Out of the Fire
November 16, 2018
Inspirational Art
Following this week’s fire theme, we’re sharing this post from the January 2015 Polymer Arts blog archives.
We’re going to head to the orange and yellow side of the warm spectrum today, with a beautiful sculpture by Canadian artist Ellen Jewett. The warmth in this piece feels more like the warmth of sunlight with the white and yellows and coppery oranges. We see that sense of glow here as well, from the gradation of the colors, although most of the color change seems to be between the laid out elements and not in the clay. Mica clays also help to radiate a sense of bright light. This is to show that the visual illusion doesn’t come just from the soft change in color, as in a Skinner blend, but in the way we visualize the play of light. Light changes quality as it hits different surfaces, which, in this case, are the feathers of this dragon-like phoenix. The variety of the surface gives it a liveliness not unlike a dancing fire.
Ellen creates all kinds of very fantastical creatures with very dynamic forms and proportions. I suspect either her educational pursuits in biological anthropology and anthrozoology contribute to these amazing pieces or the same artistic drive to create pushed her to pursue her unusual combination of studies. It is quite worth taking a break to spend some time in her Etsy shop.
Fiery Ripples
November 14, 2018
Inspirational Art
Following this week’s fire theme, we’re sharing this post from the September 2014 Polymer Arts blog archives.
A piece with shibori style ripples, fire, and crackling? How could I resist? The creator of this richly textured bracelet seems to go by nothing more than morskiekamni over on LiveJournal. This particular clayer dabbles in a little of this and a bit of that with a fair amount of miniatures and a lot of floral in there.
So, this bracelet comes as a bit of a surprise in the line-up of work. But, a lovely surprise. The cracks ripple across the base layer of orange, as well as along the edges of the flames. The whole surface looks to be in flux, and I find it hard not to get lost in intricacies; it’s an awful lot like staring into and losing yourself in those campfire flames or the fiery embers of a fireplace.
Yes, I usually give you a little something to work on come Saturday, but I couldn’t help but share this lovely piece first. If you are looking to try something new, how about creating using a ripple blade? The ripple blade looks to have fallen out of fashion in polymer within recent years, but I seem to be seeing it in use a little more just recently. Here is an older page full of still fantastic ideas for rippling up some really beautiful polymer! Enjoy!
Artist on Fire (September 2012 Archive)
November 12, 2018
Inspirational Art
Tenth Muse Central (AKA my house) is under mandatory evacuation orders so we are quite out of sorts and have been since the wee hours of Friday morning because of the Woolsey fire in California. I am staying with family an hour north and all people and furries are safe and sound but needless to say, it has been hard getting work done both because I am very distracted, hoping my home will be spared, and because my setup that allows me to dictate much of my work while my arms are still healing doesn’t work so well in a crowded house. So, this week, I am resurrecting a few older blog posts to lighten the workload and, with fire on my mind, we will make that the theme. Fire is frightening but also awesome and beautiful. I like the idea of celebrating its beauty while we wait to see if Mother Nature will be kind to us. So enjoy these fire-themed posts from past years. Our first is from September 2012.
Impact. It’s pieces like this, not overly complicated but with an intensity of color and dynamic patterning that add definite and strong movement to the work, that really define the word eye-catching. But that isn’t even the most impactful thing about this piece.
The artist Adriana Allen has suffered from debilitating arthritis since childhood. But it has never stopped her. “Every item I create is a victory over an unforgiving disease … when it hit, it hit hard. I never gave into it. Every piece I create reminds me of this fact … the disease cannot stop me from doing what I love.”
Such courage and from it, such beauty.
The Glotzer Have Landed!
July 9, 2018
Inspirational Art
Guest Blog post by Christi Friesen
Have you noticed what Georg Dinkel has been up to lately? He’s been creating an array of surreal pieces that are some of the most interesting little characters I’ve ever seen.
