Coloring Outside the Usual
June 8, 2018
Inspirational Art
As much of a focus as Ellen and Sue have on polymer art at Creative Journey Studios, they make plenty of room for other types of beautiful craft mediums.
This work here is by one of the other craft artists they show and sell at the studio, Deb Karash, who works with metal and, surprisingly enough, colored pencil. Her reasons for choosing this combination of mediums sounds much like what many of us say about working with polymer. In her words, “drawing on metal provides a surface that is unique and can’t be achieved any other way. Colored pencil drawing allows me to blend colors and create patterns that are uniquely mine. I draw on metal because it is strong but easily formed. I create jewelry because I appreciate the intimacy of an art form that is worn on the body and that, historically, carries emotional weight.”
Her colors and forms might even impress one as polymer at first glance, making her work a possible source of inspiration for designing in polymer clay. Take a look at more of her pieces, and drink in more of her beautiful color, on her website and her Facebook page.
Close Color Calls
December 14, 2016
Inspirational Art
Our Color Spotlight section of the Winter 2016 issue of The Polymer Arts was graced by Donna Kato, interview by Lindly Haunani. How amazing is that combination?! Donna let us in on her colored pencil experiments and her reasoning behind her approach. Although colored pencil on polymer is not new, it is always fascinating to see into the workings of an artistic mind and since this section focuses on color choices and inspiration, we got a peek at how this master choose colors for her explorations.
One piece that I was sent to consider including was this beautiful necklace you see here. We ended up focusing so much on the pencil work that there really wasn’t a place for this in the article but it certainly deserves a bit of attention. Each section of the necklace deals with one basic hue in two different values. The disparate placement offsets the regularity of each hue showcased in the same shape and the relative dark to light hue being basically the same within each color set. The delicious saturated colors don’t hurt it at all either.
The most active page to see what Donna has been up to in her own art looks to be her Facebook page although you can see some of her more honed work and learn from her wisdom by going over to check out her classes on CraftArtEdu.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Let’s play with color hue. Pick 2-3 colors–they can contrast, be analogous (next to each other on the color wheel) or simply be your favorites. Choose two variations of each color–different saturation (how pure a hue it is), values (dark or light), or tints/shades (additions of white/black.) Now use just these to create a new piece.
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Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Outside Inspiration: Varied Strokes
October 21, 2016
Inspirational Art
We’re wrapping up this week with a little more series variation with artist Mary Karg who works in metal, beads and glass although I find her pieces like the ones here very inspiring for polymer related work.
These pieces are copper with colored pencil. Did you know that was a valid way of coloring metal? It takes a couple of steps of preparation and, of course, a sealant to set it, but it’s actually very much like coloring polymer with colored pencils. The technique, although central to the success of these pieces, feels so well-integrated. The strokes are texture that compliments the texture of the metal behind those layers, further meshed into the design with what looks like pitting of the colored pencil surface. Unlike Wednesday’s pieces, the variation here is fairly minimal but each change upholds the expert design and the choices of dangles, colors and contrast fit the slightly varied mood of each.
I found Mary’s website quite interesting, especially her About page. She’s comes across as a real down to earth person, with making art rather than making a name for herself being her primary focus. Here is a little snippet from her website:
“I consider myself a wearable artist rather than a jewelry designer. I seldom make the same thing twice, although I will get hooked on something I can’t quit until the itch is totally scratched (SERIOUS ART people refer to this as a series, I believe).”
Go explore her fun and varied designs on her website here.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Work with a fairly simply design but make three related variations to each. If you change the color, consider what that color says or represents then change the form to match and seeing those two together, change up the texture to complement that. Do this 4 or more times to see how far your little explorations take you.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Borrowed Color
July 22, 2013
Inspirational Art
Although one of polymer’s biggest draws is the wide range of color we get to play with, we still often pull our color from other materials — sometimes because we need to, but often, at least in the beginning, because we just wanted to try it out and found we could make it work!
There are quite a few areas of art from which we can pull additional color into our polymer work. Colored pencils seem to be quite popular of late, and there are very good reasons. Besides pencil’s ability to transfer from paper to clay, it can be applied directly with almost painterly results. The light additional textures and subtle changes in color are hard if not impossible to accomplish with polymer alone.
These particular features are the highlight of work like this one from Anne Pennington. The polymer provides the base and the form with a smooth texture to apply the pencil so each stroke is visible in a way that echos the felted wool in the center.
Anne pulls from several craft disciplines. She is not a silversmith or a felter or a polymer artist. She is a jewelry artist, undefined by the mediums she works with. I think when we work without the limitations of a medium we may think we or our work are defined by, we leave so many more doors of creativity open to us. It doesn’t mean one should go out and learn dozens of mediums; but rather when we have an idea of something we want to create or express, we should be willing and able to look beyond our standard material and see what else out there may help us create our visions. This week we’ll look at what we borrow from other art forms and how these borrowed colors enhance what polymer has to offer.
