Let it Snow
December 26, 2018
Inspirational Art
I’m getting on the road today, trying to beat a snowstorm so I can spend New Year’s with my family in Colorado, so this is going to be quick.
To stay in the theme of my day today, how about a beautiful Snow Dragon? I don’t recall snow dragons being a thing from my days of collecting and reading about everything having to do with dragons—I had quite the obsession with them in my teenage years. But this is a beautiful idea of one. I just love the serenity of Evgeny Hontor‘s sculptures. Evgeny’s creatures are actually created out of something called velvet clay, not that it matters if this is polymer not. If you want to make a sculpture of this type, you can make it with polymer.
The real takeaway here is seeing how just putting in the eyes keeps the expression of the sculpture quiet and calm. That matches the calm inherent in the color of blue which, in this piece with highlights of white, still harkens to the idea of snow.
So off to see my own snow now. I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and are resting up. I’ll pop in on Friday with something Colorado-inspired, I’m sure. In the meantime, you can check out more of Evgeny’s work on Deviant Art and Etsy.
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.
Dark Beauty Descending
October 26, 2018
Inspirational Art
Dark and creepy can be so astonishingly beautiful, as evidenced by this amazing piece by Forest Rogers.
This polymer and epoxy sculpture, Octopoid Descending, recently won the Chesley Award, a recognition of the best work in the realm of Fantasy and Science Fiction, for best three-dimensional work in 2018. I got my start selling polymer art in this market so I keep a fond eye on it. After years of seeing the work created in this genre, I am still constantly floored by the imagination and creativity of these artists. Being so wholly unlimited in what one can create, without the boundaries of real world visuals or expectations, can certainly free the imagination!
Forest’s sculptures are intensely dynamic and visually kinetic. This suspended sense of movement is one of the signature characteristics of her work and probably the primary thing that makes you stop and stare. Then once you get beyond that, you can get lost in all the details of her work. It looks like every millimeter was given serious and careful consideration. You can admire that kind of dedication to the quality of the work, even if tentacles kind of creep you out.
See more of Forest’s breathtaking work on her website and follow her on Facebook to see her work-in-progress.
Biting Floral
May 16, 2018
Inspirational Art
I told you we will be doing a bit more floral but I bet you didn’t expect to have teeth. However, this floral piece does and yet it’s quite feminine and beautiful.
We can thank Ali of Warm Rain Art on Etsy for giving us this enchanting but slightly uncomfortable view of a floral necklace. The success of this piece is in large part because of the contrast between the light and calm pinks and lavender, and the very sharp teeth set dead center in them. It would still be a pretty piece if there was something else as the focal point, but I don’t think anything else would get quite the looks, comments, and double takes that those teeth will bring. You could take it as a reminder that nature has teeth, or that even the sweetest young lady can hold her own when needed. Or, probably more to the point, that beauty and danger are not mutually exclusive.
Floral work is not actually what Ali primarily creates. Animals, both realistic and fantastic, dominate her shop. Peek in on her very detailed and realistic looking work on Etsy and find her latest art on Instagram.
Newly Striking
April 4, 2018
Inspirational Art
This new work by Monika Duchowicz is not so much shiny, like Monday’s post, but it is certainly striking.
You may have had your first in-depth introduction to Monika’s work in our Summer 2017 ‘Color’ issue. Her tutorial on painting with polymer for journal covers is truly amazing. She is still painting polymer covers but this piece moves out in a somewhat new direction being that this is more constructed than painted.
She also found a beautiful journal to put it on. It is a very Gothic and dreamlike combination of her composition and the journal cover’s spine and back. She describes the bird as a Phoenix although she notes that this is not a typical Phoenix with the all-white plumage and only fiery colors inserted into the background. And why not? We can make our own versions of any myth.
She posted several different views of this journal which you can see on her Instagram page. Also take a look at her work in her Etsy shop.
Keeping Dragons A-Round
January 8, 2018
Inspirational Art
I thought this week, we’d just check in with what our fellow clayers are posting this first week of the year and I found quite a few pieces of new work on Flickr.
This detailed and whimsical bracelet is by Dorota Kaszczyszyn. The individual ridges that make up the dragon’s back work so perfectly as separate beads fitted together to create the bracelet and I love how she integrated the closure into the design. The closures usually end up on top of the wrist in large bead bracelets anyways since the weight of the beads, being heavier than the clasps, spin to hang downward so why not just design for that eventuality? I thought it was a great way to finish off a well sculpted and textured set of beads that is sure to draw some attention.
This is not Dorata’s first dragon bracelet but is, thus far, my favorite. I do like the toggle clasp on some of the others versus a lobster clasp but the face on this guy is beautiful. See more of her dragons (and owls … another favorite creature of hers) on her Flickr photostream.
Dragon in a Season’s Greetings
December 25, 2017
Inspirational Art
As with many of you, I will be spending the day with my family but did not want to miss chiming in to send you warm good wishes this holiday season. I am so very grateful for your support of The Polymer Arts projects, both the magazine and the blog. Without you, I would not be able to spend my days entrenched in art and creativity nor would I be able to help so many find new ways to create and be inspired, connecting talented artists to readers in the intimate way we get to in our publications.
