Just A Little Glitz
December 30, 2015
Inspirational Art
A little glitz and glamour is always welcome as we ring in the new year. There is just something about starting out feeling and looking great but that doesn’t mean you need to go crazy with the sparkle and bling. Unless that is your thing, of course. But for many of us, just a touch of pizzazz is more comfortable and easier to pull off.
The key with sparkle is contrast which, as you know by now I’m sure, is key with most designs. You need to decide just how much contrast you want in order to express your vision. A little black dress with a big showy necklace works because the dress is minimal while the necklace is energetic. A shimmery dress can do with a simple chain or solid pendant which acts as a quiet accent. But how about a nicely cut, sophisticated outfit? You don’t want the adornment to compete or overshadow the rest of the outfit, but you want some sparkle. So go for a small sprinkle of glitz to show you are in the spirit while keeping that sophisticated tone. This is edging more towards less contrast which works well when understated is the goal.
And that is what we have in this pendant and earring set by Kristie Foss. The very strong lines of the cane are upstaged by just a smattering of sparkles. It is not big or showy but it is dressed up and after a long and busy holiday season, celebratory but subdued may be just the ticket.
This little collection of New Year’s glitz (as she aptly named this blog post of hers) shows a number of similar examples to the one shown here. Enjoy the light shimmer and shine and have a joyous and safe New Year’s eve tomorrow.
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Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Limited Mokume
November 25, 2014
Inspirational Art
Another classic color palette that works really well with mokume is the limited color palette. Limiting the colors to just two or three (and keeping them either analogous or give one a real contrast from the rest) will force you to work with value (how light or dark a color is) and composition. Too much color can be distracting in your composition and overpower your other other design elements.
In this extruded polymer mokume, Jan Montarsi uses a pink and peach color with white. There is very little contrast in the couple of colors. The colors are analogous, and the most value contrast is with the white, which is not a color at all. This minimal color set forces Jan to work with other elements like the intriguing layering and shapes within his pendant here.
The extruded mokume technique offers a lot of opportunity for the exploratory clayer. If you haven’t worked with it, it’s great fun, it can use up scrap clay if you like and creates a more definite and more controllable pattern. For a tutorial on the extruded mokume method, take a look at Kristie Foss’ nice tutorial here. And for more great mokume and beautiful finishes, have fun roaming Jan’s Flickr pages.
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.
Started with Snails
August 20, 2014
Inspirational Art
Kristie Foss is definitely an explorer type of artist. Her blog is full of her exploits in polymer and the many different variations she gets from playing with a technique, surface treatment or form.
In this one post, you can see the progression of playing with shapes starting with the same clay treatment. She began with nautilus snail shapes then worked it into a leaf type of pendant and then finally into these intriguing horn shapes. Its rather neat to be able to see the progression of ideas. Makes me want to jump into the studio and see what comes of the scraps on my table!
But alas, that is not for me today. And tomorrow I am in LA for a week just checking in on family and having some time away from it all with a favorite person of mine. I’m going to get started finding items for next week’s blog as of today and my tired brain could so use some help. If any of you have any favorite pieces–of yours or of others–you think we need to share with everyone, send me a link to this fabulous work at sbray@thepolymerarts.com or message us on Facebook at The Polymer Arts. You’ll get a warm thank you mention in the post and a link to your site as well as a lot of gratitude from little ol’ me!
In the meantime, treat yourself to some downtime of your own with a cup of coffee or glass of wine and join Kristie on her blog for a bit of polymer adventuring.
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.
The Arrangement of Color
May 7, 2013
Inspirational Art
The arrangement of your color schemes can be as important as the color choices themselves. Here is an example of using two kinds of color schemes but arranging them for the most impact.
In this brilliantly colored necklace by Kristie Foss, the color scheme moves from the analogous colors purple and red to complementary colors as the deep red bleeds into its opposing color on the color wheel, a bright green. The contrast is not just in the the choice of base color but the red is also darker and leaning towards purple while the green is lighter and leaning towards purple’s opposite, yellow.
This same dramatic impact can be accomplished even when the complementary colors are not right next to each other in the piece. In this flower brooch of Kristie’s she has purple changing to a dark then light blue and then we’re hit by a contrasting yellow which takes over the center of the flow. With the broadest swathes of pure color being the yellow in the center and the purple covering the edges, the impact from the complementary colors still works and it doesn’t hurt that blue and yellow are tertiary (colors a third of the color wheel away from each other) which adds touch more impact as well.
Krisite really does love her color and creates lovely combinations. You can check out more of her work and yummy colors on her blog here.
Inspiration Infusion for Caning
January 19, 2013
Inspirational Art, Technique tutorials
Looking for a new challenge in caning? Well, here are a couple ideas.
One, try some new cane patterns. I was mesmerized by the complexity of this monochromatic cane created by Israel’s Marcia Tzigelnik. You can get the tutorials for these and other beautiful canes in her Etsy shop.
Second, do something new with your cane slices. Here is what Kristie Foss created with Marcia’s canes.
