The Spring 2018 Cover … All Things Big & Small
February 7, 2018
Inspirational Art
Our upcoming Spring 2018 issue is finally coming together, I am happy to say, and it’s set to come out the last week of February!
We are very lucky to have Doreen Kassel as our Color Spotlight artist as well as the cover artist for this issue. Lindly Haunani did a wonderful job of getting Doreen’s thoughts and secrets out of her to share with you all.
Also in this issue …
- We have an amazing article on how to plan and create lifelike miniature versions of just about anything by the prolific Stephanie Kilgast.
- I created a tutorial and sampler article on numerous ways you can decorate and design with tiny bits of clay including clay embroidery, faux filigree, granulation, cloisonné, and a few things I don’t have a name for but all so much fun to do.
- We’ve compiled a ton of secrets and tricks into a step by step guide to cane reduction that is not to be missed.
- Spend time in the world of Donna Greenberg, from her days as a big interior mural artist to her big ideas in smaller polymer packages, in an in-depth interview by Anke Humpert.
- We picked the mind of Laura Tabakman to find out how large installations art projects are started, planned and completed.
- As requested by numerous readers, I put together an article based on my Synergy 4 presentation on how polymer art fits into an environmentally conscious world, with my research and conclusions that are probably not what you would expect.
… and much, much more.
You can start or renew your subscription or pre-order your copy on our website here.
Adorable Surprise
June 21, 2014
Inspirational Art
I have seen fantasy snails and, of course, fantastic fairies in polymer but I think this is the first fantasy snail fairy I’ve seen. It’s make you stop and ponder the idea. The logical side of my brain says that’s just silly–poor fairy would be just dragging that shell around behind her all the time–but then you look at that sweet little face and decide it doesn’t matter.
This little sculpture is by Celia Harris. It’s an example of how the element of surprise can take a nice piece to an even more interesting level. In this case, it is combining things you don’t usually think of together. This can be tricky–the two elements do have to have some kind of connection. In this case, these are nature’s creatures, part of one that exists, part of one that may or may not exist–who’s to say for certain! I like to think anything is possible.
Enjoy a fantastical stroll through Celia’s galleries on her website today and maybe start thinking of your own wonderful surprising combinations.
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.
Jumping into Spring
January 13, 2014
Inspirational Art
I know it’s still the middle of winter but there are definitely a lot of thoughts of Spring being bandied about. I caught sight of these little flowers by Etsy’s MyCraftGarden in Bangkok and thought they would be a delightful way to start the week. Who doesn’t like flowers on a Monday?
These 2″x 4″ (5 x10 cm) flower baskets wouldn’t take up a lot of desk space but what a nice way to brighten up a work area. For more day brightening flowers, miniature blooming bonsai, and colorful baskets of mini fruits and vegetables take a look at MyCraftGarden’s Etsy’s shop.
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 Them Make Cake
May 18, 2013
Inspirational Art
I was really debating what f aux art form to chat about today. I wanted to share a polymer art form that can teach polymer artists of all types something. Then I knew, yes–a form that probably doesn’t end up in the spotlight quite as often as it probably be should in the polymer art world … miniatures.
If you’ve not tried your hand at miniatures in polymer, you really should. First of all, it’s so much fun and anyone, any age and from any walk of life can appreciate a well done miniature. But as an artist, you learn so much about the material in the process of trying to emulate a variety of textures and colors, especially in food. From glossy sauces to fluffy cakes to the matte sheen of pastries to juicy meats … you need to get a handle on a lot of surface textures. And color! It takes skill to find the right colors to give miniatures the realism you are after. You will learn a lot about mixing clay including what colors are strong and only need a pinch, what are weak and need a boost or translucent clay to keep saturation and how to avoid muddy colors. The skills learned creating miniatures will improve your abilities with other techniques.
My favorite miniatures are cakes. Cake art is, itself, just incredible. So take the art of cake making and now make it teeny tiny. How cool! That is the other skill you learn–manipulating polymer on a very small scale. The material can be tricky when you get down to miniature sizes. But once you get it down, you can use the miniature decorative skills to accent other work. Can’t you just see the scroll work or roses on this French wedding cake on a pair of earrings, a bracelet or circling the border of a pendant?
This cake is by Rachel D. of Rachel’s Little Things. She does incredible tiny food, especially cakes. Click her link to see some more amazing miniature work.
