Waterfalls of Color
August 9, 2017
Inspirational Art
Although there isn’t a full rainbow of color in each individual piece here, I just had to share the work of Carolyn and Dave Good who recently posted these lovely mokume components for their fall (as in draped or like a waterfall) necklaces. These pieces use a similarly high saturation of color among them all and a lot of contrast within each piece. It makes for a great looking collection that I’d be happy to have just hanging on the wall together. Well, I might be inclined to wear them too, I’ll have to admit.
These pieces were made with some new CaBezel molds by Wendy Orlowski of our long time supporter, Shades of Clay. This series is actually called Holy CaBezels, due to the hole, of course. But maybe they can also be a bit of divine inspiration for the right person. It would be hard to say unless you bought a set and tried it out. Just saying.
The Goods always have something yummy to share on their blog so if you like having great eye candy dropped in your inbox, sign up for the 2GoodClaymates blog. And to get your set of molds, go to Shades of Clay.
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Arieta’s Colorful World
August 7, 2017
Inspirational Art
First of all, my sincere apologies for the wonky email situation with posts going out last week. Took a while to resolve as it turned out to be the collision of two different services throwing our smooth-running world into chaos. (Just kidding … our world is often not running as smoothly as we’d like!) We are still trying to work out how to prevent it from happening again so if it gets silly again on any level this week, chalk it up to repairs, but I am told it really should all be fine.
Since so many of you weren’t seeing the rainbow-focused posts last week, I do urge you to jump over to the blog and read up on work by Christine Damm, Cecilia Leonini, and Heather Moore. In the meantime, I’m just going to keep at it this week with wonderful work that just isn’t afraid to use all, or nearly all, the colors in the rainbow.
This vessel is by Arieta Stavridou who a lot of people first got to know in the pages of The Polymer Arts last summer. The difference between her work then, which was absolutely stunning and dominated by intricately patterned plates created with cane slices, is amazing. She seems to be getting more and more bold with her colors and, apparently, no decor item or vessel is bound to be safe from being adorned by her hand if in reach. This image is actually from a brief video that shows it from a few different angles. It still can’t possibly do it justice and must be awe-inspiring in person.
Just take a look at what she’s been up to since she was last in our pages and on our blog by visiting Arieta on her Facebook page.
And a little aside … come join me and my fellow trouble makers for a some crazy fun, September 2nd in Los Angeles–The Triple Trouble Creative Play Day. If you are in the area for Labor Day Weekend, join Christi Friesen, Anke Humpert and myself (a very rare appearance for Sage this year! ) for 6 hours of non-stop creativity. We’ll each be teaching several of our signature techniques as well as divulging many a tip and trick. And, yes, there will be chocolate. (Sign up by August 9th and get a free Christi Friesen book and a signed copy of Polymer Journeys!)
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Rainbow Redux
August 4, 2017
Inspirational Art
This arresting little piece was created by Heather Moore. However, she was not designing but learning as she created this in a class by Claire Maunsell. I recognized the technique immediately but the application of it and the design was far more geometric than what Claire usually creates so I was intrigued. Color wise, she has a very successful piece here, but what about the rest of the design? Or can we even examine it based on design when it was part of a learning process?
Personally, I think design decisions should be part of everything you do when creating. This is not to say that we have to constantly pull ourselves out of the flow of creating to examine and critique the work but rather, we should make an effort to consider all the elements that go into the work.
Whenever we have a halting moment in the creative process, if we are stuck on something that doesn’t look right, or even when we get up to refill that coffee mug or water glass, we should check to see if we have intentionally considered and made specific choices in regards to design. Is this the right shape or shapes? Does the form convey the right feeling? What do the lines in the work do for it? Is there enough color or too much or do any of the colors not work together? Is there anything I can or should do with the texture to make the parts feel more integrated or finished looking?
That may seem overly analytical and I know a lot of you just want to go in and have fun, but if you regularly stop to really consider what choices you are making, after awhile it won’t even be a conscious consideration. You’ll just know what needs to be changed and won’t necessarily know it’s about the line or texture or color choices. You’ll just stop and contemplate how to work it out better and do it. And you’ll be so much happier for it.
So why not use that analytical muscle and see what you find here? I thought it could be interesting, for those of you who are so inclined, to compare Heather’s use of color with Claire’s. Just click on the names here to get to photos of their work and see what you think.
Weekly Inspiration Challenge: Look through your work and determine what design element you seem most focused on when you create. Is it color? Form? Focal points? Do you possibly lean too heavily on one element to carry the design? Then with the next thing you create, try to focus on making unique or unusual choices for design elements that you don’t consider quite as often like form, shapes, surface texture or whatever seemed to be less considered in your past work.
Rainbows Falling
August 2, 2017
Inspirational Art
For our color contemplation today we have a classic centered and graduated size drop design, although the treatment of the shapes and application of color is anything but classic.
Cecilia Leonini is this piece’s creator. Cecilia is extremely fond of color and seems to get most, if not all, the colors of the rainbow into the majority of her work.
