Colorfully Related
July 5, 2020
Inspirational Art
Vera of Handmade Blossom employs all major hues in this Rainbow Roses pendant.
How comfortable are you feeling about the terminology learned last week? Feel secure in your understanding of values, saturation, tints, shades, and tones? I do hope so because I am going to throw more terminology at you today but, thankfully, these will be pretty familiar to a lot of you although you might have felt uncertain or confused about them previously. For some of you, this will be brand-new which is super exciting and, in a way, it will be much easier for you to take it in, unencumbered by any previous confusion.
These concepts are standard color theory points within the old RYB color set that are also used when using CMY as the primaries. (If you don’t know about the RYB versus CMY situation please take a look at the post “Not the Hue You Know”. It’s a really interesting article, if I do say so myself!)
A wheel to reference as you read. Click to enlarge and open in another window.
Familial Color Relationships
So, if you have been reading my free posted lessons since the beginning of June, you have heard me talk about primary and secondary colors. These terms describe the relationship between colors but if you are going to get the most out of what you’ve been learning, you will need to know about a few more relationships that will be useful for both color mixing and choosing color palettes.
There are three standard terms used to define a kind of hierarchical order among hues that I think resemble a family. You can think of primaries as the elders, secondaries as their children, and tertiaries as their grandchildren.
Primary colors are the colors that cannot be mixed using other colors. On the color wheel we will be using, those three are Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Since, every color can be mixed from these three (this actually depends on the medium but let’s just go with it for now), they are extremely important and so are at the top of this hierarchy.
Secondary colors are those mixed using two primaries. On the CMY color wheel that is Red, Green, and Blue.
Tertiary colors are those made by mixing a primary and one of its two nearby secondary colors. These include yellow-green, green-cyan, blue-cyan, violet, red-magenta, and orange. You can see the predominance of hyphenated word descriptors for these colors but violet and orange have single word names since they were used on the RYB color wheel that was so prevalent for so many years as well as being identified wavelengths in the scientific world.
Now, for you purple lovers, let me make a side comment. I know, most of us are used to thinking and saying that purple comes between blue and magenta (or red) but purple is not actually a hue. The reason has to do with the light spectrum and the cones in our eyes and all kinds of scientific stuff I don’t think we need to get into. I did start talking in terms of purple earlier in the series of articles but that isn’t technically correct and because so many of you are now working off the CMY color wheel I recommended, and it refers to the color between magenta and blue as violet, I’m going to use the color name violet so as to not confuse too many people and because that really is the correct name.
So, these three types of hues – primaries (of which there are 3), secondaries (of which there are also 3), and tertiaries (of which there are 6) – do not, by far, encompass all the possible hues out there. They do, however, designate 12 useful portions of a color wheel that we can readily work with to identify color relationships necessary to the mixing and choosing of colors.
That was easy, right?
Color Combination Relations
Okay, so we just defined the metaphorical familial relationships between hues. Now, I want to talk about a different kind of relationship– the relationship between combinations of colors. We can think of these as cliques of friends. Just as some people get along with certain other people much better, certain colors get along with other colors much better. This is true for color palettes as well as for color mixing although maybe for color mixing we should think of it as team of coworkers where you put people (colors) together depending on what you need. Are my metaphors making any sense? I can only hope.
I’ll start you would just three color combination relationships – complementary, analogous, and split complementary. There are a number of other commonly used color relationships that fall under the friends/coworkers metaphor such as triads, tetrads, and squares but those won’t be important until we hit color palettes so we won’t muddle up your poor little brains with all that just yet. Plus, these are the only three that knee consideration in both palettes and mixing.
Complementary colors are those that are across the color wheel from each other. They are considered opposites and, if mixed together, they will include all three primaries in varying degrees. This is why compliments “tone” each other down instead of just creating a new hue as discussed last week. If you’re scratching your head, just look at the color wheel and look at any two complementary colors. Jot down what primary colors would make each of them and you’ll find that list would include one of each primary. You can also see the primaries included in each color on the outside edge of the Color Wheel Company’s color wheel.
Complementary violet and yellow-green are used in this polymer and gold ring by An Fen Kuo.
Analogous colors are those next to each other on the color wheel. Choosing 3-5 (out of our 12) colors in a row make for a harmonious color scheme.
Analogous range from green to yellow in this set by Jana Lehmann.
Split complementary colors refer to a color on that is next to a particular color’s complement.
Metal and enamel brooch by Marks Alexander with a blue cyan and its split complementaries of red and yellow
Now, why are these relationships important?
I am going to refer to these color relationships quite a bit when we get to color mixing and color palettes but let’s look at a bit of color mixing as a kind of demonstration. Don’t worry if this doesn’t sink in immediately. We will be going over this in more depth later. I have discovered in teaching that presenting the same thing several times in several different ways, especially over time, can really drive an idea home. So, here’s kind of a taster and then we will look delve into this again in the coming weeks.
Let’s say you’d like to make an olive green. You could just grab a green out of the bin an add a touch of black to it to make it darker and more neutral, right? Well, yes, you could but is it the olive you want? You may find that it still looks awfully, well, green, more like dark leaves than army jacket.
Below is a selectin of olive greens. Hold up the color wheel next to them. I think you’ll see that there is quite a bit of yellow in an olive green. Because of that, if the green you chose to start your color mixing is heavy on the cyan (leans towards blue) it will be hard to get to a satisfactory olive with just black. This is where prepackaged, already mixed, colors can be troublesome to mix with. I think you will find that mixing your own green, cyan and yellow, going heavy on the yellow, and then adding a bit of black will get you a nicer olive green.
If you want to get fancy with the color mixing, you might also try a touch of violet or magenta to “tone” down the color instead of depending wholly on the black to do it.
Now let’s see if things I have been saying are sticking with you. Look at the color wheel and then try to surmise why I suggested violet or magenta. What do you think?
Well, if you remember from last week’s discussion about tones, at mixing a little bit of a complementary color is what gives you a toned down color. So, violet works since it is the complement of a yellow-green but you can also use a color’s split compliments to tone it down which is one of the two reasons I suggested magenta as an option.
Perhaps you’ve put together the reason why this works from my earlier comment about why compliments tone things down. It’s because “toning down” is really all about the addition of the missing primary color that isn’t in the color you’re trying to tone down. Because of that, you can use any color that includes the missing primary, not just the complementary color.
So, a yellow-green has cyan and yellow in it but does not have any magenta in the mix, right? Therefore, you can actually tone it down with anything from orange to that indigo blue you see on the CMY color wheel. But why did I suggest magenta rather than violet? Well, I was thinking that maybe we don’t want to add too much more cyan to that olive green, in order to preserve more of that yellow in the yellow-green hue, and both violet and indigo blue have cyan in it. So, if you add a touch of magenta you, preserve more of the yellow. Of course, if you are yellow-green is yellower than you want, go for violator indigo. That will tone down the yellow a bit.