But wait there’s more! Georg is a master photographer, so he has observed these Glotzer creatures in the wild, preserving their spirit of adventure and exploration through his captivating images.
When you hear someone talk about an artist having a “voice” it means that their work is distinctly their own. You know who the artist is without having to search for the credit because it’s instantly recognizable. Georg has a voice and it’s been loud and clear lately!
Oh! And he’s just launched his new website, including the store where you can get one of his amazing creations before they are all gobbled up. Of course, you won’t be able to get Glotzer #10, because it’s already on the way to me!
I think that one of the most wonderful things about following the work of an artist who has a distinct style is watching it evolve, grow and become more “itself”… something for us all to think about as we explore our own creative paths.
In the meantime, the Glotzer have landed. Brace yourselves.
Don’t forget to check out Christi’s new book coming out soon. It’s going to be a great summer for reading! And creating! Link to new book site:
https://www.christifriesen-workshops.com/ebooks
To Be Inspired By
July 6, 2018
Inspirational Art
Guest Blog Post by Kathleen Nowak Tucci
Inspiration: a feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something that gives you new and creative ideas.
When I saw the photo of a fiery-throated hummingbird by Jess Findlay, inspiration struck. On my worktable, there were corrugated recycled aluminum Nespresso coffee capsules in the shape of fans and I finally knew what I would do with them. The idea percolated for months and it wasn’t until I was participating in a residency in Mexico that I had time to work on the idea. In Mexico, I had a full month to experiment and refine a necklace that was inspired by the photo of the hummingbird and a year later I made an entire dress and headpiece using the same inspiration.
Interestingly, another person taken by the same photo recreated it in colored pencils. A different medium was used but it was virtually identical. This was not inspired but rather, everything about it, the color, composition, and position of the image, had been copied. It is not enough to change mediums for it to not be a copy!
So how can you be inspired by another artist’s creations but not copy them? Be inspired by the combination of color, by their balance of color, their arrangement of objects, their use of textures, etc. Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook have made it very easy to collect images of art but resist the urge to collect images made in the same category that you work. Don’t have a photo of another artist’s work in front of you or study another artist’s work so thoroughly that you reproduce their style or aesthetic. Take your own photos and use them for inspiration. Use a word or feeling and not an image for your next creation. Be inspired!
Copy: to make a similar or identical version of; reproduce.
Kathleen Nowak Tucci’s multimedium jewelry using polymer and recycled materials will be featured on Season 5 of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. Follow Kathleen on Instagram and Facebook.
Hummingbird dress photo by East Hill Photo.
Boho Beads
July 4, 2018
Inspirational Art
Guest Blog Post by Alison Lee
How much fun to be a guest blogger and share with even more readers about art, craft, and inspiration. Thank you, Sage.
I’m not a polymer clay artist but a polymer clay enthusiast to be sure. Of course, it is always to my delight to have a polymer artist join us at CRAFTCAST.com to teach and share their techniques and passions. It’s a privilege to have watched hours of artists’ demonstrations while preparing for our online classes!
The artist I wanted to share today is Tanya Mayorova. I think she started following me first on Instagram and I followed back.
I don’t know a lot about her except that she is Russian and I love what she creates. As soon as I saw this necklace of Tanya’s, though, I was hooked. She uses polymer clay, beads, cord, hardware, agate, wood, and wire. The color palette makes me long for a jaunt to the beach and the textures and shapes simply make me smile.
These “boho beads” spoke to me as well. The colors and patterns are just scrumptious. I love getting a glimpse into other people’s color palette choices. It’s a peek into someone’s visual viewpoint. Always inspiring to me. There is depth and contrast in her choices of color and design, plus an overall golden glow that adds a royal elegance. Her findings compliment the beads as well.
Enjoy her Instagram page and her website.
Alison Lee runs www.CRAFTCAST.com, an online resource for polymer clay and other craft tutorials with master artists and teachers from around the world.
