There Be Creepy Crawlies Here

October 26, 2015

Jasmyne Graybill clear plateIt’s almost Halloween and I had been considering a dark beauty theme this week, but the real world has, as it so often does, presented me with another source of inspiration for this week. It is no less frightful, though, let me tell you.

Here in California, where I spend about half my time,  we have found ourselves in a very scary house. No, really … it’s quite unsettling here. It’s not haunted exactly, although the frightening presence within the walls, unseen for years but slowly taking over, is pretty spooky stuff.  Its was revealed when this strange spongy whiteness came creeping out into a closet, taking over a stack of my dear man’s t-shirt collection and his shoe rack.  An inspector came out, looking very much like a guy from Ghostbusters with his large beeping machines and funny probes, and after running them back and forth across the suspect wall, determined that, yes, the house was possessed … by a myriad number of mold types and other fungus. So, guess what is happening suddenly while I am neck-deep in editing and layout, trying to get the next issue of The Polymer Arts together? We are being run out of our house.

So, I have my mind on mold. Which brought Jasmyne Graybill to mind. She had the honor of being the very first artist featured on this blog back in 2012. Because she creates these polymer clay textures in a context in which we see it as an unwanted growth, it appears rather disgusting to us. But look closely at this plate. If you recreated that texture on a bracelet or as a constrained band around a vase, we’d think it were quite lovely. So, it’s not the texture that is inherently repulsive, it’s just our knowledge of what it represents. Beautiful textures can be found in even the creepiest of natures organisms.

I am presently trying to see the beauty in the natural organisms that are invading the house, but I have to say, even though I do find beauty in all forms of decay, I have now come to terms with the fact that I do still prefer it stay outside and away from our apparel, at the very least.

That is my spooky-themed story right now, and as soon as I finish writing this I must get back to boxing things up so I can move operations back to Colorado tomorrow. So I’ll be on the road tomorrow and Wednesday, but by then we should be ready to reveal the Winter issue’s cover. It’s quite dramatic if we do say so ourselves. Stay tuned for that not-so-spooky installment of “The Polymer Zone”. And if you find yourself attracted by the beautiful fungal texture here, take a look at Jasmyne’s collection on her website.

___________________________________________

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

     

     Print

___________________________________________

Sporadic Growth

December 5, 2013

Now for something completely different. Both for our theme and for polymer in general. Jasmyne Graybill has been a huge influence and inspirations for me since I first discovered her work some 4 years ago. Her pieces are pretty but not comfortable. Her subject matter is organic but not of a type you see often if ever.  She takes old, ordinary objects and turns them into works of art but if you didn’t know it was polymer, you might try to clean it, or more likely run in the other direction. That’s because she takes inspiration from that part of nature that we try to erase, destroy, hide and kill off. But its these forms that in the end, will take over what we try to create.

In this piece,  polymer has been shaped and textured into the likeness of some unknown mold which has taken over a pretty floral plate, turning a stacked composition of flowers into a scattered composition of nature taking over a manmade object.

Graybill2_72

Mold, mildew and fungus do not usually grow in any kind of  pattern or regular application. They grow where their spores land, chance being their primary organizer. This chance approach is a valid composition as long as there is a relationship or visual connection among the elements. In this case, they are all the same basic form created in a color palette to match their host object.

I know many of you are probably grimacing at this piece. Yeck. But these less admired inhabitants of the organic world create some wonderful textures and forms. You don’t have to create faux mold, but you might find the textures and the way groups of fungi form, interesting enough to consider recreating what you see only in a context and with an approach that reflects your idea of beauty.  Here are four dishes of other fungi possibilities that Jasmyne created. Quite pretty, I think.

1400x720-kUmuioqlE0rL6C9B

 

If you, too, find Jasmyne’s work rather fascinating, you can see more of her pieces and installations on her website. She does not work solely in polymer, which is another reason I admire her work. She uses the material best suited for what she wants to represent. It just so happens that polymer can emulate so much. Even the icky things.

 

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.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512

Does the Polymer World need another Blog?

This was something I went over and over with myself since the magazine was started. There are a lot of fantastic blogs out there. Do we need one more? The answer for me was, only if it can continue to do what The Polymer Arts magazine is trying to do–increase the polymer artist’s pool of ideas, introduce them to new sources of inspiration and grow their knowledge of artistic concepts that aren’t as commonly discussed or taught in craft periodicals and books. Can this be done in a blog? I think so!

