Literal Mirrors

October 1, 2014

12_m_01

I am really pushing the mirror theme here, I know. But, I have been in love with these bowls since I first saw them. It was during those first few magical months after I realized what polymer clay really was and what it could do. I was taking in everything I could find online. The images of James Lehman’s bowls were by far the most breathtaking for a newbie like me. The colors are amazing, the shine is unreal and the form and overall workmanship was unlike anything I’d seen. To this day, I think of them as being in a class by themselves that no one else has quite been able to match.

So, the imagery isn’t usually mirrored in James’ pieces, but the polish is mirror-like and because of the detail and attention he applied to both the insides and the backsides of his bowl, he had to take photos of them on a mirrored surface to show the full effect. So, humor me while I fit it into this week’s theme. Because this kind of dedication to the finish of a piece — this was nearly 15 years ago as well — is awe inspiring, if not a level any fine polymer artist would want to aspire to reach.

James still has a site with his work online here but has not done much in the community for a number of years. If you Google the guy and look at his other websites, it’s obvious that he is one easily distracted and fanatically curious fellow, and it’s no surprise he has gone on to further develop his skills in another area of interest. But, we will still have his amazing work to enjoy, appreciate and inspire us.

 

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.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm  Blog2 -2014-02Feb-3   polymer clay butterfly ornament sm  Polymania Advert 125   tpa-125x125-blog

Mirror, mirror …

September 29, 2014

burst-of-pendants22The ‘mirror image’ is a very common element in nature; from leaves to flowers to fruit to every creature I can think of, there are often two halves mirroring each other to make the whole. I’ve  seen a number of interesting uses of this in polymer pieces lately and thought this might be an easy theme to gather up work for this week. Not so much, however. Because using this kind of element necessitates a centered composition where the mirror images appear–their meeting point in the middle creating a center line–and with a community much enamored of asymmetry, it is far rarer than I would have thought. But, I aim to find a variety of examples where the mirroring adds energy or depth to a piece rather than feeling stale because the element (or elements) are arranged on some center line.

The obvious first place to look is in caning. The kaleidoscope cane alone holds up a great argument for mirroring. Create an pie slice shaped cane, cut up the length and lay matching sides together to fill in the pie round (or some approach akin to that.)  And you end up with usually very energized visuals. Lines, curves, angles and other directional elements will be moving from the center in opposite directions creating that energy.

When I hear kaleidoscope canes, I always think of Carol Simmons and her intense precision in this art form.  These pendants are examples for her upcoming workshops being held in Racine, Wisconsin after the RAM Symposium later in October. (It’s a waiting list only class; find out more on her website.) The center lines from the process of mirroring images have become a range of star burst like patterns, pushing direction from the center of the pendants to the outside that adds dynamic energy and a mesmerizing amount of detail on such a small space.

If you haven’t attempted a kaleidoscope cane before, but are interested, there are dozens of basic free tutorials as well as more intricate ones sold on Etsy and through other shops. Just Google the term “kaleidoscope cane tutorial” for many instant options.

 

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.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-2   3d star ad  Polymania Advert 125  tpa-125x125-blog

Innate Symmetry

March 1, 2014

We couldn’t have a proper week on symmetry without two things … earrings and kaleidoscope canes. So who better to demonstrate both than Sandra McCaw. If you look at this pair of earrings as a cohesive whole, instead of two individual pieces in a set, they are a perfect example of mirror image symmetry. Her creative style encompasses precision and exactness, as witnessed in these masterful canes using color and intricacy of pattern to form her McCaw Cane. She adds richness and texture to her pieces with the application of 23K gold leaf.

2726big

For those of you who are not familiar with Sandra, she developed a caning process that bears her name, the McCaw Cane. It involves mixing several gradations of two or three colors, rolling them into sheets and stacking them into blocks. Each block is then cut in the same way and the pieces swapped to create simple multi-colored patterns. These blocks are then reduced and divided to make increasingly complex patterns. If you would like to learn this technique step-by-step, grab a copy of her DVD, “Innovations: A Polymer Clay Series” or take a peek at the book, “The Art of Jewelry: Polymer Clay – Techniques, Projects, Inspiration.”

 

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.

