Material Flow

December 12, 2018

Here is another wonderful mixed-media piece that makes you really stop and ask, “Is that really polymer?”

The work is by Sue Savage who keeps a low profile in the polymer realm but is highly regarded for her jewelry. She works in metal, precious stones and polymer but although the polymer is usually the focal point, you don’t think of it as polymer clay when you look at the design. You see how well integrated her mokume polymer cabochon is here. The black dots in the polymer are inversely echoed in the reflected white of the stones placed around the keyhole frame of the piece. The handmade metal frame itself works primarily on the diagonal as do the lineup of the dots in the mokume, set around but not hugging the polymer cab. It makes for a lovely balance and flow.

The design could really have worked with any stone as the focal point but the use of polymer allows her to create a dynamic type of “stone” that might be difficult to find and probably harder and more expensive to work with. Her use of polymer in her pieces allows for a wide range of design without the limitations of what is simply available.

Take a look at the many other designs mixing metal and polymer on her website here.

Natural Patterns

October 19, 2018

Today’s attention grabbing item is brought to you by Mother Nature. Yes, you read that right. This is not polymer. It is not resin. It is not some new crazy Zentangle-like method of doodling on rocks or something. This is a 176 carat Koroit Boulder Opal from Australia.

I know a lot of you already look to the natural world for inspiration but the more you look, the more amazing natural creations you’ll find. It’s still baffling what a huge array of shapes, textures and colors are put together without conscious thought but with pattern and purpose nonetheless. These opal patterns are formed in voids and cracks, like natural molds that are filled with a deposit of silicon dioxide which settles and forms spheres under specific conditions. These spheres are reflective and, if I am understanding the research I just did correctly, are the cause of the variation in reflected color. And I thought some of our processes were painstaking!

Now to figure out how to recreate this in polymer. Some fairly old methods like a Damascus ladder or other Lizard’s Tail technique might get close with a layer or two of black clay tucked in. Are you up for experimenting on that? If I had the time, I would but I don’t yet. So I leave it up to you, my fearless friends. If you create anything cool, inspired by this bit of nature, post it here. Let’s see what you all can make this weekend!

The Eclectic Artisans

December 22, 2017

Some of the most fun I’ve been having on Instagram is how easy it is to find other great art outside of polymer. I love my Pinterest but my pages are stuffed with polymer art, which is wonderful, of course, but there is so much to be seen and inspired by outside of our community and Instagram is delivering a wonderful variety of it.

One of my favorite collector type accounts so far is “The Eclectic Artisans“, a curated showcase of all kinds of art jewelry. That is where I found this stunning piece by Poland’s Jolanta Bromke. Can you tell what the material is that makes up the green portions of the butterfly and leaves? Would you have thought it was embroidery at first glance? How clever and how beautifully done.

The idea of flight and delicacy is so nicely done in the way the components are attached at only one point, as if they will all get up and flutter off at any moment. And the variety of bright greens in the subtle texture of the embroidered threads contrasted by the smooth surfaces of the stones creates a fine balance of texture in a nearly monochrome piece.

The Eclectic Artisans is not only a curator of fantastic contemporary and innovative jewelry, but it’s also a store. And what a store! The Australian-based company showcases, at this time, Australian-based artists, with primarily clean, contemporary designs at exceptionally reasonable prices. You can peruse their shop online here and for more of Jolanta’s work, go to her Facebook page where you can also find amazing leather work that looks like porcelain in other inspiring designs.

Hopefully, I’ll be seeing quite a few of you now on Instagram (find us under “thepolymerarts” if you haven’t already, and I’ll follow you back) but in the meantime, let me wish you a happy holiday as we go into the Christmas weekend. Be safe if you are traveling and I’ll catch up with you all next week after Christmas day.

Real Faux Fun

August 19, 2014

moreni faux wavelight

Things have gone a little bonkers over here so apologies for the late posting and any errors here. Due to a family emergency and people being out of town, I do not have my  back-up people to help keep my dyslexic errors in check. Hope you can put up with it for a day! But then these fantastic faux wavelite stones by Ilenia Moreni don’t need a lot of explanation. I had not even heard of wavelite until I saw these and now I’m fascinated by the rock. But honestly–and I hope Mother Nature doesn’t hear this–I think I like Ilenia’s version even better. The visual texture with those strong radial lines so strongly draw the eye. And what’s even more exciting … she has an inexpensive Faux Wavelite tutorial so you can make these yourself! How fun.