I do want this to be fun and very community focused. We learn so much from each other. We are also very widely spread out so if we can centralize some of the more important and inspiring information and artistic ideas, it would really help the community keep growing. Cynthia Tinnapple’s Polymer Clay Daily is already doing this–posting different styles, approaches and aesthetics from within our community and presenting it in short, intriguing posts that keep our image of what polymer can be from being limited to the most popular and active artistic styles. (www.polymerclaydaily.com)

This blog will also be daily but we will not be covering the same kind of ground as Cynthia. Certainly we will be sharing a lot of art but with an aim to it being a learning opportunity, asking why it works as art and why it is considered accomplished, breaking down the reasons it draws our eye or engages up our imagination.

For example, to the left is a piece by Jasmyne Graybill made in 2001. It’s a pie tin with forms and strips of highly textured polymer made to look like an alien mold. Now, how many of us have looked at mold and thought, I want to emulate that?! We may not, for obvious reasons, be drawn to mold as a thing of beauty but altered to be representative of the organisms without the unpleasant colors (and odors, one would assume!) we can appreciate the texture and pattern that comes organically out of a natural process, even one as instinctively repulsive. The simple blue palette here takes nothing away from the intriguing surface that we feel drawn to examine closer. So, this piece works because it shakes us up our idea of beauty as well as making many of us polymer artists wonder … how did she get that texture!

In addition to educational and inspiring posts on art I also want to be able to get out timely information about new products and changes in the industry/community as well as have discussions related to the in-depth information in The Polymer Arts magazine with occasional news about the magazine and how you can help contribute and support it (which is in turn what will be supporting this endeavor.)

I would love to have comments, ideas and input on what you would like to see in a blog dedicated to educating and helping polymer artists grow their skills, their business and the joy they find in their art. I heartily invite offers for guest posts and information on new art, products, publications, techniques, tips, and news related to our industry. You can always write me at sbray@thepolymerarts.com.

There Be Creepy Crawlies Here

October 26, 2015
Posted in

Jasmyne Graybill clear plateIt’s almost Halloween and I had been considering a dark beauty theme this week, but the real world has, as it so often does, presented me with another source of inspiration for this week. It is no less frightful, though, let me tell you.

Here in California, where I spend about half my time,  we have found ourselves in a very scary house. No, really … it’s quite unsettling here. It’s not haunted exactly, although the frightening presence within the walls, unseen for years but slowly taking over, is pretty spooky stuff.  Its was revealed when this strange spongy whiteness came creeping out into a closet, taking over a stack of my dear man’s t-shirt collection and his shoe rack.  An inspector came out, looking very much like a guy from Ghostbusters with his large beeping machines and funny probes, and after running them back and forth across the suspect wall, determined that, yes, the house was possessed … by a myriad number of mold types and other fungus. So, guess what is happening suddenly while I am neck-deep in editing and layout, trying to get the next issue of The Polymer Arts together? We are being run out of our house.

So, I have my mind on mold. Which brought Jasmyne Graybill to mind. She had the honor of being the very first artist featured on this blog back in 2012. Because she creates these polymer clay textures in a context in which we see it as an unwanted growth, it appears rather disgusting to us. But look closely at this plate. If you recreated that texture on a bracelet or as a constrained band around a vase, we’d think it were quite lovely. So, it’s not the texture that is inherently repulsive, it’s just our knowledge of what it represents. Beautiful textures can be found in even the creepiest of natures organisms.

I am presently trying to see the beauty in the natural organisms that are invading the house, but I have to say, even though I do find beauty in all forms of decay, I have now come to terms with the fact that I do still prefer it stay outside and away from our apparel, at the very least.

That is my spooky-themed story right now, and as soon as I finish writing this I must get back to boxing things up so I can move operations back to Colorado tomorrow. So I’ll be on the road tomorrow and Wednesday, but by then we should be ready to reveal the Winter issue’s cover. It’s quite dramatic if we do say so ourselves. Stay tuned for that not-so-spooky installment of “The Polymer Zone”. And if you find yourself attracted by the beautiful fungal texture here, take a look at Jasmyne’s collection on her website.

