligible to cast votes for the Member’s Choice portion of the competition. Check your email for you invitation to vote or go to the IPCA website to request a voting token be sent to you.) The use of color this year was either very bold or completely subdued. Going subdued can be relatively easy compared to going bold and having to judge when enough is enough.
I thought this when perusing pendants created by Cathy of Dumauvobleu. Her work is a bombardment of color as well as visual texture. But, for the most part, she does keep it from getting out of control. This pendant below is, I think, pushing that boundary but it just sits on the edge of tipping over. The well dispersed use of blues manages to hold it together and the sun like image created by the cane slice and radiating lines on the bottom right create a focal point that where your eye can rest, even if it can’t do so for very long with all that is going on.
After that, the success of a piece like this comes down to skill and finish. The inlay is well done without any noticeable spaces and the edges are blended with the use of pin prick points so even if the color and texture strikes you as a bit overboard, you can still call it a well done piece.
Make note as you look around at the work of various artists, how some can pull off a great looking piece even when the attention to finishing is obviously not a priority. Then there are pieces that may not be particularly original or dramatic but you are entranced by how well finished they are. Of course, when both design choices and finish are well done, it is a work to just drool over.
Progress & Possibilities 2012
October 19, 2012
Polymer community news
We interrupt this week’s Outside Influence installment with an important announcement … If you have not already seen the announcement, the IPCA opened registration for entry into the Progress and Possibilities juried online exhibition. It’s one of the biggest events of its kind in our community so well worth looking into. There are categories for every level of polymer artists too.
If you are unfamiliar with this annual event, you can check out last year’s exhibition art here: http://theipca.org/gallery/index.php/Progress-Possibilities-2011 Below is the winning piece for the professional category in sculpting. Fox and Grapes is a piece by Doreen Kassel (an artist who was also featured in The Polymer Art’s Fall 2012 Mentor Artist’s Gallery)
Here is the official announcement information:
“Progress & Possibilities 2012,” an online juried exhibition of polymer clay art is open to IPCA members only. The purpose of Progress & Possibilities is to encourage and acknowledge promise, innovation, and individuality in the work of individual polymer clay artists, at all stages of professional development, and to advance public awareness of and appreciation for the fine craft of polymer clay. This official online exhibition of the International Polymer Clay Association will showcase the finest work completed this year by our members throughout the world.
Go to the IPCA’s website for more info and get your work ready!
Synergy Presenters Announced
September 1, 2012
Polymer community news
Synergy, the one and only keynote polymer clay community conference run by the IPCA, is set for March 2013 in Atlanta. Information on presenters and programming is starting to emerge.
Yours truly is honored to be one of the presenters and panelists. I’ll have presentations on the new idea for a central polymer clay online knowledge library with Maggie Maggio as well as a workshop on turning your love of polymer into publication opportunities. I have also been asked to be represent The Polymer Arts magazine (I’m not sure who else would have … I think my cat might feel she has a thing or two to say on the matter!) on a panel on craft publications where we’ll answer questions and, I hope, get the kind of input from you, the community, that can help direct the content we publishers will be offering you in the coming years.
The real draw though would be just the wealth of information, the insane level of creative brain waves that will infuse the conference, and the chance to meet truly huge names in our scene such as Christi Friesen, Judy Belcher, Lindly Haunani, Cynthia Tinnapple, and Jeffery Lloyd Dever — all of whom will be presenting and teaching workshops.
Have you noticed that most people who work in polymer will cite nature as their primary inspiration? Do you, or would you, too? But isn’t it ironic that, as inspired as we are by nature, we work with a wholly man-made material? I’ve been thinking about this because, as I polished up the Polymer Journeys 2019 book, I was making notes on some of the trends and I noticed that all but three people who cited their inspiration said they were inspired by nature. It got me to thinking about why we aren’t more inspired by the man-made world, as rich and diverse as it is.
My curiosity piqued, I did some research and made more notes to see if, for one, my perception was correct in that polymer artists look to nature more than anything and, secondly, to see what things other than nature inspire people. So, the observations that inspiration from nature is predominant in polymer art was upheld by all I looked through. I also found it interesting that, when it boils down to it, nearly everything in almost all art forms looks to be inspired by nature or by man-made styles and designs that themselves were inspired by nature. To see examples of where nature is inspiration for man-made design, just take a look at styles such as Baroque or Art Deco. Flowers, trees, leaves, vines, butterflies, birds, and a myriad of other natural flora and fauna are evident sources of inspiration in the forms and lines of those styles. We might be inspired by the designs of that age but the inspiration is still rooted in nature.
