Boxed Complexity
August 26, 2015
Inspirational Art
So many people found that Emily’s little triangular dishes we posted on Monday really got their creative juices flowing, so how about a few more container ideas this week?
This one is a lovely little box by Kate Tracton, an avid beader and polymer clay container specialist. We featured her own little burnished bowls early last year, but she also does interesting things with the ol’ trinket box or ‘canister pot’ as she labels it. I liked this particular image because you can see how a few simple canes can be combined to make intricate compositions on a container rather than just covering it all. The fact that is was built up in layers of forms and texture adds to the complexity and causes you to spend a bit of time examining all the little details she added to this in such a caring and careful manner.
To see more of these containers of hers and for a nice array of other cane built plates and bowls and things, visit her Etsy shop as well as her nicely done gallery on her website.
Like this blog? Help support us with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
Burnished Bowls
June 5, 2014
Inspirational Art
These burnished bowls by Kate Tracton take millefiori caning to a whole new level. Her patterning and mix of colorful canes along with the highly polished finish creates a stunningly attractive surface. With a fine arts degree and a background in printmaking and bead weaving, she is comfortable with fine art details and impeccable craftsmanship.
To see more of Kate’s jewelry and fine art, take a look at her Etsy store, read her blog “Shibori Girl” about stumbling through life one bead at a time, or have a cup of coffee or tea and leisurely browse her stunning website for hours of inspiration.
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.
Directional Dots
August 21, 2013
Inspirational Art
Let’s move away from images with tons of dots, and look at more sparsely used yet directional dots.
On this vessel by Kate Tracton, there are only a handful of dots, but they are the primary element used throughout the various sections of this piece, and they have a lot of interesting things going on.
The ones on the side are what catch you eye first. They are dominant because of the contrast of the dark dots against the light body of the pot, but also because they are lined up in a very particular way–dots going from smaller to larger up the side of the vessel create a feeling of movement. Our eyes will always want to follow well-defined lines; and with the change in size, our eyes will follow the line in one direction–either downward as we see the hierarchy of size as a kind of arrow, or up because we see the change in size as growth. Some people might find their eye going both up and down the lines. But because the dots are repeated on the lid in several variations, as soon as we break out from the lines of dots, we’ll look at the intricacy of the lid. This kind of composition will usually have us spending some time with a piece like this which, of course, would make it an enjoyable piece to view.
So many people found that Emily’s little triangular dishes we posted on Monday really got their creative juices flowing, so how about a few more container ideas this week?
This one is a lovely little box by Kate Tracton, an avid beader and polymer clay container specialist. We featured her own little burnished bowls early last year, but she also does interesting things with the ol’ trinket box or ‘canister pot’ as she labels it. I liked this particular image because you can see how a few simple canes can be combined to make intricate compositions on a container rather than just covering it all. The fact that is was built up in layers of forms and texture adds to the complexity and causes you to spend a bit of time examining all the little details she added to this in such a caring and careful manner.
To see more of these containers of hers and for a nice array of other cane built plates and bowls and things, visit her Etsy shop as well as her nicely done gallery on her website.
Like this blog? Help support us with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
Read More
These burnished bowls by Kate Tracton take millefiori caning to a whole new level. Her patterning and mix of colorful canes along with the highly polished finish creates a stunningly attractive surface. With a fine arts degree and a background in printmaking and bead weaving, she is comfortable with fine art details and impeccable craftsmanship.
To see more of Kate’s jewelry and fine art, take a look at her Etsy store, read her blog “Shibori Girl” about stumbling through life one bead at a time, or have a cup of coffee or tea and leisurely browse her stunning website for hours of inspiration.
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.
Let’s move away from images with tons of dots, and look at more sparsely used yet directional dots.
On this vessel by Kate Tracton, there are only a handful of dots, but they are the primary element used throughout the various sections of this piece, and they have a lot of interesting things going on.
The ones on the side are what catch you eye first. They are dominant because of the contrast of the dark dots against the light body of the pot, but also because they are lined up in a very particular way–dots going from smaller to larger up the side of the vessel create a feeling of movement. Our eyes will always want to follow well-defined lines; and with the change in size, our eyes will follow the line in one direction–either downward as we see the hierarchy of size as a kind of arrow, or up because we see the change in size as growth. Some people might find their eye going both up and down the lines. But because the dots are repeated on the lid in several variations, as soon as we break out from the lines of dots, we’ll look at the intricacy of the lid. This kind of composition will usually have us spending some time with a piece like this which, of course, would make it an enjoyable piece to view.