Ilenia does a lot of faux work and is quite adept at it. She has even made up a few of her own versions of nature’s creations which is why I was on her Flickr page last week and found these. She’s contributing to the article on pushing faux effects from being realistic to being something that looks like it could exist in nature but has never been seen before. Look for the “Pushing Faux” article in the Fall issue of The Polymer Arts coming out Aug 30th for ideas on how to push your natural faux effects to create beautiful new effects all your own.

You may recall Ilenia was featured in the gallery section of our Summer 2014 issue but she’s been working away and has a ton more fun stuff to drool over. Find more of her work on her Flickr pages and 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.

14-P2 CoverFnl-blog   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-1   marble cane ad

Concrete Inspiration

September 17, 2013

Well, one man-made thing we do see drawn (sometimes literally) into the work of polymer artists is the texture we find in walls and paths–bricks, stepping stones, rock walls, and cobblestone streets. These come pretty close to being nature-based with the stone or stone like elements that make up these walls, walks, and roads; but it’s what the structures themselves represent that often draws us to them. Walls represent things like protection or barriers, and roads are symbols of opportunity or the unknown future. The textures of these things can, on their own, bring up the same associations. Whether the association is positive or less so, most people will feel a connection to these things and so we see, in our easily textured medium, the regular appearance of elements that represent walls and roads.

These necklaces by Spain’s Noelia Contreras bring the textures of a man-made concrete or stone structure into a a spiritual realm by having these textures frame runes and stand as the base for rune stones in these pieces presented as amulets. The pieces are full of implied and literal symbols; without even knowing what the runes are, you get from them collectively a sense of ritual, myth, and history.

9603479600_fac4da41f0_z

I’ll let these pieces stand as introduction to two other types of man-made elements that we often see in polymer art, elements that are filled with meaning and have a long history for mankind. Can you identify what they might be? We’ll talk about them in the next couple posts. Just wanted to get you thinking. You are welcome to post your guesses!

 

pg collage 13-P3 Fall 2013

Outside Inspiration: Unexpected Movement in Art Jewelry

September 6, 2013

Steven Kolodny is one of my favorite jewelry artists, not just because his work is mind-blowing and gorgeous, but because his compositions almost always give me pause. Granted, I analyze composition constantly (thanks in large part to a very persistent art teacher that required 5 compositionally aware quick sketches for EVERY day of the two semesters I had class with him,) but even if you don’t, there is so much going on in his little beauties that you’re bound to spend time with his work if you have any appreciation for jewelry art at all.

This piece is a masterful. Pendants, because they hang at the bottom of a chain or cord, usually give some sense of downward movement. This piece, however, definitely imparts a sense of floating upwards, which seems odd if you look at the individual elements. Can you identify how these components work together to give that sense of upward movement?

5609932991_31f4cef147

Normally, anything that is arrow-like would push the eye and visual movement in the direction the arrow shapes are pointing. We have four dominant arrow shapes–the two stones, the bail, and the V shaped base–as well as a structure that is heavier towards the bottom; but still, the visual movement is up. There are a few reasons for this. First, the curvy lines with the diamond tips are like steam or reaching vines and are also somewhat arrow-like, so they counter the larger arrows a bit. Then the stones, attached to the center line only by a small point or single sidee, do not sit on the bottom of the structure or even touch the base V shape on any side. It’s as if they detached from its confines, and are rising out of the cup like space. Finally, the V shape has opposing arrow shapes in its long,tapered sides, redirecting us upward as well. So even though there is an overall sense of upward movement, the visual cues should have your eye wandering down and up, covering the entire pendant. You see and take in every element in the piece. What a great composition.

There is a ton of eye candy to see on his site today. Be sure you don’t have a lot to do in the very near future, as you might get lost for a while in Steven’s work. However, I could not find my favorite pieces of his online, but they are in print. So if you do not already own the book through which I was first introduced to Steven’s work, put Art Jewelry Today on your wish list. (There are three and they aren’t cheap so if you are going to get just one, go with the first one–lots of Steven Kolodny work in that one!) This book contains stunning work and fantastic discussions about the history of various materials, as well as how they are being used today. And yes, they include polymer!