However, I did my best to find pieces that were inspired by man-made objects, scenes, or styles. Let me tell you, it was not terribly easy but just because it is less often turned to does not mean it doesn’t have wonderful forms, colors, motifs, and textures for all of us. Let’s take a look at some of the work created by polymer artists who are inspired by the man-made.
A Gallery of Man-made Inspiration
One of the first people who came to mind when thinking about man-made inspiration was Cornelia Brockstedt. She has had several series such as “Street Life” and her “City” bangles. She also did a series of what she called “graphical studies” in 2015. So I went to her Flickr photo stream to find something to share with you and it struck me that, even with the graphical tendencies and inspiration taken from city life, there is so much organic that shows up in her work. This tended to be true with a lot of artists. This pendant, one of my favorite pieces of hers, was inspired by sidewalks and the grass that grows up from around it. So it was inspired by man-made walkways but with contrast in the nature that is still sneaking in.
Another artist who came to mind, even before I started my search, was Sona Grigoryan. She did a lovely series of polymer and resin pieces inspired by the Barcelona cathedrals and stained-glass windows she sees where she lives.
And of course, we have to consider the work of the Georg Dinkel who is inspired by architecture and machinery to the extent that even when he decides to create some creatures, they too look mechanical. He is also, apparently, inspired by literature and humor, as this Don Quixote scene he set up with two of his mechanized creatures hints at.
And, when talking mechanical, we certainly can’t ignore the influence of the mechanical from movements like steampunk. From jewelry to sculpture to journals and phone cases, this style is everywhere but it’s hard to say whether polymer found steampunk or steampunk found polymer first. The steampunk monster heart that opened this post is a sculpture by Kimberly Hart who posts under MonsterKookies on Etsy.
Carol Blackburn, whose work is so colorful and graphic, often cites fashion styles and movements as her source of inspiration. I think these fall under her “Missoni” fashion inspired line.
Another artist who seems quite enamored of fabric but also of metal and other man-made textures is Nikolina Otrzan. Mostly, she’s just a texture fiend but you’ll notice that her textures generally have a certain uniformity to them that automatically makes them feel that they would be man-made in origin, whether they were intended to or not. Even her shapes, like these tube pieces, reflect a penchant for uniformity that is beautifully balanced with her choice of rough or edge softening surface treatments.
So has this got you pondering the possibilities of man-made forms and textures as a source of inspiration for you? I know I’ve been looking at the shapes in my house, the walls in the neighborhood, and the forms on the buildings I pass with new eyes.
Going for Man-made
Freebies
If you want to try a few man-made inspired textures or forms, there are quite a few out there although the quick and free were a bit more scarce. Nonetheless, here are a few pages with related free tutorials. You’ll want to pop the last two URLs into Google translate if it doesn’t automatically translate for you:
- Faux ceramics tutorial.
- Faux Peruvian fabric.
- There are actually a lot of steampunk tuts you can find with any search but here is a fun Steampunk Seahorse.
Tutorial Shops
Your best sources of tutorial with man-made inspiration are going to cost a couple of bucks, but are well worth it. Here are some of my favorite shops for this:
- Anything from Nikolina Otrzan‘s shop is just fabulous.
- Angela Barenholtz has beautiful fabric techniques to share.
- If you really just want to get more graphical, you can’t beat tutorials from Bettina Welker.
A Bit o’ News
And now for a few tidbits about things going on in the polymer community you might want to know about:
Vote for the 2018 International Polymer Clay Awards!
The International Polymer Clay Association member voting is now open through March 8. Active members should have received an email with a link for your ballot. If your membership has expired please renew at www.theipca.org before March 8, 2019 so that you may vote for your favorites.
Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes Online Courses
Dan and Tracy have recently announced the lineup for their 2019 online Master Classes. Check out the present information and sign up for future announcements on their website here.
Polymer Journeys 2019 has been released!
- Our latest publication, the second installment of the Polymer Journeys retrospective series was released this morning in digital format for those who purchased early or otherwise supported the project. (It was noon PST time if you need to search your inbox or your spam folder if not there.)
- Print Pre-orders (ordered prior to Feb 27th) will go into the mail a little later than we had hoped but will be shipped directly from the printer on March 6. Our shipment should be our doorstep March 8, so newer orders will ship out as soon as we have them in our hot little hands. Buy yours here if you haven’t yet. (We’ve already sold half our print run so don’t wait too long!)
