Preciousness
October 4, 2020
Design lessons, Inspirational Art, Ponderings
Kathleen Nowak Tucci going big with not-so-precious intertubes and other disposables.
What would you say if I suggested that you create a piece and then, after you are done, remove your favorite bit? Yes, I realize the request might be physically impossible without causing complete destruction but, alternately, what if I asked you to destroy something you just spent your valuable time and effort creating?
I know you might be wondering if this is some kind of dreadful crafty torture. Why in the world would anyone ask that of you and what would be the point?
Well, this was done to me and a couple dozen other classmates back in college… twice.
The first time was in a creative writing class. We brought in a piece we had been working on all week then were asked to highlight all of our favorite lines. We passed the highlighted sheets to the person next to us and then the professor asked that we scratch out all the highlighted lines in the story we had in hand.
Of course, all us sensitive little budding Hemingways and Dickinsons sat there stunned and appalled as our pieces were read aloud without the sparkling gems that we thought would certainly reveal our genius. Strangely enough, all but one of the pieces still made sense and sometimes, the author even admitted it sounded a bit better. The point was, the professor said, that we tend to fall in love with phrases or sentences and will leave them in even when they don’t serve the piece.
The point was that without our wittiest word choices we could, in theory, make better editing decisions. In art, is it possible that we could make better design decisions if we were willing to set aside the glitzy accents we love so much or not fall back on our favorite tried-and-true textures all the time?
The second time I had a professor crush my little angsty ego was in a ceramics class after we each had done a small series of slab vessels. The professor asked us to pick up our favorite piece, bring it to the center of the room, and hold it up. We were then asked if we would be willing to drop it from a height into the trash bin that sat there. Of course, no one did it at first and he just stood there waiting until a couple brave souls let their pieces go. Then the pressure was on for the rest of us to follow. Even though I wasn’t particularly attached to the piece I had in hand, it was still so hard to drop it but I did. I seem to recall that a handful of students did refuse.
Sounds like a real jerk of a professor to ask such a thing, right? Well, I have to say that, at first, that’s what I thought but then he started to talk about preciousness. His conversation had something to do with becoming too attached to particular pieces. He wanted us to put value on our process, our growth, and learning, not on impressing him or our classmates. I think he was also looking for a way to wake us up as he had been getting frustrated with our attention span during the lecture portion of the class. Well, he sure did that.
I remember thinking about that lesson some years later, when I was better able to take it in. It made me realize that each successful piece I made was really just a step in a journey more so than an end goal unto itself. That changed the way I looked at my work. And it somehow made me braver.
I still did, and do, have favorite pieces that I cherish and will never sell, but seeing the work as steps and creation as a process rather than an investment of time in an end goal has allowed me to work a bit more freely. I have a ton of pieces that remain unfinished, and although it’s disappointing every time to come to a point where you realize it’s not going to succeed how you wanted it to, I don’t have any qualms about setting it aside. I don’t see the work as wasted because I know I’ve gained a little bit more experience and a little better understanding of the process. I’ve let go of the preciousness I used to have about everything I made.
Preciousness arises not only in our valuing our time to such an extent that we will not give up on a piece even when it’s no longer salvageable, or ignoring possible design solutions because they would eliminate our favorite part, but it also happens with the material itself.
Liz Hall creates in polymer and (a lot of) precious metal clay.
Quite a few years ago, I was itching try precious metal clay but it really wasn’t in my budget. Then I found some at a really great price and bought it. But you know what? I never even opened the packages. I just couldn’t get myself to work with this very expensive material for fear I would ruin it. But, of course, it’s rather wasted now that I’ve had it so long that is not workable. Pretty stupid, right? But we can be like that, putting value on the material and not on the process and the joy that we get from learning and creating.
Preciousness is tied into fear and failure in a lot of ways. Our idea of what we think we can do or what we think we should be able to do may be so lofty or so dear and treasured that we are afraid to try, fearing that we will make a mistake and ruin our efforts or that it will not come out as we imagine it. So, we do nothing, which is the same as ruining it, just really early on.
We may also get to a point in a piece where we love it so much that we are afraid to take the next step, a step that might spoil it, and so we set it aside, with all the best intentions to take that next step at a future time but all we’ve done is deny, or even end, the work’s potential.
