Soft and Sleek

May 18, 2017

Apparently we are doing polymer and fur this week. Looking at Tuesday’s artist led me down a rabbit hole of impressive figure and doll art where polymer is being beautifully combined with furry textures. I did try to find jewelry, and there are a few things, but nothing that was knocking my socks off.

This artist, however, did grab my attention. Furry doesn’t have to be cute, quite apparently. This majestic little creature impresses one with both the bright but not overly used dashes of blue and a very sleek and elegant line in its form. You also have to wonder what story the artist has for this creature. I can’t imagine making something like this without imagining how it would live out in the world.

The artist, Linda Lundqvist who hails from Sweden, creates a wide variety of fantastical creatures, that mix characteristics of various animals along with a good dose of pure imagination. Discover more of Linda’s world through her Deviant art pages and in her Etsy shop.

 

_________________________________________

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

   never knead -july-2015c-125    

The Great Create Sept 15 blog    businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front   Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog

_________________________________________

Standard in Stripes

March 2, 2017

Julia Peker stripe bracelet earringsSo many artists spend an inordinately large amount of time looking for the next really cool and totally different thing that will get them all kinds of attention and make their work stand out. But here is the thing … nothing is really new anymore. It’s just a variation of something that was done before. Thinking and creating with this in mind can be so freeing. It allows you to just create what you love or what you want to express.

And some days you just want to be simple, clean and use some no-fuss forms and applications. Nothing wrong with that. Go for it. You can see how a basic striped composition on a bangle shape and a couple of lentil earrings did for Julia Peker‘s approach. Choosing an array of both visual and tactile textures gives this variation within the limitations of a palette of subdued and tinted cool colors. Nothing crazy or new design wise, but it pulls off a tasteful and understated elegance that most anyone can appreciate.

Julia takes notes from a lot of other polymer artists as can be seen in her work so I suspect she is still working on her voice but I think I see it emerging. Her postings look to be relegated to Instagram for the moment but I would be interested to see how her work develops. We’ll keep an eye out!ow

 

_________________________________________

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

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

_________________________________________

Outside Inspiration: Simple Lines of Elegance

June 27, 2014

Another word for elegance would be grace. We see that in this ceramic vessel by Vanessa Quintana. The way the clay is shaped suggests change and movement, the edges of the pale clay dancing over the rough brown like wind blown fabric. The grace of this dance comes from the wildly undulating lines and yet it still has a sense of reservedness with it’s limited and subdued colors and minimal surface decoration.

166550_190374280976380_4495910_n

 

This piece is aptly named “Molt” which usually refers to living creatures rather than plants. The name itself changes how I look at this piece which initially reminded me of trees shedding bark but now I am thinking more insects or reptiles. The name itself enlivens the piece unexpectedly. That is something to ponder … maybe next week we’ll look at pieces with really great names that help inform the work.

In the meantime, there is not a lot of information on Vanessa out on the internet. She has an Etsy store which is empty at the moment but a Facebook page with plenty of photos if you want to look further into her work.

Tomorrow we have an announcement to make about changes coming to the blog in July. They aren’t too major but you might want to be sure to give it a read so you are “in the know”.

 

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

14-P2 CoverFnl-blog   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-5   Basic RGB

Age and Austerity

June 24, 2014

Kathryn Doll gives her art jewelry a feel of age and austerity with layered visual texture and classic forms. She uses liquid polymer clay with paint, metal leaf, and glitter to achieve the depth you see here. That slight shimmer and the cool brilliance of the stones brings a quiet elegance to the pendant’s antique look.

amulet_5_0

 

Kathryn’s work has shown up on actors  in a number of shows as well as being gifted to numerous celebrities.  See who wears her work as well as seeing what else she creates on her website and on her blog.

Rough Elegance

June 23, 2014

When you think of elegance, you probably think of clean lines, understated brilliance and a certain level of delicacy. But elegance can manifest in a number of ways. It can be found in any number of graceful and dignified elements and compositions even those whose other elements are on the rough side. I’ve found this to be true in a number of pieces I’ve seen in the past few weeks. So let’s look at that this week and ask, how can elegance be juxtaposed with a rough, rustic, or less refined approach?

Here is a piece I think embodies that idea wonderfully. There is certainly a lot of the less refined here in the texture of the cracked foil and rough edges. But the centered swirl and skillful application of the overlapping layers along with the limited navy palette gives it a calm and dignified air. This could easily be worn with an evening gown or a dressy business suit or be used to add a touch of elegance to a more casual outfit. That versatility is part of the advantage for a piece that works with two seemingly disparate concepts.

357609_original
Belarus’ Evgeniya Andreeva is the creator of this lovely necklace. Most of her work tends towards the rough and rustic in a tasteful and well-considered way. Look through her LiveJournal entries and Facebook page for more pretties of hers.

