Painting with Edges
March 17, 2016
Inspirational Art
The wide open canvas idea that the Fimo 50 project brought up on Monday got me looking around at polymer painting. It is not an easy thing to literally paint with polymer, and sometimes I think that there isn’t really any advantage to painting in polymer other than to see if it can be done. I mean, if you are familiar with the wide world of acrylics, you know so much of what we do as painting with polymer can be done in acrylics. Thick dimensionality, rich color, marbling, layering, and even sculpting is possible with acrylic paint mediums. And you don’t have to cure it. But then you see a piece like this and yes, the rippling effect would be harder to achieve in polymer. It does have its place. It just depends on the hands it is in.
The hands this was in were Gloria Nilsson’s. She works almost exclusively in paint now, along with creating some jewelry, so I don’t have too much information on what she did here. This is from an old web page site on the piece:
“I developed this rolling wave technique in several of my polymer clay jewelry pieces first exhibited in September 2010 at the Killingworth Library. The process of painting with clay requires an artist to be open to the clay itself. The design of the wave is established, but the detail and the movement is dictated by the spontaneous color mixing process. No two will ever be alike.”
She goes on to say that she planned on exploring this further, but I could not find any other polymer paintings. It was certainly a beautiful start to this kind of ‘painting’, although it might more accurately be called construction or layering. But let’s forget categories and labels. When texture and imagery blend so well that you get a little lost as you look at it, you know the piece has transcended begin defined by its medium and any associated labels. I think this is one of those pieces.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Work with very, very thin sheets of clay and layer them so the edges form the lines, shapes, and texture of the piece you are creating. It is okay if this process leads you in another direction. Just follow your muse.
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Mysterious Layers and Views
November 6, 2015
Inspirational Art
So, I’ve been staring at this piece and the several other views of it, as well as similar pieces by Lorraine Vogel of Wired Orchid Jewelry, trying to figure out what she might have done to achieve this effect. The layers are both in the slightly raised form of the imagery as well as in the application of color. I can usually figure out the basics, but I’m a bit stumped. Is it stencil? Purely impressions on clay? Did she use liquid polymer for the translucent effect, or oil paints, perhaps?
I think what I like best about a piece like this is that the look transcends the material, so you are admiring the look long before you stop to consider what it is made of or how it was accomplished. My brain jumps to how it is done pretty readily, no matter what the piece, but work like this makes me stop a moment before I go there. As always with Lorraine’s work, I’m first struck by the quiet, rather unassuming beauty she imparts in her pieces. This is aided by muted tones and limited palettes, as well as simple forms that just happen to be canvases for intricate applications.
Lorraine also has a very interesting eye for photographing her work. Take a tour through her collection on Etsy and on Flickr and look at the angles and set-ups she uses to show off her pieces. Her photos alone are pretty inspiring, but take a close look at her work and you’ll notice that flawless finish on every piece. There is something so admirable about an artist who considers every aspect of their work down to how us online viewers get to see it.
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Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
The wide open canvas idea that the Fimo 50 project brought up on Monday got me looking around at polymer painting. It is not an easy thing to literally paint with polymer, and sometimes I think that there isn’t really any advantage to painting in polymer other than to see if it can be done. I mean, if you are familiar with the wide world of acrylics, you know so much of what we do as painting with polymer can be done in acrylics. Thick dimensionality, rich color, marbling, layering, and even sculpting is possible with acrylic paint mediums. And you don’t have to cure it. But then you see a piece like this and yes, the rippling effect would be harder to achieve in polymer. It does have its place. It just depends on the hands it is in.
The hands this was in were Gloria Nilsson’s. She works almost exclusively in paint now, along with creating some jewelry, so I don’t have too much information on what she did here. This is from an old web page site on the piece:
“I developed this rolling wave technique in several of my polymer clay jewelry pieces first exhibited in September 2010 at the Killingworth Library. The process of painting with clay requires an artist to be open to the clay itself. The design of the wave is established, but the detail and the movement is dictated by the spontaneous color mixing process. No two will ever be alike.”
She goes on to say that she planned on exploring this further, but I could not find any other polymer paintings. It was certainly a beautiful start to this kind of ‘painting’, although it might more accurately be called construction or layering. But let’s forget categories and labels. When texture and imagery blend so well that you get a little lost as you look at it, you know the piece has transcended begin defined by its medium and any associated labels. I think this is one of those pieces.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Work with very, very thin sheets of clay and layer them so the edges form the lines, shapes, and texture of the piece you are creating. It is okay if this process leads you in another direction. Just follow your muse.
___________________________________________
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Read MoreSo, I’ve been staring at this piece and the several other views of it, as well as similar pieces by Lorraine Vogel of Wired Orchid Jewelry, trying to figure out what she might have done to achieve this effect. The layers are both in the slightly raised form of the imagery as well as in the application of color. I can usually figure out the basics, but I’m a bit stumped. Is it stencil? Purely impressions on clay? Did she use liquid polymer for the translucent effect, or oil paints, perhaps?
I think what I like best about a piece like this is that the look transcends the material, so you are admiring the look long before you stop to consider what it is made of or how it was accomplished. My brain jumps to how it is done pretty readily, no matter what the piece, but work like this makes me stop a moment before I go there. As always with Lorraine’s work, I’m first struck by the quiet, rather unassuming beauty she imparts in her pieces. This is aided by muted tones and limited palettes, as well as simple forms that just happen to be canvases for intricate applications.
Lorraine also has a very interesting eye for photographing her work. Take a tour through her collection on Etsy and on Flickr and look at the angles and set-ups she uses to show off her pieces. Her photos alone are pretty inspiring, but take a close look at her work and you’ll notice that flawless finish on every piece. There is something so admirable about an artist who considers every aspect of their work down to how us online viewers get to see it.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read More
