Inspired Pins–Portugal

So you saw Dan’s pin that started this different version of the inspiration centered project on my previous blog (see it here.) Now he has sent me three of the resulting pins to share with you until he is back and can get the whole project up on their own website and Facebook pages.

The first is from Cristina Almeida who lives in Lisbon, Portugal. Can you see what she pulled from Dan’s work to create her own personal version?

Cristina Almeida Lisbon Portugal

Go back and look at Dan’s pin and see where they connect. Then take a gander at more of Christina’s work to better understand where her style and aesthetics meet and what she drew from Dan’s work on her Flickr page and blog site.

 

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.

Blog2 -2014-02Feb-5   polymer clay overlapping cane   14P1 cover Fnl

Imagination for the Birds

December 26, 2013

I met Irene Corman at Synergy this past March. She enthusiastically suggested an article idea of hers which eventually resulted in her sharing her knowledge about teaching polymer art classes in the Fall 2013 issue of The Polymer Arts magazine.  Since then, Irene has also answered my call for help in scouting art for the blog and future articles. Her enthusiasm and love of art, not just polymer, has made working with her such a joy.

Irene brought to me this unusual and intriguing artist, Laura Balombini. What a fabulous imagination!

3-d-1

Irene had this to say about why she is drawn to Laura’s work:

“She has created individuality and expression in each bird-form, while controlling any random effects through the simplicity of form and the repetition of each one, holding size and the shape elements that make up each of the birds, constant. Each of the faces and wings differ, creating interest for the viewer, while the even number and placement in 2 rows around the rectangle provide “discipline” for the design. Additional interest comes from the birdlike movement created by the positioning of the heads as they peck, look, stretch their necks, birdlike, yet also, somewhat human in their features. At first glance, the piece has a feel of folk-art, but the naiveté of folk art is transformed into something else when one sees the human features in the faces. The piece seems to tell a story, and also, holds a surprise. Using polymer clay for these forms is an artistic choice that works really well, given its color range, density and malleability.”

Enjoy more of Laura’s imaginative creations 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.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

 

Making an Impression … all over.

December 4, 2013

We have another example of scatter composition in this necklace from Aniko Kolesnikova. Since we’ve already done this for a couple days, why do you think this composition works? Or do you?

il_570xN.488666690_s6hp

 

I think it does. The elements, although different colors and irregularly placed, are all the same basic form–impressed and filled with colored clay, or in some cases a little extra bit of cane. The overall surface texture of the pieces are also impressed with hand tools so the overall surface is similar.

Hand tool texturing can be widely varied and works great for the scattered look or when kept in an orderly pattern. (By the way, we have a great article in the most recent issue of The Polymer Arts by Anke Humpert. It explores a variety of marks and various pointed hand tools, and explains how to explore them and other tools on your own–don’t miss out on that!) Aniko does quite a lot with hand tools as you’ll see if you spend some time 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.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

The Journey of The Broken Telephone

For those of you who followed the blogging I did from Synergy, you may remember Dan Cormier’s Broken Telephone Project. We couldn’t reveal much then because Dan and partner Tracy were going to roll out the series on The Cutting Edge Facebook page and who was I to spoil the surprise.

Well Dan has now revealed all the beautiful brooches, their creators and his thoughts on the project and related subjects. The conversation he’s started on his wrap-up post (posted on both Facebook and Flickr) is very important and I would encourage you all to take a minute to read it.

While there, take a look at all the gorgeous pieces that came out of the project.

539877_384069808367379_86934425_n

I was lucky enough to get a close-up look of each of these brooches as I helped pin them on Tracy who became a walking exhibition on the last night of Synergy 3. I’ve held back photos of this unique exhibit until the roll-out was complete. Tracy was easily the best adorned lady of the evening!