I thought we’d start out this month on the concept of preciousness because it felt like a good segue into discussing October’s design theme – size.
Preciousness is one of those factors that comes into play when we decide on the size or scope of the work we will take on. Our sense of preciousness can make us hesitate to do something large or particularly complex, as we may fear that we will invest a lot of effort, time, and materials into something we are not assured will be successful.
Julie Eake’s cane mosaic portrait of actress Sophie Turner was, like most of her cane mosaic portraits, a huge undertaking. But aren’t we glad she takes those risks?
But, again, have we not already failed by not attempting it in the first place?
If we looked at everything we create as precious, all the time and effort that we put into it as well as the finished work, we would have to play it rather safe in the studio. However, art is not about playing it safe.
Art is largely about the risks you take.
If you’re not taking risks, then are you actually creating art? There’s nothing wrong in creating just for that sense of accomplishment or the high of that Zen like flow we fall into when the work is familiar and comfortable. It is more than valid to have the process of making things with your hands be the primary purpose in what you do. However, it’s the hours of exploration, the failures, the false starts, our vulnerability, the deep digging, like miners looking for gold, that makes the work that we inevitably uncover truly art.
The risks we are willing to take is the thing that is truly precious.
So, keep the concept of preciousness in your mind as we talk about size this month. Of course, we’ll talk about variation and contrast in size since that is what is primarily being referred to when speaking of it as a design element, but there are other things about size that we can take into consideration as we create, move forward, and grow as creatives.
Speaking of considerations…this week, I am going to have to take my health into consideration, so although I do plan on preparing a blog for next weekend, if it ends up being short or skipped it’s because I’m having a little surgery towards the end of the week. It’s just my esophagus and I should recover in all of two days. I have to fit in all my usual physical therapy before then though, along with all the regular weekly business tasks so it will be a full week.
Don’t worry though – all you club members will get your Midweek Mini-Mag as usual including a goodies giveaway so you can look forward to that if you signed up for one of the clubs.
If you haven’t signed up for one of the clubs yet but really appreciate the information inspiration you find in this blog, help support this project by subscribing! Get your weekly mini-mag, exclusive discounts, giveaways, and special offers along with your support. With everything you’ll get, you can also think of the club as a unique and special way to acknowledge the preciousness that is your creative self!
Radiating Variety
August 11, 2019
Inspirational Art
Would you say you creatively lean toward symmetry or asymmetry? Although humans are innately attracted to symmetry, we all lean towards one or the other when it comes to our aesthetic preferences. However, symmetry, which represents order, is generally found to be more pleasing to the brain than asymmetry but, interestingly enough, symmetry alone cannot make something beautiful. That’s because that orderliness can get rather boring.
This is not to say that symmetry is automatically boring, because it certainly is not. It’s all a matter of how much energy the other characteristics of that symmetrical design add to it. However, there is a kind of artistic prejudice against symmetry out there sometimes. It’s this kind of default line of thought that symmetry is not only boring but a kind of cop-out in design, that it is something primarily employed by the inexperienced and unskilled aspiring artist. That always struck me as really ridiculous. Did they think that Mother Nature should rearrange the flowers, the growth of crystals, and the patterns of butterfly wings? Because they are all symmetrical and yet, these are some of the most beautiful natural things in our world.
So, make note that it’s not symmetry that makes a design boring, it’s a lack of energy in the design. Making exciting, energized, and intriguing symmetrical work can actually be challenging so when someone does it well, it can be quite impressive. Asymmetry has an innate sense of energy simply because it is off-balance and our brain, the way it is, always thinks things are moving towards balance and thus sees asymmetrical design as something in flux. So really, asymmetry might be considered a kind of a shortcut to an energized design although, in truth, both symmetry and asymmetry have plenty of challenges to contend with when designing.
There is one type of symmetrical design, however, that does have both balance and energy almost automatically included. This is the beautiful radial symmetry seen in nature in everything from starfish to flowers to snowflakes. Its energy comes from lines or a progression of shapes moving out from a central axis. The movement in this kind of symmetry is strong and directional but it can still verge on the boring if the radiating lines do not have variation.
Let’s look at some examples of beautifully done radial symmetry.
