Swirling Watercolor Clay

April 13, 2018

Although this is not part of #the100dayproject, Nevenka Sabo stopped to show us what she does with the sheets she has been creating on her challenge so far.

Nevenka has been working with the torn watercolor technique that Maggie Maggio created. In this small bowl, she uses these surface treatments to create vibrant color and variation within the swirling and crackled lines of the nautilus shell design. The movement and energy of this combination of line and color have made for quite the eye-catching piece as can be seen in the long list of comments about it in the post.

To keep an eye on Nevenka’s challenge and what she does with her watercolor polymer studies, follow her Instagram page. Also, don’t miss out on her tutorials found in her in her Etsy shop.

Serenity and Simplicity … the new Fall Cover!

Cover 16P3 med paddingI’ve had this waiting for its final tweaks for nearly a week but, like half the Eurosynergy convention goers, I have been trying to rise up from the flu that knocked so many of us out. But I am now down to maybe 4 naps a day instead of 12 and got this done over the weekend. The flu and the loss of one of my main staff has got me behind so its nose to the grindstone for me now!

Don’t you just love the simple beauty of this neck-piece by Sonya Girodon? She is the featured artist interviewed by polymer pioneer Lindly Haunani for the Color Spotlight section of the Fall issue of The Polymer Arts. As you might know, Maggie Maggio has been the interviewer and conductor of that section of The Polymer Arts for nearly three years but now that her focus is shifting to expanding color education in grade schools, she has passed the torch onto the gracious Lindly. Lindly has taken it up with much gusto and has for you an absolutely entrancing article, highlighting Sonya’s color choices and philosophy.

Of course that is but one reason to be sure you have your copy of the next issue when it comes out at the end of August. Dan Cormier has written an absolute treasure of an article highlighting all the ways you can use scrap for easier, distortion free canes, mokume and other sliced veneer techniques along with other priceless tips and tricks from this master. Tory Hughes will help you access your creativity, Anke Humpert will show you how to make a variety of mandalas for a truly zen art experience, Julie Cleveland has all the basics on bangles for you, and I will reveal the secrets to creating great simplicity in design with exercises included to hone your skills. There is much more but we’ll chat about that later. Enjoy the sneak peek of the cover!

 

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Challenge your use of color. Find an artist whose work you admire but whose color palette is quite different from what you usually use. Borrow one of their color palettes and integrate it into a piece with your more commonly used techniques and forms. How does the color change the way your work appears? Does working with different colors cause you to create differently as well?

_________________________________________

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

Shades of Clay  Polymer Clay TV  NEVERknead.com

2Wards Polymer Clay  The Great Create  The Polymer Arts Subscription

_________________________________________

Structurally Wild (… and Polymer Journeys is here!)

April 22, 2016

Yes, the book made it out! I can’t tell you how surreal it is to actually have the book in hand and out in the world. It has taken 3 years to make this project a reality. Many, many thanks to the wonderful board who rode through this with me, digging up artists and contact information and shifting through the 600+ artist list we ended up with and the 1400 images we had to judge and discuss. This crew was with me for the whole thing … Anke Humpert, Cara Jane Hayman, Iris Mishly, Deb Crothers, and Christi Friesen. What fabulously generous and patient souls they have been!

WinterGrowth108 copyIf you are owed a digital copy of Polymer Journeys but haven’t seen it, check the junk mail folder of your email. If it’s not there, you can write us here or find the contact form on the website at www.polymerjourneys.com Print copies are in the mail. I am not sure how long those will take as this if the first time I’ve mailed by book rate but they are well padded and en route! If you still need to order your copy, go to the website where I’ve left the 15-20% off sale prices up through the end of the month.

Maggie Maggio is another of our artists to be found in the best art work recognition section. Her work stands out for her bold exploration into structural polymer not to mention her subtle but brilliant use of color. This piece did not make it into the book although it was my personal favorite. As you may know, I really admire well done simplicity and this piece is such an elegant example of it. Just the slight variation in the greens, accented by red tips and another blush of red peeking out from along the underside shows an understated energy that, as subtle as it is, catches your eye.