Material Flow

December 12, 2018
Posted in

Here is another wonderful mixed-media piece that makes you really stop and ask, “Is that really polymer?”

The work is by Sue Savage who keeps a low profile in the polymer realm but is highly regarded for her jewelry. She works in metal, precious stones and polymer but although the polymer is usually the focal point, you don’t think of it as polymer clay when you look at the design. You see how well integrated her mokume polymer cabochon is here. The black dots in the polymer are inversely echoed in the reflected white of the stones placed around the keyhole frame of the piece. The handmade metal frame itself works primarily on the diagonal as do the lineup of the dots in the mokume, set around but not hugging the polymer cab. It makes for a lovely balance and flow.

The design could really have worked with any stone as the focal point but the use of polymer allows her to create a dynamic type of “stone” that might be difficult to find and probably harder and more expensive to work with. Her use of polymer in her pieces allows for a wide range of design without the limitations of what is simply available.

Take a look at the many other designs mixing metal and polymer on her website here.

Read More

Natural Patterns

October 19, 2018
Posted in

Today’s attention grabbing item is brought to you by Mother Nature. Yes, you read that right. This is not polymer. It is not resin. It is not some new crazy Zentangle-like method of doodling on rocks or something. This is a 176 carat Koroit Boulder Opal from Australia.

I know a lot of you already look to the natural world for inspiration but the more you look, the more amazing natural creations you’ll find. It’s still baffling what a huge array of shapes, textures and colors are put together without conscious thought but with pattern and purpose nonetheless. These opal patterns are formed in voids and cracks, like natural molds that are filled with a deposit of silicon dioxide which settles and forms spheres under specific conditions. These spheres are reflective and, if I am understanding the research I just did correctly, are the cause of the variation in reflected color. And I thought some of our processes were painstaking!

Now to figure out how to recreate this in polymer. Some fairly old methods like a Damascus ladder or other Lizard’s Tail technique might get close with a layer or two of black clay tucked in. Are you up for experimenting on that? If I had the time, I would but I don’t yet. So I leave it up to you, my fearless friends. If you create anything cool, inspired by this bit of nature, post it here. Let’s see what you all can make this weekend!

Read More

The Eclectic Artisans

December 22, 2017
Posted in

Some of the most fun I’ve been having on Instagram is how easy it is to find other great art outside of polymer. I love my Pinterest but my pages are stuffed with polymer art, which is wonderful, of course, but there is so much to be seen and inspired by outside of our community and Instagram is delivering a wonderful variety of it.

One of my favorite collector type accounts so far is “The Eclectic Artisans“, a curated showcase of all kinds of art jewelry. That is where I found this stunning piece by Poland’s Jolanta Bromke. Can you tell what the material is that makes up the green portions of the butterfly and leaves? Would you have thought it was embroidery at first glance? How clever and how beautifully done.

The idea of flight and delicacy is so nicely done in the way the components are attached at only one point, as if they will all get up and flutter off at any moment. And the variety of bright greens in the subtle texture of the embroidered threads contrasted by the smooth surfaces of the stones creates a fine balance of texture in a nearly monochrome piece.

The Eclectic Artisans is not only a curator of fantastic contemporary and innovative jewelry, but it’s also a store. And what a store! The Australian-based company showcases, at this time, Australian-based artists, with primarily clean, contemporary designs at exceptionally reasonable prices. You can peruse their shop online here and for more of Jolanta’s work, go to her Facebook page where you can also find amazing leather work that looks like porcelain in other inspiring designs.

Hopefully, I’ll be seeing quite a few of you now on Instagram (find us under “thepolymerarts” if you haven’t already, and I’ll follow you back) but in the meantime, let me wish you a happy holiday as we go into the Christmas weekend. Be safe if you are traveling and I’ll catch up with you all next week after Christmas day.

Read More

Real Faux Fun

August 19, 2014
Posted in

moreni faux wavelight

Things have gone a little bonkers over here so apologies for the late posting and any errors here. Due to a family emergency and people being out of town, I do not have my  back-up people to help keep my dyslexic errors in check. Hope you can put up with it for a day! But then these fantastic faux wavelite stones by Ilenia Moreni don’t need a lot of explanation. I had not even heard of wavelite until I saw these and now I’m fascinated by the rock. But honestly–and I hope Mother Nature doesn’t hear this–I think I like Ilenia’s version even better. The visual texture with those strong radial lines so strongly draw the eye. And what’s even more exciting … she has an inexpensive Faux Wavelite tutorial so you can make these yourself! How fun.