Thread and Clay
July 2, 2018
Inspirational Art
Guest Blog Post by Stéphanie Kilgast
Justyna Wołodkiewicz mixes embroidery with polymer clay in an always poetic way.
She seamlessly binds traditional arts to very contemporary ones, resulting in often abstract and always mesmerizing works of art.
Her work vacillates between organic shapes and precise geometry with a dash of oddity. Eyes and sad or sleepy faces often inhabit her embroidery hoops.
Her world is one of colors, and she effortlessly mixes hues and shades, giving each sculptural work a different set of emotions.
Her artist’s name, “Nibyniebo,” translates into “just like the sky,” and just like the sky, her work is an evidence of poetry that will resonate within you.
You can follow her artistic journey on Instagram and also buy certain of her pieces on her website.
Stéphanie Kilgast shares and teaches her craft through video and online tutorials. Find them at www.petitplat.fr and follow her on Instagram @petitplat.
Moody Creatures
June 29, 2018
Inspirational Art
Guest Blog Post by Donna Greenberg
We don’t seem to talk much about emotion or mood in polymer art. We share a lot about color, design, construction, and problem-solving, which are all necessary and practical ideas, but seem to shy away from work that is clearly emotional, thought-provoking or even frightening. Although not a polymer artist, Beth Cavener’s work takes this subject head on with her large-scale animal sculptures and offers us food for thought, especially those of us that love to create human or animal sculptures.
Hares, foxes and other familiar and beloved creatures in folklore are given uncanny human-like facial and bodily expressions, making us look twice at Cavener’s sculptures. Occasionally she will even add a decidedly human body part to the animal, yet manages to do this in such a way as to make it seem quite natural. Her creatures seem to have been frozen in a moment of action, often expressing fear, uncertainty or other primitive human instincts. If we look closely, we can almost see our own human emotions reflected in them. It’s not always comfortable to witness these works, but Cavener’s attention to every detail, exquisite craftsmanship and control of the narrative masterfully lures us into her world nonetheless.
Her sculptures are also technically brilliant. The artist methodically goes through multiple steps during weeks and months of creating thumbnail sketches and numerous small maquettes, and then makes many changes in designing the right armature before she even starts on her final work. Yet as traditional as some of her methods are, she still has no fear of flouting “rules” when it comes to achieving her desired look. Interestingly, Cavener ignores most ceramic glaze-type finishes in exchange for basic household latex paint, an action that is often frowned upon in purist ceramic circles. Keeping a limited color palette helps support the mood as well as shows off her prodigious sculptural handwork. Surprisingly as well, she will sometimes incorporate classical delft porcelain colors with elegant Japanese-style tattoo designs such as those on the snake in “Tangled Up in You” which adds a soft, accepting moodiness to an otherwise disturbing subject. Combining all these disparate artistic goals in any single piece could easily become a messy affair for many of us, but in the hands and mind of a master like Cavener, it all comes together beautifully.
See more of Beth Cavener’s striking work at her website.
Check out the new “BioSystem” wall works from Donna Greenberg on Facebook. This is a brand new series incorporating her love of organic forms such as lichen, fungi, and corals with her interest in painted details in a true wall-hung format. Her self-challenge is in combining multiple intricate complex forms with a limited color palette to create depth and dimension with a strong yet subtle outcome. Visit Donna’s website here.
The Inspiration of Children
June 27, 2018
Inspirational Art
Guest Blog Post b
y Debbie Crothers
When visiting the website of Perth-based porcelain artist Fleur Schell, my immediate reaction is to smile. Fleur’s work has such a whimsical, carefree style and makes me stop and take a breath. There is so much to explore and as I do so, I find myself getting lost in the detail.
Her restrained use of color is just beautiful and being the color junkie I am, I find this surprisingly refreshing and calming. It also helps us really “look” at each piece.
Her children, Harry and Heidi, are a huge inspiration and it appears that Fleur delights in creating whimsical worlds for them, almost like savoring their childhood and celebrating their innocence and differences. This particular artwork title sang to me: “She was beautifully out of place, like the moon during the day.”