The simple circular form is actually functional in that the single wrap of polymer can be unwound to be put on and off but securely holds the piece on the wearer with no findings whatsoever. This “no findings” exploration has been on Maggie’s table for going on six years now and just keeps pushing it as you’ll see in the wild pieces chosen for the book.

Catch more of these structurally sound but wildly creative designs on Maggie’s website to augment your present reading of the book or to hold you over as you wait for it to get to your mailbox.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create a functional piece of jewelry or decor made with absolutely nothing but polymer clay. If you already do this, challenge yourself to move the design out into a broader space than usual.

_________________________________________

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

PCTV March 2016 Blog never knead -july-2015c-125 Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog

Tavoos Blog Apr 2016 The Great Create Sept 15 blog TPA_McGuire_blog ad

_________________________________________

Recognizing Inspiration

April 15, 2016

DesertWalkingGownfull120I have a little something different for you this morning and I will get to this amazing piece you see here at the end. This announcement will go out on a few channels between yesterday and today so I hope not too many of you get hit over the head with this but … with the Polymer Journeys book coming out next week, we wanted to publicly announce our board’s picks for artists whose work and contribution to polymer art during the years 2014-2015 were particularly significant and inspirational and so were highlighted in the featured sections of the book.

We are certainly not saying our opinions are the end-all and be-all on this subject, but our consideration came from our own vast experience and education as well as gauging the impact and response we have seen in the polymer and craft communities. Although the creation of this book was in no way a contest, we did feel that making specific note of these artists and their work will further help us understand the direction and history of the medium in years to come. Here are our two featured categories:

Best Polymer Art of 2014-2015–these are artists and art that pushed the boundaries of what can be created with polymer. All these artists have been recognized for their masterful skills as well as the messages and vision found in their work.

Recognizing Generosity–We also wanted to recognize the generosity of the artists and the resulting programs that have become such a big part of the community. To that end, we included these amazing people as well as stories on how they have helped others.

So what is this unusual piece I have to show you here? It is a special and rather personal project created by the amazing Wendy Moore, who you see was recognized in the book under the section highlighting our charitable artists. Wendy is a primary force in the success of the Samunnat Nepal project. Bringing polymer clay to the women there gave them a joyful and colorful way to create financial independence when they so desperately needed it. She continues to return to teach and helped the project grow.

Wendy feels like Nepal is as much home to her as her native Australia. This robe of Wendy’s was actually part of processing a farewell to a part of Australia that she had to move away from. I won’t say much more on that, though, so those of you who are waiting on the book can read her short but poignant story.

If you have not pre-ordered your book but would like to, we have extended the 20% off sale until the 20th due to the delay with our printing that put the release of the book off until April 21st. Jump over to the Polymer Journeys website to take advantage of the early discount.

 

_________________________________________

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

PCTV March 2016 Blog never knead -july-2015c-125 Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog

Tavoos Blog Apr 2016 The Great Create Sept 15 blog TPA_McGuire_blog ad

_________________________________________

The Long Exploration

October 22, 2014

Maggie maggio at RAM 101714 smUnlike Dever’s work as we saw yesterday, Maggie Maggio exhibited work that is a continuation of her exploration of structure in polymer. Her wrap bangles and neck pieces are growing ever more bold, as well as bigger.

Here is the piece that just mesmerized me. As Maggie explains it, “Grow III represents the interweaving of the animal and plant world by blurring the lines between snake and vine.” She adds, “I will need a larger oven as the pieces grow and grow!” This is a bit of reflection on the success of her exploration as well as the size of her pieces. To understand just how big this issue is, take a close look at the necklace modeled on the exhibition card you see on the far right of this photo. (You can click on the photo for a larger version.)

Maggie had several pieces in the Racine Museum of Art’s (in)Organic exhibition, (there until February 1st, 2015. Get out to see it if you can. It is amazing.) including a piece that evolved into something quite different as she created it. Read her post about her process of exploration and one of those welcome accidents that led to a satisfying, but unexpected piece on Maggie’s website.

