Twiggy Moments
October 17, 2018
Inspirational Art
You know when you are having a rough week and then something just pops up and makes you smile—that quick change of mood can be such a boost. These Twiggy Muses by Gera Scott Chandler were just such a ticket for me today. It’s a crazy time here at Tenth Muse headquarters with two books on the way, a new magazine to get off the ground, and old Murphy and his silly law throwing things at us left and right, so anything that elicits a spontaneous grin is golden to me.
Gera’s work always gets me smiling, so I was happy to see her pop up on my Instagram feed with one of these beauties. I bounced over to her account to see that there is a whole tribe of twiggy-headed muses out in the world. Mixing natural elements with her joyous colors and organically fun textures topped with these cute little faces makes it very apparent why she calls her studio aMused Creations. I am well and happily amused. Aren’t you?
Gera has always created to the beat of her own drum and is not afraid to add whatever inspires her. Her muses have been around for a bit and have taken a number of forms. Why not take some time to wander through her website and her Instgram account while I go attend to Murphy and his laws?
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.
Faces Within
May 4, 2018
Inspirational Art
Here is the other thing about faces—it doesn’t have to be a whole face to draw our attention. As mentioned on Wednesday, there just needs to be an eye.
You are drawn to the eyes on this interestingly sculpted scarab beetle, aren’t you? I don’t know about you but it took me half a second to realize these big, bright eyes are part of two halves of a face, one that would be whole if the wings were closed. And this isn’t some clever composition by the artist. This is something nature actually does.
Circling back to Monday’s explanation about why we are drawn to faces, eyes and faces on the back of various insects are also based in survival. Any potential predators looking at the face they see on the back of these insects may think they are being looked at and surmise that this may be the face of a much larger creature.
In artwork, like with this beetle sculpture by Mary Hager, these distracting faces make for delightful little discoveries within the sculpture. Mary works in wood, paper, air-dry clay, wire, beads, fabric, and paint to create her colorful creations. And these are not jewelry. These are good-sized sculptures, maybe one and a half to two feet high (45-60cm).
To see more and read about her process, go to her website here.
Creature Faces
May 2, 2018
Inspirational Art
The faces that draw our attention in artwork do not have to be human. They don’t even have to be real creatures. Anything with an eye will jump out at us as a focal point. If there is an eye then we recognize the presence of another consciousness, or at least our primitive brain does, and so we have to check it out.
Artist Valeria Myrusso created this amazing bird pin, choosing to give it these big black beads for eyes that you can hardly pull away from. But please do. The work around it is beautiful, intricate, flowing, and regally dramatic with its golds and reds.
Valeria works with a lot of faces although she seems primarily focused on intricate, filigree-like work in her sculptural polymer. Go take a look at her delicately sculpted creations in the extensive gallery on her website and Instagram.
And yes, I know, I somehow picked two artists with the same first name, both from Russia, working in very similar styles this week. Initially, I wondered if they are the same person but my research says they are not. I don’t pay any attention to where the artists are from when I pick art for the posts. Most of the time I don’t know until I’ve completed the research. Either the work fits the theme and what I’d like to discuss or it doesn’t. I can tell you that, particularly in polymer, people from the same area often create in similar styles—I imagine it is rooted in similar cultural influences. If we are most strongly influenced by our local culture than looking outside of it would certainly give us a wider pool of inspiration which should help us develop a unique style.
Just know that I’m not partial to any one part of the world. We’re all one big community as far as I’m concerned.
Polymer Faces
April 30, 2018
Inspirational Art
Did you know that faces will always be the most prominent element in any work of art? Yes, our eye will always go to the face or faces in any artwork, photograph, or space that we walk into. It is ingrained in us to look at the faces of people or creatures that we see before us. Survival dictated that we look at and read those faces to assess potential danger or to otherwise understand, as best we can, their purpose for being present. So if you have a face in your work, it is going to be a focal point.
This also makes the use of faces rather dramatic so if you choose to put a face in your work, just keep in mind that it will have a very strong draw for your art and will diminish the importance of everything else that goes with it.
This lovely, intricately decorated necklace is one such example. It generally takes a while for the eye to be drawn away from the face and move around the rest of the piece. Initially, you take in everything else but the face all at once. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t have all kinds of complex and busy work around the face while the face acts as a resting point. That is what Valeria Belova has done here. The Labradorite and colorfully metallic feathers do their best to compete but the eye is always drawn back to the face.