Here is another question for all you smarty-pants… Why do you think black, as discussed last week, is an option for toning down a color?
The answer is in what black is made of. If remember from way back in the first article in June, with pigments, black is the inclusion of all primary colors. So, if you had black, you are technically adding a missing primary to your color no matter what the color is. Right?
Isn’t it really cool how there is usually some pretty simple underlying reasoning behind all these color rules? Or maybe it’s just me. I always want to know why something works. If I know why I can remember it, use it, and abuse it as needed.
So, are you beginning to see why you would need to be familiar with where colors fall on the color wheel and how their relationships will inform your color mixing choices? Also knowing about these relationships makes remembering things like compliments easier – the complement to a primary is always a secondary and vice versa, and the complement of a tertiary color is always another tertiary. Easy stuff!
Explore Your Favorite Color Relationships
This week, if you want to explore these ideas further, just grab your color wheel (or view it here) and spend some lazy time looking it over and discovering more about how particular colors relate.
For instance, are you surprised the complement to red is cyan and not green? Orange and cyan blue actually are pretty familiar, aren’t they? And that indigo blue on the wheel is not so far off from purple so the purple-yellow complement combination you might have been acquainted with from the RYB color wheel also feels comfortably familiar.
Find a set or two of three analogous colors that have high contrast. Even though they are all next each other on the color wheel, that doesn’t mean they have the same or similar values, nor does it mean that it needs to look basically monochromatic. Can you find some analogous color combinations you like, ones that you might use in an upcoming project?
Find the key hue for some of your favorite color pairs. Are they complements? Or are they more of a split complement? Maybe you are into analogous colors? For instance, one of my favorite combos is royal purple and forest green. Those are violet and green key hues and are therefore a split complement.
Split compliments are actually really great pairings, especially in situations where you want color contrast but maybe not the drama of complete opposites. Identify a few more split complementary pairs on the color wheel that you find appealing.
Okay, I will leave you with this swirl of color information taking over your brain. Keep identifying colors you see around you, naming them as primary, secondary or tertiary colors so that, as we move along, the conversations we have will be easily and quickly grasped. Also, have fun finding color pairs out in the world or while you’re playing at your studio table, and again, identify them, when relevant (because there are other color combinations we haven’t hit on yet), as complementary, analogous, or split complementary. Because, next week, we start getting serious about mixing!
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Tactile Form
May 24, 2020
Inspirational Art
Craft art is visual right? But is it just visual? One of the unique things about craft items in the world of art is that a majority of it is functional which means it is often handled which makes it not only visual but often tactile. When someone mentions tactile characteristics, you probably think texture, right? Well, our tactile sensation perceives form as well as texture (and density, temperature and even weight but that’s another set of subjects.) Functional objects and jewelry in particular are pieces that are regularly touched so people experience these works both visually and tangibly, even if the sense of touch is not always recognized as part of their enjoyment of the piece. However, the tactile experience can make a huge difference between people liking your work and being utterly in love with it.
Think about how often you touch adornment when you wear it – pendants, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, are often where our hands go when we are nervous, contemplative, or excited. Functional objects often have parts that are specifically designed for our hands such as handles, knobs, and grips, or are formed for handling such as the neck of a vase or width of a cup. Because of these interactions, you have an opportunity in the form of such pieces to further express your intention.
I realized as I started to research potential pieces for this post, it can be really hard to “show” you things that feel good in the hand. So, we’re just going to have to guess and imagine it!
All the Feels
It’s interesting to note that the characteristics we might associate with visual shapes and forms often translates to our perceptions through touch. For instance, full, round forms, such as spheres and pods will relate the same characteristics as visual curvy shapes and forms – that primarily being comforting and feminine qualities. Imagine wearing this spherical bracelet by Bettina Welker. Even with the energy of the cracks and directional streaks paired with a deep black and the dramatically contrasting yellow-green, the roundness, both visually and tangibly, bring down that energy and drama to a refined and rather relaxed level.
If you want to encourage people to touch your work, a soft, smooth surfaces and smooth, knobby ones are pretty irresistible. Exploration of the texture may often be the original draw to touch something, but further tactile exploration can be encouraged by the form, especially those that lead the fingers around through amorphous, curvy structures or strong but flowing angular forms. For comparison with Bettina’s example, take a look at the opening image, a bracelet by Jana Roberts Benzon, which is primarily curvy but has sharp aspects to it in the form of those regular incisions. It’s a great combination as the fingers can follow a winding curvilinear path through the valleys of the bracelet’s form with vibratory sensations from running over the cut clay, making those cuts more texture than form but however it might be classified, those two elements certainly work well together.
Flowing forms, even when sharp and angular, are extremely alluring when it comes to touch. Tell me you don’t want to run your fingers along the ruffling but angular fins of this vessel by Melanie West. Honestly, it’s impossible not to touch Melanie’s polymer work if it’s in reach. Her forms are full and inviting, begging to be nestled in the palm of your hand, for details to be explored with your fingertips, and the softness of her unfathomably smooth matte surfaces … just dreamy! Seriously.
I don’t think you can come up with any object handled more than hand tools and writing implements. When decorated with polymer, the handles of most of these are simply covered rather than intentionally formed. Take pens for instance – polymer pens are typically cylindrical forms that are covered with a sheet of treated polymer or cane slices but why stick with just the cylinder? Look at these pens by Jana Lehmann. They’ve gone from cylinder to pod like with additional forms added for visual and tactile interest.
Now, I believe Jana’s pens are created over a standard wood form as they all have that basic elongated pod shape but since polymer is so sculptural, there’s no reason why functional objects you are decorating with polymer can’t be reformed. These spoons by Jacques Vesery are wood rather than polymer, but it would be no big thing to sculpt such enticing handle forms.
Okay, enough of just looking at the forms of artwork – why not search out forms in your house or around your yard that you like to touch and hold in your hand. Most likely you’ll find that you are drawn to the more rounded and curvy forms. They are simply more comfortable to touch then angular or blocky forms but that doesn’t mean when creating a form that will be touched by the user that it needs to be round or curvy. Sometimes comfortable is not what you’re trying to express. Other times you’ll want to focus on the visual aspect and not encourage people to touch so much as look at it. It all depends on your intention.
So, go be a 3-year-old and touch everything!
Some Big News
So, I’m going to be making some changes again, mostly to your advantage. The gist of it is that I’ve decided to share the upcoming planned content for FREE!
I’m doing this both because I’m not comfortable with the VAB’s automated subscriptions costs in a time when things are so uncertain. Nearly all the people who have had to cancel the last month or two are writing to apologize for not having the budget for it and lament missing out. That has made me terribly sad, especially for some of my long-time readers who have lost jobs and income.