Going Around the Axis
We see radial symmetry in polymer all the time, particularly in kaleidoscope canes. The process of slicing and reassembling the canes with the same point in the pattern arranged at the center creates radial symmetry. There aren’t necessarily radiating lines in these canes, but the mirrored shapes tend to create points or a kind of visual growth outward.
Here’s a beautiful five-sided kaleidoscope cane – yes, symmetry can have an and odd number of sides because the design is still consistent around a central axis – whose parts have a sense of growth moving outward. This is by the very adept cane artist Lana Fominicheva of LaFom on Etsy.
A more direct production of radial symmetry can be created by building with a collection of elements such as in this quilled cane design by Meg Newberg of Polymer Clay Workshop.
Cool canes, right? You can get Meg’s Quilled Cane Tutorial in her Esty shop and get to making your own as soon as you download it!
Radial symmetry that is neither straight nor separate lines or progressive shapes can still create energy and interest while still staying symmetrical and beautifully balanced as seen here in this locket by Ola of PinkLaLou on Etsy. The crossing over of the lines in the central image are highly energetic and flow out more than burst out from the central axis but flowing lines are still energized only in a calmer, perhaps more elegant, way.
This is a locket created with filigree and cold enamel, not polymer. At first, I thought maybe the design in the middle was cold enamel, but I think it may be an image under resin. Cold enamel is a pigmented semi-translucent resin created to look like traditional glass enamel. If you love the look of enamel but have neither the equipment nor the patience to learn that amazing craft, cold enamel might fill the bill for you. But in the meantime, you could start a radial symmetry design with the right graphic using a liquid polymer image transfer.
Okay, so now that you’ve seen a few examples, would you say this next piece below is radial symmetry? Scroll down before reading on and just take a quick peek. Its looks like it is, right?
Well, technically no, it isn’t, but it has all the initial markers with a central axis from which elements radiate outward in a similar pattern. However, nothing is actually symmetrical from one side to the other. Our brain perceives balance because the progression from the center feels consistent, going from radiating lines of inlaid polymer to an even boundary of solid silver to a filigree of swirls and set gems that fill the outside perimeter. But all the elements have an irregular placement, especially in the stones and swirls outside of the focal center but also in the thickness, pattern, and coloring of the inlaid polymer. So, this pendant echoes radial symmetry without being symmetrical thus giving it a tremendous amount of energy without feeling chaotic. Pretty cool!
This necklace, of course, is a Liz Hall creation. Liz has been one of my polymer heroes since nearly the beginning of my exploration into the material. She combines precious metal clay with polymer inlays, adding in stones, glass, and other shiny bits here and there as well. Her openness to other materials allows for this broad range of exploration in design and yet she has a very distinctive style. If you look closely at her work, you’ll see every regular pattern and design is just a touch off, including the pendant that opens this blog post. That’s part of her signature style. Simple but effective.
Of course, the most quintessential of radial symmetry design is the mandala. Much of the radial symmetry we see could be considered mandalas of sorts, if we are just speaking of the geometry of it. Mandalas are, however, traditionally a reference to a kind of spiritual map, one that was originally meant to be a model for the organizational structure of life, in both the physical and metaphysical sense, and consisted of a square with a circle and four T-shaped gates, one facing each side of the square. But, as you might have noticed, that definition and the base design has been broadly extended. As long as the design has a regular structure organized around a unifying center, it seems to be generally accepted that it can be called a mandala.
We see these mandala structures in polymer pieces created with cane slices a lot but it is also readily achieved with layered polymer elements like these layered ornaments Kay Miller used to make. She’s off focused on dimensional greeting cards now but we can still enjoy the images of her perfectly designed and finished ornaments.
Mandalas are certainly not relegated to polymer when it comes to artwork. And it’s not just about those dot painted rocks that are all the rage now either. Take a gander at this gorgeous mandala brooch created by Jima and Carlie Abbott of Mixed Metal Jewels.
So… do you use radial symmetry in your work? If you don’t or haven’t done much of it or simply haven’t thought much about it, maybe it’s time to try it out. It can be very meditative. See for yourself!
Best Laid Plans
Well, this week I was going to start casually working on plans for future publications and new projects between physical therapy and catching up on sleep, but chaos reigned here at the house. Again. There was light at the end of the tunnel when we suddenly went from being a couple of days from finishing the house renovations to a couple of weeks.