Lose yourself in the story of Fleur and her amazing sculptures by visiting her website.
Debbie Crothers shares her love of polymer, color, and craft through her blog here, with tutorials available both free and for purchase here.
Following this week’s fire theme, we’re sharing this post from the January 2015 Polymer Arts blog archives.
We’re going to head to the orange and yellow side of the warm spectrum today, with a beautiful sculpture by Canadian artist Ellen Jewett. The warmth in this piece feels more like the warmth of sunlight with the white and yellows and coppery oranges. We see that sense of glow here as well, from the gradation of the colors, although most of the color change seems to be between the laid out elements and not in the clay. Mica clays also help to radiate a sense of bright light. This is to show that the visual illusion doesn’t come just from the soft change in color, as in a Skinner blend, but in the way we visualize the play of light. Light changes quality as it hits different surfaces, which, in this case, are the feathers of this dragon-like phoenix. The variety of the surface gives it a liveliness not unlike a dancing fire.
Ellen creates all kinds of very fantastical creatures with very dynamic forms and proportions. I suspect either her educational pursuits in biological anthropology and anthrozoology contribute to these amazing pieces or the same artistic drive to create pushed her to pursue her unusual combination of studies. It is quite worth taking a break to spend some time in her Etsy shop.
Read More
Following this week’s fire theme, we’re sharing this post from the September 2014 Polymer Arts blog archives.
A piece with shibori style ripples, fire, and crackling? How could I resist? The creator of this richly textured bracelet seems to go by nothing more than morskiekamni over on LiveJournal. This particular clayer dabbles in a little of this and a bit of that with a fair amount of miniatures and a lot of floral in there.
So, this bracelet comes as a bit of a surprise in the line-up of work. But, a lovely surprise. The cracks ripple across the base layer of orange, as well as along the edges of the flames. The whole surface looks to be in flux, and I find it hard not to get lost in intricacies; it’s an awful lot like staring into and losing yourself in those campfire flames or the fiery embers of a fireplace.
Yes, I usually give you a little something to work on come Saturday, but I couldn’t help but share this lovely piece first. If you are looking to try something new, how about creating using a ripple blade? The ripple blade looks to have fallen out of fashion in polymer within recent years, but I seem to be seeing it in use a little more just recently. Here is an older page full of still fantastic ideas for rippling up some really beautiful polymer! Enjoy!
Read More
Tenth Muse Central (AKA my house) is under mandatory evacuation orders so we are quite out of sorts and have been since the wee hours of Friday morning because of the Woolsey fire in California. I am staying with family an hour north and all people and furries are safe and sound but needless to say, it has been hard getting work done both because I am very distracted, hoping my home will be spared, and because my setup that allows me to dictate much of my work while my arms are still healing doesn’t work so well in a crowded house. So, this week, I am resurrecting a few older blog posts to lighten the workload and, with fire on my mind, we will make that the theme. Fire is frightening but also awesome and beautiful. I like the idea of celebrating its beauty while we wait to see if Mother Nature will be kind to us. So enjoy these fire-themed posts from past years. Our first is from September 2012.
Impact. It’s pieces like this, not overly complicated but with an intensity of color and dynamic patterning that add definite and strong movement to the work, that really define the word eye-catching. But that isn’t even the most impactful thing about this piece.
The artist Adriana Allen has suffered from debilitating arthritis since childhood. But it has never stopped her. “Every item I create is a victory over an unforgiving disease … when it hit, it hit hard. I never gave into it. Every piece I create reminds me of this fact … the disease cannot stop me from doing what I love.”
Such courage and from it, such beauty.
Read MoreGuest Blog post by Christi Friesen
Have you noticed what Georg Dinkel has been up to lately? He’s been creating an array of surreal pieces that are some of the most interesting little characters I’ve ever seen.