14P1 cover Fnl   PCW blue string art cane   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-2

Literal Mirrors

October 1, 2014
Posted in

12_m_01

I am really pushing the mirror theme here, I know. But, I have been in love with these bowls since I first saw them. It was during those first few magical months after I realized what polymer clay really was and what it could do. I was taking in everything I could find online. The images of James Lehman’s bowls were by far the most breathtaking for a newbie like me. The colors are amazing, the shine is unreal and the form and overall workmanship was unlike anything I’d seen. To this day, I think of them as being in a class by themselves that no one else has quite been able to match.

So, the imagery isn’t usually mirrored in James’ pieces, but the polish is mirror-like and because of the detail and attention he applied to both the insides and the backsides of his bowl, he had to take photos of them on a mirrored surface to show the full effect. So, humor me while I fit it into this week’s theme. Because this kind of dedication to the finish of a piece — this was nearly 15 years ago as well — is awe inspiring, if not a level any fine polymer artist would want to aspire to reach.

James still has a site with his work online here but has not done much in the community for a number of years. If you Google the guy and look at his other websites, it’s obvious that he is one easily distracted and fanatically curious fellow, and it’s no surprise he has gone on to further develop his skills in another area of interest. But, we will still have his amazing work to enjoy, appreciate and inspire us.

 

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.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm  Blog2 -2014-02Feb-3   polymer clay butterfly ornament sm  Polymania Advert 125   tpa-125x125-blog

Read More

Mirror, mirror …

September 29, 2014
Posted in

burst-of-pendants22The ‘mirror image’ is a very common element in nature; from leaves to flowers to fruit to every creature I can think of, there are often two halves mirroring each other to make the whole. I’ve  seen a number of interesting uses of this in polymer pieces lately and thought this might be an easy theme to gather up work for this week. Not so much, however. Because using this kind of element necessitates a centered composition where the mirror images appear–their meeting point in the middle creating a center line–and with a community much enamored of asymmetry, it is far rarer than I would have thought. But, I aim to find a variety of examples where the mirroring adds energy or depth to a piece rather than feeling stale because the element (or elements) are arranged on some center line.

The obvious first place to look is in caning. The kaleidoscope cane alone holds up a great argument for mirroring. Create an pie slice shaped cane, cut up the length and lay matching sides together to fill in the pie round (or some approach akin to that.)  And you end up with usually very energized visuals. Lines, curves, angles and other directional elements will be moving from the center in opposite directions creating that energy.

When I hear kaleidoscope canes, I always think of Carol Simmons and her intense precision in this art form.  These pendants are examples for her upcoming workshops being held in Racine, Wisconsin after the RAM Symposium later in October. (It’s a waiting list only class; find out more on her website.) The center lines from the process of mirroring images have become a range of star burst like patterns, pushing direction from the center of the pendants to the outside that adds dynamic energy and a mesmerizing amount of detail on such a small space.

If you haven’t attempted a kaleidoscope cane before, but are interested, there are dozens of basic free tutorials as well as more intricate ones sold on Etsy and through other shops. Just Google the term “kaleidoscope cane tutorial” for many instant options.

 

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.

14-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-2   3d star ad  Polymania Advert 125  tpa-125x125-blog

Read More

Innate Symmetry

March 1, 2014
Posted in

We couldn’t have a proper week on symmetry without two things … earrings and kaleidoscope canes. So who better to demonstrate both than Sandra McCaw. If you look at this pair of earrings as a cohesive whole, instead of two individual pieces in a set, they are a perfect example of mirror image symmetry. Her creative style encompasses precision and exactness, as witnessed in these masterful canes using color and intricacy of pattern to form her McCaw Cane. She adds richness and texture to her pieces with the application of 23K gold leaf.

2726big

For those of you who are not familiar with Sandra, she developed a caning process that bears her name, the McCaw Cane. It involves mixing several gradations of two or three colors, rolling them into sheets and stacking them into blocks. Each block is then cut in the same way and the pieces swapped to create simple multi-colored patterns. These blocks are then reduced and divided to make increasingly complex patterns. If you would like to learn this technique step-by-step, grab a copy of her DVD, “Innovations: A Polymer Clay Series” or take a peek at the book, “The Art of Jewelry: Polymer Clay – Techniques, Projects, Inspiration.”

 

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.

14P1 cover Fnl   PCW blue string art cane   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-2

Read More
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