If you want to investigate polymer miniatures more, you can just Google it (try using Google images first) but if you want to try your hand with the foods, I highly recommend the book Miniature Food Masterclass. So much fun awaits you!
Our upcoming Spring 2018 issue is finally coming together, I am happy to say, and it’s set to come out the last week of February!
We are very lucky to have Doreen Kassel as our Color Spotlight artist as well as the cover artist for this issue. Lindly Haunani did a wonderful job of getting Doreen’s thoughts and secrets out of her to share with you all.
Also in this issue …
- We have an amazing article on how to plan and create lifelike miniature versions of just about anything by the prolific Stephanie Kilgast.
- I created a tutorial and sampler article on numerous ways you can decorate and design with tiny bits of clay including clay embroidery, faux filigree, granulation, cloisonné, and a few things I don’t have a name for but all so much fun to do.
- We’ve compiled a ton of secrets and tricks into a step by step guide to cane reduction that is not to be missed.
- Spend time in the world of Donna Greenberg, from her days as a big interior mural artist to her big ideas in smaller polymer packages, in an in-depth interview by Anke Humpert.
- We picked the mind of Laura Tabakman to find out how large installations art projects are started, planned and completed.
- As requested by numerous readers, I put together an article based on my Synergy 4 presentation on how polymer art fits into an environmentally conscious world, with my research and conclusions that are probably not what you would expect.
… and much, much more.
You can start or renew your subscription or pre-order your copy on our website here.
Read More
I have seen fantasy snails and, of course, fantastic fairies in polymer but I think this is the first fantasy snail fairy I’ve seen. It’s make you stop and ponder the idea. The logical side of my brain says that’s just silly–poor fairy would be just dragging that shell around behind her all the time–but then you look at that sweet little face and decide it doesn’t matter.
This little sculpture is by Celia Harris. It’s an example of how the element of surprise can take a nice piece to an even more interesting level. In this case, it is combining things you don’t usually think of together. This can be tricky–the two elements do have to have some kind of connection. In this case, these are nature’s creatures, part of one that exists, part of one that may or may not exist–who’s to say for certain! I like to think anything is possible.
Enjoy a fantastical stroll through Celia’s galleries on her website today and maybe start thinking of your own wonderful surprising combinations.
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 know it’s still the middle of winter but there are definitely a lot of thoughts of Spring being bandied about. I caught sight of these little flowers by Etsy’s MyCraftGarden in Bangkok and thought they would be a delightful way to start the week. Who doesn’t like flowers on a Monday?
These 2″x 4″ (5 x10 cm) flower baskets wouldn’t take up a lot of desk space but what a nice way to brighten up a work area. For more day brightening flowers, miniature blooming bonsai, and colorful baskets of mini fruits and vegetables take a look at MyCraftGarden’s Etsy’s shop.
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 was really debating what f aux art form to chat about today. I wanted to share a polymer art form that can teach polymer artists of all types something. Then I knew, yes–a form that probably doesn’t end up in the spotlight quite as often as it probably be should in the polymer art world … miniatures.
If you’ve not tried your hand at miniatures in polymer, you really should. First of all, it’s so much fun and anyone, any age and from any walk of life can appreciate a well done miniature. But as an artist, you learn so much about the material in the process of trying to emulate a variety of textures and colors, especially in food. From glossy sauces to fluffy cakes to the matte sheen of pastries to juicy meats … you need to get a handle on a lot of surface textures. And color! It takes skill to find the right colors to give miniatures the realism you are after. You will learn a lot about mixing clay including what colors are strong and only need a pinch, what are weak and need a boost or translucent clay to keep saturation and how to avoid muddy colors. The skills learned creating miniatures will improve your abilities with other techniques.
My favorite miniatures are cakes. Cake art is, itself, just incredible. So take the art of cake making and now make it teeny tiny. How cool! That is the other skill you learn–manipulating polymer on a very small scale. The material can be tricky when you get down to miniature sizes. But once you get it down, you can use the miniature decorative skills to accent other work. Can’t you just see the scroll work or roses on this French wedding cake on a pair of earrings, a bracelet or circling the border of a pendant?
This cake is by Rachel D. of Rachel’s Little Things. She does incredible tiny food, especially cakes. Click her link to see some more amazing miniature work.
If you want to investigate polymer miniatures more, you can just Google it (try using Google images first) but if you want to try your hand with the foods, I highly recommend the book Miniature Food Masterclass. So much fun awaits you!
Read More