But wait there’s more! Georg is a master photographer, so he has observed these Glotzer creatures in the wild, preserving their spirit of adventure and exploration through his captivating images.
When you hear someone talk about an artist having a “voice” it means that their work is distinctly their own. You know who the artist is without having to search for the credit because it’s instantly recognizable. Georg has a voice and it’s been loud and clear lately!
Oh! And he’s just launched his new website, including the store where you can get one of his amazing creations before they are all gobbled up. Of course, you won’t be able to get Glotzer #10, because it’s already on the way to me!
I think that one of the most wonderful things about following the work of an artist who has a distinct style is watching it evolve, grow and become more “itself”… something for us all to think about as we explore our own creative paths.
In the meantime, the Glotzer have landed. Brace yourselves.
Don’t forget to check out Christi’s new book coming out soon. It’s going to be a great summer for reading! And creating! Link to new book site:
https://www.christifriesen-workshops.com/ebooks
Guest Blog Post by Kathleen Nowak Tucci
Inspiration: a feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something that gives you new and creative ideas.
When I saw the photo of a fiery-throated hummingbird by Jess Findlay, inspiration struck. On my worktable, there were corrugated recycled aluminum Nespresso coffee capsules in the shape of fans and I finally knew what I would do with them. The idea percolated for months and it wasn’t until I was participating in a residency in Mexico that I had time to work on the idea. In Mexico, I had a full month to experiment and refine a necklace that was inspired by the photo of the hummingbird and a year later I made an entire dress and headpiece using the same inspiration.
Interestingly, another person taken by the same photo recreated it in colored pencils. A different medium was used but it was virtually identical. This was not inspired but rather, everything about it, the color, composition, and position of the image, had been copied. It is not enough to change mediums for it to not be a copy!
So how can you be inspired by another artist’s creations but not copy them? Be inspired by the combination of color, by their balance of color, their arrangement of objects, their use of textures, etc. Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook have made it very easy to collect images of art but resist the urge to collect images made in the same category that you work. Don’t have a photo of another artist’s work in front of you or study another artist’s work so thoroughly that you reproduce their style or aesthetic. Take your own photos and use them for inspiration. Use a word or feeling and not an image for your next creation. Be inspired!
Copy: to make a similar or identical version of; reproduce.
Kathleen Nowak Tucci’s multimedium jewelry using polymer and recycled materials will be featured on Season 5 of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. Follow Kathleen on Instagram and Facebook.
Hummingbird dress photo by East Hill Photo.
Read More
Guest Blog Post by Alison Lee
How much fun to be a guest blogger and share with even more readers about art, craft, and inspiration. Thank you, Sage.
I’m not a polymer clay artist but a polymer clay enthusiast to be sure. Of course, it is always to my delight to have a polymer artist join us at CRAFTCAST.com to teach and share their techniques and passions. It’s a privilege to have watched hours of artists’ demonstrations while preparing for our online classes!
The artist I wanted to share today is Tanya Mayorova. I think she started following me first on Instagram and I followed back.
I don’t know a lot about her except that she is Russian and I love what she creates. As soon as I saw this necklace of Tanya’s, though, I was hooked. She uses polymer clay, beads, cord, hardware, agate, wood, and wire. The color palette makes me long for a jaunt to the beach and the textures and shapes simply make me smile.
These “boho beads” spoke to me as well. The colors and patterns are just scrumptious. I love getting a glimpse into other people’s color palette choices. It’s a peek into someone’s visual viewpoint. Always inspiring to me. There is depth and contrast in her choices of color and design, plus an overall golden glow that adds a royal elegance. Her findings compliment the beads as well.
Enjoy her Instagram page and her website.
Alison Lee runs www.CRAFTCAST.com, an online resource for polymer clay and other craft tutorials with master artists and teachers from around the world.
Read MoreGuest Blog Post by Stéphanie Kilgast
Justyna Wołodkiewicz mixes embroidery with polymer clay in an always poetic way.
