Subtle Contrast

June 2, 2016

Tatiana Lipatova

I’m sorry this blog is getting out a day late. Did you miss it? I really try not to do that, but it’s been a challenging week hence my being drawn to things that are a little off from what one might expect. I would use the word blemished except that I find this kind of work so lovely. This piece looks a lot like things I have been working on this past year, however, its creator Tatiana Lipatova, is in Russia. So, I know we haven’t exchanged notes, but then other people have been working with this kind of creeping texture on their pieces.

This necklace uses a subtle contrast with a shiny set of hollow beads–donut beads, of sorts, although off center and squared off–and unusual leather wrappings as well as this calcification-like texture. It looks like the texture was added from a treated sheet, one that was hand tooled, unless she has a stamp like this and she did a Sutton slice kind of thing. Regardless, the texture ties in the cleanness of the smooth bead with the roughness of the leather and other textured beads here. It doesn’t hurt that this is a color palette I am often drawn to use myself. Warm metals have such a sense of life to them, don’t they.

It was a challenge to find Tatiana, very much buried in her world in St. Petersburg, I think. But she has some really lovely pieces, most not going the way of faux decay either. Although it’s the European version of Facebook, no matter where you are in the world, you should still be able to browse her photos here. Do take the time to scroll down a ways as you browse. Her style keeps changing and beautiful little treasures keep popping up for you to admire.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Take two very different styles, textures, materials, or colors and create a third element that you feel can tie them together. Design or create a new piece from this triad of subtle contrast.

_________________________________________

Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:

never knead -july-2015c-125  2Wards Blog May 2016  PCTV March 2016 Blog

Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog  The Great Create Sept 15 blog  businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front

_________________________________________

Between Scrap and Variations

October 5, 2015

hidden scrapgritI am between short, but intense, trips and have my brain quite fully embedded in the goal of teaching as I work on articles for the Winter issue and prepare for my class and first visit to Sandy Camp in San Diego at the end of this week. So, while I keep working on those items, how about a few ideas for things you might wish to explore?

All my tests and samples that I’ve been creating have produced a fair amount of scrap clay, so, of course, seeing a few cool options for using that clay catches my eye. And this process here, as outlined by Anne Idril Rohee Briere, actually overlaps into what I had planned to teach this weekend, as well as hitting on an interesting phenomenon. This technique isn’t really new but is rather a variation on, not one other technique, but varied other techniques. The cut and reveal approach to finding a pattern in clay is often referred to as mokume, but more often when it is done, it is done in layers of solid clay. Hidden magic is more traditionally done with rolled and pressed jelly roll canes while others have referred to covered layered or mixed clay that has been stamped and the top cut away as a reverse Sutton slice. I’m actually teaching a version of this as a variation for my mokume class this weekend, but I call it scrap mokume where primary layers in the mokume block are scrap separated by a solid color. They are all related in that they have a major common approach … depths of color change and slicing.

In other words, people have been, and hopefully will continue to, push the basic steps in these techniques to produce new and interesting patterns, and you can be one of those! The primary goal is to create a pattern that isn’t just a mush of color. That is what the solid layer or layers helps accomplish. Once you have that, you can stamp with a texture sheet, punch and cut your own pattern or fold and twist the clay. Then slice!

I always suggest trying a new technique as it’s been taught, then once you see how it works, that’s when your play and exploration can result in really wonderful variations. Let’s see what you can come up with this one. (You are more than welcome to send me your results, by the way. I love to see what others have made because of the posts and conversations on the blog. It helps keep me jazzed!)

See the full online tutorial here on Idril’s blog. Go ahead. It’s just playing with scrap and could be loads of fun.

 

Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:

     

     Print

 

Both Sides Considered

February 13, 2013 ,

In the next issue of The Polymer Arts (coming February 18th!) we spend some time contemplating how and why to finish off the back sides of your work. The why is pretty straight forward … it’s simply more professional if you do. It is interesting to learn how the various artists featured came to this conclusion though. But one of the interesting things that arose in the collection of conversations from the 7 artists in the article is the issue of reversible pieces. Some like it, others feel that it reduces the importance of any one side.  I’m quite the proponent of variety myself–so having more choices about how to wear something seems like a good thing–but there might be something said for developing one side more than the other.

I really wanted to bring up this subject so I could post these equally considered sides of a pendant by DDee Wilder. I really like this piece. Same base clay, both with a highly textured Sutton slice style treatment but one high contrast, one low. I think both sides look gorgeous.

2905043100_78949c195a

A piece like this is an argument for reversible, don’t you think? I wouldn’t see either side taking from the other. What do you think?

Read more about finishing the “Other Side of Polymer” in our Spring Issue. Buy your copy online or from one of our retailers.