This is actually one of her less detailed pieces but you rarely see a three-quarter view of the face in jewelry so I just had to share it. Not being straight on makes it a less dramatic presentation of a face, pushing us to think more about the possible story behind it. I don’t know that this is polymer because she talks about the technique more than the material, but it absolutely could be. If you like this, you should take a look at the rest of her work and her LiveMaster shop, where faces from all positions are intricately set in jewelry pieces.
Emotive Expressions
June 13, 2013
Inspirational Art
There is one element particular to sculpture that isn’t directly translatable to other work, unless you are going to add some form of sculpture to your jewelry or decor: the creation of emotion through facial expressions.
With non-representational art (which constitutes the majority of wearable and functional art) we can use colors, forms, patterns, textures, and motifs to help us express emotion, but a viewer’s life experiences and associations will determine if they draw that same emotion from the work. However, joy, pain, confusion, sadness, apathy, and other human reactions can be rendered in sculpture through faces. Human facial expressions are, more or less, universally understood, giving the sculptural artist who recreates the human form or brings to life personified creatures or objects quite the advantage in terms of relaying emotion–which in turn can relay atmosphere or may even help tell an entire story.
Joyce Cloutman has some of the most wonderful expressions on her polymer dolls and figures. Mirth and contentment seem to be dominant on her whimsical people and creatures, consistent with the fun sense of humor she obviously has. I mean, these little guys are call Snail Males. They’re just adorable.
.
If you have never tried sculpting faces, oh what fun awaits you–because of course, you have to try it! I’ve found it’s usually best to just play around and try not to aim for realism when you start out. Exaggerated lips, cheeks, head shape, eyes, and noses can really help you loosen up preconceptions about the shape, size, and orientation of features on a face.
To start your face play, you can work off someone else’s work that is already exaggerated like Joyce’s sculptures (you can see more on her Flickr page). You can also look through some of the many online tutorials, such as this one by Sarajane Helm, or this one on Amanda Day’s doll making site. This kind of play can also hone your skills at sculpting in general as you learn to push and manipulate the clay in ways you might not do when building functional or wearable art. And yes, I will be glad to be the blamable source if you fall in love with sculpting faces.
Thanks to Tommie Montgomery for suggesting we check out Joyce’s fun work today!
You know when you are having a rough week and then something just pops up and makes you smile—that quick change of mood can be such a boost. These Twiggy Muses by Gera Scott Chandler were just such a ticket for me today. It’s a crazy time here at Tenth Muse headquarters with two books on the way, a new magazine to get off the ground, and old Murphy and his silly law throwing things at us left and right, so anything that elicits a spontaneous grin is golden to me.
Gera’s work always gets me smiling, so I was happy to see her pop up on my Instagram feed with one of these beauties. I bounced over to her account to see that there is a whole tribe of twiggy-headed muses out in the world. Mixing natural elements with her joyous colors and organically fun textures topped with these cute little faces makes it very apparent why she calls her studio aMused Creations. I am well and happily amused. Aren’t you?
Gera has always created to the beat of her own drum and is not afraid to add whatever inspires her. Her muses have been around for a bit and have taken a number of forms. Why not take some time to wander through her website and her Instgram account while I go attend to Murphy and his laws?
Read More
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.
Read MoreHere is the other thing about faces—it doesn’t have to be a whole face to draw our attention. As mentioned on Wednesday, there just needs to be an eye.
You are drawn to the eyes on this interestingly sculpted scarab beetle, aren’t you? I don’t know about you but it took me half a second to realize these big, bright eyes are part of two halves of a face, one that would be whole if the wings were closed. And this isn’t some clever composition by the artist. This is something nature actually does.
Circling back to Monday’s explanation about why we are drawn to faces, eyes and faces on the back of various insects are also based in survival. Any potential predators looking at the face they see on the back of these insects may think they are being looked at and surmise that this may be the face of a much larger creature.
In artwork, like with this beetle sculpture by Mary Hager, these distracting faces make for delightful little discoveries within the sculpture. Mary works in wood, paper, air-dry clay, wire, beads, fabric, and paint to create her colorful creations. And these are not jewelry. These are good-sized sculptures, maybe one and a half to two feet high (45-60cm).
To see more and read about her process, go to her website here.