She seamlessly binds traditional arts to very contemporary ones, resulting in often abstract and always mesmerizing works of art.
Her work vacillates between organic shapes and precise geometry with a dash of oddity. Eyes and sad or sleepy faces often inhabit her embroidery hoops.
Her world is one of colors, and she effortlessly mixes hues and shades, giving each sculptural work a different set of emotions.
Her artist’s name, “Nibyniebo,” translates into “just like the sky,” and just like the sky, her work is an evidence of poetry that will resonate within you.
You can follow her artistic journey on Instagram and also buy certain of her pieces on her website.
Stéphanie Kilgast shares and teaches her craft through video and online tutorials. Find them at www.petitplat.fr and follow her on Instagram @petitplat.
Read MoreGuest Blog Post by Donna Greenberg
We don’t seem to talk much about emotion or mood in polymer art. We share a lot about color, design, construction, and problem-solving, which are all necessary and practical ideas, but seem to shy away from work that is clearly emotional, thought-provoking or even frightening. Although not a polymer artist, Beth Cavener’s work takes this subject head on with her large-scale animal sculptures and offers us food for thought, especially those of us that love to create human or animal sculptures.
Hares, foxes and other familiar and beloved creatures in folklore are given uncanny human-like facial and bodily expressions, making us look twice at Cavener’s sculptures. Occasionally she will even add a decidedly human body part to the animal, yet manages to do this in such a way as to make it seem quite natural. Her creatures seem to have been frozen in a moment of action, often expressing fear, uncertainty or other primitive human instincts. If we look closely, we can almost see our own human emotions reflected in them. It’s not always comfortable to witness these works, but Cavener’s attention to every detail, exquisite craftsmanship and control of the narrative masterfully lures us into her world nonetheless.
Her sculptures are also technically brilliant. The artist methodically goes through multiple steps during weeks and months of creating thumbnail sketches and numerous small maquettes, and then makes many changes in designing the right armature before she even starts on her final work. Yet as traditional as some of her methods are, she still has no fear of flouting “rules” when it comes to achieving her desired look. Interestingly, Cavener ignores most ceramic glaze-type finishes in exchange for basic household latex paint, an action that is often frowned upon in purist ceramic circles. Keeping a limited color palette helps support the mood as well as shows off her prodigious sculptural handwork. Surprisingly as well, she will sometimes incorporate classical delft porcelain colors with elegant Japanese-style tattoo designs such as those on the snake in “Tangled Up in You” which adds a soft, accepting moodiness to an otherwise disturbing subject. Combining all these disparate artistic goals in any single piece could easily become a messy affair for many of us, but in the hands and mind of a master like Cavener, it all comes together beautifully.
See more of Beth Cavener’s striking work at her website.
Check out the new “BioSystem” wall works from Donna Greenberg on Facebook. This is a brand new series incorporating her love of organic forms such as lichen, fungi, and corals with her interest in painted details in a true wall-hung format. Her self-challenge is in combining multiple intricate complex forms with a limited color palette to create depth and dimension with a strong yet subtle outcome. Visit Donna’s website here.
Read MoreGuest Blog Post by Debbie Crothers
When visiting the website of Perth-based porcelain artist Fleur Schell, my immediate reaction is to smile. Fleur’s work has such a whimsical, carefree style and makes me stop and take a breath. There is so much to explore and as I do so, I find myself getting lost in the detail.
Her restrained use of color is just beautiful and being the color junkie I am, I find this surprisingly refreshing and calming. It also helps us really “look” at each piece.
Her children, Harry and Heidi, are a huge inspiration and it appears that Fleur delights in creating whimsical worlds for them, almost like savoring their childhood and celebrating their innocence and differences. This particular artwork title sang to me: “She was beautifully out of place, like the moon during the day.”
Lose yourself in the story of Fleur and her amazing sculptures by visiting her website.
Debbie Crothers shares her love of polymer, color, and craft through her blog here, with tutorials available both free and for purchase here.
Read More