___________________________________________

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

     

     Print

___________________________________________

Read More

Sporadic Growth

December 5, 2013
Posted in

Now for something completely different. Both for our theme and for polymer in general. Jasmyne Graybill has been a huge influence and inspirations for me since I first discovered her work some 4 years ago. Her pieces are pretty but not comfortable. Her subject matter is organic but not of a type you see often if ever.  She takes old, ordinary objects and turns them into works of art but if you didn’t know it was polymer, you might try to clean it, or more likely run in the other direction. That’s because she takes inspiration from that part of nature that we try to erase, destroy, hide and kill off. But its these forms that in the end, will take over what we try to create.

In this piece,  polymer has been shaped and textured into the likeness of some unknown mold which has taken over a pretty floral plate, turning a stacked composition of flowers into a scattered composition of nature taking over a manmade object.

Graybill2_72

Mold, mildew and fungus do not usually grow in any kind of  pattern or regular application. They grow where their spores land, chance being their primary organizer. This chance approach is a valid composition as long as there is a relationship or visual connection among the elements. In this case, they are all the same basic form created in a color palette to match their host object.

I know many of you are probably grimacing at this piece. Yeck. But these less admired inhabitants of the organic world create some wonderful textures and forms. You don’t have to create faux mold, but you might find the textures and the way groups of fungi form, interesting enough to consider recreating what you see only in a context and with an approach that reflects your idea of beauty.  Here are four dishes of other fungi possibilities that Jasmyne created. Quite pretty, I think.

1400x720-kUmuioqlE0rL6C9B

 

If you, too, find Jasmyne’s work rather fascinating, you can see more of her pieces and installations on her website. She does not work solely in polymer, which is another reason I admire her work. She uses the material best suited for what she wants to represent. It just so happens that polymer can emulate so much. Even the icky things.

 

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.

Cover 13-P4 web  120113 snowflake display ad  WhimsicalBead051512
Read More

Does the Polymer World need another Blog?

May 29, 2012
Posted in ,

This was something I went over and over with myself since the magazine was started. There are a lot of fantastic blogs out there. Do we need one more? The answer for me was, only if it can continue to do what The Polymer Arts magazine is trying to do–increase the polymer artist’s pool of ideas, introduce them to new sources of inspiration and grow their knowledge of artistic concepts that aren’t as commonly discussed or taught in craft periodicals and books. Can this be done in a blog? I think so!

I do want this to be fun and very community focused. We learn so much from each other. We are also very widely spread out so if we can centralize some of the more important and inspiring information and artistic ideas, it would really help the community keep growing. Cynthia Tinnapple’s Polymer Clay Daily is already doing this–posting different styles, approaches and aesthetics from within our community and presenting it in short, intriguing posts that keep our image of what polymer can be from being limited to the most popular and active artistic styles. (www.polymerclaydaily.com)

This blog will also be daily but we will not be covering the same kind of ground as Cynthia. Certainly we will be sharing a lot of art but with an aim to it being a learning opportunity, asking why it works as art and why it is considered accomplished, breaking down the reasons it draws our eye or engages up our imagination.

For example, to the left is a piece by Jasmyne Graybill made in 2001. It’s a pie tin with forms and strips of highly textured polymer made to look like an alien mold. Now, how many of us have looked at mold and thought, I want to emulate that?! We may not, for obvious reasons, be drawn to mold as a thing of beauty but altered to be representative of the organisms without the unpleasant colors (and odors, one would assume!) we can appreciate the texture and pattern that comes organically out of a natural process, even one as instinctively repulsive. The simple blue palette here takes nothing away from the intriguing surface that we feel drawn to examine closer. So, this piece works because it shakes us up our idea of beauty as well as making many of us polymer artists wonder … how did she get that texture!

In addition to educational and inspiring posts on art I also want to be able to get out timely information about new products and changes in the industry/community as well as have discussions related to the in-depth information in The Polymer Arts magazine with occasional news about the magazine and how you can help contribute and support it (which is in turn what will be supporting this endeavor.)

I would love to have comments, ideas and input on what you would like to see in a blog dedicated to educating and helping polymer artists grow their skills, their business and the joy they find in their art. I heartily invite offers for guest posts and information on new art, products, publications, techniques, tips, and news related to our industry. You can always write me at sbray@thepolymerarts.com.

Read More
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