The appliances were in and the final painting had commenced but then we discovered that the floor had a problem along with more damage than was anticipated so instead of simply repairing our flooring around the construction areas, we had to tear out nearly half the flooring in our house! Talk about frustrating! And depressing. And nerve-racking. Blah.
But, long story short, we worked it and persisted until we found something we could afford and miraculously ended up with this gorgeous acacia wood flooring and a crew that rushed in and got it all taken care of pretty much in one day! It was nuts. There were so many guys here, it was like ants in the house. But it was by far the best work done on this whole project. Here is my husband Brett, just super excited about his new floors, in our nearly done kitchen.
I’m pretty sure his expression will change when we sit down to pay the bill though. But at least we can drown our sorrows over a glass of wine in a gorgeous new kitchen.
Or a glass of seltzer in my case. My metabolic issues are dampening my potential to celebrate or drown my sorrows in my family’s traditional Irish way. No sugars including alcohol for me for a while, not until my metabolic issues are under control and it’ll be minimal even then. It’s sad but it’s really nothing compared to what some of my other friends are going through right now. All you wonderful people … take good care of yourselves! I don’t want any more troubling health news. Ok?
On the positive side, my arm is much better even after this one week with minimal computer time. It is starting to hurt now though, but only because I keep forgetting to not type! Three decades of writing for a living and it’s hard not to use the keyboard when pain is not there to readily remind me not to. I’ll learn!
So, the word now is that we should have our house back in a week. Then I can start cooking properly and really button-down on the new diet regimen I have. So, keep your fingers and toes crossed for us as I will keep good, positive energy and prayers flowing out to all of you with challenges going on right now.
Have a beautiful, creative, and inspiring week!
A Favorite Niche
December 4, 2015
Inspirational Art
Liz Hall has graced the Niche Award’s finalist and winner pages several times in the past in addition to being one of the very few polymer artists to gain a place as a Saul Bell award finalist. I do wonder how they determine what category her work goes in. She creates in both metal clay and polymer, combining both for an original and truly stunning effect.
Liz was a first place Niche Award winner in 2014, but since we featured that bracelet set at the time, I thought I’d share a new favorite set of mine. How beautiful are the colors and the shimmer here? The colors are dazzling and the mosaic insets are organically set, but there is still this contained feel to the design thanks to the beautiful, even construction in the silver that frames the polymer and overall finish.
Looking through Liz’s most recent work is always delightful. The gallery on her website is just so full of beautiful things, but you can also find her latest work posted on her Facebook page. Of course, if you fancy her work for yourself, be sure to put her Etsy shop on your Christmas list!
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
Tribal Trends
January 6, 2014
Inspirational Art
In our recent perusal of items that people are posting, commenting and otherwise bandying about online, we’ve noticed there is quite a bit of tribal influenced designs and color palettes. So this week, we thought we’d look at tribal tendencies and see how our fellow clayers are using this type source for inspiration in their work.
Liz Hall has previously put out a lot of work reminiscent of the American Southwest. (She’s from Maryland and lives in Virginia so I’m not sure how that happened.) I never really thought about it, but the southwest imagery and patterns are not so different from what we generally think of as tribal. Ancient art, whether from Africa, Australia, Europe or the Americas, tends towards natural and raw edged work, heavy with patterning in motifs particular to their area and culture. So it would not be difficult to move from the Southwestern aesthetic which draws from the Native American Indian culture to colors and patterns closer to an African influence as Liz has done here in these bangles.
These bangles are one of the final entries for the polymer clay category of the Niche awards. You can see the other entries on the Niche website. Take a look at more of Liz’s work on her own website and Etsy store.
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.
Faux Burl Bangles
October 8, 2012
Inspirational Art
I’ve been working full bore on the next issue of The Polymer Arts which is themed “Shimmer & Shine”. How to properly balance glitz for a sophisticated and beautiful piece and avoid having it just look garish is one of the issues we have when working with bright and shiny bits.
One of the things that can make glitz successful is to present it with a neutral or subdued surface. Here Liz Hall uses a peek-a-boo approach with beautiful iridescence showing through the holes of a faux burl wood overlay. This makes the brillant shimmer of colors a surprise and treat at each point that it shows through.