_DSC0586

_DSC0584

Revisiting the Masters

In a recent conversation with a couple rather big names in our community, I was asked why the community’s major blogs don’t feature the masters very often. It gave me pause. The thing is, I think we do … but part of it may be that there can be a difference in opinion as to what constitutes a master. But really what it comes down to is why we do these blogs. I know my reason is to bring inspiring ideas to you, things that will get you running into the studio or thinking about how to challenge yourself or tips that might help resolve a design issue. This requires a lot of new work and new ideas. The people we might call masters have perfected a set of techniques and/or approaches to design that most of us have become familiar with, so there is a question as to whether a reader will be very enthused by a post on something they’ve seen before. But what this question did make me consider is what we can get out of revisiting the masters.

We can become so familiar with some things that we just can’t see what there is to learn from it any more. The first time I saw Jeffrey Lloyd Dever’s work was years ago in Art Jewelry magazine. I was floored by his technique and finish (still am actually!) and tried out the tutorial in those pages. I wasn’t very successful but I did learn quite a few things along the way about back-filling and finishing. The thing is, if I worked through that same tutorial now, I would learn something different. What I was able to glean from my exploration of his work then, is not what I would glean from it now. Jeff was at Synergy and had a gallery table of his work so I was able to see his pieces close up. This time it was the color choices that I pondered. That didn’t even cross my mind years ago when I was so focused on technique.

You can see by the detail of his Racine Art Museum installation why his colors might be just a tad intriguing. But is that what intrigues you? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on where you are in your art and even where your thoughts are on this day.

dever09-edensong-reveries-med-shot

The point is, we should keep revisiting the masters, even the same pieces. The best work does not have just one thing to teach us or for us to take away. Really wonderful art will have many facets that will hit us differently at various points in our lives. So, I’ve been thinking … I should make a point here and there of revisiting even the most familiar work on this blog, give us a chance to get reacquainted with it and find what is new and exciting for us because of where we are as a community today. I’d love to hear that many of you are or will do the same. If you have any great discoveries in doing this, do let me know. We can share it here.

By the way, I pulled this image of Jeff’s work from the Polymer Art Archive which is also a treasure of a source for work from our past as well as our present. It is well worth reading and visiting on a regular basis.

Best Business Practice: Cooperation not Competition

If you have the first issue of The Polymer Arts, you may have read the back page Muse’s Corner piece written by Marjon Donker and Saskia Veltenaar, the editors of From Polymer to Art. It told the story of how we e-meet and why we decided to work together, not compete, even though we were all producing polymer clay magazines.

The thing is, I would not have started The Polymer Arts magazine if Marjon and Saskia were producing the same type of magazine I wanted to produce. Nor would I have done so if our other industry magazine, Polymer Cafe was covering the material I wanted to cover. So, when it came down to it, we weren’t at all competing, rather we were complementing each other. The ways things are now, hobbyists and those who just want to play with polymer have Polymer Cafe to look to for basics and fun projects while the more experienced clayer who wants to branch out can look to From Polymer to Art for more advanced projects and articles on issues that interest the polymer fan. For those who look at what they do or aspire to as serious art or are looking to make their craft into an income producing business, they have The Polymer Arts to push and challenge them, make them think, and help them build a better art business. As one of the attendees said during the magazine editor’s panel, we’re now covering the full range for polymer clayers.

_DSC0567

Polymer magazine editors after our Q&A panel at Synergy 3. Starting top left and going clockwise, Sage Bray (The Polymer Arts), Anne Huizenga (Polymer Cafe), Saskia & Marjon (From Polymer To Art)

Do we have different philosophies on publishing for this community? Yes, we certainly do but we all have the similar goal of spreading the wonder and improving the work of polymer artists, regardless of their level of work.  We all four talked over the week in Atlanta for this reason. All the editors even came to my Writing for Polymer in Print workshop (get the guidelines from this workshop on The Polymer Arts website)which was fabulous as the attendees got to hear from us all once again. That’s exactly how it should be.