 

 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-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm  Blog2 -2014-02Feb-3   polymer clay butterfly ornament sm   TPA Blog Newsletter Ad  ShadesofClay 1014 v2  tpabl-10-9072014

Exercises in Gray

October 11, 2014

dba726ae892f8680ce76ff257339b52dAfter all this talk of gray, I thought it was about time to challenge you with some further ideas about color values so you can see for yourself what understanding value can do for your work.

First of all, take any photo of one of your pieces and put it into a photo manipulation software program, changing the color mode to “Grayscale”. You can usually do this with your camera as well by changing the mode to “Black & White” or “B&W” as you take the photo. Then look at what you have. If you were after a lot of contrast in your piece, you should definitely see a range of darks and lights that easily define the forms, lines, textures and color changes you have in the piece.  If you were after a quieter contrast, you should see little variation in the darkness or lightness of the grays.

Here is a beautiful mokume gane pendant by Harriet Smith. The original shot on the left is vibrant and bright, but does have a calm feel too it. And you can see just why that is when you turn it gray. Even with the fiery colors and the many overlapping lines, the energy of the pendant is kept in check by the minimal variation in value. Of course, this piece is quite different without it’s brilliant colors, but the exercise shows why the energy is not quite so high.

You can examine any of your pieces in this manner and will likely find yourself surprised quite often at the actual value range your pieces have. Being aware of value will help you make better decisions about your color choices going forward. And if you want to learn more about value with some polymer centric exercises, take a look at this great little article written by Maggie Maggio, co-author of Polymer Clay Color Inspirations, which also has a lot of value-related information and exercises to keep your color knowledge growing.

 

 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-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm  Blog2 -2014-02Feb-3   polymer clay butterfly ornament sm   TPA Blog Newsletter Ad  ShadesofClay 1014 v2  tpabl-10-9072014

Outside Inspiration: From Quilts to Canes

September 5, 2014

Traschel Illusion48_205kWithin the 2014 fall issue of The Polymer Arts, in our regular feature, “Color Spotlight” created by Maggie Maggio, we have the amazing work of Switzerland’s Sandra Traschel. The patterning and illusions she creates in polymer canes come in large part from the inspiration and even the templates of various quilters. Although this is covered in the article, Sandra (as well as Maggie and I), thought it would be great to actually see which artists inspired what pieces, so you could really see how the work of other art forms can so beautifully inspire polymer art.

This quilt is an example of color illusion, which Sandra explores at length in her jewelry pieces. You can see the translation to polymer in the pendants below. I would not have thought to use quilting templates for canes, but it’s obvious how beautifully they work out behind a skilled and patient hand.

So, if you have your Fall 2014 issue at hand, go ahead and open to the “Color Spotlight” article and click through to all these great quilters. Can you spot which quilter inspired which piece of Sandra’s jewelry just by looking at the websites? If you don’t have your issue in hand yet, you can just hop over to Sandra’s Flickr pages to make the comparisons. And, of course, spend some time in the galleries of these amazing quilters by clicking their names to link through to their websites.

1. Bracelet Convergence Pattern: inspired by a quilting template by Ricky Tims.

2. Bracelet Hollow Cubes: For this piece, I don’t know who was the original artist. I was inspired by the book: ABC 3-D Tumbling blocks and more by Marci Baker

3. Bracelet Triangle Illusion: Pattern inspired by a quilting template of Carol Bryer Fallert (quilt: illusion)

4. Necklace Diamond Illusion: Pattern inspired by Carol Bryer Fallert (quilt: illusion)

5. Pendant Autumn Flower: Pattern inspired by Jinny Beyer (quilt: Mayflowers pattern)

6. Pendant Op-Art checkerboard: Pattern inspired by Jinny Beyer (quilt: Da Vinci Pattern)

 

10903677176_64f0e8f6f0_o

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-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm   Blog2 -2014-02Feb-2   3d star ad  Polymania Advert 125  tpa-125x125-blog

EuroSynergy: Beauty at the Reception

April 30, 2014

The reception at EuroSynergy is the time when many of the attendees run into each other for the first time or at least not in a rushed situation. So it is natural that we also put on our best pieces or our newest acquisitions from fellow artists. It is rather dazzling to see the variety of pieces and so truly thrilling to see pieces in person that one has only seen in photos at this point. I don’t think I made it a quarter way around the room stopping to look at some much wonderful art. It was like a live, moving gallery of the best and most innovative and skilled work.