Liz Hall works with a lot of iridescence and gems and all very tastefully done. You can ogle many more of her gorgeous pieces on her Flickr page.
Kathleen Nowak Tucci going big with not-so-precious intertubes and other disposables.
What would you say if I suggested that you create a piece and then, after you are done, remove your favorite bit? Yes, I realize the request might be physically impossible without causing complete destruction but, alternately, what if I asked you to destroy something you just spent your valuable time and effort creating?
I know you might be wondering if this is some kind of dreadful crafty torture. Why in the world would anyone ask that of you and what would be the point?
Well, this was done to me and a couple dozen other classmates back in college… twice.
The first time was in a creative writing class. We brought in a piece we had been working on all week then were asked to highlight all of our favorite lines. We passed the highlighted sheets to the person next to us and then the professor asked that we scratch out all the highlighted lines in the story we had in hand.
Of course, all us sensitive little budding Hemingways and Dickinsons sat there stunned and appalled as our pieces were read aloud without the sparkling gems that we thought would certainly reveal our genius. Strangely enough, all but one of the pieces still made sense and sometimes, the author even admitted it sounded a bit better. The point was, the professor said, that we tend to fall in love with phrases or sentences and will leave them in even when they don’t serve the piece.
The point was that without our wittiest word choices we could, in theory, make better editing decisions. In art, is it possible that we could make better design decisions if we were willing to set aside the glitzy accents we love so much or not fall back on our favorite tried-and-true textures all the time?
The second time I had a professor crush my little angsty ego was in a ceramics class after we each had done a small series of slab vessels. The professor asked us to pick up our favorite piece, bring it to the center of the room, and hold it up. We were then asked if we would be willing to drop it from a height into the trash bin that sat there. Of course, no one did it at first and he just stood there waiting until a couple brave souls let their pieces go. Then the pressure was on for the rest of us to follow. Even though I wasn’t particularly attached to the piece I had in hand, it was still so hard to drop it but I did. I seem to recall that a handful of students did refuse.
Sounds like a real jerk of a professor to ask such a thing, right? Well, I have to say that, at first, that’s what I thought but then he started to talk about preciousness. His conversation had something to do with becoming too attached to particular pieces. He wanted us to put value on our process, our growth, and learning, not on impressing him or our classmates. I think he was also looking for a way to wake us up as he had been getting frustrated with our attention span during the lecture portion of the class. Well, he sure did that.
I remember thinking about that lesson some years later, when I was better able to take it in. It made me realize that each successful piece I made was really just a step in a journey more so than an end goal unto itself. That changed the way I looked at my work. And it somehow made me braver.
I still did, and do, have favorite pieces that I cherish and will never sell, but seeing the work as steps and creation as a process rather than an investment of time in an end goal has allowed me to work a bit more freely. I have a ton of pieces that remain unfinished, and although it’s disappointing every time to come to a point where you realize it’s not going to succeed how you wanted it to, I don’t have any qualms about setting it aside. I don’t see the work as wasted because I know I’ve gained a little bit more experience and a little better understanding of the process. I’ve let go of the preciousness I used to have about everything I made.
Preciousness arises not only in our valuing our time to such an extent that we will not give up on a piece even when it’s no longer salvageable, or ignoring possible design solutions because they would eliminate our favorite part, but it also happens with the material itself.
Liz Hall creates in polymer and (a lot of) precious metal clay.
Quite a few years ago, I was itching try precious metal clay but it really wasn’t in my budget. Then I found some at a really great price and bought it. But you know what? I never even opened the packages. I just couldn’t get myself to work with this very expensive material for fear I would ruin it. But, of course, it’s rather wasted now that I’ve had it so long that is not workable. Pretty stupid, right? But we can be like that, putting value on the material and not on the process and the joy that we get from learning and creating.
Preciousness is tied into fear and failure in a lot of ways. Our idea of what we think we can do or what we think we should be able to do may be so lofty or so dear and treasured that we are afraid to try, fearing that we will make a mistake and ruin our efforts or that it will not come out as we imagine it. So, we do nothing, which is the same as ruining it, just really early on.
We may also get to a point in a piece where we love it so much that we are afraid to take the next step, a step that might spoil it, and so we set it aside, with all the best intentions to take that next step at a future time but all we’ve done is deny, or even end, the work’s potential.