The other reason is that with my increasing physical limitations, and no staff to pick up the slack, hitting deadlines are hard and quality suffers which isn’t fair for paying subscription members. But I want to create content—I love doing this stuff. If it is not paid for, though, I will have more leeway to take the breaks I need or change what I put out.
So, starting in June, I’ll be posting VAB content here, on the blog and have it sent by email to VAB and blog subscribers.
If you are a present subscriber, you should have received an email Friday night/Saturday morning to explain how that affects you. If you do not see this notice, please check your spam or junk mail folders first but if not there, write me to get the notice resent.
For those want to contribute to the cause …
Creating and getting out the free content will still cost money and time but with my husband still working, I feel secure and fortunate and am happy to share what I can. I am, however, happy to get a boost from those who want to support my work.
The best way, honestly, is to buy yourself an inspiring book or magazine back issue on my website where you can further get to know other artists and community businesses. It’s a real win-win-win. I have also set up a contribution option on the website for those who want to support the free work I do but have everything they want from the shop. Between steady sales and a contribution here and there, I can keep writing, pay the digital services and my tech guy, maybe hire back my proofreader, and support my need for dark chocolate!
There’s a bit more news but I will wait to post that in the newsletter coming out this week. If you aren’t signed up for it, I’ve been adding tips, bits of community news, and just fun creative finds to make you smile. You can sign up for it here if you don’t get it already.
So, with that, I am off. Still waging war with the ground squirrels in the veggie garden so getting my outdoor time and the movement my neck needs to not stiffen up although I have to watch how much I use my right arm still. Yesterday, I planted the last round of sweet potato slips which are up on a hill, hidden behind the ice plant, and will finish this weekend relegating the green beans and zucchini to pots up where the dogs like to hang out and the squirrels do not. I’ve given up on the cantaloupe though. That’s a little depressing but everything eats those leaves! So, wish me luck!
As always, I wish you all a safe and healthy week ahead!
A Big, Bold Challenge
April 14, 2019
Inspirational Art
Kathleen Nowak Tucci, Secret Garden Necklace
Have you considered challenging yourself creatively with something you’ve never done before, or at least not for a long time? I have a lot of creative friends who are doing just that right now and, as I work towards having free time again after an exceedingly busy couple of years, I am too considering what to start in on. My mind, probably like yours, never stops churning up ideas so the designs in my head and in my sketchbook have progressed into a variety of new possibilities. The question is, what do I challenge myself with first when I can get back to creating my own artwork on a regular basis?
Whether or not you are at a similar crossroads or want to change up what you’ve been creating, I encourage you to consider the question of how you could challenge yourself as we go through some work that is very much unlike what I have done in the past. I am hoping that, going through some of my own possibilities, this might start those wheels turning for you. What, if any, pieces here feel like they are in the same vein as your present work and which of these approaches have you’ve never imagined yourself doing but might consider?
Not Sage
I, like the vast majority of polymer artists, work primarily from organic inspiration. (See my post from last month about man-made inspiration for contrast.) A lot of my work is also rooted in story, particularly speculative stories dealing with the human struggle in both usual and unusual circumstances. It’s emotional, and personal and not at all neat and tidy. So, this means that certain styles of work almost never cross my mind as options. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try it.
Highly graphic work is one of the things that I’ve never done. I have no aversion to it and, in fact, really enjoy beautifully crafted and highly graphic artwork. I have even drawn particular elements as inspiration for aspects of my work, both in polymer and in graphic design, from the likes of Mondrian, Mucha, and even graphic novels. But I have never designed any highly graphic art work.
If I did aim for a more graphical approach, it might be something like Jana Lehmann’s colorful and fun pieces, with clean lines but still plenty of blended color and subtle color variation to make the colors glow and give it the calm energy I gravitate towards. I could see trying to create cleaner lines and using purer color and standard shapes although I think the organic would find its way in at some point.
Aren’t those flowerpot pins just adorable? That brings up another thing I don’t do much of. I don’t do cute. Which is strange because I love cute! Although I am kind of picky and maybe a bit odd about the cute that I enjoy. So, if I were to try to create something cute, it would probably be cute with a dark edge to it. Maybe something like these Bitty Bitey Ones by Darcy of North Carolina. Just look at these faces! The big black bead eyes help but it takes some serious sculptural instincts to get such great expressions. The cuteness factor is through the roof! Could I work on my skills long enough to create something even half as cute? Would I want to? Won’t know unless I try, right?
There is one thing though – I just couldn’t create such pieces in pink. Now, I have made some pink polymer jewelry in years past, mostly because of requests, and it did sell well but it didn’t do anything for me. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. But the important thing was that I tried and found out I just didn’t want to. That period did get me a touch more comfortable with the color so when it turns up incidentally in a blend or interference powder, I don’t just set it aside. The thing is, it’s not just pink that I steer away from. I don’t, in general, work in bright colors. But I’ve really been thinking that more saturated colors are something I should push myself into trying out.
Maybe I could do something like Jana’s super saturated color schemes above or, go completely over the rails and aim to mix-and-match a little bit of everything in one piece like Susan Dyer so expertly does. Talk about graphic! Her use of solid colors and highly contrasting patterns could be sniped from Bauhaus prints. Her compositions often teeter on the edge of chaos but the confining silver bezels and the consistency of her unmuddled approach to color and pattern creates cohesiveness.
One of the reasons Susan’s work appeals to me is because it’s not actually that big – the pendant above is all of 1.75” by 1.5”. I also tend to design jewelry that works as an accent or embellishment for the wearer rather than it outshining a person. But I know a lot of polymer artists prefer large pieces as one can really show off the surface design and techniques that way. And, honestly, I would love to do some really large jewelry but since I generally wouldn’t wear anything really large, it’s hard for me to envision what a wearer of this kind of work would want, and I think that makes me hesitate to the point that I have not tried.
I have been trying to work up the courage to go big by taking a close look at the work of big and bold artists like Kathleen Nowak Tucci. I love her work because it’s not only unabashedly large but it’s also, in part or almost wholly, created from recycled materials, such as the Saul Bellow award winning piece of hers you see at the opening of this post. And talk about going big … her work has also appeared on several big TV shows including the multiple times her work adorned the immensely talented Lily Tomlin on the show Grace and Frankie. You can see both Kathleen’s Leaf Necklace and Pistil Bracelet on Lily here.
What’s on Your List?
There are a number of other things I could try to push my work outside my comfort zone but these are presently on the top of my list. So, now that you’ve seen the top of my list, what do you think you would you be willing to try out that you would not normally do?
Keep in mind, this self-challenge is not designed to change your style but to just put yourself, and hard, to see what you come up with. There is the potential for as yet unimaginable discoveries about yourself and where you want to take your work. It can be a way to inject some fresh new energy into your studio time and, since there is no end goal such as even showing the work to anyone or selling it, these explorations can give you the freedom to just push yourself in unselfconscious directions.