Don’t you admire the way she uses the lines in the canes to give definitive direction and sense of movement to the forms? Just lovely.
Feeling inspired? What can you do differently to get your mojo going this weekend?
A little glitz and glamour is always welcome as we ring in the new year. There is just something about starting out feeling and looking great but that doesn’t mean you need to go crazy with the sparkle and bling. Unless that is your thing, of course. But for many of us, just a touch of pizzazz is more comfortable and easier to pull off.
The key with sparkle is contrast which, as you know by now I’m sure, is key with most designs. You need to decide just how much contrast you want in order to express your vision. A little black dress with a big showy necklace works because the dress is minimal while the necklace is energetic. A shimmery dress can do with a simple chain or solid pendant which acts as a quiet accent. But how about a nicely cut, sophisticated outfit? You don’t want the adornment to compete or overshadow the rest of the outfit, but you want some sparkle. So go for a small sprinkle of glitz to show you are in the spirit while keeping that sophisticated tone. This is edging more towards less contrast which works well when understated is the goal.
And that is what we have in this pendant and earring set by Kristie Foss. The very strong lines of the cane are upstaged by just a smattering of sparkles. It is not big or showy but it is dressed up and after a long and busy holiday season, celebratory but subdued may be just the ticket.
This little collection of New Year’s glitz (as she aptly named this blog post of hers) shows a number of similar examples to the one shown here. Enjoy the light shimmer and shine and have a joyous and safe New Year’s eve tomorrow.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read MoreAnother classic color palette that works really well with mokume is the limited color palette. Limiting the colors to just two or three (and keeping them either analogous or give one a real contrast from the rest) will force you to work with value (how light or dark a color is) and composition. Too much color can be distracting in your composition and overpower your other other design elements.
In this extruded polymer mokume, Jan Montarsi uses a pink and peach color with white. There is very little contrast in the couple of colors. The colors are analogous, and the most value contrast is with the white, which is not a color at all. This minimal color set forces Jan to work with other elements like the intriguing layering and shapes within his pendant here.
The extruded mokume technique offers a lot of opportunity for the exploratory clayer. If you haven’t worked with it, it’s great fun, it can use up scrap clay if you like and creates a more definite and more controllable pattern. For a tutorial on the extruded mokume method, take a look at Kristie Foss’ nice tutorial here. And for more great mokume and beautiful finishes, have fun roaming Jan’s Flickr pages.
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.
Kristie Foss is definitely an explorer type of artist. Her blog is full of her exploits in polymer and the many different variations she gets from playing with a technique, surface treatment or form.
In this one post, you can see the progression of playing with shapes starting with the same clay treatment. She began with nautilus snail shapes then worked it into a leaf type of pendant and then finally into these intriguing horn shapes. Its rather neat to be able to see the progression of ideas. Makes me want to jump into the studio and see what comes of the scraps on my table!
But alas, that is not for me today. And tomorrow I am in LA for a week just checking in on family and having some time away from it all with a favorite person of mine. I’m going to get started finding items for next week’s blog as of today and my tired brain could so use some help. If any of you have any favorite pieces–of yours or of others–you think we need to share with everyone, send me a link to this fabulous work at sbray@thepolymerarts.com or message us on Facebook at The Polymer Arts. You’ll get a warm thank you mention in the post and a link to your site as well as a lot of gratitude from little ol’ me!
In the meantime, treat yourself to some downtime of your own with a cup of coffee or glass of wine and join Kristie on her blog for a bit of polymer adventuring.
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.
The arrangement of your color schemes can be as important as the color choices themselves. Here is an example of using two kinds of color schemes but arranging them for the most impact.
In this brilliantly colored necklace by Kristie Foss, the color scheme moves from the analogous colors purple and red to complementary colors as the deep red bleeds into its opposing color on the color wheel, a bright green. The contrast is not just in the the choice of base color but the red is also darker and leaning towards purple while the green is lighter and leaning towards purple’s opposite, yellow.
This same dramatic impact can be accomplished even when the complementary colors are not right next to each other in the piece. In this flower brooch of Kristie’s she has purple changing to a dark then light blue and then we’re hit by a contrasting yellow which takes over the center of the flow. With the broadest swathes of pure color being the yellow in the center and the purple covering the edges, the impact from the complementary colors still works and it doesn’t hurt that blue and yellow are tertiary (colors a third of the color wheel away from each other) which adds touch more impact as well.
Krisite really does love her color and creates lovely combinations. You can check out more of her work and yummy colors on her blog here.
Read MoreLooking for a new challenge in caning? Well, here are a couple ideas.
One, try some new cane patterns. I was mesmerized by the complexity of this monochromatic cane created by Israel’s Marcia Tzigelnik. You can get the tutorials for these and other beautiful canes in her Etsy shop.
Second, do something new with your cane slices. Here is what Kristie Foss created with Marcia’s canes.
Don’t you admire the way she uses the lines in the canes to give definitive direction and sense of movement to the forms? Just lovely.
Feeling inspired? What can you do differently to get your mojo going this weekend?
Read More
