The Secret to ‘Charming’ is Variety
March 27, 2013
Inspirational Art
I guess I’m on a variety kick this week. The mixture of color in these bangles by Lauren Abrams are particularly attractive but I think it’s the uneven repetition of the elements that gives them true charm.
Bands of color filled with stripes and crackled metallic are repeated but in uneven, varying widths and not predictably ordered. The pin head beads, although of the same shape and size, vary in color and spacing. The bangle underneath boasts but one accent, which if worn alone might seem a bit unbalanced but if worn together, the variation would feel supported. Actually an arm full of them would be truly charming.
I’m not saying orderliness can’t be charming, but quirkiness, unpredictability, and a disregard for expected order is what we find most delightful in children, pets and ourselves when we let go. But even when letting go, there needs to be some underlying order or consistency to keep things from falling into chaos. In the bangles it is a repetition of color and visual texture as well as repetition of common elements including the consistently used bands. A simple device but highly effective and easy to apply when you want to have a little fun.
Gather Your Flowers
March 26, 2013
Inspirational Art, Technique tutorials
My mother is a horticulturist so although I have never been heavily drawn to flowery things, I learned through her to fully appreciate the beauty of a well-formed bloom. Polymer artists, as a whole, do like their flowers likely because so many of our ladies are drawn to their inherent beauty, but also because the complexity of a flower can easily be achieved through the repetition of relatively simple petals. But the petals of a real flower are, in reality, quiet complex, each petal with its own curls and waves and way of enfolding the flower’s center. To properly reproduce this complexity, each petal needs to be given a little individuality. That is what I enjoyed so much about finding these little beauties by Taisa Chernyak.
It might take a bit longer to give each petal its own form but don’t you think the individuality of each gives the whole a much more convincing and natural beauty? Take a look at her tutorial on how she produces these life-like blooms.
The idea of each individual providing the character that creates the true beauty in the bigger picture is true on so many levels. Even as individual artists, bringing our own personality and uniqueness to the artwork we produce creates a more splendid picture of polymer art overall. Repeating what has already been done will add very little to the art world, but your own unique art adds much, much more.
I guess I’m on a variety kick this week. The mixture of color in these bangles by Lauren Abrams are particularly attractive but I think it’s the uneven repetition of the elements that gives them true charm.
Bands of color filled with stripes and crackled metallic are repeated but in uneven, varying widths and not predictably ordered. The pin head beads, although of the same shape and size, vary in color and spacing. The bangle underneath boasts but one accent, which if worn alone might seem a bit unbalanced but if worn together, the variation would feel supported. Actually an arm full of them would be truly charming.
I’m not saying orderliness can’t be charming, but quirkiness, unpredictability, and a disregard for expected order is what we find most delightful in children, pets and ourselves when we let go. But even when letting go, there needs to be some underlying order or consistency to keep things from falling into chaos. In the bangles it is a repetition of color and visual texture as well as repetition of common elements including the consistently used bands. A simple device but highly effective and easy to apply when you want to have a little fun.
Read More
My mother is a horticulturist so although I have never been heavily drawn to flowery things, I learned through her to fully appreciate the beauty of a well-formed bloom. Polymer artists, as a whole, do like their flowers likely because so many of our ladies are drawn to their inherent beauty, but also because the complexity of a flower can easily be achieved through the repetition of relatively simple petals. But the petals of a real flower are, in reality, quiet complex, each petal with its own curls and waves and way of enfolding the flower’s center. To properly reproduce this complexity, each petal needs to be given a little individuality. That is what I enjoyed so much about finding these little beauties by Taisa Chernyak.
It might take a bit longer to give each petal its own form but don’t you think the individuality of each gives the whole a much more convincing and natural beauty? Take a look at her tutorial on how she produces these life-like blooms.
The idea of each individual providing the character that creates the true beauty in the bigger picture is true on so many levels. Even as individual artists, bringing our own personality and uniqueness to the artwork we produce creates a more splendid picture of polymer art overall. Repeating what has already been done will add very little to the art world, but your own unique art adds much, much more.
Read More