I did manage to stop my gawking long enough to take a few pictures. I do have to apologize–my camera seems to be having some issues with some modes I am used to working in so I will need to work that out and adjust it so we can have better images through the week. Here are a couple pieces I got photos of that I thought would be particularly fun to share.

This piece by Katrina Marsh Sarlin is an obvious Maggie Maggio project. She worked on and completed this necklace and earring set during her Monday workshop with Maggie. She said she had decided that she needed to get these pieces done just for the reception as her efforts early on in the workshop revealed she was on her way to making the perfect set to go with her Wednesday evening outfit. That kept her focused! You can’t quite see the wonderful variations in color in the links but you can certainly see all the work that went into this very newly finished piece. I just love that we can do that–decide we need something to pair with an outfit and just sit down and make it! That is another huge advantage of our primary medium–the speed of creating.

_DSC0872

This piece just took me by surprise. As you probably know if you’ve followed this blog for long, I look to a lot of other art forms as inspiration for polymer work. One I had never considered was graffiti art. But when I asked Anke Humpert how she came up with the idea for this bracelet below, she shrugged and put up her hands like it seemed so obvious that graffiti would inspire polymer. And I have to agree. With the range of colors and the expressive forms in the lettering, it is suddenly obvious to me too.

_DSC0876

Well, after a day of exploring Valletta and seeing the kick-off of EuroSynergy, I need to get a little sustenance and get ready for the rest of the week. I will post photos from our little tour around Malta’s capital and will try to fit in some quick stories on both The Polymer Arts and Sage Bray Facebook pages so come join me over there a little later on to see what our polymer people are up to.

 

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.

Blog2 -2014-02Feb-5   Millefiori eggs   14P1 cover Fnl

Polymer-Only Linking

May 29, 2013

The one person who has probably spent more time than any other polymer artist exploring the possibilities of polymer-centric connections for jewelry is Maggie Maggio. Her architectural design background makes pondering the capabilities of a material almost inevitable.

One of her first experiments with polymer-only connections was the split ring. A roll of polymer is looped twice around and then baked to make split ring links.  This process of creating a ring of polymer that can be securely looped through other rings after baking creates beads that are not only beautiful and intriguing to work with, but are also really just a ton of fun to make. This Rose Chain is one of Maggie’s expanded versions of the polymer split ring, with an additional wrap of clay and added layers to create the fabric-like ruffles.

rose_chain

 

 

Intrigued by the split ring idea but haven’t tried it yet? Take a couple minutes to view Maggie’s split ring video tutorial.

Maggie has also successfully created polymer hooks and jewelry that wraps around the neck or arm, so that no metal or other findings are needed. Check out her other finding-less creations on her website, and follow her adventures in polymer and color on her Smashing Color blog.

Swirling Watercolor Clay

April 13, 2018
Posted in

Although this is not part of #the100dayproject, Nevenka Sabo stopped to show us what she does with the sheets she has been creating on her challenge so far.

Nevenka has been working with the torn watercolor technique that Maggie Maggio created. In this small bowl, she uses these surface treatments to create vibrant color and variation within the swirling and crackled lines of the nautilus shell design. The movement and energy of this combination of line and color have made for quite the eye-catching piece as can be seen in the long list of comments about it in the post.

To keep an eye on Nevenka’s challenge and what she does with her watercolor polymer studies, follow her Instagram page. Also, don’t miss out on her tutorials found in her in her Etsy shop.

Read More

Serenity and Simplicity … the new Fall Cover!

July 25, 2016
Posted in ,

Cover 16P3 med paddingI’ve had this waiting for its final tweaks for nearly a week but, like half the Eurosynergy convention goers, I have been trying to rise up from the flu that knocked so many of us out. But I am now down to maybe 4 naps a day instead of 12 and got this done over the weekend. The flu and the loss of one of my main staff has got me behind so its nose to the grindstone for me now!

