Variation by Chance
July 18, 2014
Inspirational Art
I was thinking about the many ways that we use to establish our variations when I came across this interesting selection of wall hangings created by melting crayons. That’s when I realized that one of most obvious ways in which we achieve variation is by letting randomness and chance have a say. We’ve all had that moment (or 20) when we were messing around with the scraps on our table and a whole new idea arose. Well, you could do that intentionally with the components you have for certain pieces that you have in mind by letting your mind and fingers wander until something wonderful emerges.
Here, the various ways the crayons melt, as well as the colors, look to be the inspiration for each of the silhouetted subjects. That same approach can be used to renew, revive or reinvent a line you’ve been working with for a while. Be spontaneous and play to see what that clay suggests.
I couldn’t find the creator of these pieces, but I did find out this is ‘thing’ in the home craft world. Much of this melted crayon art is not very well done, but these three are great examples of what can happen when it is done artistically. If anyone, by some strange chance, knows who made these, I would love to give them credit. They are another victim of unattributed Pinterest pinning that ended up on a blog with the online storage URL being the only information that came with it.
Even if you just pin for yourself, at the very least, please do the creators the well-deserved favor by putting their name in the comment section. Or pin to a private board. Otherwise, these things get picked up by random people, spread around and the origination of it becomes lost. That just seems terribly sad.
Be sure to check in tomorrow for a contest we’re now running in which you can help shape upcoming issues of The Polymer Arts as well as win a little something for yourself!
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.
Outside Inspiration: Lone Trees
June 20, 2014
Inspirational Art
I just got in last night from the last leg of an unplanned road trip back to California to help with some family matters. On the way into Colorado I stopped in the beautiful Canyonlands area of Utah where the soil is red and the skies are huge and blue. I took a run and hike up a canyon to a lone arch that springs off the canyons upper level. The ground was rocky and dry but every once in a while a bold tree would reach up out of the rock and break the beautiful stark horizon. I have always found those lone trees draw me. Maybe I have a thing for the lone struggle in a landscape that fights you all the way.
So when I saw this piece today, I had to pull it for the Outside Inspiration Friday post. This both plays to the scenes I was seeing yesterday and to the idea of surprising single elements creating the focus and beauty in a piece of art.
The artist here is a very interesting woman by the name of Ione Thorkelsson. She works in glass, adding other elements such as the found metal and the lichen she uses in this glass cast microcosm of our world, created as both a miniature of the globe we live on and a metaphor of the most basic truth of our lonely existence–lonely but reaching.
Ione has a lot to say as well as show us. You can get lost in her thoughts and meanderings on her website and I do encourage you to do so. She speaks very openly and honestly about her process, her struggles both in creating art and the rigors of showing and living as an artist. I have heard some of her words uttered near exactly by a number of polymer artists. It’s definitely worth a sit with a cup of coffee or tea today.
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.
Moving Beyond Imagination
September 1, 2013
Ponderings
In other words, imagination is the source of creativity, but creativity doesn’t exist until you act upon the fruit of your imagination. We’ve looked at color ideas for the coming season this week; did they get you thinking? Did they bring up any ideas for new pieces to include in upcoming shows and in your online shop, or maybe gifts to make for friends and family? If they did, great. But now it’s time to make those ideas a reality. Create, bring more beauty into the world, and make yourself a happier person for having done so.
The Creative Process Dissected & Meet TPA’s Newest Talent
June 17, 2012
The Polymer Arts magazine news
I think I might make Sunday’s the funnies day. Laughter is so sorely needed every day of our lives, especially when you work so hard all week and along with being an artist you have family, friend’s, that ‘other’ job, and the other dreams you are working towards in your life. And Sundays should be down time, right?
This came from the newest addition to the TPA staff, Deanna Duncan Allen. She will be helping me with blog posting, editing, subscription records, newsletters as well as being a contributor to the magazine. She did some editing and wrote the artist gallery bios in our Summer 2012 issue and has happily agreed to take on more. She is an accomplished metal clay and glass bead artist as well as a photographer. Look for her additions to the magazine in our upcoming Fall 2012 issue.