 

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

14-P2 CoverFnl-blog   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-5   Basic RGB

Soft and Sleek

May 18, 2017
Posted in

Apparently we are doing polymer and fur this week. Looking at Tuesday’s artist led me down a rabbit hole of impressive figure and doll art where polymer is being beautifully combined with furry textures. I did try to find jewelry, and there are a few things, but nothing that was knocking my socks off.

This artist, however, did grab my attention. Furry doesn’t have to be cute, quite apparently. This majestic little creature impresses one with both the bright but not overly used dashes of blue and a very sleek and elegant line in its form. You also have to wonder what story the artist has for this creature. I can’t imagine making something like this without imagining how it would live out in the world.

The artist, Linda Lundqvist who hails from Sweden, creates a wide variety of fantastical creatures, that mix characteristics of various animals along with a good dose of pure imagination. Discover more of Linda’s world through her Deviant art pages and in her Etsy shop.

 

_________________________________________

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

   never knead -july-2015c-125    

The Great Create Sept 15 blog    businesscard-3.5inx2in-h-front   Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog

_________________________________________

Read More

Standard in Stripes

March 2, 2017
Posted in

Julia Peker stripe bracelet earringsSo many artists spend an inordinately large amount of time looking for the next really cool and totally different thing that will get them all kinds of attention and make their work stand out. But here is the thing … nothing is really new anymore. It’s just a variation of something that was done before. Thinking and creating with this in mind can be so freeing. It allows you to just create what you love or what you want to express.

And some days you just want to be simple, clean and use some no-fuss forms and applications. Nothing wrong with that. Go for it. You can see how a basic striped composition on a bangle shape and a couple of lentil earrings did for Julia Peker‘s approach. Choosing an array of both visual and tactile textures gives this variation within the limitations of a palette of subdued and tinted cool colors. Nothing crazy or new design wise, but it pulls off a tasteful and understated elegance that most anyone can appreciate.

Julia takes notes from a lot of other polymer artists as can be seen in her work so I suspect she is still working on her voice but I think I see it emerging. Her postings look to be relegated to Instagram for the moment but I would be interested to see how her work develops. We’ll keep an eye out!ow

 

_________________________________________

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

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

_________________________________________

Read More

Outside Inspiration: Simple Lines of Elegance

June 27, 2014
Posted in

Another word for elegance would be grace. We see that in this ceramic vessel by Vanessa Quintana. The way the clay is shaped suggests change and movement, the edges of the pale clay dancing over the rough brown like wind blown fabric. The grace of this dance comes from the wildly undulating lines and yet it still has a sense of reservedness with it’s limited and subdued colors and minimal surface decoration.

166550_190374280976380_4495910_n

 

This piece is aptly named “Molt” which usually refers to living creatures rather than plants. The name itself changes how I look at this piece which initially reminded me of trees shedding bark but now I am thinking more insects or reptiles. The name itself enlivens the piece unexpectedly. That is something to ponder … maybe next week we’ll look at pieces with really great names that help inform the work.

In the meantime, there is not a lot of information on Vanessa out on the internet. She has an Etsy store which is empty at the moment but a Facebook page with plenty of photos if you want to look further into her work.

Tomorrow we have an announcement to make about changes coming to the blog in July. They aren’t too major but you might want to be sure to give it a read so you are “in the know”.

 

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

14-P2 CoverFnl-blog   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-5   Basic RGB

Read More

Age and Austerity

June 24, 2014
Posted in

Kathryn Doll gives her art jewelry a feel of age and austerity with layered visual texture and classic forms. She uses liquid polymer clay with paint, metal leaf, and glitter to achieve the depth you see here. That slight shimmer and the cool brilliance of the stones brings a quiet elegance to the pendant’s antique look.

amulet_5_0

 

Kathryn’s work has shown up on actors  in a number of shows as well as being gifted to numerous celebrities.  See who wears her work as well as seeing what else she creates on her website and on her blog.

Read More

Rough Elegance

June 23, 2014
Posted in

When you think of elegance, you probably think of clean lines, understated brilliance and a certain level of delicacy. But elegance can manifest in a number of ways. It can be found in any number of graceful and dignified elements and compositions even those whose other elements are on the rough side. I’ve found this to be true in a number of pieces I’ve seen in the past few weeks. So let’s look at that this week and ask, how can elegance be juxtaposed with a rough, rustic, or less refined approach?

Here is a piece I think embodies that idea wonderfully. There is certainly a lot of the less refined here in the texture of the cracked foil and rough edges. But the centered swirl and skillful application of the overlapping layers along with the limited navy palette gives it a calm and dignified air. This could easily be worn with an evening gown or a dressy business suit or be used to add a touch of elegance to a more casual outfit. That versatility is part of the advantage for a piece that works with two seemingly disparate concepts.

357609_original
Belarus’ Evgeniya Andreeva is the creator of this lovely necklace. Most of her work tends towards the rough and rustic in a tasteful and well-considered way. Look through her LiveJournal entries and Facebook page for more pretties of hers.

 

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

14-P2 CoverFnl-blog   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-5   Basic RGB

Read More
If you love these posts ...