Subtle Contrast

June 2, 2016
Posted in

Tatiana Lipatova

I’m sorry this blog is getting out a day late. Did you miss it? I really try not to do that, but it’s been a challenging week hence my being drawn to things that are a little off from what one might expect. I would use the word blemished except that I find this kind of work so lovely. This piece looks a lot like things I have been working on this past year, however, its creator Tatiana Lipatova, is in Russia. So, I know we haven’t exchanged notes, but then other people have been working with this kind of creeping texture on their pieces.

This necklace uses a subtle contrast with a shiny set of hollow beads–donut beads, of sorts, although off center and squared off–and unusual leather wrappings as well as this calcification-like texture. It looks like the texture was added from a treated sheet, one that was hand tooled, unless she has a stamp like this and she did a Sutton slice kind of thing. Regardless, the texture ties in the cleanness of the smooth bead with the roughness of the leather and other textured beads here. It doesn’t hurt that this is a color palette I am often drawn to use myself. Warm metals have such a sense of life to them, don’t they.

It was a challenge to find Tatiana, very much buried in her world in St. Petersburg, I think. But she has some really lovely pieces, most not going the way of faux decay either. Although it’s the European version of Facebook, no matter where you are in the world, you should still be able to browse her photos here. Do take the time to scroll down a ways as you browse. Her style keeps changing and beautiful little treasures keep popping up for you to admire.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Take two very different styles, textures, materials, or colors and create a third element that you feel can tie them together. Design or create a new piece from this triad of subtle contrast.

_________________________________________

Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:

never knead -july-2015c-125  2Wards Blog May 2016  PCTV March 2016 Blog

Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog  The Great Create Sept 15 blog  businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front

_________________________________________

Read More

Between Scrap and Variations

October 5, 2015
Posted in

hidden scrapgritI am between short, but intense, trips and have my brain quite fully embedded in the goal of teaching as I work on articles for the Winter issue and prepare for my class and first visit to Sandy Camp in San Diego at the end of this week. So, while I keep working on those items, how about a few ideas for things you might wish to explore?

All my tests and samples that I’ve been creating have produced a fair amount of scrap clay, so, of course, seeing a few cool options for using that clay catches my eye. And this process here, as outlined by Anne Idril Rohee Briere, actually overlaps into what I had planned to teach this weekend, as well as hitting on an interesting phenomenon. This technique isn’t really new but is rather a variation on, not one other technique, but varied other techniques. The cut and reveal approach to finding a pattern in clay is often referred to as mokume, but more often when it is done, it is done in layers of solid clay. Hidden magic is more traditionally done with rolled and pressed jelly roll canes while others have referred to covered layered or mixed clay that has been stamped and the top cut away as a reverse Sutton slice. I’m actually teaching a version of this as a variation for my mokume class this weekend, but I call it scrap mokume where primary layers in the mokume block are scrap separated by a solid color. They are all related in that they have a major common approach … depths of color change and slicing.

In other words, people have been, and hopefully will continue to, push the basic steps in these techniques to produce new and interesting patterns, and you can be one of those! The primary goal is to create a pattern that isn’t just a mush of color. That is what the solid layer or layers helps accomplish. Once you have that, you can stamp with a texture sheet, punch and cut your own pattern or fold and twist the clay. Then slice!

I always suggest trying a new technique as it’s been taught, then once you see how it works, that’s when your play and exploration can result in really wonderful variations. Let’s see what you can come up with this one. (You are more than welcome to send me your results, by the way. I love to see what others have made because of the posts and conversations on the blog. It helps keep me jazzed!)

See the full online tutorial here on Idril’s blog. Go ahead. It’s just playing with scrap and could be loads of fun.

 

Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners:

     

     Print

 

Read More

Both Sides Considered

February 13, 2013
Posted in ,

In the next issue of The Polymer Arts (coming February 18th!) we spend some time contemplating how and why to finish off the back sides of your work. The why is pretty straight forward … it’s simply more professional if you do. It is interesting to learn how the various artists featured came to this conclusion though. But one of the interesting things that arose in the collection of conversations from the 7 artists in the article is the issue of reversible pieces. Some like it, others feel that it reduces the importance of any one side.  I’m quite the proponent of variety myself–so having more choices about how to wear something seems like a good thing–but there might be something said for developing one side more than the other.

I really wanted to bring up this subject so I could post these equally considered sides of a pendant by DDee Wilder. I really like this piece. Same base clay, both with a highly textured Sutton slice style treatment but one high contrast, one low. I think both sides look gorgeous.

2905043100_78949c195a

A piece like this is an argument for reversible, don’t you think? I wouldn’t see either side taking from the other. What do you think?

Read more about finishing the “Other Side of Polymer” in our Spring Issue. Buy your copy online or from one of our retailers.

Read More
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