Outside Inspiration: Visions in Metal

February 6, 2015

Na Pali Moon I 2012 07131_0Looking at all the other craft mediums out there, there is so much in the way of representational imagery. It was hard to decide what to share today. But since we are so many of us jewelry artists, I decided to return to the classic precious metal jewelry craft.  This particular piece titled Na Pali Moon by Joan Tenenbaum uses several different classic techniques including reticulation (heating precious metal to cause ripples on the surface), cutting, patina surface treatments and even mokume gane (quick … can you find it?). For an all metal piece, the colors are particularly amazing and well controlled.

Joan described what she was trying to recreate here: “I have long been fascinated by the view of distant hills as they disappear into the mist. I love how they become less and less distinct and fade in color the farther away they are. As one looks along the coast, the rippling texture of the ridges of headlands has always inspired visions of jewelry capturing that movement and that landscape. In Na Pali Moon I have combined this theme with another favorite — that of moonlight on water. There are many beautiful coastlines, but the distinctive northwest coast of the Island of Kauai is one of the most exciting to me.”

I can see this kind of thing being made in polymer too. Polymer would lend itself well to the layers and textures. The hardest part might be mixing the muted colors to keep the serene feeling of such a scene.  For more on Joan’s work and process, take a look at her gallery here.

Speaking of precious metal jewelry, our friends over at Metal Clay Artist magazine have had a terrible financial blow fall on them due to another business’s faulty practices. The problem is so bad that they’ve suspended publication on this magazine indefinitely — and it’s the only metal clay focused magazine in print! I am particularly saddened by and empathetic to their situation because MCAM is so much like The Polymer Arts — created by and for artists in a new medium and out of a passion to share with and grow their community. They even publish polymer clay articles, so you know they’re good people! We have been in touch to see how TPA might help, but first the editor, Jeanette LeBlanc, needs to get out from under the overwhelming financial burden caused by unforeseeable circumstances. You can read more on this story and how you can help and even get yourself some goodies or issues of this beautiful magazines at this MCAM FundMe page.  Or go to the Metal Clay Artists’ website to buy a back issue or two. Get new inspiration, and help out a fellow artist dedicated to helping fellow crafters.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

  tpa-blog-125x125-2015  sfxpaad-diffuse  ice cream ad  TPA_McGuire_blog ad

 

 

The Advantages of a Limited Palette

February 17, 2014

So last week, we looked at work that used every color in the rainbow, or close to it and looked at how to use a lot of color without looking chaotic. This week, we are going to look at minimizing color using limited palettes where color is an accent. I know … I hear that collective sigh, knowing that brilliantly colored pieces will not be showing up here this week,  but I promise, you can be stunned by pieces that use very little. Wait and see.

Yes, many of us are polymer fans in large part because of all the color we can play with but the versatility in form, texture and application is really unmatched by any other medium, far more so than the color aspect. So if you limit or take away color as a primary design element, what do you work with? Well, you are forced to pay close attention to everything else. It is pretty easy to let color support the design and impact of a piece, so if color is your design ‘crutch’ (and I don’t mean that in a negative way … color is important and is quite valid as a focus) try moving away from it and explore form, texture, line, composition, repetition, negative space, etc. It’s a great exercise that, when you return to wider ranging color palettes, will take your pieces from rather pretty to simply amazing!

Eva Thissen‘s brooch here has an incredible impact, not only with little color but with brown–of all single colors to choose–as the dominant hue. And yet, it’s absolutely stunning. The texture and detail make the piece visually rich so that the small dots of subdued color are seen as accents rather than color supporting the design.

5089931003_99166a0766_z

Enjoy perusing Eva’s Flickr pages and her enchanting pieces for to get further ideas about putting color in the background while using texture and composition to carry a piece.

 

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

Outside Inspiration: Visions in Metal

February 6, 2015
Posted in

Na Pali Moon I 2012 07131_0Looking at all the other craft mediums out there, there is so much in the way of representational imagery. It was hard to decide what to share today. But since we are so many of us jewelry artists, I decided to return to the classic precious metal jewelry craft.  This particular piece titled Na Pali Moon by Joan Tenenbaum uses several different classic techniques including reticulation (heating precious metal to cause ripples on the surface), cutting, patina surface treatments and even mokume gane (quick … can you find it?). For an all metal piece, the colors are particularly amazing and well controlled.

Joan described what she was trying to recreate here: “I have long been fascinated by the view of distant hills as they disappear into the mist. I love how they become less and less distinct and fade in color the farther away they are. As one looks along the coast, the rippling texture of the ridges of headlands has always inspired visions of jewelry capturing that movement and that landscape. In Na Pali Moon I have combined this theme with another favorite — that of moonlight on water. There are many beautiful coastlines, but the distinctive northwest coast of the Island of Kauai is one of the most exciting to me.”

I can see this kind of thing being made in polymer too. Polymer would lend itself well to the layers and textures. The hardest part might be mixing the muted colors to keep the serene feeling of such a scene.  For more on Joan’s work and process, take a look at her gallery here.

Speaking of precious metal jewelry, our friends over at Metal Clay Artist magazine have had a terrible financial blow fall on them due to another business’s faulty practices. The problem is so bad that they’ve suspended publication on this magazine indefinitely — and it’s the only metal clay focused magazine in print! I am particularly saddened by and empathetic to their situation because MCAM is so much like The Polymer Arts — created by and for artists in a new medium and out of a passion to share with and grow their community. They even publish polymer clay articles, so you know they’re good people! We have been in touch to see how TPA might help, but first the editor, Jeanette LeBlanc, needs to get out from under the overwhelming financial burden caused by unforeseeable circumstances. You can read more on this story and how you can help and even get yourself some goodies or issues of this beautiful magazines at this MCAM FundMe page.  Or go to the Metal Clay Artists’ website to buy a back issue or two. Get new inspiration, and help out a fellow artist dedicated to helping fellow crafters.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.

  tpa-blog-125x125-2015  sfxpaad-diffuse  ice cream ad  TPA_McGuire_blog ad

 

 

Read More

The Advantages of a Limited Palette

February 17, 2014
Posted in

So last week, we looked at work that used every color in the rainbow, or close to it and looked at how to use a lot of color without looking chaotic. This week, we are going to look at minimizing color using limited palettes where color is an accent. I know … I hear that collective sigh, knowing that brilliantly colored pieces will not be showing up here this week,  but I promise, you can be stunned by pieces that use very little. Wait and see.

Yes, many of us are polymer fans in large part because of all the color we can play with but the versatility in form, texture and application is really unmatched by any other medium, far more so than the color aspect. So if you limit or take away color as a primary design element, what do you work with? Well, you are forced to pay close attention to everything else. It is pretty easy to let color support the design and impact of a piece, so if color is your design ‘crutch’ (and I don’t mean that in a negative way … color is important and is quite valid as a focus) try moving away from it and explore form, texture, line, composition, repetition, negative space, etc. It’s a great exercise that, when you return to wider ranging color palettes, will take your pieces from rather pretty to simply amazing!

Eva Thissen‘s brooch here has an incredible impact, not only with little color but with brown–of all single colors to choose–as the dominant hue. And yet, it’s absolutely stunning. The texture and detail make the piece visually rich so that the small dots of subdued color are seen as accents rather than color supporting the design.

5089931003_99166a0766_z

Enjoy perusing Eva’s Flickr pages and her enchanting pieces for to get further ideas about putting color in the background while using texture and composition to carry a piece.

 

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

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