- BOGO Half Off! We’ve added special package pricing for the new book … Purchase both the 2016 and 2019 edition of Polymer Journeys with half off the 2016 book, or get both the print and digital edition of the new 2019 book with half off the digital. No promo code needed. Packages available here when you click on the Polymer Journeys book cover here.
- The Polymer Arts Collection on sale for HALF off! Purchases the whole collection of The Polymer Arts and get HALF off the entire package – all 29 Digital issues or the 23 Print issues we still have available. If you want to collect them, now would be the time!
Until next week, have an inspired and creative Sunday and upcoming week!
Read MoreRussia is in the news a lot lately, especially out here in the States, but the conversation is not often a positive one, which can leave us with a rather uneven view of things. Personally, I think Russia is an amazingly beautiful place and I have so enjoyed the people I have met from there. My parents spent some time traveling through the country in the 90s and the photos and stories they brought home were so wonderful and memorable.
Their artistic heritage and rich culture translates beautifully to modern materials like polymer but it is not easy to find a good range of the work being done in Russia since on the internet, the difference in language keeps their pieces, listed on Russian sites and with Russian text, from popping up on English searches. So this week, we’re going to take a look at Russian polymer work in a teeny tiny effort to rectify this.
The idea for the theme this week came from the IPCA‘s most recent International Polymer Clay publication, a digital publication sent to members every other month. When I saw this wall piece, referred to in the brief article’s title as a Russian Blanket, I just thought it would be a shame not to get this out to more people. This community project, coordinated by Svetlana Taratunina had 362 polymer participants contribute work for the completely polymer quilted map of Russia. The piece is going on tour in the country right now although no schedule was mentioned.
If you are a member of the IPCA, you should have this publication in your inbox right now (or check your spam folder). If you’re not a member, considering supporting our community’s central organization with a membership and you’ll be getting this little treasure of a publication in your inbox every other month.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Read MoreLive auctions are mad. There is such a scramble for the items up for bid because you know it’s your only chance to get that rare piece that caught your eye and you can feel that same energy from others in the room. Online auctions won’t have that same live energy but there is a scramble nonetheless! The IPCA, in an effort to include members that were not able to attend Eurosynergy this year, saved about half the donated items this year and created an online auction that you can participate in.
Have you ever dreamed of owning an original Jeffrey Lloyd Dever, a Melanie Muir, or a Bettina Welker piece? Those big names and others have donated their gorgeous work to help raise money for the IPCA projects. So it’s not only a chance to own a beautiful piece, like this unusual Kathleen Dustin necklace, but its money that goes to a cause dedicated to polymer artists. The IPCA has a lot of ambitious ideas on the drawing board but they need money to get them of the ground. So take a look at the items up for bid on the IPCA auction page.
Our contribution was a copy of Polymer Journeys signed by 25 of the contributing artists. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, this is the copy to have. Or if you have one but want one signed by so many of the artists you love, you can bid on this rare copy here. If you just can’t wait, get your copy from our website at 10% off the cover!
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
_________________________________________
Read MoreSo you saw Dan’s pin that started this different version of the inspiration centered project on my previous blog (see it here.) Now he has sent me three of the resulting pins to share with you until he is back and can get the whole project up on their own website and Facebook pages.
The first is from Cristina Almeida who lives in Lisbon, Portugal. Can you see what she pulled from Dan’s work to create her own personal version?
Go back and look at Dan’s pin and see where they connect. Then take a gander at more of Christina’s work to better understand where her style and aesthetics meet and what she drew from Dan’s work on her Flickr page and blog site.
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.
My apologies for this being late today. Travel plans were a little more hectic than expected, but I am safely back in Colorado after a most energizing week. Now that the majority of the fun is over, the hard work is about to start. I’ll be going through all my notes and recordings soon, putting together a picture of what Synergy was about. There were numerous important discussions, but they were only discussion – taking action is the important step and we’ll be doing our part here at The Polymer Arts to ensure, in whatever way we can, that discussions continue and the material we love is raised to higher ground.
We did have two extremely successful fundraising efforts at the show. The primary one was for the IPCA, and a good number of well-known artists donated to the auctions. This beautiful piece was donated by Julie Picarello who was not able to attend but sent this to be auctioned to help raise funds for the IPCA’s efforts.
The IPCA auctions broke records, which is fantastic considering all of the whispering about big plans for the IPCA. On top of this generosity, individuals and the IPCA itself, as well as Ron LeHockey (each putting in $1,000; and Ron was matching funds … not the first time he’s done that!) pitched in to help raise the rest of the money needed for the Samunnat project. Not only did the group manage to meet the project’s goal, but it was actually surpassed by nearly $2,00o. Now, the women in Nepal who benefit from this can get the building they need, as well as furniture and other things that will make their lives and efforts easier and more impactful.