I thought we’d start out this month on the concept of preciousness because it felt like a good segue into discussing October’s design theme – size.
Preciousness is one of those factors that comes into play when we decide on the size or scope of the work we will take on. Our sense of preciousness can make us hesitate to do something large or particularly complex, as we may fear that we will invest a lot of effort, time, and materials into something we are not assured will be successful.
Julie Eake’s cane mosaic portrait of actress Sophie Turner was, like most of her cane mosaic portraits, a huge undertaking. But aren’t we glad she takes those risks?
But, again, have we not already failed by not attempting it in the first place?
If we looked at everything we create as precious, all the time and effort that we put into it as well as the finished work, we would have to play it rather safe in the studio. However, art is not about playing it safe.
Art is largely about the risks you take.
If you’re not taking risks, then are you actually creating art? There’s nothing wrong in creating just for that sense of accomplishment or the high of that Zen like flow we fall into when the work is familiar and comfortable. It is more than valid to have the process of making things with your hands be the primary purpose in what you do. However, it’s the hours of exploration, the failures, the false starts, our vulnerability, the deep digging, like miners looking for gold, that makes the work that we inevitably uncover truly art.
The risks we are willing to take is the thing that is truly precious.
So, keep the concept of preciousness in your mind as we talk about size this month. Of course, we’ll talk about variation and contrast in size since that is what is primarily being referred to when speaking of it as a design element, but there are other things about size that we can take into consideration as we create, move forward, and grow as creatives.
Speaking of considerations…this week, I am going to have to take my health into consideration, so although I do plan on preparing a blog for next weekend, if it ends up being short or skipped it’s because I’m having a little surgery towards the end of the week. It’s just my esophagus and I should recover in all of two days. I have to fit in all my usual physical therapy before then though, along with all the regular weekly business tasks so it will be a full week.
Don’t worry though – all you club members will get your Midweek Mini-Mag as usual including a goodies giveaway so you can look forward to that if you signed up for one of the clubs.
If you haven’t signed up for one of the clubs yet but really appreciate the information inspiration you find in this blog, help support this project by subscribing! Get your weekly mini-mag, exclusive discounts, giveaways, and special offers along with your support. With everything you’ll get, you can also think of the club as a unique and special way to acknowledge the preciousness that is your creative self!
Read MoreWould you say you creatively lean toward symmetry or asymmetry? Although humans are innately attracted to symmetry, we all lean towards one or the other when it comes to our aesthetic preferences. However, symmetry, which represents order, is generally found to be more pleasing to the brain than asymmetry but, interestingly enough, symmetry alone cannot make something beautiful. That’s because that orderliness can get rather boring.
This is not to say that symmetry is automatically boring, because it certainly is not. It’s all a matter of how much energy the other characteristics of that symmetrical design add to it. However, there is a kind of artistic prejudice against symmetry out there sometimes. It’s this kind of default line of thought that symmetry is not only boring but a kind of cop-out in design, that it is something primarily employed by the inexperienced and unskilled aspiring artist. That always struck me as really ridiculous. Did they think that Mother Nature should rearrange the flowers, the growth of crystals, and the patterns of butterfly wings? Because they are all symmetrical and yet, these are some of the most beautiful natural things in our world.
So, make note that it’s not symmetry that makes a design boring, it’s a lack of energy in the design. Making exciting, energized, and intriguing symmetrical work can actually be challenging so when someone does it well, it can be quite impressive. Asymmetry has an innate sense of energy simply because it is off-balance and our brain, the way it is, always thinks things are moving towards balance and thus sees asymmetrical design as something in flux. So really, asymmetry might be considered a kind of a shortcut to an energized design although, in truth, both symmetry and asymmetry have plenty of challenges to contend with when designing.
There is one type of symmetrical design, however, that does have both balance and energy almost automatically included. This is the beautiful radial symmetry seen in nature in everything from starfish to flowers to snowflakes. Its energy comes from lines or a progression of shapes moving out from a central axis. The movement in this kind of symmetry is strong and directional but it can still verge on the boring if the radiating lines do not have variation.
Let’s look at some examples of beautifully done radial symmetry.
