The Convergence of Like Materials
March 7, 2016
Inspirational Art
As I mentioned last week, I was very excited to have a metal clay article for this issue. I have been wanting to do one for a while, especially since Metal Clay Artist magazine was forced to close their doors. I spent a lot of time conversing with the editor of MCAM, Jeannette Froese LeBlanc, trying to find a way to integrate our periodicals so they could continue to provide articles to metal clayers, but this market is a big challenge. Jeanette eventually went onto create Creative Fire, an online periodical, presented blog style, with in-depth and magazine-quality posts. If you are interested in metal clay, you need to subscribe to the free posts there.
It was through those conversations that I was steered to Dawn Stubitsch who so kindly agreed to write The Polymer Arts magazine’s first metal clay article. Dawn has been working in polymer for quite a while and only found metal clay as a way to create more durable bails for her pendants. The combination resulted in some truly unique pendants, like the one you see here. The bail is not just something added as a functional necessity, but it is the real focal point of the pendant. You don’t even think about it being a bail; it’s that strong center that holds all the riotous colors and patterns together.
I’m hoping Dawn’s article, with its clear direction and many tips, will get polymer clayers to consider giving metal clay a try. We use a lot of the same tools and many polymer skills translate quite directly to metal clay. As with many of the articles in the Spring issue, which focuses on the convergence of polymer and similar or complementary materials, we hope you see how expanding materials to use with polymer so greatly expands your creative potential with clay.
For more pieces from Dawn, go to her Flickr page, or check out her Facebook artist’s page where you can find shots from her work table that will complement what you see in the article, as well as more of her work.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create or design a functional part of a piece as the focal point. It could be bail, an ear wire, or a necklace or bracelet clasp. If you are creating decor, it could be the handle, knob, latch, feet, or lid of the piece. Or if you’re creating a sculpture, make the base or wall hanging a well considered and important piece of the composition. Make it so the part in your craft art that is necessary for function comes across just as, or more than, necessary for the design.
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Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Glowing and Flowing
February 29, 2016
Inspirational Art
I am packing to make the 16+ hour road trip return to Colorado tomorrow, so I’m rushing about and haven’t really come up with a theme for this week, but we’ll muddle through. I’ll start sharing some of the items that didn’t fit into this insanely packed Spring issue by Friday and take that into next week, so you have some exciting stuff to look forward to. We will be getting the Spring issue wrapped up soon with print issues leaving the printer’s in the next couple days and the digital being released this Thursday. (Get your subscription or pre-order in today so you get it with everyone else … www.thepolymerarts.com)
In the meantime, I thought I’d share some metal jewelry as an introduction to the idea of mixing metal and polymer. This issue has a ton of mixed media tutorials and articles, including metal, but this is not polymer nor even metal clay. I thought it might be PMC at first, but I believe this is all classic metal work created by Patti West-Martino of Michigan. I just thought it was a great outside inspiration to share.
I absolutely love labradorite, and the tendril and twists are all too close to the kind of work I’ve done so much of, so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to it. But I can’t imagine that the glow from the stone wouldn’t grab just about anyone, and the singular lines and varied small bits of texture hold you as your eye follows the flow from one interesting point to another.
Patti also works in that Fordite we talked about week before last, as well as plenty of labradorite. If you want to get more ideas for framing some beautifully glowing focal piece, jump over to her Etsy site.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Consider the idea of flow … flowing lines, flowing textures, flowing color, etc. Design, create, or fix up a piece with the idea of flow either in the way the elements feel or in how it is composed, moving the viewer’s eye from one point to the next. Don’t try too hard, just keep it at the center of your thoughts as you intuitively create.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
As I mentioned last week, I was very excited to have a metal clay article for this issue. I have been wanting to do one for a while, especially since Metal Clay Artist magazine was forced to close their doors. I spent a lot of time conversing with the editor of MCAM, Jeannette Froese LeBlanc, trying to find a way to integrate our periodicals so they could continue to provide articles to metal clayers, but this market is a big challenge. Jeanette eventually went onto create Creative Fire, an online periodical, presented blog style, with in-depth and magazine-quality posts. If you are interested in metal clay, you need to subscribe to the free posts there.
It was through those conversations that I was steered to Dawn Stubitsch who so kindly agreed to write The Polymer Arts magazine’s first metal clay article. Dawn has been working in polymer for quite a while and only found metal clay as a way to create more durable bails for her pendants. The combination resulted in some truly unique pendants, like the one you see here. The bail is not just something added as a functional necessity, but it is the real focal point of the pendant. You don’t even think about it being a bail; it’s that strong center that holds all the riotous colors and patterns together.
I’m hoping Dawn’s article, with its clear direction and many tips, will get polymer clayers to consider giving metal clay a try. We use a lot of the same tools and many polymer skills translate quite directly to metal clay. As with many of the articles in the Spring issue, which focuses on the convergence of polymer and similar or complementary materials, we hope you see how expanding materials to use with polymer so greatly expands your creative potential with clay.
For more pieces from Dawn, go to her Flickr page, or check out her Facebook artist’s page where you can find shots from her work table that will complement what you see in the article, as well as more of her work.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create or design a functional part of a piece as the focal point. It could be bail, an ear wire, or a necklace or bracelet clasp. If you are creating decor, it could be the handle, knob, latch, feet, or lid of the piece. Or if you’re creating a sculpture, make the base or wall hanging a well considered and important piece of the composition. Make it so the part in your craft art that is necessary for function comes across just as, or more than, necessary for the design.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read MoreI am packing to make the 16+ hour road trip return to Colorado tomorrow, so I’m rushing about and haven’t really come up with a theme for this week, but we’ll muddle through. I’ll start sharing some of the items that didn’t fit into this insanely packed Spring issue by Friday and take that into next week, so you have some exciting stuff to look forward to. We will be getting the Spring issue wrapped up soon with print issues leaving the printer’s in the next couple days and the digital being released this Thursday. (Get your subscription or pre-order in today so you get it with everyone else … www.thepolymerarts.com)
In the meantime, I thought I’d share some metal jewelry as an introduction to the idea of mixing metal and polymer. This issue has a ton of mixed media tutorials and articles, including metal, but this is not polymer nor even metal clay. I thought it might be PMC at first, but I believe this is all classic metal work created by Patti West-Martino of Michigan. I just thought it was a great outside inspiration to share.
I absolutely love labradorite, and the tendril and twists are all too close to the kind of work I’ve done so much of, so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to it. But I can’t imagine that the glow from the stone wouldn’t grab just about anyone, and the singular lines and varied small bits of texture hold you as your eye follows the flow from one interesting point to another.
Patti also works in that Fordite we talked about week before last, as well as plenty of labradorite. If you want to get more ideas for framing some beautifully glowing focal piece, jump over to her Etsy site.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Consider the idea of flow … flowing lines, flowing textures, flowing color, etc. Design, create, or fix up a piece with the idea of flow either in the way the elements feel or in how it is composed, moving the viewer’s eye from one point to the next. Don’t try too hard, just keep it at the center of your thoughts as you intuitively create.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read More