Outside Inspiration: Drawing from Your Environment
January 10, 2014 Inspirational Art
Mariana Bankova is a jewelry designers from Weliko Tarnowo whose inspiration comes from some of the most basic forms and sources, including the natural world just outside her door. She lists the material used in the pendant here as a “synthetic ceramic” but it could just as well be stone and certainly could be emulated in polymer. I was drawn to this piece by it’s simplicity and strong centered composition as well as the primitiveness of it. Even with the refined look of the bugle beads, it retains a definite tribal feel, with its rough surface and uneven shape.
Mariana partners with another young jewelry artist, Ilza Hristova. Thier stated commonality in design is in the use of basic, universal symbols like a circle representing perfection, a triangle standing for mystic inspiration, a helix which speaks to the past and the present, or a square form used to reflect the balance of forces as it does in Mariana’s pendant. These mystical, mythical and mathematical symbols have a primitive connection to us because they are so basic and have been a part of most, if not all, cultures since humans started using symbols to communicate.
Mariana and Ilza share both a Flickr photostream and a website to show and sell their work and would be fine places to browse while enjoying a hot beverage on this cold winter day.
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.
Defining the Box
October 24, 2013 Inspirational Art
Today’s thought on boxes is pretty simple: a box does not have to be square. It doesn’t even have to have straight sides or be flat on the bottom. A box is basically a container used to hold or store things and has a lid. That’s a pretty wide open definition, which is great for an artist.
Here is a version of a box that may be taking a bow to the square, but there certainly aren’t any straight sides. Do you agree that it is still a box?
Maureen Thomas is the maker of this box. She created a whole series of these pinched edge boxes a few years back, all lovely in their texture and variety of generally subdued but delicious colors. You can check out the boxes and more her Flickr page.
Mariana Bankova is a jewelry designers from Weliko Tarnowo whose inspiration comes from some of the most basic forms and sources, including the natural world just outside her door. She lists the material used in the pendant here as a “synthetic ceramic” but it could just as well be stone and certainly could be emulated in polymer. I was drawn to this piece by it’s simplicity and strong centered composition as well as the primitiveness of it. Even with the refined look of the bugle beads, it retains a definite tribal feel, with its rough surface and uneven shape.
Mariana partners with another young jewelry artist, Ilza Hristova. Thier stated commonality in design is in the use of basic, universal symbols like a circle representing perfection, a triangle standing for mystic inspiration, a helix which speaks to the past and the present, or a square form used to reflect the balance of forces as it does in Mariana’s pendant. These mystical, mythical and mathematical symbols have a primitive connection to us because they are so basic and have been a part of most, if not all, cultures since humans started using symbols to communicate.
Mariana and Ilza share both a Flickr photostream and a website to show and sell their work and would be fine places to browse while enjoying a hot beverage on this cold winter day.
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.
Read MoreToday’s thought on boxes is pretty simple: a box does not have to be square. It doesn’t even have to have straight sides or be flat on the bottom. A box is basically a container used to hold or store things and has a lid. That’s a pretty wide open definition, which is great for an artist.
Here is a version of a box that may be taking a bow to the square, but there certainly aren’t any straight sides. Do you agree that it is still a box?
Maureen Thomas is the maker of this box. She created a whole series of these pinched edge boxes a few years back, all lovely in their texture and variety of generally subdued but delicious colors. You can check out the boxes and more her Flickr page.
Read More