Doing Cute Well
August 13, 2012
Inspirational Art
One of the things I was truly delighted by with the Racine Museum exhibition last year was that the pieces chosen were not all just contemporary and serious pieces. They were, however, all well crafted as well as being historically relevant in the development of our art form. There were a number of ‘cute’ pieces such as Dan Cormier’s rocket vessels (love the one with the chimpanzee face in the rocket window!) or Cynthia Toops cartoon like mosaic pins. (Get your copy of the Terra Nova book to see these great pieces.) Art does not have to be serious. For goodness sakes, life is not!
Doing cute and doing it for a standard consumer audience with skill and good design is doubly difficult since you have to work within a certain pricing/cost structure and yet still spend the time and give the piece the consideration you would creating any true piece of art. That is why I find images like this one catching my eye ..
This adorable and beautifully wrought pin is by Pilar from Las Palmas, Spain. I ran into this on the Spanish European version of Etsy called Artesanum.
Pilar has obviously well-refined caning skills as well as being adept at modeling with polymer. She uses repetition of color (blues) placed at fairly regular intervals and repetition of motif (flowers repeated in different versions and even materials) to bring a cohesiveness to what might otherwise be an overwhelming array of texture and variety of items.
Repetition and rhythm are design elements not often discussed outside formal art courses but are hugely important in craft design. You can get great information on these concepts plus tons of polymer examples and even exercises to work on this in our upcoming Fall 2012 issue of The Polymer Arts. The issue rolls out this coming weekend so be sure you have renewed your subscription or have your order in so you can get in on the conversations you see online and can start applying this simple but powerful concepts to your own work!
In Art, You Are Never Wrong
August 12, 2012
Ponderings
Don’t let the worry that your work is not ‘right’, that it is not good enough, stop you from creating. Its not that the piece is wrong or not working out, it’s just not done yet. If you are struggling with a piece, put it aside for a day or two or ten. It and you just need to rest. Next time you come back to it, you will know what it needs.
Cutting in Your Canes
August 11, 2012
Inspirational Art
It’s just amazing what a few impressions with a card can do for a simple cane. Although you will see this most commonly with jellyroll canes, you can try this with any abstract or geometric cane.
Using translucents gives the impression of semi-precious stone as well magnifying the luminosity of the colors. Aren’t these just gorgeous?
You can see the full tutorial by Elissa Powell on www.pcpolyzine.com. Just thought I’d give you something cool to try out this weekend when you aren’t out enjoying the summer outside.
Looking for more great tutorials and information? Do take some time to peruse pcPolyzine’s site. Tons of great stuff here!
Outside Influence: Outlines in Metal
August 10, 2012
Inspirational Art
Todays outside influence comes from metalsmithing: Two Element Pod Pendant by Barbara Bayne
Barbara explored a number of mediums before finding metalsmithing, and jewelry in particular, was the area that she felt allowed her to create the work she envisioned. I like her description of what she does. It reminds me of the approach of a lot of polymer artists and her forms are definitely within reach of polymer as a medium that can reproduce such quiet and stunning work:
“The jewelry designs stem from interests in natural organic forms and geometric shapes that are combined to create unique outlines that I than use as a basis for my work. Surface texture is also of great interest to me when I am designing. I attempt to develop new and intriguing patterns and textures to enhance and embellish the basic forms of the jewelry. It is my hope that by combining different shapes and outlines with various textures and patterns I can create jewelry that is interesting as well as innovative.”
I have quite a number of metalsmithing books on my shelves. I don’t do much metal work but between the construction, colors and forms, there is a tremendous amount of inspiration. Check out my two favorites:
Making Metal Beads by Pauline Warg
The Jeweler’s Directory of Decorative Finishes (Serious texture and color eye candy!) by Jinks McGrath
Have fun exploring metal inspirations!
Hats Off to Polymer
August 9, 2012
Inspirational Art
Adornment is a favored form for polymer but how often do you see it in hats? And we’re not talking hat pins or buttons but where polymer is what the hat is about.
