Mokume Squared

September 21, 2016

There seems to be an explosion of innovation in polymer design as of late.  Maybe as a whole we fell into a rut of creating within a fairly small circle of ideas but it seems that more and more, clayers are pushing the ideas or just going off into their own little worlds which creates some very unique design.

melanie-muir-vessel-setMelanie Muir sent me images of a new series she’s recently been working on and I have to say, it would never have occurred to me that Melanie might go in a home decor direction, not one with such a graphic look to it but it really does work well. After admiring her beautiful organic shapes and mokume patterns for so long it’s quite a shift to see the same type of mokume squared off like this but the contrast between the organic patterning and the very precise placement of squared off color makes for some lovely vessels.

I had the hardest time deciding which of the new vessels’ images to share here as she has them in different colors and mokume pattern sets as well as a series she calls ‘Coastline’ where the mokume is not framed at all but rather is blended into the background over the joint of two wide bands of color. Go see for yourself on her Facebook page here for the whole recent collection, debuting this week at the London Design Fair which starts tomorrow.

 

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Do you work primarily in one style such as organic, graphic, tribal, floral, or something else? Take what you usually lean towards and contrast it with a style completely opposite from it. The key to contrast is making the contrast relate on some level. Melanie made her graphic versus organic relate in terms of color. You can also make the two relate through elements that have the same type of pattern, shape, size, lines or that create similar texture.

_________________________________________

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

businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front  Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog  2Wards Blog Sept 2016

never knead -july-2015c-125  The Great Create Sept 15 blog  businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front

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Mokume in all its Hidden Glory

August 21, 2015

platshpinFinally got the Fall issue wrapped up as far as the printer is concerned, but I am already knee deep in plans for the Winter issue whose theme is “Hidden”, which is coincidentally related to what we’ve been chatting about this week. What a great theme idea–it came from a few reader’s last year, and we were all too excited at the possibilities. Mokume is one such possibility to fulfill the theme, and we are working on getting you some amazing mokume techniques to try, but in the meantime, how about a little mokume education?

You probably already know that mokume gane is an ancient folded metal technique. You will often see me refer to it only as mokume since that means wood grain and gane means metal. And we are giving metal a woodgrain look. It’s kind of ironic that mokume gane is really faux wood in metal and mokume nendo–which means plastic–is the faux of a faux woodgrain. We ALL borrow from from other art forms including that which nature creates.

Mokume gane is not the most popular metal technique, but it does seem to be having a resurgence. And I have to say that the restrictions and control necessary really give the metal technique just gorgeous lines and sophistication. I think because it is too easy to just push it any which way with polymer we have some pretty blobby versions out there. Nothing wrong with nicely done ‘blobs’. Any form can be beautiful, right? But let’s just sit back today and enjoy the beauty of the form we borrowed from as it is seen in the metal arts of Steve Midgett.

The one on the left is actually a pin and was oriented horizontally on his website, but I think it has such beautiful power in the vertical position. We have quite the in-depth article on creating mood with color, shape and orientation in the upcoming Fall 2015 issue of The Polymer Arts–be sure to get your copy and you’ll understand more what I’m talking about after you read it. However, you can feel how that shape still feels so powerfully elegant in the pendant of the same basic shape on the right.

Take a peak at more of these hidden layers and Steve’s beautiful application of mokume gane on his website.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.

      TPA_McGuire_blog ad  

Mokume Squared

September 21, 2016
Posted in

There seems to be an explosion of innovation in polymer design as of late.  Maybe as a whole we fell into a rut of creating within a fairly small circle of ideas but it seems that more and more, clayers are pushing the ideas or just going off into their own little worlds which creates some very unique design.

melanie-muir-vessel-setMelanie Muir sent me images of a new series she’s recently been working on and I have to say, it would never have occurred to me that Melanie might go in a home decor direction, not one with such a graphic look to it but it really does work well. After admiring her beautiful organic shapes and mokume patterns for so long it’s quite a shift to see the same type of mokume squared off like this but the contrast between the organic patterning and the very precise placement of squared off color makes for some lovely vessels.

I had the hardest time deciding which of the new vessels’ images to share here as she has them in different colors and mokume pattern sets as well as a series she calls ‘Coastline’ where the mokume is not framed at all but rather is blended into the background over the joint of two wide bands of color. Go see for yourself on her Facebook page here for the whole recent collection, debuting this week at the London Design Fair which starts tomorrow.

 

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Do you work primarily in one style such as organic, graphic, tribal, floral, or something else? Take what you usually lean towards and contrast it with a style completely opposite from it. The key to contrast is making the contrast relate on some level. Melanie made her graphic versus organic relate in terms of color. You can also make the two relate through elements that have the same type of pattern, shape, size, lines or that create similar texture.

_________________________________________

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

businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front  Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog  2Wards Blog Sept 2016

never knead -july-2015c-125  The Great Create Sept 15 blog  businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front

_________________________________________

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Mokume in all its Hidden Glory

August 21, 2015
Posted in

platshpinFinally got the Fall issue wrapped up as far as the printer is concerned, but I am already knee deep in plans for the Winter issue whose theme is “Hidden”, which is coincidentally related to what we’ve been chatting about this week. What a great theme idea–it came from a few reader’s last year, and we were all too excited at the possibilities. Mokume is one such possibility to fulfill the theme, and we are working on getting you some amazing mokume techniques to try, but in the meantime, how about a little mokume education?

You probably already know that mokume gane is an ancient folded metal technique. You will often see me refer to it only as mokume since that means wood grain and gane means metal. And we are giving metal a woodgrain look. It’s kind of ironic that mokume gane is really faux wood in metal and mokume nendo–which means plastic–is the faux of a faux woodgrain. We ALL borrow from from other art forms including that which nature creates.

Mokume gane is not the most popular metal technique, but it does seem to be having a resurgence. And I have to say that the restrictions and control necessary really give the metal technique just gorgeous lines and sophistication. I think because it is too easy to just push it any which way with polymer we have some pretty blobby versions out there. Nothing wrong with nicely done ‘blobs’. Any form can be beautiful, right? But let’s just sit back today and enjoy the beauty of the form we borrowed from as it is seen in the metal arts of Steve Midgett.

The one on the left is actually a pin and was oriented horizontally on his website, but I think it has such beautiful power in the vertical position. We have quite the in-depth article on creating mood with color, shape and orientation in the upcoming Fall 2015 issue of The Polymer Arts–be sure to get your copy and you’ll understand more what I’m talking about after you read it. However, you can feel how that shape still feels so powerfully elegant in the pendant of the same basic shape on the right.

Take a peak at more of these hidden layers and Steve’s beautiful application of mokume gane on his website.

 

If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.

      TPA_McGuire_blog ad  

Read More
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