Love of Coffee
February 7, 2015 Inspirational Art
On this last day of representational imagery, I thought I’d leave it on the light side, as well as take the chance to celebrate my favorite beverage!
Isn’t this pen just too cute? Tama of DetallitoOz does cute so very well. All of her work has such character and style. And cute imagery works best when it has a really great personal style coming through. From the little coffee pot on top to the swollen cups full of rich java, this pen is playful and energetic, so much so it’s making me feel a real need for a cup of joe myself!
See more of Tama’s wonderfully styled pieces on her site here. This little lamb would like you to come visit him.
And do continue to send me your love stories! A free digital copy or equivalent credit for The Polymer Arts print editions for each story I share, not to mention how happy and excited that special someone in your life will be when they see their story with you out there for all the world to sigh over. If you missed it, there are more details on Wednesday’s post about our Valentine’s Day contest.
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.
Drawn From Imagination
February 5, 2015 Inspirational Art
Today’s image is fantasy, rather than reality, but the images and things we see in our mind are just as valid as representational imagery, probably even more so. We have our own memories and images of the real world, but to peek inside someone else’s mind to see what their imagination is creating is pretty darn amazing.
Pennsylvania’s Kristie Brigham (Kristie-Lou on Etsy) might have been been inspired by the shell as much as her own imagination in this pendant. She commonly combines polymer and colorful shells and stones to create the visage of an underwater or ethereal world. I thought this was one of her best ones, at least that I could find. The colors and ruffling of the texture around the face echoes the layers of color and shimmer in the shell. And this piece had an emotional inspiration. In her own words: “The 2010 tragedy [oil spill] in the Gulf of Mexico originally inspired this design. I envisioned Mother Nature watching over her ocean creatures … looking up at them, protecting them, and guiding as many as she [could] to safety while she works to heal the waters we take for granted.”
So very much a representational image in her mind after all. You can find more of Kristie-Lou’s face-focused work on her Etsy page.
And don’t forget to send me your stories for the ‘Love’ly Contest. Send them to sbray@thepolymerarts.com (or just reply to your blog post email if you get it that way). I love what I’ve been reading so far!
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.
Reinterpret a Flower
February 3, 2015 Inspirational Art
I was really going to try and avoid flowers this week, not because they aren’t wonderful and lovely, but because we already have such a love affair with them in this community. I figured we’ve seen quite a bit, and it would be more useful to find other subjects. But then there were these. I have had these earrings in my little chest of goodies to share for a while, but it took until this theme for me to figure out why I think they are so well done. I think it’s the fact that the creator, Deb Cooper, made the whole earring a flower with stalk included, rather than just adding flowers to a circle of clay. Sometimes it’s just the very simplest of adjustments that takes something from nice to fantastic, from interesting to amazing.
All the choices here were the right choices: the translucent clay to catch the light and show variation in the colors, the colors themselves, leaving the flower with very organically ruffled petals and not spoiling it with any other additions. These actually got me to stop and consider what you could do to make a gauge earring from real flowers. But these would certainly last longer.
You can find Deb’s wide array of cleverly decorated gauge earrings on Etsy and on her Deviant art page.
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.
Re-Imagining An Owl
February 2, 2015 Inspirational Art
While cruising the farthest corners of the internet last week looking for conceptual pieces, I came across a lot of beautiful representational imagery in polymer. Concepts are created in art using imagery; concepts can also be created abstractly, or concepts can be embodied in the function, location or timing of the piece. And, I think, all representational imagery is obviously not conceptual but sometimes simply the artist’s view or translation of something out there in the world or within our imaginations. Sometimes, you just want to sit back and enjoy something well- or cleverly rendered. So that’s what we’re going to do this week.
This first piece feels so much more than visually representational. I imagine that, while wearing this necklace with the segmented feather beads, the wearer’s movement would make the the feathers shift, in a smooth subtle way. I think it could bring to mind flight or the owl gently ruffling its wings. The idea of something that flies combined with a design that moves and floats is just lovely. It represents the bird and an action of the bird. Rather clever.
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.
Conceptual Horses
January 26, 2015 Inspirational Art
Polymer lends itself particularly well to decorative arts, since it is so versatile in form and color and has the ability to be combined with so many other materials. But it can also be a very expressive medium. An artist can use a variety of sculptural techniques, colors and textures to recreate all kinds of imagery, which makes polymer particularly wonderful for conceptual work. I thought we’d take a week to see just what wonderful and new work is being produced in that area of polymer.
EvaMarie Törnström’s Malta Horse is what got me really thinking about this area of polymer art. For those of you who have been to Malta, the iconic crosses, the aged limestone walls and the intense blue of the surrounding ocean are instantly recognizable, collectively, as representative of that beautiful country. There is a lot more to this particular piece, but I’ll let you puzzle out its other less obviously related characteristics. I’m still puzzling them out myself. But even if you haven’t been to Malta, you know there is a connection between the chosen elements, and it will make you stop and think. As all good art really does.