So, what do you think? Does she depend too much on the riot of color here to carry the design? Or does she use it to spice up a classic composition of shapes alongside her other not-so-classic applications and design choices?
Perhaps you could be a better judge of her color sense if you see her body of work. Just jump on over to Cecilia’s Flickr photostream for an eyeful of color as well as seeing what joyful work she has available for sale in her Etsy shop.
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Here is another post that was very popular when I was posting art just on my Facebook page. It is from March 1st, 2012:
After a long day of car shopping (ended up with a ‘wasabi’ colored Subie–I’ve been calling car colors by their Premo equivalent! Such a polymer nerd!) I got on the ‘net looking for something light and fun–found it! The colors in this are fantastic and the shape of the necklace is inspired!
The piece is by Olimpia Corvino. Find more of her work on Facebook.
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Over the next several weeks I will be all over the place–traveling, teaching, entertaining foreign (polymer) dignitaries, readying the family home for sale, and making the final move for the business at the end of it all, I needed to pull a few things off my plate during this period. Not doing the blog was an option but I didn’t want to leave you without your regular creative shot in the arm so I am, instead, scheduling out a series of posts that were originally on my Facebook page back before the blog was born. That is actually where the blog started but most of you will never have seen them so I thought this was a good opportunity to share some of the most popular posts from back then while I take care of things in my present day world.
But quickly, before we get to the piece of the day, I wanted to let you all know that all new issues of The Polymer Arts, the Fall 2017–Texture issue, have been emailed and snail mailed out to all the subscribers and pre-order purchasers who had orders in prior to yesterday. If you didn’t get your subscription renewed or want to order the copy of this issue, search Facebook or Instagram or other social media to see all the comments on how much great stuff is in this issue–you can do so on our website now. If you expected a digital copy but didn’t see it in your inbox, check your spam/junk mail folder and if it is still not there, write us at connect(at)thepolymerarts.com and we’ll help you get your copy. Print subscription copies may take up to another three weeks to get to you depending on where you live.
Okay, onto the pretties. Here was my post from February 28, 2012:
Sometimes you just want something simple … here is a black & white pendant from Veronica Jeong. Eliminating color forces the artist to focus on form and texture and can result in wonderful things. Find more of her work on Flickr.
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I know I showed you a bit of the sample “Into the Forest” installation last week, but I didn’t get in this mosaic created by Julie Eakes for the exhibition that will be installed in November. I think Julie gets the prize for the most intense and biggest piece to go into the installation. I uploaded a fairly large image of this so if you click on the photo, it should open up in a browser window and you can zoom in to see all the individual canes that make up the idyllic scene.
I wish you could zoom in on the screens you see here in the main assembly room as Ellen Prophater presented her talk on mokume gane. Oh, the secrets and the great tips and tricks she gave away during this talk! This kind of thing was happening all over and made the price of this event well worth it on that basis alone. The friendships and conversations, however, they make it priceless.
If you didn’t get to make Synergy and haven’t been to any major events lately or ever, keep them in mind. Save up your pennies and plan to get that time off from work for the next big event you can possibly work into your schedule. They are each an experience you’ll keep with you all life long.
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The art jewelry at these events is also a big draw. There is nothing quite like seeing masterful polymer work in person.
Here is a gorgeous piece by Bonnie Bishoff. She wore it to the final gala event and I just could not stop looking at the delicate forms and sunset-like colors. The picture (and the poor lighting in these places) doesn’t quite do it justice.
Another bonus to coming to these events is the local color. In this case, Sherman Oberson, a board member of the IPCA and a local Pennsylvania resident, treated a small handful of us to a tour of his insanely packed and ever-entertaining collection of flea market and thrift store finds. We did this, in part, to honor Nan Roche whose birthday it was. A huge collector of the curious and visually enticing herself, it was a perfect birthday outing for her and an immensely entertaining evening for those of us who got to tag along.
Poke around on Instagram and Facebook for more on Sherman’s place and other Synergy events.
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First of all … the new Fall issue came out over the weekend! Get your texture fix with this issue, in a big way. If you have a digital subscription and have not seen your access email, check your junk mail folder. You should also be able to access it through your account here. If you have a print subscription, those went to the post office in Idaho on Friday so they are on the way too. If you do not have an active subscription or need to get your single issue copy, go to our website at www.thepolymerarts.com.
So this week we are going to have a parade of photos from Synergy 4 to include some beautiful art and some show shots for those who didn’t go but are trying to live vicariously through the community’s representatives that did.
The absolute best thing about going to these events is the people you get to meet and chat it up with. I think I may have said that last week but it’s true! The first picture here is just a sampling of the talent that was sitting behind me at breakfast one morning. How thrilled would you be to have the opportunity to sit down with Jeff Dever and Rachel Carren and listen in on their, no doubt, very insightful conversation? Or pull up a chair and say hello to Nan Roche and Melanie West? Or hang out at the same table with Christi Friesen, Bettina Welker, and Martina Weller? And you can at these things. People here, no matter what the skill level or how long they have been involved, are happy to talk to all the attendees. It is always illuminating what one can learn from others with the same passion.