Are you one of the ones that have been doing this already this year? If so, maybe you’d like to share what you’ve tried to do and how you like the experience. You can insert a comment at the end of the post to let me know. Maybe when things slow down over here in the chaos it is my home at the moment, we can devise a midyear challenge for us all to work on. What do you think?
A Bit of Business … Last Chance to Subscribe and Get Issue #2 Directly from the Printer
If you haven’t subscribed or renewed your subscription to The Polymer Studio, you will want to do so by end of day Monday as we send off the mailing list to the printer to Tuesday morning. Be one of the first to get the new issue in your hot little hands by subscribing or pre-ordering your single issue now.
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Back to the Chaos
Ok, gang, I have to get back to wrapping up the next magazine issue while navigating my discombobulated house. The chaos is in a holding pattern while we wait for the city to get the plans back to us. There is a ton of construction still going on due to the fires in November so things are a tad busy over there. But at least we figured out how to NOT have the refrigerator in the studio although it is just outside my door, just looming over me. So my present challenge is not to open that thing every time I have to squeeze by it!
As for you, my darling readers, I hope you are enjoying your weekend and have a fabulous week to look forward to.
Detailed Color, 10% off Sale, New Books!
June 11, 2018
Inspirational Art
Things are super busy over here at TPA headquarters polishing up a brand new website. So we thought would make it busier (and because we will need to hold off on doing sales promotions on the new site for little bit) by bringing you a 10% off Everything in Your Cart Sale! The sale is good through June 14. Use the promo code TPASITE on our website.
We also have initial announcements about new books and our upcoming new website! But instead of filling up your blog post here with details, I’ll leave you with a link to our newsletter here to get all the news.
I thought we could look at busy color this week but find examples that keep it contained, manageable, and a real pleasure to view. A broad and varied colored pattern can add a lot of interest and energetic detail to a piece without being overwhelming. You just need a few points of keeping it controlled.
This pendant is by Jana Lehmann, part of a newer series of hers involving lots of color, lines and folded clay. Her patterns are further enhanced by her many little details—dots and spots and patterned borders. It is visually energetic as well as making you want to reach out and touch its very tactile surface. But for all its busyness, it is well contained within its borders and thick pendant form.
Take a look at her many variations with necklaces, rings, and brooches found on her Facebook page and Flickr photostream.
Creatures from the Deep
January 20, 2016
Inspirational Art
As artists, we think of our imagination as a major muscle, if not the primary one used when we’re creating. But how much do you stretch that muscle?
In craft art, because we also have to create steps, a process, and consider function and durability, our minds spend a lot of time in the purely logical, problems solving sections of our brain. Not that the imagination and problem solving are not connected; they absolutely are. But pure imagination is something we don’t always practice. So, here is a little something to push you to do so.
These fun bracelets are the work of the ever creative Anke Humpert. Using translucent clay in a unique design and decorating it with sea creatures she made up is just the start here.
As she explained to me, “The bracelets have a design that glows in black light! That is why they are called deep-sea creature bracelets. You would not normally notice the night side of them, only if you go to a night club or something similar. They also have a special hinge. Most of it is made with polymer only very little metal involved.”
These bracelets, as it turns out, are the centerpiece for one of the three classes she will be teaching at the Cabin Fever Clay Arts Fest next month. In describing the class for prospective students, she says, “Since we do not know much about the deep seas, we will have fun and let our imagination run wild creating plants (or even animals?) as we imagine them.” And that freedom and use of the imagination is what inspired me to share this today and create a bit of a different challenge for those following along.
By the way, I do have a Flickr page for sharing the results of the challenges I’ve been posting, only I haven’t had time to snap pics of what I’ve done, so there’s nothing on it yet really. But if any of you want to get on while I catch up over here, I would love to see what you’ve been up to. Go here to join in!
Does Anke’s class intrigue you? She is also teaching her Big Beads and fun hand tool texturing techniques. She’s joined by a slew of amazing talent including Lisa Pavelka, Maureen Carlson, Dayle Doroshow, Lindly Haunani, Doreen Kassel, Jana Lehmann, Ann and Karen Mitchell, Nan Roche, Lynne Anne Schwarzenberg, and more. There is still room in almost every class, so, if you are interested, jump in while you have your pick of classes still. You can find the classes on this PDF and registration on their webpage.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Let your imagination run wild and recreate an image, motif, shape, or a faux effect you might otherwise recreate as it is seen in nature or as we expect it to be, making your own version. A rose with black petals, a plaid cat, turquoise in pink, purple leather, a square pendant with a chunk missing in the corner, or a peace symbol with Mickey Mouse ears. Just change it up and make it your own.
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Triangle Treatments
July 10, 2014
Inspirational Art
Triangles, like any other flat form, can be treated like a simple canvas to be filled with all sorts of potential colors, textures, accents, lines and shapes. The thing about triangles though is that you are working with what is visually an arrow so you have this added dynamic characteristic to play with that is not seen in any other shape.
Here, Jana Lehmann demonstrates a variety of treatments on her triangles with no seeming rhyme or reason. However, it works and beautifully so. For all the variety in the color and treatment, all the triangles are the same shape and point in the same downward direction. Plus, they are all working in harmony with the contrast of floating circles against the rigid sides of their triangular boundaries. The disparity in application along with the pointing triangles and floating circles, especially the one that got out and is now dangling off the point of a triangle, make it a really dynamic piece. And we can’t ignore the consistently perfect application and clean finish of every element that is the hallmark of Jana’s work and a source of awe for so many of us. That kind of craftsmanship brings out the intense beauty of what could have been an overly chaotic design without it.
Jana may be the most exploratory polymer artist when it comes to shapes. Just take a quick look at her Flickr page to see just how she pushes and bends the idea of a triangle as well as squares, circles, and every other shape it would seem.
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Merging Graphic and Organic
December 16, 2013
Inspirational Art
Polymer works well for creating almost any look but there are a lot of artists whose work reflects an organic influence while another large portion of the community leans toward more graphic work, heavy into geometric forms and lines. Artists in both camps borrow from the other as well. This week we’ll look at how the two seemingly opposite styles are often combined to create contrast, tension and variation in polymer art.
This is the piece that first got me thinking about this. Jana Lehmann works very heavily in perfectly measured and graphic forms. Her precision can be seen in this necklace but the stylized representation of trees in a kind of spherical landscape brings us back to the idea of a natural scene.
The chosen colors also harken back to the organic in this piece as might the waving hang of the bottom beads. It would be hard to call this geometrically based but there are many concentric circles and the repetition of exact shapes on both sides. It’s a very nicely done reversible piece as well, carrying the same style and sense of precision contrasting organics to both sides.
Jana’s work is quite varied and yet has a signature sense of precision and a flawless finish to all her edges. More of her work can be found on her Flickr photostream and her blog.
