The First Polymer Pioneer?
November 27, 2015
Inspirational Art, Ponderings
On the last page of the Winter 2015 issue, we have a very, very special Muse’s Corner article. It was brought to us by Anke Humpert, who had the good fortune to connect with a polymer artist who may very well be the first published polymer pioneer, unknown to most all of us. The reason we may not recognize the cover of this book, or the author, is probably that it was written in German. Which makes sense since that is where polymer clay was invented and first produced commercially. But how have so few of us even known of dear Sigrid Smolka?
Here is the thing that so shocked Anke (and, later, myself) when she first found out. This book was published years before Nan Roche’s seminal book The New Clay. Now, we aren’t talking 3 years, or 5, or even 10. This book was published 17 years before, not too long after the clay actually hit the market. Isn’t that amazing?
All on her own, Sigrid developed techniques and processes that we will all find familiar and common today. I guess that really shouldn’t be a surprise. The clay can leads us to obvious conclusions even now. But it was just so early on and she did this all on her own and so hidden from the rest of us. But not anymore.
You can read Anke’s whole story about Sigrid Solka in the Winter issue. Get your copy ordered, if you haven’t already, so you can read this and all the other wonderful contributions your fellow polymer artists shared with you in this issue.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Layers of Interest
November 2, 2015
Inspirational Art
This past week, during my usual hunting excursions for fabulously interesting pieces to bring to you, I noticed I was seeing a lot of beautiful applications created in clean, simple pendant and earring forms, primarily in the area of layering.
This pendant popped up on my Facebook timeline just last night. It’s by Eriko Page who has been toiling away trying to perfect her crackle technique with, what I believe is, Kroma crackle. She mentions Jeanette Kandray’s Kroma Crackle tutorial on the Polyform website in a comment attached to another similar piece on her Facebook page and it does look just like it. I like how she uses the gradient colors and texture as a background for a simple caned tableau for this pendant. There is actually a lot going on that would catch and hold the eye on this simple, organically formed rectangular pendant.
Eriko hails from California and, according to her Facebook page, from Tehachapi of all places. Tehachapi is also home to Christi Friesen and Karen Lewis (Klew). That’s a lot of polymer talent in a town that is all of ten square miles and sits out there on the edge of the vast Mojave desert. What about that breeds such immense talent, I’m starting to wonder?
Well, while I am pondering that mystery, you can search out more of about Eriko and her work scattered throughout the web but most notably on Fire Mountain Gem’s website, Sonoran Beads where you can find her beads for sale and on her Facebook page.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Out Of Hiding: The Winter 2015 Cover of The Polymer Arts
October 28, 2015
Inspirational Art
For our Winter issue, we present to you this dramatic cover with a beautiful piece by the very talented Jeffrey Lloyd Dever. As you see here, the theme for Winter is ‘Hidden’. We’ve been super excited about this issue and got started on it early in the year, actually. There are a lot of techniques and tips in this issue. We wanted to give you a lot of juicy ideas to work on over the Winter (or while escaping the heat down in the southern hemisphere) and for the New Year.
Articles will include things to create:
–Hidden Patterns: Variations in Mokume
–Hidden Composition: Creating Unity with Geometry
–Concealed Light: Polymer LED Jewelry
–Hidden in Plain Sight: Seamless Front Closures
–Secret Spaces: Polymer Box Construction
–Hiding Loose Ends: Finishing Options for Stringing
And things to ponder:
–Of Values and Intentions: The Art of Jeffrey Lloyd Dever
–Behind the Wall: Breaking Through Artistic Blocks
–The Hidden Cost of Doing Business
–Muse’s Corner: A Hidden Polymer Pioneer
… and so much more. Due out November 22nd.
I’m still on the road here, so my apologies for the brevity of this post. I’ll get more information out in our newsletter Thursday or Friday and we’ll get pre-orders going by then, as well. We’ll confirm that here on Friday, too!
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
On the last page of the Winter 2015 issue, we have a very, very special Muse’s Corner article. It was brought to us by Anke Humpert, who had the good fortune to connect with a polymer artist who may very well be the first published polymer pioneer, unknown to most all of us. The reason we may not recognize the cover of this book, or the author, is probably that it was written in German. Which makes sense since that is where polymer clay was invented and first produced commercially. But how have so few of us even known of dear Sigrid Smolka?
Here is the thing that so shocked Anke (and, later, myself) when she first found out. This book was published years before Nan Roche’s seminal book The New Clay. Now, we aren’t talking 3 years, or 5, or even 10. This book was published 17 years before, not too long after the clay actually hit the market. Isn’t that amazing?
All on her own, Sigrid developed techniques and processes that we will all find familiar and common today. I guess that really shouldn’t be a surprise. The clay can leads us to obvious conclusions even now. But it was just so early on and she did this all on her own and so hidden from the rest of us. But not anymore.
You can read Anke’s whole story about Sigrid Solka in the Winter issue. Get your copy ordered, if you haven’t already, so you can read this and all the other wonderful contributions your fellow polymer artists shared with you in this issue.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read MoreThis past week, during my usual hunting excursions for fabulously interesting pieces to bring to you, I noticed I was seeing a lot of beautiful applications created in clean, simple pendant and earring forms, primarily in the area of layering.
This pendant popped up on my Facebook timeline just last night. It’s by Eriko Page who has been toiling away trying to perfect her crackle technique with, what I believe is, Kroma crackle. She mentions Jeanette Kandray’s Kroma Crackle tutorial on the Polyform website in a comment attached to another similar piece on her Facebook page and it does look just like it. I like how she uses the gradient colors and texture as a background for a simple caned tableau for this pendant. There is actually a lot going on that would catch and hold the eye on this simple, organically formed rectangular pendant.
Eriko hails from California and, according to her Facebook page, from Tehachapi of all places. Tehachapi is also home to Christi Friesen and Karen Lewis (Klew). That’s a lot of polymer talent in a town that is all of ten square miles and sits out there on the edge of the vast Mojave desert. What about that breeds such immense talent, I’m starting to wonder?
Well, while I am pondering that mystery, you can search out more of about Eriko and her work scattered throughout the web but most notably on Fire Mountain Gem’s website, Sonoran Beads where you can find her beads for sale and on her Facebook page.
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
For our Winter issue, we present to you this dramatic cover with a beautiful piece by the very talented Jeffrey Lloyd Dever. As you see here, the theme for Winter is ‘Hidden’. We’ve been super excited about this issue and got started on it early in the year, actually. There are a lot of techniques and tips in this issue. We wanted to give you a lot of juicy ideas to work on over the Winter (or while escaping the heat down in the southern hemisphere) and for the New Year.
Articles will include things to create:
–Hidden Patterns: Variations in Mokume
–Hidden Composition: Creating Unity with Geometry
–Concealed Light: Polymer LED Jewelry
–Hidden in Plain Sight: Seamless Front Closures
–Secret Spaces: Polymer Box Construction
–Hiding Loose Ends: Finishing Options for Stringing
And things to ponder:
–Of Values and Intentions: The Art of Jeffrey Lloyd Dever
–Behind the Wall: Breaking Through Artistic Blocks
–The Hidden Cost of Doing Business
–Muse’s Corner: A Hidden Polymer Pioneer
… and so much more. Due out November 22nd.
I’m still on the road here, so my apologies for the brevity of this post. I’ll get more information out in our newsletter Thursday or Friday and we’ll get pre-orders going by then, as well. We’ll confirm that here on Friday, too!
___________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:
___________________________________________
Read More