The thing is, my magazine really NEEDS these other magazines. Someone new to the material might be overwhelmed by The Polymer Arts (unless they are really gung-ho and determined, are coming from another art medium, or they got the polymer bug bad from the start!) So yes, if you’re new, you may want to start with one of the other magazines and if you find yourself getting serious and want to push yourself and your art, we’ll be here. Or just give in and get them all. I do! You just can’t have too much polymer information, can you?

If you are interested in writing for a polymer publication, please do consider sending us ideas. Any of the editors here would love to see your ideas. Just help us out and send it to us one at a time. If what you have doesn’t fit my magazine, for example, I’ll pass it on to one of the other gals. The more we share as a community, the better it will be for clayers everywhere.

 

Finding Our Authentic Voice

One of the big discussions at Synergy (Are you tired of hearing about that show yet!? Sorry … it was just such a treasure box full of ideas and I want you all to benefit from it too) was about finding our voice as artists. I was not the only one that came away with this concept eating away at me. Linda Garbe jumped right on it with a new video discussing texture and materials in the context of finding personal creative expression. Her Box of Color, as seen below, showed up in the video and I just had to get a closer view. Linda kindly sent photos so we could all get a good look at the details. Talk about an authentic voice!

garbe box tip view

Linda Garbe’s Box of Color, top view

garbe box side view

… and a view of the bamboo and fungi sides.

Linda says she created the box as a result of doing the exercises in Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio’s book Polymer Clay Color Inspirations.

While it took great discipline to do each and every exercise in order, it was well worth it. I learned a lot about color. The last exercise is to cover a box using what you have learned about color. I visited the Chicago Botanical Gardens during the time I was doing the color exercises. They have a Heritage Garden which show how early gardens featured one type of plant in each area. They did not mix plants together in the same flower bed as we do today. This garden became the inspiration for design of the box. Each side features one type of plant: bamboo, fungi, Queen Ann’s Lace, and ferns. The top is a fantasy garden created in my mind.”

This box and more of Linda’s explanation about its creation come in at about 3:10 on Linda’s video. The video starts out with thoughts on cultivating our own unique approach to creativity but the majority of it actually focuses on texturing and using everyday objects as tools. A lot of good ideas here so if you have a few minutes, sit back and soak up a little inspiration this weekend.

 

Polymer Pioneers

March 20, 2013

One of the truly exciting things about going to an event like Synergy is getting the chance to meet the people who you admire and aspire to be. Although you may have the opportunity to meet a great polymer artist by taking a class, there is nothing like a lengthy event like this, a retreat, or a workshop to give you the opportunity to chat and hear their stories.

At Synergy, we had the opportunity to not only talk to a large number of highly talented and innovative artists, but we were also treated to their presentations and panels. One of my personal highlights was the closing banquet’s presentation with three of the most influential polymer pioneers – Nan Roche, Kathleen Dustin and Lindly Haunani. They told stories of the good old days, how they started in polymer, and how they started organizing polymer artists and the hurdles they encountered in the early days. A lot of funny personal notes and anecdotes were included as well. It was just great fun to hear of our polymer beginnings from these very important artists who were there.

NanKathleenLindlyS3_0311613

I have my own personal anecdote about Nan Roche from this past week. For those of you who might not know, Nan wrote the first book on polymer clay, The New Claypublished back in 1992. That book precipitated the advent of polymer being considered a true art medium, and really pushed the public awareness of it. And today, it is still considered one of the best books on polymer for beginners. So this genius of woman comes up to me the first day of Synergy, all bubbly and kind of bouncing and says, “Oh, I just love your magazine!” I was floored and started babbling back about how much I admire her and what she has done for the polymer communtiy. I knew she subscribed (she gets both the print and digital versions of The Polymer Arts) but I thought it was just a matter of keeping track of the industry. As it turns out, Nan had to back away from doing polymer for a number of years, so she actually considers herself far less talented than many of the folks she is often grouped with, and finds The Polymer Arts inspiring. Whoa. I get some really touching compliments but a comment from someone like her … its hard to explain how much that meant to me.