Don’t you just love the simple beauty of this neck-piece by Sonya Girodon? She is the featured artist interviewed by polymer pioneer Lindly Haunani for the Color Spotlight section of the Fall issue of The Polymer Arts. As you might know, Maggie Maggio has been the interviewer and conductor of that section of The Polymer Arts for nearly three years but now that her focus is shifting to expanding color education in grade schools, she has passed the torch onto the gracious Lindly. Lindly has taken it up with much gusto and has for you an absolutely entrancing article, highlighting Sonya’s color choices and philosophy.

Of course that is but one reason to be sure you have your copy of the next issue when it comes out at the end of August. Dan Cormier has written an absolute treasure of an article highlighting all the ways you can use scrap for easier, distortion free canes, mokume and other sliced veneer techniques along with other priceless tips and tricks from this master. Tory Hughes will help you access your creativity, Anke Humpert will show you how to make a variety of mandalas for a truly zen art experience, Julie Cleveland has all the basics on bangles for you, and I will reveal the secrets to creating great simplicity in design with exercises included to hone your skills. There is much more but we’ll chat about that later. Enjoy the sneak peek of the cover!

 

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Challenge your use of color. Find an artist whose work you admire but whose color palette is quite different from what you usually use. Borrow one of their color palettes and integrate it into a piece with your more commonly used techniques and forms. How does the color change the way your work appears? Does working with different colors cause you to create differently as well?

_________________________________________

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

Shades of Clay  Polymer Clay TV  NEVERknead.com

2Wards Polymer Clay  The Great Create  The Polymer Arts Subscription

_________________________________________

Read More

Structurally Wild (… and Polymer Journeys is here!)

April 22, 2016
Posted in

Yes, the book made it out! I can’t tell you how surreal it is to actually have the book in hand and out in the world. It has taken 3 years to make this project a reality. Many, many thanks to the wonderful board who rode through this with me, digging up artists and contact information and shifting through the 600+ artist list we ended up with and the 1400 images we had to judge and discuss. This crew was with me for the whole thing … Anke Humpert, Cara Jane Hayman, Iris Mishly, Deb Crothers, and Christi Friesen. What fabulously generous and patient souls they have been!

WinterGrowth108 copyIf you are owed a digital copy of Polymer Journeys but haven’t seen it, check the junk mail folder of your email. If it’s not there, you can write us here or find the contact form on the website at www.polymerjourneys.com Print copies are in the mail. I am not sure how long those will take as this if the first time I’ve mailed by book rate but they are well padded and en route! If you still need to order your copy, go to the website where I’ve left the 15-20% off sale prices up through the end of the month.

Maggie Maggio is another of our artists to be found in the best art work recognition section. Her work stands out for her bold exploration into structural polymer not to mention her subtle but brilliant use of color. This piece did not make it into the book although it was my personal favorite. As you may know, I really admire well done simplicity and this piece is such an elegant example of it. Just the slight variation in the greens, accented by red tips and another blush of red peeking out from along the underside shows an understated energy that, as subtle as it is, catches your eye.

The simple circular form is actually functional in that the single wrap of polymer can be unwound to be put on and off but securely holds the piece on the wearer with no findings whatsoever. This “no findings” exploration has been on Maggie’s table for going on six years now and just keeps pushing it as you’ll see in the wild pieces chosen for the book.

Catch more of these structurally sound but wildly creative designs on Maggie’s website to augment your present reading of the book or to hold you over as you wait for it to get to your mailbox.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create a functional piece of jewelry or decor made with absolutely nothing but polymer clay. If you already do this, challenge yourself to move the design out into a broader space than usual.

_________________________________________

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

PCTV March 2016 Blog never knead -july-2015c-125 Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog

Tavoos Blog Apr 2016 The Great Create Sept 15 blog TPA_McGuire_blog ad

_________________________________________

Read More

Recognizing Inspiration

April 15, 2016
Posted in

DesertWalkingGownfull120I have a little something different for you this morning and I will get to this amazing piece you see here at the end. This announcement will go out on a few channels between yesterday and today so I hope not too many of you get hit over the head with this but … with the Polymer Journeys book coming out next week, we wanted to publicly announce our board’s picks for artists whose work and contribution to polymer art during the years 2014-2015 were particularly significant and inspirational and so were highlighted in the featured sections of the book.

