Not Copying Nature
July 23, 2012
Inspirational Art
We have an abundance of faux effects in polymer. Many aim to duplicate what we see in nature. Which is great. We can then easily and inexpensively create fantastic forms that would be hard to acquire from nature. But I am of the mindset that if we have a medium that can be anything we can imagine, why not imagine things that do not exist and create those? I love stones and have worked toward developing techniques that emulate the real thing just so I can go and push the texture and colors that nature has. (See the Elabradorite technique in the Winter 2011 issue of The Polymer Arts magazine)
Kristine Taylor has been doing just that. As she told Jewelry Making Daily in an interview last year, “Polymer clay is a wonderful medium for mimicking other materials like stones, but I like to use polymer clay to create stones that nature does not produce.” She uses a simple marbling technique combined with mica powders and acrylic paint to create focal and accent beads that come out looking like some rare semi-precious stone.
If you often create faux stone, metal, wood, bone, etc., why not try to push it a bit next time? How about purple turquoise, pearl green bone or jewel tone wood grain? We do work with a medium that can do just about anything, so it would only be natural to take natural inspiration and create something completely new.
Break it Up!
July 6, 2012
Inspirational Art
I found this beauty in a Jewelry Making Daily email post a while back. I was intrigued by the casualness of the lines and shapes contrasted with the skilled craftsmanship and elegance of the gems. Primarily though, I was drawn by the broken frame. Who says a frame must be straight and closed? If you balance out any divergence from the expected norm with an element like the aquamarine placed in the open corner of the frame, the break seems almost necessary.
This silver-in-quartz in silver bezel setting by Helen Driggs (photo by Jim Lawson) was previously published on the cover of Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist in January 2010 (deservedly so) before making it into the JMD post.
So … if you have a composition that is stumping you, try ‘breaking it up!” Remember … there are no “musts” and “shoulds” in art. Only options.
We have an abundance of faux effects in polymer. Many aim to duplicate what we see in nature. Which is great. We can then easily and inexpensively create fantastic forms that would be hard to acquire from nature. But I am of the mindset that if we have a medium that can be anything we can imagine, why not imagine things that do not exist and create those? I love stones and have worked toward developing techniques that emulate the real thing just so I can go and push the texture and colors that nature has. (See the Elabradorite technique in the Winter 2011 issue of The Polymer Arts magazine)
Kristine Taylor has been doing just that. As she told Jewelry Making Daily in an interview last year, “Polymer clay is a wonderful medium for mimicking other materials like stones, but I like to use polymer clay to create stones that nature does not produce.” She uses a simple marbling technique combined with mica powders and acrylic paint to create focal and accent beads that come out looking like some rare semi-precious stone.
If you often create faux stone, metal, wood, bone, etc., why not try to push it a bit next time? How about purple turquoise, pearl green bone or jewel tone wood grain? We do work with a medium that can do just about anything, so it would only be natural to take natural inspiration and create something completely new.
Read MoreI found this beauty in a Jewelry Making Daily email post a while back. I was intrigued by the casualness of the lines and shapes contrasted with the skilled craftsmanship and elegance of the gems. Primarily though, I was drawn by the broken frame. Who says a frame must be straight and closed? If you balance out any divergence from the expected norm with an element like the aquamarine placed in the open corner of the frame, the break seems almost necessary.
This silver-in-quartz in silver bezel setting by Helen Driggs (photo by Jim Lawson) was previously published on the cover of Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist in January 2010 (deservedly so) before making it into the JMD post.
So … if you have a composition that is stumping you, try ‘breaking it up!” Remember … there are no “musts” and “shoulds” in art. Only options.
Read More