Sweden’s EvaMarie is partial to creating horse sculptures but does very large wall pieces as well, also usually equine-related. Do take a moment to look at some of her unusual and visually intriguing pieces on her website.
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.
On this last day of representational imagery, I thought I’d leave it on the light side, as well as take the chance to celebrate my favorite beverage!
Isn’t this pen just too cute? Tama of DetallitoOz does cute so very well. All of her work has such character and style. And cute imagery works best when it has a really great personal style coming through. From the little coffee pot on top to the swollen cups full of rich java, this pen is playful and energetic, so much so it’s making me feel a real need for a cup of joe myself!
See more of Tama’s wonderfully styled pieces on her site here. This little lamb would like you to come visit him.
And do continue to send me your love stories! A free digital copy or equivalent credit for The Polymer Arts print editions for each story I share, not to mention how happy and excited that special someone in your life will be when they see their story with you out there for all the world to sigh over. If you missed it, there are more details on Wednesday’s post about our Valentine’s Day contest.
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.
Read More
Today’s image is fantasy, rather than reality, but the images and things we see in our mind are just as valid as representational imagery, probably even more so. We have our own memories and images of the real world, but to peek inside someone else’s mind to see what their imagination is creating is pretty darn amazing.
Pennsylvania’s Kristie Brigham (Kristie-Lou on Etsy) might have been been inspired by the shell as much as her own imagination in this pendant. She commonly combines polymer and colorful shells and stones to create the visage of an underwater or ethereal world. I thought this was one of her best ones, at least that I could find. The colors and ruffling of the texture around the face echoes the layers of color and shimmer in the shell. And this piece had an emotional inspiration. In her own words: “The 2010 tragedy [oil spill] in the Gulf of Mexico originally inspired this design. I envisioned Mother Nature watching over her ocean creatures … looking up at them, protecting them, and guiding as many as she [could] to safety while she works to heal the waters we take for granted.”
So very much a representational image in her mind after all. You can find more of Kristie-Lou’s face-focused work on her Etsy page.
And don’t forget to send me your stories for the ‘Love’ly Contest. Send them to sbray@thepolymerarts.com (or just reply to your blog post email if you get it that way). I love what I’ve been reading so far!
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.
Read MoreI was really going to try and avoid flowers this week, not because they aren’t wonderful and lovely, but because we already have such a love affair with them in this community. I figured we’ve seen quite a bit, and it would be more useful to find other subjects. But then there were these. I have had these earrings in my little chest of goodies to share for a while, but it took until this theme for me to figure out why I think they are so well done. I think it’s the fact that the creator, Deb Cooper, made the whole earring a flower with stalk included, rather than just adding flowers to a circle of clay. Sometimes it’s just the very simplest of adjustments that takes something from nice to fantastic, from interesting to amazing.
All the choices here were the right choices: the translucent clay to catch the light and show variation in the colors, the colors themselves, leaving the flower with very organically ruffled petals and not spoiling it with any other additions. These actually got me to stop and consider what you could do to make a gauge earring from real flowers. But these would certainly last longer.
You can find Deb’s wide array of cleverly decorated gauge earrings on Etsy and on her Deviant art page.
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.
Read More
While cruising the farthest corners of the internet last week looking for conceptual pieces, I came across a lot of beautiful representational imagery in polymer. Concepts are created in art using imagery; concepts can also be created abstractly, or concepts can be embodied in the function, location or timing of the piece. And, I think, all representational imagery is obviously not conceptual but sometimes simply the artist’s view or translation of something out there in the world or within our imaginations. Sometimes, you just want to sit back and enjoy something well- or cleverly rendered. So that’s what we’re going to do this week.
This first piece feels so much more than visually representational. I imagine that, while wearing this necklace with the segmented feather beads, the wearer’s movement would make the the feathers shift, in a smooth subtle way. I think it could bring to mind flight or the owl gently ruffling its wings. The idea of something that flies combined with a design that moves and floats is just lovely. It represents the bird and an action of the bird. Rather clever.
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.
Read More
Polymer lends itself particularly well to decorative arts, since it is so versatile in form and color and has the ability to be combined with so many other materials. But it can also be a very expressive medium. An artist can use a variety of sculptural techniques, colors and textures to recreate all kinds of imagery, which makes polymer particularly wonderful for conceptual work. I thought we’d take a week to see just what wonderful and new work is being produced in that area of polymer.
EvaMarie Törnström’s Malta Horse is what got me really thinking about this area of polymer art. For those of you who have been to Malta, the iconic crosses, the aged limestone walls and the intense blue of the surrounding ocean are instantly recognizable, collectively, as representative of that beautiful country. There is a lot more to this particular piece, but I’ll let you puzzle out its other less obviously related characteristics. I’m still puzzling them out myself. But even if you haven’t been to Malta, you know there is a connection between the chosen elements, and it will make you stop and think. As all good art really does.
Sweden’s EvaMarie is partial to creating horse sculptures but does very large wall pieces as well, also usually equine-related. Do take a moment to look at some of her unusual and visually intriguing pieces on her website.
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.
Read More