I was grateful to get to talk to so many people but I was particularly happy to have a little time to sit down with our longtime polymer master, Marie Segal. She gave a talk about the new Cernit formulation–there has been improved strength, flexibility, and clarity that looks to rival the other better-known brands which got me quite excited to try it. If you like sampling clays to see what works best in what application, jump over to her shop and get yourself some new goodies at The Clay Factory.
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Last night was the last night of a whirlwind four days of polymer-centric conversation and intensive immersion in polymer art and design. These events are so immensely energizing and inspiring … my mind is full of great new ideas for the magazine, the blog, and especially my own work table. These events, even more so than workshops or retreats, are a serious recharge of one’s creative batteries. They are also the best way to meet all those folks you spend time chatting with online and to see so much of the wonderful polymer craft we normally only get to admire from afar. As busy as this year has been, this is the one thing I would never miss out on.
The last night of the event is a dinner gala with an inspiring talk or two and a raucous auction. Last night we got to hear the whole story of Ron Lehocky’s journey with the Heart Project I wish had been warned–I would have brought the tissues! It was heart-warming and inspiring to see what the money her raises does for the kids at the center he works through. It was followed by the very funny Christi Friesen and not a few very animated audience participants in the shenanigans that kept us laughing for a couple of hours while we raised money for the IPCA.
There were also a lot of photos being taken of people’s chests. Well, the jewelry thereon. I will share a few of these next week but I will leave you with a photo of the fabulous fringe like arrangement created and worn by Debbie Jackson. Sorry for the lighting. I tried to get rid of all the pink neon so it’s close, I think. But you can see the lovely work and arrangement of the piece.
Well, I must run. Working my way back to Los Angeles so I can prepare for the release of the Fall issue this Saturday! Keep any eye on your inboxes and your mailboxes or jump over to the website to order your copy or get your subscription so we can get your copy mailed out to you when it arrives.
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My few days here at Synergy 4 have been extremely full … mostly full of conversation. We may be heavily visual people but we sure do like to talk! The conversations at these events are really, I think, the big draw. Ideas are flying around like pigeons at a park. Everywhere you go, you are in a room full of creativity and innovative thoughts. It is immensely energizing. I know a lot of people would prefer to just sit and play with clay but I can’t imagine anyone not getting caught up in the intensity of the conversation and the ideas that come out of these types of gatherings.
This morning’s talk by Ellen Prophater was a generous sharing of a treasure trove of her secrets for working in mokume gane. Yesterday I sat transfixed in a session with Melanie West talking about finishing in terms of both her philosophy and her process. And earlier in the day we were all immensely entertained by the ladies of the Into the Forest project, Laura Tabakman, Emily Squires Levine and Julie Eakes, as they relayed their trials, tribulations , discoveries, excitement, and gratitude for the work and the connections they have made in the process of wrestling this project into shape. They brought more than just stories and slides though. They brought an actual sampling of the project and installed it in our general session room so I thought I’d share a few images of what they brought for those of you who couldn’t make it.
Now they are pushing to run off to the next talk about Lindly’s Leaf Brooch project (which we hope to have more news about, and many images for, in a future issue). I will post more on Thursday!
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Off to catch a plane but wanted to give you a heads up. Since I am at Synergy all week I’m going to be visiting you with pictures from the event as there will be no time to research online. Not sure exactly what the posts will be, and it might just be twice this week with a nice recap on the weekend, but I hope to get photos of some eye candy and fun people to send your way.
Here is one of my older pieces coming with me to the show. Not sure why I stopped wearing it so pulled it out dusted it off, and we’ll see if it is up to snuff. There always so many beautiful pieces at these events!
Soon to be reporting from the trenches… over and out for now.
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To wrap up this period of bold color, I just had to draw upon my next favorite medium, fiber. Oh, the things people are doing with quilts and mixed media textiles these days are mind-blowing! The textures, colors, and energy in modern textile art rival the best paintings of our time.
This intensely colorful and richly textured piece is by one of the true masters of the medium, Ruth Issett. Ruth’s work, although it can be elegantly simple, is always vibrant and emotional. It is, however, her intensely intricate pieces that are likely to stop any admirer of the arts in their tracks. I can only imagine the time I would lose standing in front of one of her pieces like you see here.
Not only is Ruth an accomplished artist in her field, she is a well-known and prolific writer and teacher. I know of a half-dozen books she’s published on textiles and color over the last couple decades and they are so beautiful, you don’t even need to be interested in the techniques she teaches to enjoy them, but as polymer artists, I think there is quite a bit of inspiration in those pages.
I could not find an actual website for Ruth but she’s all over the web. Here is one link with an interview, lots of images and a list of her books so you can investigate further.
Weekly Inspiration Challenge: Go bold with color! That will mean different things for each of you. Perhaps you stick with the same half dozen colors … work with colors quite opposite of those. Perhaps you work in mostly neutrals or earth tones … try something bright and heavily saturated. Just push yourself with color when you get into the studio and see where it takes you.
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