Going Around the Axis
We see radial symmetry in polymer all the time, particularly in kaleidoscope canes. The process of slicing and reassembling the canes with the same point in the pattern arranged at the center creates radial symmetry. There aren’t necessarily radiating lines in these canes, but the mirrored shapes tend to create points or a kind of visual growth outward.
Here’s a beautiful five-sided kaleidoscope cane – yes, symmetry can have an and odd number of sides because the design is still consistent around a central axis – whose parts have a sense of growth moving outward. This is by the very adept cane artist Lana Fominicheva of LaFom on Etsy.
A more direct production of radial symmetry can be created by building with a collection of elements such as in this quilled cane design by Meg Newberg of Polymer Clay Workshop.
Cool canes, right? You can get Meg’s Quilled Cane Tutorial in her Esty shop and get to making your own as soon as you download it!
Radial symmetry that is neither straight nor separate lines or progressive shapes can still create energy and interest while still staying symmetrical and beautifully balanced as seen here in this locket by Ola of PinkLaLou on Etsy. The crossing over of the lines in the central image are highly energetic and flow out more than burst out from the central axis but flowing lines are still energized only in a calmer, perhaps more elegant, way.
This is a locket created with filigree and cold enamel, not polymer. At first, I thought maybe the design in the middle was cold enamel, but I think it may be an image under resin. Cold enamel is a pigmented semi-translucent resin created to look like traditional glass enamel. If you love the look of enamel but have neither the equipment nor the patience to learn that amazing craft, cold enamel might fill the bill for you. But in the meantime, you could start a radial symmetry design with the right graphic using a liquid polymer image transfer.
Okay, so now that you’ve seen a few examples, would you say this next piece below is radial symmetry? Scroll down before reading on and just take a quick peek. Its looks like it is, right?
Well, technically no, it isn’t, but it has all the initial markers with a central axis from which elements radiate outward in a similar pattern. However, nothing is actually symmetrical from one side to the other. Our brain perceives balance because the progression from the center feels consistent, going from radiating lines of inlaid polymer to an even boundary of solid silver to a filigree of swirls and set gems that fill the outside perimeter. But all the elements have an irregular placement, especially in the stones and swirls outside of the focal center but also in the thickness, pattern, and coloring of the inlaid polymer. So, this pendant echoes radial symmetry without being symmetrical thus giving it a tremendous amount of energy without feeling chaotic. Pretty cool!
This necklace, of course, is a Liz Hall creation. Liz has been one of my polymer heroes since nearly the beginning of my exploration into the material. She combines precious metal clay with polymer inlays, adding in stones, glass, and other shiny bits here and there as well. Her openness to other materials allows for this broad range of exploration in design and yet she has a very distinctive style. If you look closely at her work, you’ll see every regular pattern and design is just a touch off, including the pendant that opens this blog post. That’s part of her signature style. Simple but effective.
Of course, the most quintessential of radial symmetry design is the mandala. Much of the radial symmetry we see could be considered mandalas of sorts, if we are just speaking of the geometry of it. Mandalas are, however, traditionally a reference to a kind of spiritual map, one that was originally meant to be a model for the organizational structure of life, in both the physical and metaphysical sense, and consisted of a square with a circle and four T-shaped gates, one facing each side of the square. But, as you might have noticed, that definition and the base design has been broadly extended. As long as the design has a regular structure organized around a unifying center, it seems to be generally accepted that it can be called a mandala.
We see these mandala structures in polymer pieces created with cane slices a lot but it is also readily achieved with layered polymer elements like these layered ornaments Kay Miller used to make. She’s off focused on dimensional greeting cards now but we can still enjoy the images of her perfectly designed and finished ornaments.
Mandalas are certainly not relegated to polymer when it comes to artwork. And it’s not just about those dot painted rocks that are all the rage now either. Take a gander at this gorgeous mandala brooch created by Jima and Carlie Abbott of Mixed Metal Jewels.
So… do you use radial symmetry in your work? If you don’t or haven’t done much of it or simply haven’t thought much about it, maybe it’s time to try it out. It can be very meditative. See for yourself!
Best Laid Plans
Well, this week I was going to start casually working on plans for future publications and new projects between physical therapy and catching up on sleep, but chaos reigned here at the house. Again. There was light at the end of the tunnel when we suddenly went from being a couple of days from finishing the house renovations to a couple of weeks.