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Encouraging Words
September 11, 2012
Inspirational Art
A kind word can go a long way on a difficult day. If you had on one of these pendants by Jana Lehmann of Germany you could get that sort of encouragement by just looking in the mirror.
All of Jana’s work is skillfully constructed and meticulously finished. She works in a wide range of forms dominated by a colorful and fun style. Take some time to wander through her Flickr photostream for more eye candy.
Vera of Handmade Blossom employs all major hues in this Rainbow Roses pendant.
How comfortable are you feeling about the terminology learned last week? Feel secure in your understanding of values, saturation, tints, shades, and tones? I do hope so because I am going to throw more terminology at you today but, thankfully, these will be pretty familiar to a lot of you although you might have felt uncertain or confused about them previously. For some of you, this will be brand-new which is super exciting and, in a way, it will be much easier for you to take it in, unencumbered by any previous confusion.
These concepts are standard color theory points within the old RYB color set that are also used when using CMY as the primaries. (If you don’t know about the RYB versus CMY situation please take a look at the post “Not the Hue You Know”. It’s a really interesting article, if I do say so myself!)
A wheel to reference as you read. Click to enlarge and open in another window.
Familial Color Relationships
So, if you have been reading my free posted lessons since the beginning of June, you have heard me talk about primary and secondary colors. These terms describe the relationship between colors but if you are going to get the most out of what you’ve been learning, you will need to know about a few more relationships that will be useful for both color mixing and choosing color palettes.
There are three standard terms used to define a kind of hierarchical order among hues that I think resemble a family. You can think of primaries as the elders, secondaries as their children, and tertiaries as their grandchildren.
Primary colors are the colors that cannot be mixed using other colors. On the color wheel we will be using, those three are Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Since, every color can be mixed from these three (this actually depends on the medium but let’s just go with it for now), they are extremely important and so are at the top of this hierarchy.
Secondary colors are those mixed using two primaries. On the CMY color wheel that is Red, Green, and Blue.
Tertiary colors are those made by mixing a primary and one of its two nearby secondary colors. These include yellow-green, green-cyan, blue-cyan, violet, red-magenta, and orange. You can see the predominance of hyphenated word descriptors for these colors but violet and orange have single word names since they were used on the RYB color wheel that was so prevalent for so many years as well as being identified wavelengths in the scientific world.
Now, for you purple lovers, let me make a side comment. I know, most of us are used to thinking and saying that purple comes between blue and magenta (or red) but purple is not actually a hue. The reason has to do with the light spectrum and the cones in our eyes and all kinds of scientific stuff I don’t think we need to get into. I did start talking in terms of purple earlier in the series of articles but that isn’t technically correct and because so many of you are now working off the CMY color wheel I recommended, and it refers to the color between magenta and blue as violet, I’m going to use the color name violet so as to not confuse too many people and because that really is the correct name.
So, these three types of hues – primaries (of which there are 3), secondaries (of which there are also 3), and tertiaries (of which there are 6) – do not, by far, encompass all the possible hues out there. They do, however, designate 12 useful portions of a color wheel that we can readily work with to identify color relationships necessary to the mixing and choosing of colors.
That was easy, right?
Color Combination Relations
Okay, so we just defined the metaphorical familial relationships between hues. Now, I want to talk about a different kind of relationship– the relationship between combinations of colors. We can think of these as cliques of friends. Just as some people get along with certain other people much better, certain colors get along with other colors much better. This is true for color palettes as well as for color mixing although maybe for color mixing we should think of it as team of coworkers where you put people (colors) together depending on what you need. Are my metaphors making any sense? I can only hope.
I’ll start you would just three color combination relationships – complementary, analogous, and split complementary. There are a number of other commonly used color relationships that fall under the friends/coworkers metaphor such as triads, tetrads, and squares but those won’t be important until we hit color palettes so we won’t muddle up your poor little brains with all that just yet. Plus, these are the only three that knee consideration in both palettes and mixing.
Complementary colors are those that are across the color wheel from each other. They are considered opposites and, if mixed together, they will include all three primaries in varying degrees. This is why compliments “tone” each other down instead of just creating a new hue as discussed last week. If you’re scratching your head, just look at the color wheel and look at any two complementary colors. Jot down what primary colors would make each of them and you’ll find that list would include one of each primary. You can also see the primaries included in each color on the outside edge of the Color Wheel Company’s color wheel.
Complementary violet and yellow-green are used in this polymer and gold ring by An Fen Kuo.
Analogous colors are those next to each other on the color wheel. Choosing 3-5 (out of our 12) colors in a row make for a harmonious color scheme.
Analogous range from green to yellow in this set by Jana Lehmann.
Split complementary colors refer to a color on that is next to a particular color’s complement.
Metal and enamel brooch by Marks Alexander with a blue cyan and its split complementaries of red and yellow
Now, why are these relationships important?
I am going to refer to these color relationships quite a bit when we get to color mixing and color palettes but let’s look at a bit of color mixing as a kind of demonstration. Don’t worry if this doesn’t sink in immediately. We will be going over this in more depth later. I have discovered in teaching that presenting the same thing several times in several different ways, especially over time, can really drive an idea home. So, here’s kind of a taster and then we will look delve into this again in the coming weeks.
Let’s say you’d like to make an olive green. You could just grab a green out of the bin an add a touch of black to it to make it darker and more neutral, right? Well, yes, you could but is it the olive you want? You may find that it still looks awfully, well, green, more like dark leaves than army jacket.
Below is a selectin of olive greens. Hold up the color wheel next to them. I think you’ll see that there is quite a bit of yellow in an olive green. Because of that, if the green you chose to start your color mixing is heavy on the cyan (leans towards blue) it will be hard to get to a satisfactory olive with just black. This is where prepackaged, already mixed, colors can be troublesome to mix with. I think you will find that mixing your own green, cyan and yellow, going heavy on the yellow, and then adding a bit of black will get you a nicer olive green.
If you want to get fancy with the color mixing, you might also try a touch of violet or magenta to “tone” down the color instead of depending wholly on the black to do it.
Now let’s see if things I have been saying are sticking with you. Look at the color wheel and then try to surmise why I suggested violet or magenta. What do you think?
Well, if you remember from last week’s discussion about tones, at mixing a little bit of a complementary color is what gives you a toned down color. So, violet works since it is the complement of a yellow-green but you can also use a color’s split compliments to tone it down which is one of the two reasons I suggested magenta as an option.
Perhaps you’ve put together the reason why this works from my earlier comment about why compliments tone things down. It’s because “toning down” is really all about the addition of the missing primary color that isn’t in the color you’re trying to tone down. Because of that, you can use any color that includes the missing primary, not just the complementary color.