As you take a closer look at the picture here, note all the pretties down in front of the presenter’s table. Those are the pieces that were auctioned off at the banquet–they include vintage pieces by Marie Segal, Jeffery Lloyd Dever and Lindly Haunani. Most of the larger events run by guilds have such auctions, giving the attendees a chance to buy some really wonderful work while supporting the organization – just another reason to make it to a retreat or other big polymer event. Check your local guild to see what they have going on and keep track of others through the IPCA newsletter, or by checking The Polymer Arts Resource list.

 

Success by Working Together

My apologies for this being late today. Travel plans were a little more hectic than expected, but I am safely back in Colorado after a most energizing week. Now that the majority of the fun is over, the hard work is about to start. I’ll be going through all my notes and recordings soon, putting together a picture of what Synergy was about. There were numerous important discussions, but they were only discussion – taking action is the important step and we’ll be doing our part here at The Polymer Arts to ensure, in whatever way we can, that discussions continue and the material we love is raised to higher ground.

We did have two extremely successful fundraising efforts at the show. The primary one was for the IPCA, and a good number of well-known artists donated to the auctions. This beautiful piece was donated by Julie Picarello who was not able to attend but sent this to be auctioned to help raise funds for the IPCA’s efforts.

552581_10151089373836250_1692765663_n

 

The IPCA auctions broke records, which is fantastic considering all of the whispering about big plans for the IPCA. On top of this generosity, individuals and the IPCA itself, as well as Ron LeHockey (each putting in $1,000; and Ron was matching funds … not the first time he’s done that!) pitched in to help raise the rest of the money needed for the Samunnat project. Not only did the group manage to meet the project’s goal, but it was actually surpassed by nearly $2,00o. Now, the women in Nepal who benefit from this can get the building they need, as well as furniture and other things that will make their lives and efforts easier and more impactful.

We’ll get out a bit more news this week along with some pretties but right now, I need to catch up on some sleep. Until then …

Inspired Pins–Portugal

May 5, 2014
Posted in ,

So you saw Dan’s pin that started this different version of the inspiration centered project on my previous blog (see it here.) Now he has sent me three of the resulting pins to share with you until he is back and can get the whole project up on their own website and Facebook pages.

The first is from Cristina Almeida who lives in Lisbon, Portugal. Can you see what she pulled from Dan’s work to create her own personal version?

Cristina Almeida Lisbon Portugal

Go back and look at Dan’s pin and see where they connect. Then take a gander at more of Christina’s work to better understand where her style and aesthetics meet and what she drew from Dan’s work on her Flickr page and blog site.

 

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.

Blog2 -2014-02Feb-5   polymer clay overlapping cane   14P1 cover Fnl

Read More

Imagination for the Birds

December 26, 2013
Posted in

I met Irene Corman at Synergy this past March. She enthusiastically suggested an article idea of hers which eventually resulted in her sharing her knowledge about teaching polymer art classes in the Fall 2013 issue of The Polymer Arts magazine.  Since then, Irene has also answered my call for help in scouting art for the blog and future articles. Her enthusiasm and love of art, not just polymer, has made working with her such a joy.

Irene brought to me this unusual and intriguing artist, Laura Balombini. What a fabulous imagination!

3-d-1

Irene had this to say about why she is drawn to Laura’s work:

“She has created individuality and expression in each bird-form, while controlling any random effects through the simplicity of form and the repetition of each one, holding size and the shape elements that make up each of the birds, constant. Each of the faces and wings differ, creating interest for the viewer, while the even number and placement in 2 rows around the rectangle provide “discipline” for the design. Additional interest comes from the birdlike movement created by the positioning of the heads as they peck, look, stretch their necks, birdlike, yet also, somewhat human in their features. At first glance, the piece has a feel of folk-art, but the naiveté of folk art is transformed into something else when one sees the human features in the faces. The piece seems to tell a story, and also, holds a surprise. Using polymer clay for these forms is an artistic choice that works really well, given its color range, density and malleability.”

Enjoy more of Laura’s imaginative creations 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.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

 

Read More

Making an Impression … all over.

