Varied Puffs
January 11, 2019
Inspirational Art
So, I am discovering that the puffed trillion shape is almost as popular as the lentil bead form when it comes to dimensional jewelry elements. I don’t have anything against either, of course, but in trying to find some more pillowy shapes for us to contemplate the trillion shape comes up again and again. I think this is largely due to its inherent movement as it is much like the shape of an arrowhead, pointing persistently in one direction. They also allow for a lot of different embellishments as well, not appearing to be just a canvas as a square or even a circle might be. The softened sides keep them from being too severe, lending them well to the softer puffed shape.
Here, Ukrainian crafter Lela Todua makes the puffed trillion her central focus and creates a bit of variation with color and some change to the embellishment. As you can see, once you master this simple but dynamic shape, slight variations can lead to an entire line of exciting little pieces like this.
See more of Lela’s dimensional work in a variety of technique in her Etsy shop.
Lines that Lead to Contrast
April 13, 2016
Inspirational Art
Lines are largely directional elements. We see a line and our eyes run along its path to see where it will go or where it has been. Combining lines that go in various directions will have us glancing over and back, jumping from one to the other as we try to follow them all. Our busy eyes are what make us feel that the lines are energetic. Energy can be good if that is what you are after, but unless you want to leave the viewer feeling ungrounded, you might want to have a place the eye can rest.
In this set of earrings by Lela Todua, you get that moment of rest in the strip of textured clay down the center. You also get this kind of mirror image of the criss-cross lines on one side being mimicked by the lines of changing color in the mokume gane surface on the other. Although not really the same kind of lines, the type of patterning and direction of lines are close enough that our minds see a likeness. It helps ground the two otherwise contrasting halves in a subtle relationship alongside their physical kinship being the same mirrored shapes connected to the same long central bar. The result is that our eye jumps from side to side, with a quiet moment we can take in between on that dividing bar. The dividing bar is actually a line as well, but she adds these simple dots at the end that keep our eye from sliding off and so our glance returns to trying to take in the broader surfaces. It gives us a sense of a full and complex composition in a small amount of space.
Lines and contrast seem to be the staple of Lela’s work as you can see by what she has to offer in her well stocked Etsy shop.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Find various styles of lines in everyday or natural items and find two that you see any kind of relationship between. Use these as inspiration for creating contrasting textures for a new piece. Alternately, create multiple textures with lines in a preferred set of materials and techniques, ones that develop random patterns (mokume, marbling, scratches, splashes of paint or ink, etc.), then find patches of texture that work together because of a suggested relationship your eye finds. Create a piece from them.
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Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
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So, I am discovering that the puffed trillion shape is almost as popular as the lentil bead form when it comes to dimensional jewelry elements. I don’t have anything against either, of course, but in trying to find some more pillowy shapes for us to contemplate the trillion shape comes up again and again. I think this is largely due to its inherent movement as it is much like the shape of an arrowhead, pointing persistently in one direction. They also allow for a lot of different embellishments as well, not appearing to be just a canvas as a square or even a circle might be. The softened sides keep them from being too severe, lending them well to the softer puffed shape.
Here, Ukrainian crafter Lela Todua makes the puffed trillion her central focus and creates a bit of variation with color and some change to the embellishment. As you can see, once you master this simple but dynamic shape, slight variations can lead to an entire line of exciting little pieces like this.
See more of Lela’s dimensional work in a variety of technique in her Etsy shop.
Read MoreLines are largely directional elements. We see a line and our eyes run along its path to see where it will go or where it has been. Combining lines that go in various directions will have us glancing over and back, jumping from one to the other as we try to follow them all. Our busy eyes are what make us feel that the lines are energetic. Energy can be good if that is what you are after, but unless you want to leave the viewer feeling ungrounded, you might want to have a place the eye can rest.
In this set of earrings by Lela Todua, you get that moment of rest in the strip of textured clay down the center. You also get this kind of mirror image of the criss-cross lines on one side being mimicked by the lines of changing color in the mokume gane surface on the other. Although not really the same kind of lines, the type of patterning and direction of lines are close enough that our minds see a likeness. It helps ground the two otherwise contrasting halves in a subtle relationship alongside their physical kinship being the same mirrored shapes connected to the same long central bar. The result is that our eye jumps from side to side, with a quiet moment we can take in between on that dividing bar. The dividing bar is actually a line as well, but she adds these simple dots at the end that keep our eye from sliding off and so our glance returns to trying to take in the broader surfaces. It gives us a sense of a full and complex composition in a small amount of space.
Lines and contrast seem to be the staple of Lela’s work as you can see by what she has to offer in her well stocked Etsy shop.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Find various styles of lines in everyday or natural items and find two that you see any kind of relationship between. Use these as inspiration for creating contrasting textures for a new piece. Alternately, create multiple textures with lines in a preferred set of materials and techniques, ones that develop random patterns (mokume, marbling, scratches, splashes of paint or ink, etc.), then find patches of texture that work together because of a suggested relationship your eye finds. Create a piece from them.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
_________________________________________
Read More