In the meantime … just how true is this!
I was thinking about the many ways that we use to establish our variations when I came across this interesting selection of wall hangings created by melting crayons. That’s when I realized that one of most obvious ways in which we achieve variation is by letting randomness and chance have a say. We’ve all had that moment (or 20) when we were messing around with the scraps on our table and a whole new idea arose. Well, you could do that intentionally with the components you have for certain pieces that you have in mind by letting your mind and fingers wander until something wonderful emerges.
Here, the various ways the crayons melt, as well as the colors, look to be the inspiration for each of the silhouetted subjects. That same approach can be used to renew, revive or reinvent a line you’ve been working with for a while. Be spontaneous and play to see what that clay suggests.
I couldn’t find the creator of these pieces, but I did find out this is ‘thing’ in the home craft world. Much of this melted crayon art is not very well done, but these three are great examples of what can happen when it is done artistically. If anyone, by some strange chance, knows who made these, I would love to give them credit. They are another victim of unattributed Pinterest pinning that ended up on a blog with the online storage URL being the only information that came with it.
Even if you just pin for yourself, at the very least, please do the creators the well-deserved favor by putting their name in the comment section. Or pin to a private board. Otherwise, these things get picked up by random people, spread around and the origination of it becomes lost. That just seems terribly sad.
Be sure to check in tomorrow for a contest we’re now running in which you can help shape upcoming issues of The Polymer Arts as well as win a little something for yourself!
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.
I just got in last night from the last leg of an unplanned road trip back to California to help with some family matters. On the way into Colorado I stopped in the beautiful Canyonlands area of Utah where the soil is red and the skies are huge and blue. I took a run and hike up a canyon to a lone arch that springs off the canyons upper level. The ground was rocky and dry but every once in a while a bold tree would reach up out of the rock and break the beautiful stark horizon. I have always found those lone trees draw me. Maybe I have a thing for the lone struggle in a landscape that fights you all the way.
So when I saw this piece today, I had to pull it for the Outside Inspiration Friday post. This both plays to the scenes I was seeing yesterday and to the idea of surprising single elements creating the focus and beauty in a piece of art.
The artist here is a very interesting woman by the name of Ione Thorkelsson. She works in glass, adding other elements such as the found metal and the lichen she uses in this glass cast microcosm of our world, created as both a miniature of the globe we live on and a metaphor of the most basic truth of our lonely existence–lonely but reaching.
Ione has a lot to say as well as show us. You can get lost in her thoughts and meanderings on her website and I do encourage you to do so. She speaks very openly and honestly about her process, her struggles both in creating art and the rigors of showing and living as an artist. I have heard some of her words uttered near exactly by a number of polymer artists. It’s definitely worth a sit with a cup of coffee or tea today.
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.
In other words, imagination is the source of creativity, but creativity doesn’t exist until you act upon the fruit of your imagination. We’ve looked at color ideas for the coming season this week; did they get you thinking? Did they bring up any ideas for new pieces to include in upcoming shows and in your online shop, or maybe gifts to make for friends and family? If they did, great. But now it’s time to make those ideas a reality. Create, bring more beauty into the world, and make yourself a happier person for having done so.
I think I might make Sunday’s the funnies day. Laughter is so sorely needed every day of our lives, especially when you work so hard all week and along with being an artist you have family, friend’s, that ‘other’ job, and the other dreams you are working towards in your life. And Sundays should be down time, right?
This came from the newest addition to the TPA staff, Deanna Duncan Allen. She will be helping me with blog posting, editing, subscription records, newsletters as well as being a contributor to the magazine. She did some editing and wrote the artist gallery bios in our Summer 2012 issue and has happily agreed to take on more. She is an accomplished metal clay and glass bead artist as well as a photographer. Look for her additions to the magazine in our upcoming Fall 2012 issue.
In the meantime … just how true is this!