So, a yellow-green has cyan and yellow in it but does not have any magenta in the mix, right? Therefore, you can actually tone it down with anything from orange to that indigo blue you see on the CMY color wheel. But why did I suggest magenta rather than violet? Well, I was thinking that maybe we don’t want to add too much more cyan to that olive green, in order to preserve more of that yellow in the yellow-green hue, and both violet and indigo blue have cyan in it. So, if you add a touch of magenta you, preserve more of the yellow. Of course, if you are yellow-green is yellower than you want, go for violator indigo. That will tone down the yellow a bit.
Here is another question for all you smarty-pants… Why do you think black, as discussed last week, is an option for toning down a color?
The answer is in what black is made of. If remember from way back in the first article in June, with pigments, black is the inclusion of all primary colors. So, if you had black, you are technically adding a missing primary to your color no matter what the color is. Right?
Isn’t it really cool how there is usually some pretty simple underlying reasoning behind all these color rules? Or maybe it’s just me. I always want to know why something works. If I know why I can remember it, use it, and abuse it as needed.
So, are you beginning to see why you would need to be familiar with where colors fall on the color wheel and how their relationships will inform your color mixing choices? Also knowing about these relationships makes remembering things like compliments easier – the complement to a primary is always a secondary and vice versa, and the complement of a tertiary color is always another tertiary. Easy stuff!
Explore Your Favorite Color Relationships
This week, if you want to explore these ideas further, just grab your color wheel (or view it here) and spend some lazy time looking it over and discovering more about how particular colors relate.
For instance, are you surprised the complement to red is cyan and not green? Orange and cyan blue actually are pretty familiar, aren’t they? And that indigo blue on the wheel is not so far off from purple so the purple-yellow complement combination you might have been acquainted with from the RYB color wheel also feels comfortably familiar.
Find a set or two of three analogous colors that have high contrast. Even though they are all next each other on the color wheel, that doesn’t mean they have the same or similar values, nor does it mean that it needs to look basically monochromatic. Can you find some analogous color combinations you like, ones that you might use in an upcoming project?
Find the key hue for some of your favorite color pairs. Are they complements? Or are they more of a split complement? Maybe you are into analogous colors? For instance, one of my favorite combos is royal purple and forest green. Those are violet and green key hues and are therefore a split complement.
Split compliments are actually really great pairings, especially in situations where you want color contrast but maybe not the drama of complete opposites. Identify a few more split complementary pairs on the color wheel that you find appealing.
Okay, I will leave you with this swirl of color information taking over your brain. Keep identifying colors you see around you, naming them as primary, secondary or tertiary colors so that, as we move along, the conversations we have will be easily and quickly grasped. Also, have fun finding color pairs out in the world or while you’re playing at your studio table, and again, identify them, when relevant (because there are other color combinations we haven’t hit on yet), as complementary, analogous, or split complementary. Because, next week, we start getting serious about mixing!
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Craft art is visual right? But is it just visual? One of the unique things about craft items in the world of art is that a majority of it is functional which means it is often handled which makes it not only visual but often tactile. When someone mentions tactile characteristics, you probably think texture, right? Well, our tactile sensation perceives form as well as texture (and density, temperature and even weight but that’s another set of subjects.) Functional objects and jewelry in particular are pieces that are regularly touched so people experience these works both visually and tangibly, even if the sense of touch is not always recognized as part of their enjoyment of the piece. However, the tactile experience can make a huge difference between people liking your work and being utterly in love with it.
Think about how often you touch adornment when you wear it – pendants, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, are often where our hands go when we are nervous, contemplative, or excited. Functional objects often have parts that are specifically designed for our hands such as handles, knobs, and grips, or are formed for handling such as the neck of a vase or width of a cup. Because of these interactions, you have an opportunity in the form of such pieces to further express your intention.
I realized as I started to research potential pieces for this post, it can be really hard to “show” you things that feel good in the hand. So, we’re just going to have to guess and imagine it!
All the Feels
It’s interesting to note that the characteristics we might associate with visual shapes and forms often translates to our perceptions through touch. For instance, full, round forms, such as spheres and pods will relate the same characteristics as visual curvy shapes and forms – that primarily being comforting and feminine qualities. Imagine wearing this spherical bracelet by Bettina Welker. Even with the energy of the cracks and directional streaks paired with a deep black and the dramatically contrasting yellow-green, the roundness, both visually and tangibly, bring down that energy and drama to a refined and rather relaxed level.
If you want to encourage people to touch your work, a soft, smooth surfaces and smooth, knobby ones are pretty irresistible. Exploration of the texture may often be the original draw to touch something, but further tactile exploration can be encouraged by the form, especially those that lead the fingers around through amorphous, curvy structures or strong but flowing angular forms. For comparison with Bettina’s example, take a look at the opening image, a bracelet by Jana Roberts Benzon, which is primarily curvy but has sharp aspects to it in the form of those regular incisions. It’s a great combination as the fingers can follow a winding curvilinear path through the valleys of the bracelet’s form with vibratory sensations from running over the cut clay, making those cuts more texture than form but however it might be classified, those two elements certainly work well together.
Flowing forms, even when sharp and angular, are extremely alluring when it comes to touch. Tell me you don’t want to run your fingers along the ruffling but angular fins of this vessel by Melanie West. Honestly, it’s impossible not to touch Melanie’s polymer work if it’s in reach. Her forms are full and inviting, begging to be nestled in the palm of your hand, for details to be explored with your fingertips, and the softness of her unfathomably smooth matte surfaces … just dreamy! Seriously.
I don’t think you can come up with any object handled more than hand tools and writing implements. When decorated with polymer, the handles of most of these are simply covered rather than intentionally formed. Take pens for instance – polymer pens are typically cylindrical forms that are covered with a sheet of treated polymer or cane slices but why stick with just the cylinder? Look at these pens by Jana Lehmann. They’ve gone from cylinder to pod like with additional forms added for visual and tactile interest.
Now, I believe Jana’s pens are created over a standard wood form as they all have that basic elongated pod shape but since polymer is so sculptural, there’s no reason why functional objects you are decorating with polymer can’t be reformed. These spoons by Jacques Vesery are wood rather than polymer, but it would be no big thing to sculpt such enticing handle forms.
Okay, enough of just looking at the forms of artwork – why not search out forms in your house or around your yard that you like to touch and hold in your hand. Most likely you’ll find that you are drawn to the more rounded and curvy forms. They are simply more comfortable to touch then angular or blocky forms but that doesn’t mean when creating a form that will be touched by the user that it needs to be round or curvy. Sometimes comfortable is not what you’re trying to express. Other times you’ll want to focus on the visual aspect and not encourage people to touch so much as look at it. It all depends on your intention.
So, go be a 3-year-old and touch everything!
Some Big News
So, I’m going to be making some changes again, mostly to your advantage. The gist of it is that I’ve decided to share the upcoming planned content for FREE!