December 4, 2013
Posted in

We have another example of scatter composition in this necklace from Aniko Kolesnikova. Since we’ve already done this for a couple days, why do you think this composition works? Or do you?

il_570xN.488666690_s6hp

 

I think it does. The elements, although different colors and irregularly placed, are all the same basic form–impressed and filled with colored clay, or in some cases a little extra bit of cane. The overall surface texture of the pieces are also impressed with hand tools so the overall surface is similar.

Hand tool texturing can be widely varied and works great for the scattered look or when kept in an orderly pattern. (By the way, we have a great article in the most recent issue of The Polymer Arts by Anke Humpert. It explores a variety of marks and various pointed hand tools, and explains how to explore them and other tools on your own–don’t miss out on that!) Aniko does quite a lot with hand tools as you’ll see if you spend some time 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.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512
Read More

The Journey of The Broken Telephone

April 6, 2013
Posted in ,

For those of you who followed the blogging I did from Synergy, you may remember Dan Cormier’s Broken Telephone Project. We couldn’t reveal much then because Dan and partner Tracy were going to roll out the series on The Cutting Edge Facebook page and who was I to spoil the surprise.

Well Dan has now revealed all the beautiful brooches, their creators and his thoughts on the project and related subjects. The conversation he’s started on his wrap-up post (posted on both Facebook and Flickr) is very important and I would encourage you all to take a minute to read it.

While there, take a look at all the gorgeous pieces that came out of the project.

539877_384069808367379_86934425_n

I was lucky enough to get a close-up look of each of these brooches as I helped pin them on Tracy who became a walking exhibition on the last night of Synergy 3. I’ve held back photos of this unique exhibit until the roll-out was complete. Tracy was easily the best adorned lady of the evening!

_DSC0586

_DSC0584

Read More

Revisiting the Masters

April 2, 2013
Posted in , ,

In a recent conversation with a couple rather big names in our community, I was asked why the community’s major blogs don’t feature the masters very often. It gave me pause. The thing is, I think we do … but part of it may be that there can be a difference in opinion as to what constitutes a master. But really what it comes down to is why we do these blogs. I know my reason is to bring inspiring ideas to you, things that will get you running into the studio or thinking about how to challenge yourself or tips that might help resolve a design issue. This requires a lot of new work and new ideas. The people we might call masters have perfected a set of techniques and/or approaches to design that most of us have become familiar with, so there is a question as to whether a reader will be very enthused by a post on something they’ve seen before. But what this question did make me consider is what we can get out of revisiting the masters.

We can become so familiar with some things that we just can’t see what there is to learn from it any more. The first time I saw Jeffrey Lloyd Dever’s work was years ago in Art Jewelry magazine. I was floored by his technique and finish (still am actually!) and tried out the tutorial in those pages. I wasn’t very successful but I did learn quite a few things along the way about back-filling and finishing. The thing is, if I worked through that same tutorial now, I would learn something different. What I was able to glean from my exploration of his work then, is not what I would glean from it now. Jeff was at Synergy and had a gallery table of his work so I was able to see his pieces close up. This time it was the color choices that I pondered. That didn’t even cross my mind years ago when I was so focused on technique.

You can see by the detail of his Racine Art Museum installation why his colors might be just a tad intriguing. But is that what intrigues you? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on where you are in your art and even where your thoughts are on this day.

dever09-edensong-reveries-med-shot

The point is, we should keep revisiting the masters, even the same pieces. The best work does not have just one thing to teach us or for us to take away. Really wonderful art will have many facets that will hit us differently at various points in our lives. So, I’ve been thinking … I should make a point here and there of revisiting even the most familiar work on this blog, give us a chance to get reacquainted with it and find what is new and exciting for us because of where we are as a community today. I’d love to hear that many of you are or will do the same. If you have any great discoveries in doing this, do let me know. We can share it here.

By the way, I pulled this image of Jeff’s work from the Polymer Art Archive which is also a treasure of a source for work from our past as well as our present. It is well worth reading and visiting on a regular basis.