Cynthia Toops and Dan Adams’ Anenome Hat is the kind of thing I’m thinking about. This piece was made from polymer clay with brass, velvet, and aluminum screen. It had quite a life apparently. Cynthia said in regards to the hat showing at the MIPCES Exhibition, “My fondest memories of the hat were all the people at the conference taking pictures of each other wearing the hat. It reminds me that art is best when shared.”
Trying something unusual like a hat can also push you in your other forms. Cynthia Toops wrote: “Dan and I create beads for elaborate jewelry pieces. For this project I wanted to make a full-size hat and imposed one restriction- no beads. We partially encased wire elements in polymer clay in a different way and by forcing myself out of the jewelry mode, it automatically gave me freedom to experiment. What began with the hat will become a starting point for new jewelry ideas.”
This visit to the past was courtesy of the Polymer Art Archive.
In Defense of Center
August 8, 2012
Inspirational Art
I remember in art school being questioned for the use of centered imagery. I never really understood why a centered composition would be criticized. Is it really too easy, too expected, or too boring? I don’t think it matters if something is centered or off center or has not central focus at all, as long as the work is done well.
This is an example of what might seem simple, is definitely centered and yet make you smile to look at them.
The pendants are by Russian polymer artist Tatyana Menshikova. Everything is centered, consistent and evenly spaced. And they are wonderfully done with well chosen colors and simple but interesting textures. The balance and centering of the layers makes for a very stable and calm piece. Art doesn’t always have to challenge or make you say “wow!” Good art makes you want to take it in. And maybe just make you smile.
Expanding the Alcohol Ink Horizon
August 7, 2012
Supplies & other fun stuff, Tips and Tricks
I am an avid user of alcohol inks. I love the range of subtle to bright watercolor textures you can add to polymer. I use both Pinata and Adriondacks just to have a wider range of color options. The problem with buying alchohol inks is that you are just guessing at the colors from what you seen in the bottles or packaging, which is not very helpful.
So I was rather excitedt to find this page all about alcohol inks on Kimberly Crick’s online craft store site.
The page has a great chart of all the Adriondack inks as well as samples of what the 3 pack color sets look like together.
The page also goes over adding alcohol inks to a variety of materials. There is a section for polymer clay that still needs to be filled out. But as usual, it would be fairly easy to adapt some of the techniques such as the ones listed for stamping and mixing inks into sealants.
And while you are on the site, you might want to explore her stamp, mold, jewelry supply and polymer clay offerings.
Colorful Zippers
August 6, 2012
Inspirational Art
We’re going for a bright and colorful Monday today.
The very talented Desiree McCrorey is providing our Monday pick-me-up with these these zippered flame pin photos. They have such wonderfully energetic and flowing pod forms combined with brilliant colors and the curious zipper-like stripes.
I imagine anyone wearing this to the office any day of the week would have a hard time not staying chipper and positive. It might even be infectious. Yep, let’s help our co-workers keep a good attitude by wearing cheerful polymer to work. Just doing our part to keep the world smiling!
Challenge Yourself
August 5, 2012
Ponderings
Sticking with what is easy – with what we know may be comfortable and safe – isn’t usually very fulfilling. Challenging yourself to be, and do more, than you think you can is not only exciting but gives every day a unique and motivating reason to get up in the morning.
I think this is particularly important for people in retirement or empty nesters – people who no longer have that daily focus of a job or children.We all have our art. But how much do you push yourself? You are never so far down the road that you shouldn’t keep trying to make yourself better. Keep challenging yourself with big goals!
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You know if your poor, over-worked brain ever wants to just play and not have to work, following patterns can be fun and lead to unexpected discoveries.
I ran into this embroidery site and was drawn to these abundantly-colorful paisley patterns. Of course, I couldn’ t help but wonder what they would look like ’embrodiered’ on polymer. We already have artists working in a technique often called by the same term using small bits of clay. So roll out a few snakes you can mince up, a few dots of clay in different colors and go wild. Be sure to share with us what you create.
Read More
There’s been a lot of chatter about zentangles in the last year or so. I have yet to explore them but they are just popping up everywhere.
Simply explained, zentangles are structured doodles. The copyrighted term, Zentangle, was coined by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas when Maria was describing the meditative state she experienced while drawing on a manuscript. It has grown into a large creative movement with instructors teaching the process throughout the country. The concepts have inspired artists in many different disciplines, including polymer.