Ilenia does a lot of faux work and is quite adept at it. She has even made up a few of her own versions of nature’s creations which is why I was on her Flickr page last week and found these. She’s contributing to the article on pushing faux effects from being realistic to being something that looks like it could exist in nature but has never been seen before. Look for the “Pushing Faux” article in the Fall issue of The Polymer Arts coming out Aug 30th for ideas on how to push your natural faux effects to create beautiful new effects all your own.

You may recall Ilenia was featured in the gallery section of our Summer 2014 issue but she’s been working away and has a ton more fun stuff to drool over. Find more of her work on her Flickr pages and 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.

14-P2 CoverFnl-blog   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-1   marble cane ad

Read More

Concrete Inspiration

September 17, 2013
Posted in

Well, one man-made thing we do see drawn (sometimes literally) into the work of polymer artists is the texture we find in walls and paths–bricks, stepping stones, rock walls, and cobblestone streets. These come pretty close to being nature-based with the stone or stone like elements that make up these walls, walks, and roads; but it’s what the structures themselves represent that often draws us to them. Walls represent things like protection or barriers, and roads are symbols of opportunity or the unknown future. The textures of these things can, on their own, bring up the same associations. Whether the association is positive or less so, most people will feel a connection to these things and so we see, in our easily textured medium, the regular appearance of elements that represent walls and roads.

These necklaces by Spain’s Noelia Contreras bring the textures of a man-made concrete or stone structure into a a spiritual realm by having these textures frame runes and stand as the base for rune stones in these pieces presented as amulets. The pieces are full of implied and literal symbols; without even knowing what the runes are, you get from them collectively a sense of ritual, myth, and history.

9603479600_fac4da41f0_z

I’ll let these pieces stand as introduction to two other types of man-made elements that we often see in polymer art, elements that are filled with meaning and have a long history for mankind. Can you identify what they might be? We’ll talk about them in the next couple posts. Just wanted to get you thinking. You are welcome to post your guesses!

 

pg collage 13-P3 Fall 2013

Read More

Outside Inspiration: Unexpected Movement in Art Jewelry

September 6, 2013
Posted in

Steven Kolodny is one of my favorite jewelry artists, not just because his work is mind-blowing and gorgeous, but because his compositions almost always give me pause. Granted, I analyze composition constantly (thanks in large part to a very persistent art teacher that required 5 compositionally aware quick sketches for EVERY day of the two semesters I had class with him,) but even if you don’t, there is so much going on in his little beauties that you’re bound to spend time with his work if you have any appreciation for jewelry art at all.

This piece is a masterful. Pendants, because they hang at the bottom of a chain or cord, usually give some sense of downward movement. This piece, however, definitely imparts a sense of floating upwards, which seems odd if you look at the individual elements. Can you identify how these components work together to give that sense of upward movement?

5609932991_31f4cef147

Normally, anything that is arrow-like would push the eye and visual movement in the direction the arrow shapes are pointing. We have four dominant arrow shapes–the two stones, the bail, and the V shaped base–as well as a structure that is heavier towards the bottom; but still, the visual movement is up. There are a few reasons for this. First, the curvy lines with the diamond tips are like steam or reaching vines and are also somewhat arrow-like, so they counter the larger arrows a bit. Then the stones, attached to the center line only by a small point or single sidee, do not sit on the bottom of the structure or even touch the base V shape on any side. It’s as if they detached from its confines, and are rising out of the cup like space. Finally, the V shape has opposing arrow shapes in its long,tapered sides, redirecting us upward as well. So even though there is an overall sense of upward movement, the visual cues should have your eye wandering down and up, covering the entire pendant. You see and take in every element in the piece. What a great composition.

There is a ton of eye candy to see on his site today. Be sure you don’t have a lot to do in the very near future, as you might get lost for a while in Steven’s work. However, I could not find my favorite pieces of his online, but they are in print. So if you do not already own the book through which I was first introduced to Steven’s work, put Art Jewelry Today on your wish list. (There are three and they aren’t cheap so if you are going to get just one, go with the first one–lots of Steven Kolodny work in that one!) This book contains stunning work and fantastic discussions about the history of various materials, as well as how they are being used today. And yes, they include polymer!

Read More
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