Drawn On (And a ‘Love’ly Contest)
February 4, 2015
Inspirational Art
This beautiful scene came across my screen during the The Polymer Art Challenge on Facebook, and I just fell in love. I’ve been recently pushed and prodded into getting back to doodling and sketching as a way to get a little art out in spare moments. I think we’ve all drawn in our clay with hand tools to make decorative lines, dots, dashes and the like. But how about actually sketching out an image?
This delicate sketch of a landscape was created by Giulia Allasio of Alida monili (Alida Jewelry). She has several other pieces like this, all with a quiet serenity in not only the sketch but the forms, colors and simple framework she chooses. This particular one is titled Paradiso di Luce (“Paradise in Light”). She says it is a view of a small mountain lake. Take a moment to examine the detail, and see how the land and sky beyond the reaching tree has been lightly colored to show a shimmer of light and variation in the sky.
I would suggest dropping by Giula’s Alida monili Facebook page where she has been posting this and other beautiful pieces to share with us all.
By the way, the push I got to get back to sketching came from my dear sweet man who, even though he draws for a living (he’s in animation, drawing hundreds of storyboard images every week; talk about cranking it out!), he sketches randomly while on the phone or to wind down for the day. I bring this up for three reasons … one, if you’re not getting into the clay studio as often as you’d like, quick sketching is a way to be visually creative in short, relaxed moments. Two, sketching randomly will improve your drawing skills and create ideas you can transfer to your clay work. And three, I want to ask for stories of your other halves and the other loves of your life for next week, so I’m using this as a segue. I’ve not done anything like what I’m about to propose before, but let’s see what happens!
A ‘Love’ly Contest
Next week precedes Valentine’s Day, and I thought it would be ‘love’ly if readers would share their own love stories and suggest a piece of art to go with it. It could be any kind of love story, from how you met your spouse or some little thing he or she did that made you love them even more, to a touching relationship with your children or the love of a family member that encouraged your art and expression. I’ll give each reader whose stories we choose to post next week a free digital copy of any issue of The Polymer Arts or an equivalent discount off a print copy or a subscription.
Send your stories to sbray@thepolymerarts.com (or just reply to your blog post email if you get it that way). Try to keep your stories to 300 words or less, and don’t forget to send me a link to another artist’s work or an image of your own work to go with the story. An image of the loved one in the story might be nice too. If you have a website of yours you would like to promote, include that as well.
So come on, make us sigh and cry. I’ll go stock up on tissues.
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.
Outside Inspiration: Sketching on the Inside
March 21, 2014
Inspirational Art
Here is something to consider doing with a bracelet–draw on it! And not just on the outside.
I know we so love our polymer because of the colors and textures but a subtle surface can also lend itself well to sketching or image transfers. This is not actually a bracelet but it could be. This straight sided bowl is by ceramicist Helen Beard but when I first saw this, I thought it would have made such a great bracelet. Some of my favorite pieces–in polymer and other mediums–are those with details hidden on the inside or backsides. There is also something particularly intriguing about a piece that tells a story.
According to Helen’s website, “she likes to tell a story, creating whimsical scenes that capture the insignificant yet precious moments that make up our daily lives.” Wouldn’t it be neat to have such simple stories on one’s arm as well?
Take a look at the other precious scenes Helen illustrates on her wheel thrown porcelain pots, cups, bowls and other pottery on her website.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
This beautiful scene came across my screen during the The Polymer Art Challenge on Facebook, and I just fell in love. I’ve been recently pushed and prodded into getting back to doodling and sketching as a way to get a little art out in spare moments. I think we’ve all drawn in our clay with hand tools to make decorative lines, dots, dashes and the like. But how about actually sketching out an image?
This delicate sketch of a landscape was created by Giulia Allasio of Alida monili (Alida Jewelry). She has several other pieces like this, all with a quiet serenity in not only the sketch but the forms, colors and simple framework she chooses. This particular one is titled Paradiso di Luce (“Paradise in Light”). She says it is a view of a small mountain lake. Take a moment to examine the detail, and see how the land and sky beyond the reaching tree has been lightly colored to show a shimmer of light and variation in the sky.
I would suggest dropping by Giula’s Alida monili Facebook page where she has been posting this and other beautiful pieces to share with us all.
By the way, the push I got to get back to sketching came from my dear sweet man who, even though he draws for a living (he’s in animation, drawing hundreds of storyboard images every week; talk about cranking it out!), he sketches randomly while on the phone or to wind down for the day. I bring this up for three reasons … one, if you’re not getting into the clay studio as often as you’d like, quick sketching is a way to be visually creative in short, relaxed moments. Two, sketching randomly will improve your drawing skills and create ideas you can transfer to your clay work. And three, I want to ask for stories of your other halves and the other loves of your life for next week, so I’m using this as a segue. I’ve not done anything like what I’m about to propose before, but let’s see what happens!
A ‘Love’ly Contest
Next week precedes Valentine’s Day, and I thought it would be ‘love’ly if readers would share their own love stories and suggest a piece of art to go with it. It could be any kind of love story, from how you met your spouse or some little thing he or she did that made you love them even more, to a touching relationship with your children or the love of a family member that encouraged your art and expression. I’ll give each reader whose stories we choose to post next week a free digital copy of any issue of The Polymer Arts or an equivalent discount off a print copy or a subscription.
Send your stories to sbray@thepolymerarts.com (or just reply to your blog post email if you get it that way). Try to keep your stories to 300 words or less, and don’t forget to send me a link to another artist’s work or an image of your own work to go with the story. An image of the loved one in the story might be nice too. If you have a website of yours you would like to promote, include that as well.
So come on, make us sigh and cry. I’ll go stock up on tissues.
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.
Here is something to consider doing with a bracelet–draw on it! And not just on the outside.
I know we so love our polymer because of the colors and textures but a subtle surface can also lend itself well to sketching or image transfers. This is not actually a bracelet but it could be. This straight sided bowl is by ceramicist Helen Beard but when I first saw this, I thought it would have made such a great bracelet. Some of my favorite pieces–in polymer and other mediums–are those with details hidden on the inside or backsides. There is also something particularly intriguing about a piece that tells a story.
According to Helen’s website, “she likes to tell a story, creating whimsical scenes that capture the insignificant yet precious moments that make up our daily lives.” Wouldn’t it be neat to have such simple stories on one’s arm as well?
Take a look at the other precious scenes Helen illustrates on her wheel thrown porcelain pots, cups, bowls and other pottery on her website.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