I’d give you all a little something sweet in thanks if I could but since I can’t reach you all, I am soliciting the help of Becca Golins who creates these adorable dragons and other fantastical beasts. These big-eyed beasties so readily bring a smile to my face and so, I hope they do for you as well.
You can find more of Becca’s cute creatures on her Facebook page and her coloring books inspired by them in her Etsy shop.
Enjoy the season and the chance to be closer to the ones you love. A Merry Christmas to those celebrating and happy holidays to you all.
Soft and Sleek
May 18, 2017
Inspirational Art
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.
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An Artist’s Tail
January 27, 2016
Inspirational Art
Before I get into my little thoughts about today’s intriguing piece, I wanted to put out a couple of thoughts for all of you who are attempting to do the challenges. I’ve had some questions and concerns about getting them done. First of all, you don’t need to do all the challenges presented to gain insight and benefit from them. The goal is to push yourself to look at your work differently, to explore, and to see what there is to discover. A regular challenge will certainly help you do this because you would have committed to a particular goal. But you do not have to do 3 a week. Some people have the time to do so but certainly not all of us. Maybe just one a week, choosing whichever challenges I post that appeal to you most. Or take one night or one day a month and choose a couple to explore. Make your goal reasonable for you and your schedule. I can already tell you that three a week is really taxing me. I am barely managing the sketch suggestions and I have yet to take photos so I can share, but I do plan on doing it. If you thought you’d try to do them all and can’t, readjust your goal to something manageable.
Also, remember that these challenges do not require that you finish a piece each time. Being able to finish is extremely important and that is where sharing on the Flickr page can be a motivator. But maybe you do one challenge a week and aim to have one completed piece to share come the end of the month. Do what works for you and, please, do not give yourself a hard time if you are not able to keep the goal you set. Readjust and just keep trying. Keep your personal end-goal in mind. Mine is to have more regular studio time and, although I haven’t completed anything yet, I have at least been at my work table a lot more than I had been. Those are small steps, but they’re important. As long as you are moving forward and not stalling or going backwards, those are accomplishments to be happy about.
Speaking of small things, do you see what small adjustments were probably made here to create this mermaid’s tail? I am guessing, from the look of Kim Detmers flowers petal canes, that these cane components started out floral but, somewhere along the way, they suggested fins to Kim. I chuckled at the form being just the tail of the mermaid. Did she shed this when granted a wish for human legs? Is this the mythical aquatic version of a rabbit’s foot worn for good luck? I don’t know but I liked the whimsy and the re-purposing of the canes, if that is what she did.
Kim is all about fancy and fantasy as you can see in her Etsy shop. And what is fantasy but re-envisioning our common world?
Inspirational Challenge of the Day: If you want to try a challenge today, how about taking a cane, a motif, a form, or some element that you regularly create with and try to imagine it as something else. A bead could be a dolls head with the addition of a body and a hat. A heart motif could be petals on a flower or cut in-half to become tear drops. I’m looking at my vine motif that I usually use vertically and I’m thinking I could set them horizontally to become stylized wind motifs. But that is just a first thought. Let’s see where I can go from there. How about you?
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This fantastical creature is part of the series “Creatures from El” by Canadian artist Ellen Jewett. All of the swirls and scales movement are portrayed using textures and the wave of the dragon’s body. The dragon appears like stop animation … he is caught for a moment in time … so that we might enjoy his magnificence. This piece is a moving biological narrative, expressing emotions, movement, balance, and observations about life’s overtures and subtleties. This artist works with the principle that materials should conform to her vision, rather than confine her vision to the limits of materials.
As might be evident in her work, Ellen has extensive education in post-secondary Biological Anthropology and has been pursuing graduate work in anthrozoology. To enjoy the magnitude of her vision, take a look at her Etsy site, and read her journal entries on deviantart.com. When she is not too busy creating new work or filling custom orders, she hopes to resume private lessons in sculpture and stop motion animation, as well as her online tutorials.
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.
Artist Valeria Myrusso specializes in unsettling imagery. I can’t quite put my finger on why this piece below gives off a sense of eeriness, but there is definitely something vaguely creepy about the creature melded with the violin here. It makes me think of being trapped, that this might be something I’d see in a nightmare–and yet it’s just really beautiful.
A large part of its beauty is in the abundance of detail. All the tiny details, the faces and filigree and even the little floating orbs around the character’s neck come together to give this piece an otherworldly quality. This photo alone doesn’t show half of it, either. Take a look at her page with detailed shots of the piece here. If you like her work, she has more, both in polymer and in other materials, on her website.
Read MoreMuch of the lore surrounding the mythical beings of the forest that we are familiar with today, such as faeries and elves, comes to us from Western Europe. The German lore is particularly colorful, influencing many accomplished artists and writers in Europe through the ages and certainly today. You may not presently believe in faeries and elves; but perhaps after peeking in on the work of Germany’s Tatjana Raum, you will wonder if she didn’t find inspiration and models for her pieces in some secret part of a deep Germanic forest. The amazing detail and wonderful expressions on these two creatures made me halt when I saw it. These are so realistic-looking for beings that are not supposed to exist.