We’ll get out a bit more news this week along with some pretties but right now, I need to catch up on some sleep. Until then …
Read More
This quote brought two thoughts to mind. First, there has been a bit of chat on several fronts lately about criticism. It is really pointless and even unkind to give criticism that is of a purely negative nature, yet it’s not that uncommon for people to blurt such things out. If you have people like that around you, don’t listen and don’t keep them around. What you need are people that support you. They don’t always have to agree and they may not like something you’ve made but if they can tell you why and give suggestions, they are the ones that will help lift you and your work.
It also reminded me of the theme of the upcoming Synergy 3–Higher Ground. I can’t wait for this show. Being around the enthusiasm and creativity of so many dedicated polymer artists … talk about lifting one up! If you can manage it, you really should try to make it. It only happens every two years, so it will be your last chance to be among so many kindred souls for another couple years. Check out the details on the IPCA website.
Read More
My weekend was largely spent judging entries for the IPCA’s Progress & Possibilities competition. (If you are a member, you are eligible to cast votes for the Member’s Choice portion of the competition. Check your email for you invitation to vote or go to the IPCA website to request a voting token be sent to you.) The use of color this year was either very bold or completely subdued. Going subdued can be relatively easy compared to going bold and having to judge when enough is enough.
I thought this when perusing pendants created by Cathy of Dumauvobleu. Her work is a bombardment of color as well as visual texture. But, for the most part, she does keep it from getting out of control. This pendant below is, I think, pushing that boundary but it just sits on the edge of tipping over. The well dispersed use of blues manages to hold it together and the sun like image created by the cane slice and radiating lines on the bottom right create a focal point that where your eye can rest, even if it can’t do so for very long with all that is going on.
After that, the success of a piece like this comes down to skill and finish. The inlay is well done without any noticeable spaces and the edges are blended with the use of pin prick points so even if the color and texture strikes you as a bit overboard, you can still call it a well done piece.
Make note as you look around at the work of various artists, how some can pull off a great looking piece even when the attention to finishing is obviously not a priority. Then there are pieces that may not be particularly original or dramatic but you are entranced by how well finished they are. Of course, when both design choices and finish are well done, it is a work to just drool over.
Read MoreWe interrupt this week’s Outside Influence installment with an important announcement … If you have not already seen the announcement, the IPCA opened registration for entry into the Progress and Possibilities juried online exhibition. It’s one of the biggest events of its kind in our community so well worth looking into. There are categories for every level of polymer artists too.
If you are unfamiliar with this annual event, you can check out last year’s exhibition art here: http://theipca.org/gallery/index.php/Progress-Possibilities-2011 Below is the winning piece for the professional category in sculpting. Fox and Grapes is a piece by Doreen Kassel (an artist who was also featured in The Polymer Art’s Fall 2012 Mentor Artist’s Gallery)
Here is the official announcement information:
“Progress & Possibilities 2012,” an online juried exhibition of polymer clay art is open to IPCA members only. The purpose of Progress & Possibilities is to encourage and acknowledge promise, innovation, and individuality in the work of individual polymer clay artists, at all stages of professional development, and to advance public awareness of and appreciation for the fine craft of polymer clay. This official online exhibition of the International Polymer Clay Association will showcase the finest work completed this year by our members throughout the world.
Go to the IPCA’s website for more info and get your work ready!
Read MoreSynergy, the one and only keynote polymer clay community conference run by the IPCA, is set for March 2013 in Atlanta. Information on presenters and programming is starting to emerge.
Yours truly is honored to be one of the presenters and panelists. I’ll have presentations on the new idea for a central polymer clay online knowledge library with Maggie Maggio as well as a workshop on turning your love of polymer into publication opportunities. I have also been asked to be represent The Polymer Arts magazine (I’m not sure who else would have … I think my cat might feel she has a thing or two to say on the matter!) on a panel on craft publications where we’ll answer questions and, I hope, get the kind of input from you, the community, that can help direct the content we publishers will be offering you in the coming years.
The real draw though would be just the wealth of information, the insane level of creative brain waves that will infuse the conference, and the chance to meet truly huge names in our scene such as Christi Friesen, Judy Belcher, Lindly Haunani, Cynthia Tinnapple, and Jeffery Lloyd Dever — all of whom will be presenting and teaching workshops.
