Simple Grace
September 16, 2016
Inspirational Art, The Polymer Arts magazine news
When putting together the Simplicity article, we contemplated showing a few non-polymer pieces because there are just so many beautiful designs in other materials that could be inspirational to polymer artists but alas, there was only so much room and much to discuss.
Alice Ballard was a top pick on my list for this because her work shows simplicity that somehow doesn’t appear simple. These ceramic leaves and pod are not super minimalistic but the white center piece is definitely about the essence of the form and image. The colored leaves feel like they are the color and impression of the center piece, taken out and set aside, as if saying the form is first and the color is secondary. It’s the pod set in the middle that brings both a focus to the trio and a bit of mystery. Why is it there? This is not a common arrangement, not in nature, but it does feel natural. For all that this is minimal in form and color, there is a lot to explore.
I find the last statement to be true of the best of simplified design and Alice’s work in particular. Grab a cup of something comforting and take some time out for a visual stroll through her beautiful gallery of work on her website.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create in white alone. Focus on the essence of some object or image that catches your eye and think about the form before creating it. What can you remove aside from color and still make it recognizable? After you decide that, what else can you do without? Ask this until you have in your mind that essential form of it. Then create that in clay.
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Stone by Stone, Smile by Smile
December 11, 2015
Inspirational Art
We are going to go outside polymer art to find a little bit of joyful sunshine to round out this week’s more whimsical focus.
You might think these are polymer when you first glance at them, and when told they are not you might think ceramics or air dry clays, perhaps, but they are none of the above. The three-dimensional components here are almost exclusively painted stone. Michela Bufalini creates what she calls ‘pebbleart’. Her page does not readily translate from the Italian it is written in and what I could translate wasn’t always that clear, but here is the one quote I pulled in English that sums up the purpose of these pieces:
“The challenge of taking an object, that is generally considered to be of little interest or value, and turning it into a work of art is what inspires me to bring life and beauty to an otherwise ignored element of nature.”
I can only imagine that, in addition, she must let the shapes of the pebbles determine the forms of her elements, so that the stones at hand help in determining what is in the work as well as the composition. And then there is the inevitable inspiration received when the pieces assembled start to suggest more specific ideas as to what the creator can do with them.
So, although the work looks like it could be polymer, it is very far removed from our process because we can create any shape and texture while these stones have built-in limitations. Limitations, however, can be a wonderful thing. And I think the joy that emanates from these fun and colorful pieces attests to that.
Add a few more smiles to your day by spending a bit of time on Michela’s website. Like I said, the text on the site doesn’t easily translate, but the joy in the imagery is a universal language.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
When putting together the Simplicity article, we contemplated showing a few non-polymer pieces because there are just so many beautiful designs in other materials that could be inspirational to polymer artists but alas, there was only so much room and much to discuss.
Alice Ballard was a top pick on my list for this because her work shows simplicity that somehow doesn’t appear simple. These ceramic leaves and pod are not super minimalistic but the white center piece is definitely about the essence of the form and image. The colored leaves feel like they are the color and impression of the center piece, taken out and set aside, as if saying the form is first and the color is secondary. It’s the pod set in the middle that brings both a focus to the trio and a bit of mystery. Why is it there? This is not a common arrangement, not in nature, but it does feel natural. For all that this is minimal in form and color, there is a lot to explore.
I find the last statement to be true of the best of simplified design and Alice’s work in particular. Grab a cup of something comforting and take some time out for a visual stroll through her beautiful gallery of work on her website.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create in white alone. Focus on the essence of some object or image that catches your eye and think about the form before creating it. What can you remove aside from color and still make it recognizable? After you decide that, what else can you do without? Ask this until you have in your mind that essential form of it. Then create that in clay.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Read MoreWe are going to go outside polymer art to find a little bit of joyful sunshine to round out this week’s more whimsical focus.
You might think these are polymer when you first glance at them, and when told they are not you might think ceramics or air dry clays, perhaps, but they are none of the above. The three-dimensional components here are almost exclusively painted stone. Michela Bufalini creates what she calls ‘pebbleart’. Her page does not readily translate from the Italian it is written in and what I could translate wasn’t always that clear, but here is the one quote I pulled in English that sums up the purpose of these pieces:
“The challenge of taking an object, that is generally considered to be of little interest or value, and turning it into a work of art is what inspires me to bring life and beauty to an otherwise ignored element of nature.”
I can only imagine that, in addition, she must let the shapes of the pebbles determine the forms of her elements, so that the stones at hand help in determining what is in the work as well as the composition. And then there is the inevitable inspiration received when the pieces assembled start to suggest more specific ideas as to what the creator can do with them.
So, although the work looks like it could be polymer, it is very far removed from our process because we can create any shape and texture while these stones have built-in limitations. Limitations, however, can be a wonderful thing. And I think the joy that emanates from these fun and colorful pieces attests to that.
Add a few more smiles to your day by spending a bit of time on Michela’s website. Like I said, the text on the site doesn’t easily translate, but the joy in the imagery is a universal language.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read More