Read More

Best Business Practice: Cooperation not Competition

March 24, 2013
Posted in ,

If you have the first issue of The Polymer Arts, you may have read the back page Muse’s Corner piece written by Marjon Donker and Saskia Veltenaar, the editors of From Polymer to Art. It told the story of how we e-meet and why we decided to work together, not compete, even though we were all producing polymer clay magazines.

The thing is, I would not have started The Polymer Arts magazine if Marjon and Saskia were producing the same type of magazine I wanted to produce. Nor would I have done so if our other industry magazine, Polymer Cafe was covering the material I wanted to cover. So, when it came down to it, we weren’t at all competing, rather we were complementing each other. The ways things are now, hobbyists and those who just want to play with polymer have Polymer Cafe to look to for basics and fun projects while the more experienced clayer who wants to branch out can look to From Polymer to Art for more advanced projects and articles on issues that interest the polymer fan. For those who look at what they do or aspire to as serious art or are looking to make their craft into an income producing business, they have The Polymer Arts to push and challenge them, make them think, and help them build a better art business. As one of the attendees said during the magazine editor’s panel, we’re now covering the full range for polymer clayers.

_DSC0567

Polymer magazine editors after our Q&A panel at Synergy 3. Starting top left and going clockwise, Sage Bray (The Polymer Arts), Anne Huizenga (Polymer Cafe), Saskia & Marjon (From Polymer To Art)

Do we have different philosophies on publishing for this community? Yes, we certainly do but we all have the similar goal of spreading the wonder and improving the work of polymer artists, regardless of their level of work.  We all four talked over the week in Atlanta for this reason. All the editors even came to my Writing for Polymer in Print workshop (get the guidelines from this workshop on The Polymer Arts website)which was fabulous as the attendees got to hear from us all once again. That’s exactly how it should be.

The thing is, my magazine really NEEDS these other magazines. Someone new to the material might be overwhelmed by The Polymer Arts (unless they are really gung-ho and determined, are coming from another art medium, or they got the polymer bug bad from the start!) So yes, if you’re new, you may want to start with one of the other magazines and if you find yourself getting serious and want to push yourself and your art, we’ll be here. Or just give in and get them all. I do! You just can’t have too much polymer information, can you?

If you are interested in writing for a polymer publication, please do consider sending us ideas. Any of the editors here would love to see your ideas. Just help us out and send it to us one at a time. If what you have doesn’t fit my magazine, for example, I’ll pass it on to one of the other gals. The more we share as a community, the better it will be for clayers everywhere.

 

Read More

Finding Our Authentic Voice

March 23, 2013
Posted in ,

One of the big discussions at Synergy (Are you tired of hearing about that show yet!? Sorry … it was just such a treasure box full of ideas and I want you all to benefit from it too) was about finding our voice as artists. I was not the only one that came away with this concept eating away at me. Linda Garbe jumped right on it with a new video discussing texture and materials in the context of finding personal creative expression. Her Box of Color, as seen below, showed up in the video and I just had to get a closer view. Linda kindly sent photos so we could all get a good look at the details. Talk about an authentic voice!

garbe box tip view

Linda Garbe’s Box of Color, top view

garbe box side view

… and a view of the bamboo and fungi sides.

Linda says she created the box as a result of doing the exercises in Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio’s book Polymer Clay Color Inspirations.

While it took great discipline to do each and every exercise in order, it was well worth it. I learned a lot about color. The last exercise is to cover a box using what you have learned about color. I visited the Chicago Botanical Gardens during the time I was doing the color exercises. They have a Heritage Garden which show how early gardens featured one type of plant in each area. They did not mix plants together in the same flower bed as we do today. This garden became the inspiration for design of the box. Each side features one type of plant: bamboo, fungi, Queen Ann’s Lace, and ferns. The top is a fantasy garden created in my mind.”

