Containers of a Different Sort
October 21, 2013
Inspirational Art
We’ve seen quite a number of boxes and containers on this blog. I have a bit of a thing for boxes. They are such mysterious things. In a closed box, there could be any number of surprises–things left behind, trinkets misplaced, treasures hidden, memories buried just waiting to be rediscovered and, of course, emptiness with a wide open invitation to be filled. What is there not to like about a box?
So this week, I thought I’d dig up some boxes that approach the idea of how to construct or cover an existing box-like object in a slightly different way than we might commonly see–approaches and forms that will get you thinking. You know how I so like to get your noodles moving. (Now, I just need something to get mine to stop!)
So how does one go about pushing the idea of how to construct or decorate a box or container? Well, you can try what Lisa Pavelka tried last year and make one container a day. In her case, it was Carmex lip balm containers. Yes, she did actually accomplish this, even with her very busy schedule. And yes, I think she was nuts and I even said as much to her. I seem to recall she agreed. But it certainly will press you to get really creative if you are making a different container every day. At some point, you must lose any kind of careful editing of yourself and just let go. And that can be a good thing.
I don’t think these top views really do justice the level of sheer creativity she applied to this project. Take a moment (it’s only Monday … I’m sure you have a few minutes to spare, right?) to go through her blog pages, where she posted top and side views of them, alongside a few sentences on what she did with each. It’s really a pretty fascinating project, and the many applications are quite inspiring!
Of course, she used many of her own products in making these. Her line is pretty extensive and there is much more than what you might have seen at your local craft store, so take a look at her store for things you might not be aware of yet. And of course, on this Monday we have plenty of time for some important window shopping, right?
And don’t forget … tomorrow (Tuesday, October 22nd) is the last day of our BIG print back issue sale, so get your extra print copies while the price is still really low! http://www.thepolymerarts.com/Single_issues.html
The Art of Subtle Variation
May 25, 2013
Inspirational Art
We’ve been talking about pushing variation all week. Pushing it usually means you are leaning towards an extreme, or at least a pretty good departure from the norm. But I wanted to correct that notion a bit. I do think swinging that pendulum to an extreme can be great for breaking through any creative barriers, but sometimes it’s the subtle changes that can really make a difference.
Little changes in your design elements can take something from still and calm to energized and exciting. I’m not say still and calm is bad, but changing the forms from what one might expect or varying them in a single piece can produce a whole new feeling in the piece.
Let’s take this piece by Judy Kuskin. This necklace has circles, rectangles and triangles in it. Sort of.
The shapes here are not, for the most part, standard or evenly shaped, except the circles and the oblong center bead. And none of the shapes match their brethren. None of the ‘rectangles’ are actually rectangles (the shape is called a quadrilateral… just a shape with four sides); instead, they are all are off-kilter, some more than others, and are hung at varying orientations. Same thing with the triangles. The circles are also different sizes, with different accent pieces in them. What Judy has done is broken our expectations. We naturally look for repetition, cohesiveness, and pattern. There isn’t any pattern here, except in a lack of repetition and consistency. This makes our eye bounce around the necklace, looking for what we expect and a place to rest. Having neither actually provides the sense of movement and energy we get from it.
This kind of full departure from expectation can be difficult to master. But as you experiment with variations in your work, you can at least take away the idea of pushing something – like a shape or the orientation of a shape – and changing it so it isn’t standard. Cut off the tip of a triangle. Slice in the sides of a square. Remove the petals in one section of a flower. Punch out the side of a circle like an eclipsing sun. Small, subtle changes like this can take a piece that you don’t find as exciting as you wanted it to be and really give it some punch.
Changes don’t need to be big and bold to make a big or bold difference. Playing with your options will help you learn what will work, and when.
We’ve seen quite a number of boxes and containers on this blog. I have a bit of a thing for boxes. They are such mysterious things. In a closed box, there could be any number of surprises–things left behind, trinkets misplaced, treasures hidden, memories buried just waiting to be rediscovered and, of course, emptiness with a wide open invitation to be filled. What is there not to like about a box?
So this week, I thought I’d dig up some boxes that approach the idea of how to construct or cover an existing box-like object in a slightly different way than we might commonly see–approaches and forms that will get you thinking. You know how I so like to get your noodles moving. (Now, I just need something to get mine to stop!)
So how does one go about pushing the idea of how to construct or decorate a box or container? Well, you can try what Lisa Pavelka tried last year and make one container a day. In her case, it was Carmex lip balm containers. Yes, she did actually accomplish this, even with her very busy schedule. And yes, I think she was nuts and I even said as much to her. I seem to recall she agreed. But it certainly will press you to get really creative if you are making a different container every day. At some point, you must lose any kind of careful editing of yourself and just let go. And that can be a good thing.
I don’t think these top views really do justice the level of sheer creativity she applied to this project. Take a moment (it’s only Monday … I’m sure you have a few minutes to spare, right?) to go through her blog pages, where she posted top and side views of them, alongside a few sentences on what she did with each. It’s really a pretty fascinating project, and the many applications are quite inspiring!
Of course, she used many of her own products in making these. Her line is pretty extensive and there is much more than what you might have seen at your local craft store, so take a look at her store for things you might not be aware of yet. And of course, on this Monday we have plenty of time for some important window shopping, right?
And don’t forget … tomorrow (Tuesday, October 22nd) is the last day of our BIG print back issue sale, so get your extra print copies while the price is still really low! http://www.thepolymerarts.com/Single_issues.html
We’ve been talking about pushing variation all week. Pushing it usually means you are leaning towards an extreme, or at least a pretty good departure from the norm. But I wanted to correct that notion a bit. I do think swinging that pendulum to an extreme can be great for breaking through any creative barriers, but sometimes it’s the subtle changes that can really make a difference.
Little changes in your design elements can take something from still and calm to energized and exciting. I’m not say still and calm is bad, but changing the forms from what one might expect or varying them in a single piece can produce a whole new feeling in the piece.
Let’s take this piece by Judy Kuskin. This necklace has circles, rectangles and triangles in it. Sort of.
The shapes here are not, for the most part, standard or evenly shaped, except the circles and the oblong center bead. And none of the shapes match their brethren. None of the ‘rectangles’ are actually rectangles (the shape is called a quadrilateral… just a shape with four sides); instead, they are all are off-kilter, some more than others, and are hung at varying orientations. Same thing with the triangles. The circles are also different sizes, with different accent pieces in them. What Judy has done is broken our expectations. We naturally look for repetition, cohesiveness, and pattern. There isn’t any pattern here, except in a lack of repetition and consistency. This makes our eye bounce around the necklace, looking for what we expect and a place to rest. Having neither actually provides the sense of movement and energy we get from it.
This kind of full departure from expectation can be difficult to master. But as you experiment with variations in your work, you can at least take away the idea of pushing something – like a shape or the orientation of a shape – and changing it so it isn’t standard. Cut off the tip of a triangle. Slice in the sides of a square. Remove the petals in one section of a flower. Punch out the side of a circle like an eclipsing sun. Small, subtle changes like this can take a piece that you don’t find as exciting as you wanted it to be and really give it some punch.
Changes don’t need to be big and bold to make a big or bold difference. Playing with your options will help you learn what will work, and when.
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