As much of a focus as Ellen and Sue have on polymer art at Creative Journey Studios, they make plenty of room for other types of beautiful craft mediums.
This work here is by one of the other craft artists they show and sell at the studio, Deb Karash, who works with metal and, surprisingly enough, colored pencil. Her reasons for choosing this combination of mediums sounds much like what many of us say about working with polymer. In her words, “drawing on metal provides a surface that is unique and can’t be achieved any other way. Colored pencil drawing allows me to blend colors and create patterns that are uniquely mine. I draw on metal because it is strong but easily formed. I create jewelry because I appreciate the intimacy of an art form that is worn on the body and that, historically, carries emotional weight.”
Her colors and forms might even impress one as polymer at first glance, making her work a possible source of inspiration for designing in polymer clay. Take a look at more of her pieces, and drink in more of her beautiful color, on her website and her Facebook page.
Read MoreOur Color Spotlight section of the Winter 2016 issue of The Polymer Arts was graced by Donna Kato, interview by Lindly Haunani. How amazing is that combination?! Donna let us in on her colored pencil experiments and her reasoning behind her approach. Although colored pencil on polymer is not new, it is always fascinating to see into the workings of an artistic mind and since this section focuses on color choices and inspiration, we got a peek at how this master choose colors for her explorations.
One piece that I was sent to consider including was this beautiful necklace you see here. We ended up focusing so much on the pencil work that there really wasn’t a place for this in the article but it certainly deserves a bit of attention. Each section of the necklace deals with one basic hue in two different values. The disparate placement offsets the regularity of each hue showcased in the same shape and the relative dark to light hue being basically the same within each color set. The delicious saturated colors don’t hurt it at all either.
The most active page to see what Donna has been up to in her own art looks to be her Facebook page although you can see some of her more honed work and learn from her wisdom by going over to check out her classes on CraftArtEdu.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Let’s play with color hue. Pick 2-3 colors–they can contrast, be analogous (next to each other on the color wheel) or simply be your favorites. Choose two variations of each color–different saturation (how pure a hue it is), values (dark or light), or tints/shades (additions of white/black.) Now use just these to create a new piece.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Read MoreWe’re wrapping up this week with a little more series variation with artist Mary Karg who works in metal, beads and glass although I find her pieces like the ones here very inspiring for polymer related work.
These pieces are copper with colored pencil. Did you know that was a valid way of coloring metal? It takes a couple of steps of preparation and, of course, a sealant to set it, but it’s actually very much like coloring polymer with colored pencils. The technique, although central to the success of these pieces, feels so well-integrated. The strokes are texture that compliments the texture of the metal behind those layers, further meshed into the design with what looks like pitting of the colored pencil surface. Unlike Wednesday’s pieces, the variation here is fairly minimal but each change upholds the expert design and the choices of dangles, colors and contrast fit the slightly varied mood of each.
I found Mary’s website quite interesting, especially her About page. She’s comes across as a real down to earth person, with making art rather than making a name for herself being her primary focus. Here is a little snippet from her website:
“I consider myself a wearable artist rather than a jewelry designer. I seldom make the same thing twice, although I will get hooked on something I can’t quit until the itch is totally scratched (SERIOUS ART people refer to this as a series, I believe).”
Go explore her fun and varied designs on her website here.
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Work with a fairly simply design but make three related variations to each. If you change the color, consider what that color says or represents then change the form to match and seeing those two together, change up the texture to complement that. Do this 4 or more times to see how far your little explorations take you.
_________________________________________
Like this blog? Lend your support with a purchase of The Polymer Arts magazine and visit our partners.
_________________________________________
Read MoreAlthough one of polymer’s biggest draws is the wide range of color we get to play with, we still often pull our color from other materials — sometimes because we need to, but often, at least in the beginning, because we just wanted to try it out and found we could make it work!
There are quite a few areas of art from which we can pull additional color into our polymer work. Colored pencils seem to be quite popular of late, and there are very good reasons. Besides pencil’s ability to transfer from paper to clay, it can be applied directly with almost painterly results. The light additional textures and subtle changes in color are hard if not impossible to accomplish with polymer alone.
These particular features are the highlight of work like this one from Anne Pennington. The polymer provides the base and the form with a smooth texture to apply the pencil so each stroke is visible in a way that echos the felted wool in the center.
Anne pulls from several craft disciplines. She is not a silversmith or a felter or a polymer artist. She is a jewelry artist, undefined by the mediums she works with. I think when we work without the limitations of a medium we may think we or our work are defined by, we leave so many more doors of creativity open to us. It doesn’t mean one should go out and learn dozens of mediums; but rather when we have an idea of something we want to create or express, we should be willing and able to look beyond our standard material and see what else out there may help us create our visions. This week we’ll look at what we borrow from other art forms and how these borrowed colors enhance what polymer has to offer.
Read More