This box and more of Linda’s explanation about its creation come in at about 3:10 on Linda’s video. The video starts out with thoughts on cultivating our own unique approach to creativity but the majority of it actually focuses on texturing and using everyday objects as tools. A lot of good ideas here so if you have a few minutes, sit back and soak up a little inspiration this weekend.

 

Read More

Polymer Pioneers

March 20, 2013
Posted in

One of the truly exciting things about going to an event like Synergy is getting the chance to meet the people who you admire and aspire to be. Although you may have the opportunity to meet a great polymer artist by taking a class, there is nothing like a lengthy event like this, a retreat, or a workshop to give you the opportunity to chat and hear their stories.

At Synergy, we had the opportunity to not only talk to a large number of highly talented and innovative artists, but we were also treated to their presentations and panels. One of my personal highlights was the closing banquet’s presentation with three of the most influential polymer pioneers – Nan Roche, Kathleen Dustin and Lindly Haunani. They told stories of the good old days, how they started in polymer, and how they started organizing polymer artists and the hurdles they encountered in the early days. A lot of funny personal notes and anecdotes were included as well. It was just great fun to hear of our polymer beginnings from these very important artists who were there.

NanKathleenLindlyS3_0311613

I have my own personal anecdote about Nan Roche from this past week. For those of you who might not know, Nan wrote the first book on polymer clay, The New Claypublished back in 1992. That book precipitated the advent of polymer being considered a true art medium, and really pushed the public awareness of it. And today, it is still considered one of the best books on polymer for beginners. So this genius of woman comes up to me the first day of Synergy, all bubbly and kind of bouncing and says, “Oh, I just love your magazine!” I was floored and started babbling back about how much I admire her and what she has done for the polymer communtiy. I knew she subscribed (she gets both the print and digital versions of The Polymer Arts) but I thought it was just a matter of keeping track of the industry. As it turns out, Nan had to back away from doing polymer for a number of years, so she actually considers herself far less talented than many of the folks she is often grouped with, and finds The Polymer Arts inspiring. Whoa. I get some really touching compliments but a comment from someone like her … its hard to explain how much that meant to me.

As you take a closer look at the picture here, note all the pretties down in front of the presenter’s table. Those are the pieces that were auctioned off at the banquet–they include vintage pieces by Marie Segal, Jeffery Lloyd Dever and Lindly Haunani. Most of the larger events run by guilds have such auctions, giving the attendees a chance to buy some really wonderful work while supporting the organization – just another reason to make it to a retreat or other big polymer event. Check your local guild to see what they have going on and keep track of others through the IPCA newsletter, or by checking The Polymer Arts Resource list.

 

Read More

Success by Working Together

March 18, 2013
Posted in ,

My apologies for this being late today. Travel plans were a little more hectic than expected, but I am safely back in Colorado after a most energizing week. Now that the majority of the fun is over, the hard work is about to start. I’ll be going through all my notes and recordings soon, putting together a picture of what Synergy was about. There were numerous important discussions, but they were only discussion – taking action is the important step and we’ll be doing our part here at The Polymer Arts to ensure, in whatever way we can, that discussions continue and the material we love is raised to higher ground.

We did have two extremely successful fundraising efforts at the show. The primary one was for the IPCA, and a good number of well-known artists donated to the auctions. This beautiful piece was donated by Julie Picarello who was not able to attend but sent this to be auctioned to help raise funds for the IPCA’s efforts.

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The IPCA auctions broke records, which is fantastic considering all of the whispering about big plans for the IPCA. On top of this generosity, individuals and the IPCA itself, as well as Ron LeHockey (each putting in $1,000; and Ron was matching funds … not the first time he’s done that!) pitched in to help raise the rest of the money needed for the Samunnat project. Not only did the group manage to meet the project’s goal, but it was actually surpassed by nearly $2,00o. Now, the women in Nepal who benefit from this can get the building they need, as well as furniture and other things that will make their lives and efforts easier and more impactful.

We’ll get out a bit more news this week along with some pretties but right now, I need to catch up on some sleep. Until then …

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