I’m doing this both because I’m not comfortable with the VAB’s automated subscriptions costs in a time when things are so uncertain. Nearly all the people who have had to cancel the last month or two are writing to apologize for not having the budget for it and lament missing out. That has made me terribly sad, especially for some of my long-time readers who have lost jobs and income.
The other reason is that with my increasing physical limitations, and no staff to pick up the slack, hitting deadlines are hard and quality suffers which isn’t fair for paying subscription members. But I want to create content—I love doing this stuff. If it is not paid for, though, I will have more leeway to take the breaks I need or change what I put out.
So, starting in June, I’ll be posting VAB content here, on the blog and have it sent by email to VAB and blog subscribers.
If you are a present subscriber, you should have received an email Friday night/Saturday morning to explain how that affects you. If you do not see this notice, please check your spam or junk mail folders first but if not there, write me to get the notice resent.
For those want to contribute to the cause …
Creating and getting out the free content will still cost money and time but with my husband still working, I feel secure and fortunate and am happy to share what I can. I am, however, happy to get a boost from those who want to support my work.
The best way, honestly, is to buy yourself an inspiring book or magazine back issue on my website where you can further get to know other artists and community businesses. It’s a real win-win-win. I have also set up a contribution option on the website for those who want to support the free work I do but have everything they want from the shop. Between steady sales and a contribution here and there, I can keep writing, pay the digital services and my tech guy, maybe hire back my proofreader, and support my need for dark chocolate!
There’s a bit more news but I will wait to post that in the newsletter coming out this week. If you aren’t signed up for it, I’ve been adding tips, bits of community news, and just fun creative finds to make you smile. You can sign up for it here if you don’t get it already.
So, with that, I am off. Still waging war with the ground squirrels in the veggie garden so getting my outdoor time and the movement my neck needs to not stiffen up although I have to watch how much I use my right arm still. Yesterday, I planted the last round of sweet potato slips which are up on a hill, hidden behind the ice plant, and will finish this weekend relegating the green beans and zucchini to pots up where the dogs like to hang out and the squirrels do not. I’ve given up on the cantaloupe though. That’s a little depressing but everything eats those leaves! So, wish me luck!
As always, I wish you all a safe and healthy week ahead!
Read MoreKathleen Nowak Tucci, Secret Garden Necklace
Have you considered challenging yourself creatively with something you’ve never done before, or at least not for a long time? I have a lot of creative friends who are doing just that right now and, as I work towards having free time again after an exceedingly busy couple of years, I am too considering what to start in on. My mind, probably like yours, never stops churning up ideas so the designs in my head and in my sketchbook have progressed into a variety of new possibilities. The question is, what do I challenge myself with first when I can get back to creating my own artwork on a regular basis?
Whether or not you are at a similar crossroads or want to change up what you’ve been creating, I encourage you to consider the question of how you could challenge yourself as we go through some work that is very much unlike what I have done in the past. I am hoping that, going through some of my own possibilities, this might start those wheels turning for you. What, if any, pieces here feel like they are in the same vein as your present work and which of these approaches have you’ve never imagined yourself doing but might consider?
Not Sage
I, like the vast majority of polymer artists, work primarily from organic inspiration. (See my post from last month about man-made inspiration for contrast.) A lot of my work is also rooted in story, particularly speculative stories dealing with the human struggle in both usual and unusual circumstances. It’s emotional, and personal and not at all neat and tidy. So, this means that certain styles of work almost never cross my mind as options. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try it.
Highly graphic work is one of the things that I’ve never done. I have no aversion to it and, in fact, really enjoy beautifully crafted and highly graphic artwork. I have even drawn particular elements as inspiration for aspects of my work, both in polymer and in graphic design, from the likes of Mondrian, Mucha, and even graphic novels. But I have never designed any highly graphic art work.
If I did aim for a more graphical approach, it might be something like Jana Lehmann’s colorful and fun pieces, with clean lines but still plenty of blended color and subtle color variation to make the colors glow and give it the calm energy I gravitate towards. I could see trying to create cleaner lines and using purer color and standard shapes although I think the organic would find its way in at some point.
Aren’t those flowerpot pins just adorable? That brings up another thing I don’t do much of. I don’t do cute. Which is strange because I love cute! Although I am kind of picky and maybe a bit odd about the cute that I enjoy. So, if I were to try to create something cute, it would probably be cute with a dark edge to it. Maybe something like these Bitty Bitey Ones by Darcy of North Carolina. Just look at these faces! The big black bead eyes help but it takes some serious sculptural instincts to get such great expressions. The cuteness factor is through the roof! Could I work on my skills long enough to create something even half as cute? Would I want to? Won’t know unless I try, right?
There is one thing though – I just couldn’t create such pieces in pink. Now, I have made some pink polymer jewelry in years past, mostly because of requests, and it did sell well but it didn’t do anything for me. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. But the important thing was that I tried and found out I just didn’t want to. That period did get me a touch more comfortable with the color so when it turns up incidentally in a blend or interference powder, I don’t just set it aside. The thing is, it’s not just pink that I steer away from. I don’t, in general, work in bright colors. But I’ve really been thinking that more saturated colors are something I should push myself into trying out.
Maybe I could do something like Jana’s super saturated color schemes above or, go completely over the rails and aim to mix-and-match a little bit of everything in one piece like Susan Dyer so expertly does. Talk about graphic! Her use of solid colors and highly contrasting patterns could be sniped from Bauhaus prints. Her compositions often teeter on the edge of chaos but the confining silver bezels and the consistency of her unmuddled approach to color and pattern creates cohesiveness.
One of the reasons Susan’s work appeals to me is because it’s not actually that big – the pendant above is all of 1.75” by 1.5”. I also tend to design jewelry that works as an accent or embellishment for the wearer rather than it outshining a person. But I know a lot of polymer artists prefer large pieces as one can really show off the surface design and techniques that way. And, honestly, I would love to do some really large jewelry but since I generally wouldn’t wear anything really large, it’s hard for me to envision what a wearer of this kind of work would want, and I think that makes me hesitate to the point that I have not tried.
I have been trying to work up the courage to go big by taking a close look at the work of big and bold artists like Kathleen Nowak Tucci. I love her work because it’s not only unabashedly large but it’s also, in part or almost wholly, created from recycled materials, such as the Saul Bellow award winning piece of hers you see at the opening of this post. And talk about going big … her work has also appeared on several big TV shows including the multiple times her work adorned the immensely talented Lily Tomlin on the show Grace and Frankie. You can see both Kathleen’s Leaf Necklace and Pistil Bracelet on Lily here.
What’s on Your List?
There are a number of other things I could try to push my work outside my comfort zone but these are presently on the top of my list. So, now that you’ve seen the top of my list, what do you think you would you be willing to try out that you would not normally do?