Julie VanDuren explains the components of this piece: “Here is another recent Zentangle-inspired piece. Lots of canework, some component caning and some small loafs or complex canes.” It is one of many on her Flickr page that explores Zentangle-inspired structure.
Read MoreIsn’t liquid polymer just wonderful as a finish for polymer? Transluscent, easy to apply, durable … Those same qualities actually allow it to work really well with a few more things beside polymer.
Genevieve Dolosor shows how she uses small bits of fabric to create colorful backgrounds using LPC to seal it and make the bit of fabric more substantial so it can be shown off as a center piece like a semi-precious stone in this tutorial.
So pull out those old ties, scraps of fabric or that dress you’ve been wanting to shorten (from hemline to art!) and snip yourself off some color and pattern to play with.
Read More
Zuda Gay Pease is a grandmother who lives in Illinois and creates these incredible flowers that seem to have so much depth and complexity to them. But if you look closely, they aren’t so much complex as unexpected.
The caned petals aren’t simply sliced but also cut and sculpted. This gives them a depth and tactile surface I don’t think you’d find anywhere in nature but they seem to be perfectly natural regardless.
Read MoreEva Haskova, from the Czech Republic, has applied what looks to be the edges of stacks into a contemporary design for a simple but eye-catching pendant. She uses just a little repetition of line and color and a simple single accent. Design does not always have to be complex … simplicity is a wonderful approach.
Nothing needs to be wasted with polymer. Not even those edges you trim off. They have such wonderful texture when you turn them on their sides! It’s like getting a bonus project half way done simply by working on another one. Polymer is too cool.
Read MoreThanks to Jan Geisen for sending this along.
I can’t say I have problems with item #1 … Maybe it should be that creative people refuse to be bored! Especially crafters. Art materials are everywhere … and we’re not afraid to use them when our hands are otherwise idle!
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It’s about time we revisit the Art Doll world. There are so many incredibly talented people in art dolls and Virginie Ropar is among the most amazing of them.
This piece is actually a bust rather than a doll. The detailed components as well as the exploration of texture, color and the injection of a touch of fantasy into a realistic sculpture is just candy for the eyes.
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I was sure when I first saw these that they had to be polymer but they aren’t. The way porcelain is being pushed here is inspiring. If you’ve ever worked with porcelain or any earthen clays, you know that manipulation and embedding color with any crispness is tricky.
In this pendant — a reversible one even — the application of color and pattern matches what we do with polymer … all borrowed from the ancient technique of millefiori.
Here is what the artist Tom Garvin of Blue Bus Studios (http://www.bluebusstudio.com/) says about his work:
“The extreme detail and intense color in our ceramic work results from the use of over 500 different colors of clay to create our carefully designed clay loaves. Next, cross-sections are sliced from the loaves, and these sections are shaped and finished into individual pieces, then glazed and fired twice.”
It’s just kind of cool to know that others are working in similar ways to us and that, well, we have a pretty easy material to work with. But kudos to all artists that push their medium to create more beauty in the world!
If you read the in-depth design articles in this latest issue, here is an opportunity to practice your new analytical skills for identifying types of repetition and rhythm. And to see just how much beauty these design concepts can add to a piece.
Look at the piece below. Draws you in immediatly doesn’t it? But why? Seems straight-forward, maybe even rather basic at first glance. However, this is anything but simple and is a sterling example of what makes good art great — it makes you keep looking at it. After a minute or two of surveying this mosaic wall piece — and especially if you have an appreciation for the roles that repetition and rhythm play in art — you’ll really begin to appreciate the complexity of the design choices.
Ponsawan Sila created this piece with mosaic polymer pieces 1cmx1cm — nothing more representative of repetition than a shape repeated over and over but … the visual textures in each shape are all different or rarely repeated, incorporating random (textures) and regular (shape) repetition. She uses progressive rhythm in the color changes that occur in each waving layer as it moves horizontially across. There is also repetition of line in the waves, which consistently create the space for each color palette, creating soft slow rhythm established in the reserved undulations of those lines.
All on a 6″x12″ tile. That’s pretty impressive.
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