Expressive faces are Tatjana’s specialty. Besides her figures and art dolls, she has these amazing pieces where she blends a face into a piece of old wood, as if she magically coaxed the spirit of the wood to emerge and reveal itself. Although this piece is less about the expression than the connection the artist is making between the wood and the personification of its spirit, it’s still quite emotive and definitely inspires wonder.
Take yourself off into another realm with a little visit to Tatjana’s gallery pages.
Sculpture works with all kinds of subtle and not so subtle textures, often both visual and tactile. Fantasy sculpture in particular offers some wonderfully inventive textures that can be pulled or used for inspiration for all kinds of other polymer work, not just sculpture.
There is no authority to say what skin, scales, wings, or anything else on a fantasy figure should look like, so the suppositions of the artist creating them can result in all kinds of fantastical colors, textures, and patterning you might not have seen before or might not expect. I love the effect Celia Harris created on the tail of her young fairy mermaid here, and the wings are quite lovely as well. But such effects don’t need to be relegated to wings and the slick skin of aquatic creatures.
Can you imagine some light earrings with the sheen and maybe even the punched out holes and ragged edges of the wings? The visual texture of the tail would be charming on a pod shaped pendant, or as a contrasting layer of texture on a vase covered in pearl clay.
For tactile texture, I don’t know if there is anyone that works in fantasy sculpture that can quite compare to Virginie Ropars. I really enjoy how well the texture shows without heavy competition with color. The honeycomb of perforations and the flow of sculpted lines on the chest and in the hairline are lovely and translatable to almost any other form, if you find yourself drawn to that kind of texture.
Bottom line: look at the components of sculpture — or any artwork — for inspiration, rather than the whole of a piece, and let your creativity translate it into whatever forms you prefer to work in.
Read MoreLet us have a whimsical Friday, shall we? This curious sculpture titled “Night Jackal” is by mixed media sculptor Ellen Jewett. Her sculptures portray fantastical visions combining animals with man-made objects and constructions.
She is rather vague about her materials but nowhere can I find mention of polymer, and being that she paints the sculptures it doesn’t look as if she does work with it, even though for those of us who do work with polymer, it might seem a natural choice for the bits of adornment, if not the primary structure of the creatures. There is mention of cold porcelain and other lightweight clays over metal armature but otherwise she usually only describes her materials as mixed media. Apparently, for Ellen, it is not about the material as further attested to in this quote from her website:
“She has always worked by the principle that materials should conform to her vision, rather than confine her vision to the limits of a material. It is in this way that she produces mixed media sculptures that achieve an otherworldly quality.”
This brings up an interesting thought. Polymer artists can become rather attached to the idea of doing everything in polymer … because it seems we can! So the question then arises, do you create what you make because of the material you love to work with, or is polymer simply the right material for your vision?
I don’t know if it really matters which it is. However, I think it may be important to understand the difference and know how it is that you use the material. If you create because of the material, you may need to be cautious of having it limit your creativity in that you let it dictate what you make. On the other hand, if you have particular things you want to create and have come to polymer because it works for what you have in mind, have you explored the vast possibilities the material has and can offer in addition to what you have been doing with it?
Just something to ponder next time you sit down to create new work.
The focus in the next issue of The Polymer Arts is “Mixing it Up” which includes a lot of discussion about using polymer with other materials. Don’t forget to get your subscription or renew the one you have if the Spring issue was your last. You can also pre-order copies on our website. Go here to order and guarantee you don’t miss out on the next issue: www.thepolymerarts.com/Subscribe.html
Read MoreWhat is there to say about a piece like the one below? The highly skilled craftsmanship is striking, the arrangement of elements is wonderfully composed, the posture and gestures are quite emotive and knowing that it is polymer clay … well … it’s just stunning.
Forest Rogers creates sculpture primarily of myth and fantasy. Take a moment to peruse her website and her blog where she often shows her works in progress, which, even though incomplete, are often as beautiful as her finished work. Look at this Octopoid sculpture she posted about in August.
Okay, I’ll shush up now so you can enjoy.
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I have been doing a lot of washing the dust off of my every day life these past couple weeks — creating artwork for a truly fun and low-stress show. I am now in Atlanta at DragonCon … a show of monumental proportions where creativity is unleashed in nearly limitless ways and shown off to the over 50,000 attendees. Yes, it is a geek show. Fantasy, science fiction, horror, speculative and established sciences and tons and tons of costuming. This market is where I got my polymer career off the ground.
Although my work has changed and doesn’t fit this market so much anymore, I have really come to appreciate the incredible depth and breadth of the talent in this community. They also have such an appreciation for polymer and what it can do. I present several talks on polymer each year here with attendees literally spilling out the door at each one. These people really know how to shake off the dust of every day life and get creative!
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