We are certainly not saying our opinions are the end-all and be-all on this subject, but our consideration came from our own vast experience and education as well as gauging the impact and response we have seen in the polymer and craft communities. Although the creation of this book was in no way a contest, we did feel that making specific note of these artists and their work will further help us understand the direction and history of the medium in years to come. Here are our two featured categories:

Best Polymer Art of 2014-2015–these are artists and art that pushed the boundaries of what can be created with polymer. All these artists have been recognized for their masterful skills as well as the messages and vision found in their work.

Recognizing Generosity–We also wanted to recognize the generosity of the artists and the resulting programs that have become such a big part of the community. To that end, we included these amazing people as well as stories on how they have helped others.

So what is this unusual piece I have to show you here? It is a special and rather personal project created by the amazing Wendy Moore, who you see was recognized in the book under the section highlighting our charitable artists. Wendy is a primary force in the success of the Samunnat Nepal project. Bringing polymer clay to the women there gave them a joyful and colorful way to create financial independence when they so desperately needed it. She continues to return to teach and helped the project grow.

Wendy feels like Nepal is as much home to her as her native Australia. This robe of Wendy’s was actually part of processing a farewell to a part of Australia that she had to move away from. I won’t say much more on that, though, so those of you who are waiting on the book can read her short but poignant story.

If you have not pre-ordered your book but would like to, we have extended the 20% off sale until the 20th due to the delay with our printing that put the release of the book off until April 21st. Jump over to the Polymer Journeys website to take advantage of the early discount.

 

_________________________________________

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

PCTV March 2016 Blog never knead -july-2015c-125 Shades of Clay Sept 15 Blog

Tavoos Blog Apr 2016 The Great Create Sept 15 blog TPA_McGuire_blog ad

_________________________________________

Read More

The Long Exploration

October 22, 2014
Posted in

Maggie maggio at RAM 101714 smUnlike Dever’s work as we saw yesterday, Maggie Maggio exhibited work that is a continuation of her exploration of structure in polymer. Her wrap bangles and neck pieces are growing ever more bold, as well as bigger.

Here is the piece that just mesmerized me. As Maggie explains it, “Grow III represents the interweaving of the animal and plant world by blurring the lines between snake and vine.” She adds, “I will need a larger oven as the pieces grow and grow!” This is a bit of reflection on the success of her exploration as well as the size of her pieces. To understand just how big this issue is, take a close look at the necklace modeled on the exhibition card you see on the far right of this photo. (You can click on the photo for a larger version.)

Maggie had several pieces in the Racine Museum of Art’s (in)Organic exhibition, (there until February 1st, 2015. Get out to see it if you can. It is amazing.) including a piece that evolved into something quite different as she created it. Read her post about her process of exploration and one of those welcome accidents that led to a satisfying, but unexpected piece on Maggie’s website.

 

 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-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm  Blog2 -2014-02Feb-3   polymer clay butterfly ornament sm   TPA Blog Newsletter Ad  ShadesofClay 1014 v2  tpabl-10-9072014

Read More

Exercises in Gray

October 11, 2014
Posted in

dba726ae892f8680ce76ff257339b52dAfter all this talk of gray, I thought it was about time to challenge you with some further ideas about color values so you can see for yourself what understanding value can do for your work.

First of all, take any photo of one of your pieces and put it into a photo manipulation software program, changing the color mode to “Grayscale”. You can usually do this with your camera as well by changing the mode to “Black & White” or “B&W” as you take the photo. Then look at what you have. If you were after a lot of contrast in your piece, you should definitely see a range of darks and lights that easily define the forms, lines, textures and color changes you have in the piece.  If you were after a quieter contrast, you should see little variation in the darkness or lightness of the grays.

Here is a beautiful mokume gane pendant by Harriet Smith. The original shot on the left is vibrant and bright, but does have a calm feel too it. And you can see just why that is when you turn it gray. Even with the fiery colors and the many overlapping lines, the energy of the pendant is kept in check by the minimal variation in value. Of course, this piece is quite different without it’s brilliant colors, but the exercise shows why the energy is not quite so high.