Read More
The faces that draw our attention in artwork do not have to be human. They don’t even have to be real creatures. Anything with an eye will jump out at us as a focal point. If there is an eye then we recognize the presence of another consciousness, or at least our primitive brain does, and so we have to check it out.
Artist Valeria Myrusso created this amazing bird pin, choosing to give it these big black beads for eyes that you can hardly pull away from. But please do. The work around it is beautiful, intricate, flowing, and regally dramatic with its golds and reds.
Valeria works with a lot of faces although she seems primarily focused on intricate, filigree-like work in her sculptural polymer. Go take a look at her delicately sculpted creations in the extensive gallery on her website and Instagram.
And yes, I know, I somehow picked two artists with the same first name, both from Russia, working in very similar styles this week. Initially, I wondered if they are the same person but my research says they are not. I don’t pay any attention to where the artists are from when I pick art for the posts. Most of the time I don’t know until I’ve completed the research. Either the work fits the theme and what I’d like to discuss or it doesn’t. I can tell you that, particularly in polymer, people from the same area often create in similar styles—I imagine it is rooted in similar cultural influences. If we are most strongly influenced by our local culture than looking outside of it would certainly give us a wider pool of inspiration which should help us develop a unique style.
Just know that I’m not partial to any one part of the world. We’re all one big community as far as I’m concerned.
Read More
Did you know that faces will always be the most prominent element in any work of art? Yes, our eye will always go to the face or faces in any artwork, photograph, or space that we walk into. It is ingrained in us to look at the faces of people or creatures that we see before us. Survival dictated that we look at and read those faces to assess potential danger or to otherwise understand, as best we can, their purpose for being present. So if you have a face in your work, it is going to be a focal point.
This also makes the use of faces rather dramatic so if you choose to put a face in your work, just keep in mind that it will have a very strong draw for your art and will diminish the importance of everything else that goes with it.
This lovely, intricately decorated necklace is one such example. It generally takes a while for the eye to be drawn away from the face and move around the rest of the piece. Initially, you take in everything else but the face all at once. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t have all kinds of complex and busy work around the face while the face acts as a resting point. That is what Valeria Belova has done here. The Labradorite and colorfully metallic feathers do their best to compete but the eye is always drawn back to the face.
This is actually one of her less detailed pieces but you rarely see a three-quarter view of the face in jewelry so I just had to share it. Not being straight on makes it a less dramatic presentation of a face, pushing us to think more about the possible story behind it. I don’t know that this is polymer because she talks about the technique more than the material, but it absolutely could be. If you like this, you should take a look at the rest of her work and her LiveMaster shop, where faces from all positions are intricately set in jewelry pieces.
Read More
There is one element particular to sculpture that isn’t directly translatable to other work, unless you are going to add some form of sculpture to your jewelry or decor: the creation of emotion through facial expressions.
With non-representational art (which constitutes the majority of wearable and functional art) we can use colors, forms, patterns, textures, and motifs to help us express emotion, but a viewer’s life experiences and associations will determine if they draw that same emotion from the work. However, joy, pain, confusion, sadness, apathy, and other human reactions can be rendered in sculpture through faces. Human facial expressions are, more or less, universally understood, giving the sculptural artist who recreates the human form or brings to life personified creatures or objects quite the advantage in terms of relaying emotion–which in turn can relay atmosphere or may even help tell an entire story.
Joyce Cloutman has some of the most wonderful expressions on her polymer dolls and figures. Mirth and contentment seem to be dominant on her whimsical people and creatures, consistent with the fun sense of humor she obviously has. I mean, these little guys are call Snail Males. They’re just adorable.
.
If you have never tried sculpting faces, oh what fun awaits you–because of course, you have to try it! I’ve found it’s usually best to just play around and try not to aim for realism when you start out. Exaggerated lips, cheeks, head shape, eyes, and noses can really help you loosen up preconceptions about the shape, size, and orientation of features on a face.
To start your face play, you can work off someone else’s work that is already exaggerated like Joyce’s sculptures (you can see more on her Flickr page). You can also look through some of the many online tutorials, such as this one by Sarajane Helm, or this one on Amanda Day’s doll making site. This kind of play can also hone your skills at sculpting in general as you learn to push and manipulate the clay in ways you might not do when building functional or wearable art. And yes, I will be glad to be the blamable source if you fall in love with sculpting faces.
Thanks to Tommie Montgomery for suggesting we check out Joyce’s fun work today!
Read More