Keep in mind, this self-challenge is not designed to change your style but to just put yourself, and hard, to see what you come up with. There is the potential for as yet unimaginable discoveries about yourself and where you want to take your work. It can be a way to inject some fresh new energy into your studio time and, since there is no end goal such as even showing the work to anyone or selling it, these explorations can give you the freedom to just push yourself in unselfconscious directions.
Are you one of the ones that have been doing this already this year? If so, maybe you’d like to share what you’ve tried to do and how you like the experience. You can insert a comment at the end of the post to let me know. Maybe when things slow down over here in the chaos it is my home at the moment, we can devise a midyear challenge for us all to work on. What do you think?
A Bit of Business … Last Chance to Subscribe and Get Issue #2 Directly from the Printer
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Back to the Chaos
Ok, gang, I have to get back to wrapping up the next magazine issue while navigating my discombobulated house. The chaos is in a holding pattern while we wait for the city to get the plans back to us. There is a ton of construction still going on due to the fires in November so things are a tad busy over there. But at least we figured out how to NOT have the refrigerator in the studio although it is just outside my door, just looming over me. So my present challenge is not to open that thing every time I have to squeeze by it!
As for you, my darling readers, I hope you are enjoying your weekend and have a fabulous week to look forward to.
Read More Things are super busy over here at TPA headquarters polishing up a brand new website. So we thought would make it busier (and because we will need to hold off on doing sales promotions on the new site for little bit) by bringing you a 10% off Everything in Your Cart Sale! The sale is good through June 14. Use the promo code TPASITE on our website.
We also have initial announcements about new books and our upcoming new website! But instead of filling up your blog post here with details, I’ll leave you with a link to our newsletter here to get all the news.
I thought we could look at busy color this week but find examples that keep it contained, manageable, and a real pleasure to view. A broad and varied colored pattern can add a lot of interest and energetic detail to a piece without being overwhelming. You just need a few points of keeping it controlled.
This pendant is by Jana Lehmann, part of a newer series of hers involving lots of color, lines and folded clay. Her patterns are further enhanced by her many little details—dots and spots and patterned borders. It is visually energetic as well as making you want to reach out and touch its very tactile surface. But for all its busyness, it is well contained within its borders and thick pendant form.
Take a look at her many variations with necklaces, rings, and brooches found on her Facebook page and Flickr photostream.
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As artists, we think of our imagination as a major muscle, if not the primary one used when we’re creating. But how much do you stretch that muscle?
In craft art, because we also have to create steps, a process, and consider function and durability, our minds spend a lot of time in the purely logical, problems solving sections of our brain. Not that the imagination and problem solving are not connected; they absolutely are. But pure imagination is something we don’t always practice. So, here is a little something to push you to do so.
These fun bracelets are the work of the ever creative Anke Humpert. Using translucent clay in a unique design and decorating it with sea creatures she made up is just the start here.
As she explained to me, “The bracelets have a design that glows in black light! That is why they are called deep-sea creature bracelets. You would not normally notice the night side of them, only if you go to a night club or something similar. They also have a special hinge. Most of it is made with polymer only very little metal involved.”
These bracelets, as it turns out, are the centerpiece for one of the three classes she will be teaching at the Cabin Fever Clay Arts Fest next month. In describing the class for prospective students, she says, “Since we do not know much about the deep seas, we will have fun and let our imagination run wild creating plants (or even animals?) as we imagine them.” And that freedom and use of the imagination is what inspired me to share this today and create a bit of a different challenge for those following along.
By the way, I do have a Flickr page for sharing the results of the challenges I’ve been posting, only I haven’t had time to snap pics of what I’ve done, so there’s nothing on it yet really. But if any of you want to get on while I catch up over here, I would love to see what you’ve been up to. Go here to join in!
Does Anke’s class intrigue you? She is also teaching her Big Beads and fun hand tool texturing techniques. She’s joined by a slew of amazing talent including Lisa Pavelka, Maureen Carlson, Dayle Doroshow, Lindly Haunani, Doreen Kassel, Jana Lehmann, Ann and Karen Mitchell, Nan Roche, Lynne Anne Schwarzenberg, and more. There is still room in almost every class, so, if you are interested, jump in while you have your pick of classes still. You can find the classes on this PDF and registration on their webpage.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Let your imagination run wild and recreate an image, motif, shape, or a faux effect you might otherwise recreate as it is seen in nature or as we expect it to be, making your own version. A rose with black petals, a plaid cat, turquoise in pink, purple leather, a square pendant with a chunk missing in the corner, or a peace symbol with Mickey Mouse ears. Just change it up and make it your own.
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Read MoreTriangles, like any other flat form, can be treated like a simple canvas to be filled with all sorts of potential colors, textures, accents, lines and shapes. The thing about triangles though is that you are working with what is visually an arrow so you have this added dynamic characteristic to play with that is not seen in any other shape.
Here, Jana Lehmann demonstrates a variety of treatments on her triangles with no seeming rhyme or reason. However, it works and beautifully so. For all the variety in the color and treatment, all the triangles are the same shape and point in the same downward direction. Plus, they are all working in harmony with the contrast of floating circles against the rigid sides of their triangular boundaries. The disparity in application along with the pointing triangles and floating circles, especially the one that got out and is now dangling off the point of a triangle, make it a really dynamic piece. And we can’t ignore the consistently perfect application and clean finish of every element that is the hallmark of Jana’s work and a source of awe for so many of us. That kind of craftsmanship brings out the intense beauty of what could have been an overly chaotic design without it.
Jana may be the most exploratory polymer artist when it comes to shapes. Just take a quick look at her Flickr page to see just how she pushes and bends the idea of a triangle as well as squares, circles, and every other shape it would seem.
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Polymer works well for creating almost any look but there are a lot of artists whose work reflects an organic influence while another large portion of the community leans toward more graphic work, heavy into geometric forms and lines. Artists in both camps borrow from the other as well. This week we’ll look at how the two seemingly opposite styles are often combined to create contrast, tension and variation in polymer art.
This is the piece that first got me thinking about this. Jana Lehmann works very heavily in perfectly measured and graphic forms. Her precision can be seen in this necklace but the stylized representation of trees in a kind of spherical landscape brings us back to the idea of a natural scene.
The chosen colors also harken back to the organic in this piece as might the waving hang of the bottom beads. It would be hard to call this geometrically based but there are many concentric circles and the repetition of exact shapes on both sides. It’s a very nicely done reversible piece as well, carrying the same style and sense of precision contrasting organics to both sides.
Jana’s work is quite varied and yet has a signature sense of precision and a flawless finish to all her edges. More of her work can be found on her Flickr photostream and her blog.
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.
A kind word can go a long way on a difficult day. If you had on one of these pendants by Jana Lehmann of Germany you could get that sort of encouragement by just looking in the mirror.
All of Jana’s work is skillfully constructed and meticulously finished. She works in a wide range of forms dominated by a colorful and fun style. Take some time to wander through her Flickr photostream for more eye candy.
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