The appliances were in and the final painting had commenced but then we discovered that the floor had a problem along with more damage than was anticipated so instead of simply repairing our flooring around the construction areas, we had to tear out nearly half the flooring in our house! Talk about frustrating! And depressing. And nerve-racking. Blah.
But, long story short, we worked it and persisted until we found something we could afford and miraculously ended up with this gorgeous acacia wood flooring and a crew that rushed in and got it all taken care of pretty much in one day! It was nuts. There were so many guys here, it was like ants in the house. But it was by far the best work done on this whole project. Here is my husband Brett, just super excited about his new floors, in our nearly done kitchen.
I’m pretty sure his expression will change when we sit down to pay the bill though. But at least we can drown our sorrows over a glass of wine in a gorgeous new kitchen.
Or a glass of seltzer in my case. My metabolic issues are dampening my potential to celebrate or drown my sorrows in my family’s traditional Irish way. No sugars including alcohol for me for a while, not until my metabolic issues are under control and it’ll be minimal even then. It’s sad but it’s really nothing compared to what some of my other friends are going through right now. All you wonderful people … take good care of yourselves! I don’t want any more troubling health news. Ok?
On the positive side, my arm is much better even after this one week with minimal computer time. It is starting to hurt now though, but only because I keep forgetting to not type! Three decades of writing for a living and it’s hard not to use the keyboard when pain is not there to readily remind me not to. I’ll learn!
So, the word now is that we should have our house back in a week. Then I can start cooking properly and really button-down on the new diet regimen I have. So, keep your fingers and toes crossed for us as I will keep good, positive energy and prayers flowing out to all of you with challenges going on right now.
Have a beautiful, creative, and inspiring week!
Read MoreLiz Hall has graced the Niche Award’s finalist and winner pages several times in the past in addition to being one of the very few polymer artists to gain a place as a Saul Bell award finalist. I do wonder how they determine what category her work goes in. She creates in both metal clay and polymer, combining both for an original and truly stunning effect.
Liz was a first place Niche Award winner in 2014, but since we featured that bracelet set at the time, I thought I’d share a new favorite set of mine. How beautiful are the colors and the shimmer here? The colors are dazzling and the mosaic insets are organically set, but there is still this contained feel to the design thanks to the beautiful, even construction in the silver that frames the polymer and overall finish.
Looking through Liz’s most recent work is always delightful. The gallery on her website is just so full of beautiful things, but you can also find her latest work posted on her Facebook page. Of course, if you fancy her work for yourself, be sure to put her Etsy shop on your Christmas list!
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
In our recent perusal of items that people are posting, commenting and otherwise bandying about online, we’ve noticed there is quite a bit of tribal influenced designs and color palettes. So this week, we thought we’d look at tribal tendencies and see how our fellow clayers are using this type source for inspiration in their work.
Liz Hall has previously put out a lot of work reminiscent of the American Southwest. (She’s from Maryland and lives in Virginia so I’m not sure how that happened.) I never really thought about it, but the southwest imagery and patterns are not so different from what we generally think of as tribal. Ancient art, whether from Africa, Australia, Europe or the Americas, tends towards natural and raw edged work, heavy with patterning in motifs particular to their area and culture. So it would not be difficult to move from the Southwestern aesthetic which draws from the Native American Indian culture to colors and patterns closer to an African influence as Liz has done here in these bangles.
These bangles are one of the final entries for the polymer clay category of the Niche awards. You can see the other entries on the Niche website. Take a look at more of Liz’s work on her own website and Etsy store.
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.
I’ve been working full bore on the next issue of The Polymer Arts which is themed “Shimmer & Shine”. How to properly balance glitz for a sophisticated and beautiful piece and avoid having it just look garish is one of the issues we have when working with bright and shiny bits.
One of the things that can make glitz successful is to present it with a neutral or subdued surface. Here Liz Hall uses a peek-a-boo approach with beautiful iridescence showing through the holes of a faux burl wood overlay. This makes the brillant shimmer of colors a surprise and treat at each point that it shows through.
Liz Hall works with a lot of iridescence and gems and all very tastefully done. You can ogle many more of her gorgeous pieces on her Flickr page.
Read More