You can examine any of your pieces in this manner and will likely find yourself surprised quite often at the actual value range your pieces have. Being aware of value will help you make better decisions about your color choices going forward. And if you want to learn more about value with some polymer centric exercises, take a look at this great little article written by Maggie Maggio, co-author of Polymer Clay Color Inspirations, which also has a lot of value-related information and exercises to keep your color knowledge growing.

 

 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-P3 Fall-Play cover Full sm  Blog2 -2014-02Feb-3   polymer clay butterfly ornament sm   TPA Blog Newsletter Ad  ShadesofClay 1014 v2  tpabl-10-9072014

Read More

Outside Inspiration: From Quilts to Canes

September 5, 2014
Posted in

Traschel Illusion48_205kWithin the 2014 fall issue of The Polymer Arts, in our regular feature, “Color Spotlight” created by Maggie Maggio, we have the amazing work of Switzerland’s Sandra Traschel. The patterning and illusions she creates in polymer canes come in large part from the inspiration and even the templates of various quilters. Although this is covered in the article, Sandra (as well as Maggie and I), thought it would be great to actually see which artists inspired what pieces, so you could really see how the work of other art forms can so beautifully inspire polymer art.

This quilt is an example of color illusion, which Sandra explores at length in her jewelry pieces. You can see the translation to polymer in the pendants below. I would not have thought to use quilting templates for canes, but it’s obvious how beautifully they work out behind a skilled and patient hand.

So, if you have your Fall 2014 issue at hand, go ahead and open to the “Color Spotlight” article and click through to all these great quilters. Can you spot which quilter inspired which piece of Sandra’s jewelry just by looking at the websites? If you don’t have your issue in hand yet, you can just hop over to Sandra’s Flickr pages to make the comparisons. And, of course, spend some time in the galleries of these amazing quilters by clicking their names to link through to their websites.

1. Bracelet Convergence Pattern: inspired by a quilting template by Ricky Tims.

2. Bracelet Hollow Cubes: For this piece, I don’t know who was the original artist. I was inspired by the book: ABC 3-D Tumbling blocks and more by Marci Baker

3. Bracelet Triangle Illusion: Pattern inspired by a quilting template of Carol Bryer Fallert (quilt: illusion)

4. Necklace Diamond Illusion: Pattern inspired by Carol Bryer Fallert (quilt: illusion)

5. Pendant Autumn Flower: Pattern inspired by Jinny Beyer (quilt: Mayflowers pattern)

6. Pendant Op-Art checkerboard: Pattern inspired by Jinny Beyer (quilt: Da Vinci Pattern)

 

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EuroSynergy: Beauty at the Reception

April 30, 2014
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The reception at EuroSynergy is the time when many of the attendees run into each other for the first time or at least not in a rushed situation. So it is natural that we also put on our best pieces or our newest acquisitions from fellow artists. It is rather dazzling to see the variety of pieces and so truly thrilling to see pieces in person that one has only seen in photos at this point. I don’t think I made it a quarter way around the room stopping to look at some much wonderful art. It was like a live, moving gallery of the best and most innovative and skilled work.

I did manage to stop my gawking long enough to take a few pictures. I do have to apologize–my camera seems to be having some issues with some modes I am used to working in so I will need to work that out and adjust it so we can have better images through the week. Here are a couple pieces I got photos of that I thought would be particularly fun to share.

This piece by Katrina Marsh Sarlin is an obvious Maggie Maggio project. She worked on and completed this necklace and earring set during her Monday workshop with Maggie. She said she had decided that she needed to get these pieces done just for the reception as her efforts early on in the workshop revealed she was on her way to making the perfect set to go with her Wednesday evening outfit. That kept her focused! You can’t quite see the wonderful variations in color in the links but you can certainly see all the work that went into this very newly finished piece. I just love that we can do that–decide we need something to pair with an outfit and just sit down and make it! That is another huge advantage of our primary medium–the speed of creating.

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This piece just took me by surprise. As you probably know if you’ve followed this blog for long, I look to a lot of other art forms as inspiration for polymer work. One I had never considered was graffiti art. But when I asked Anke Humpert how she came up with the idea for this bracelet below, she shrugged and put up her hands like it seemed so obvious that graffiti would inspire polymer. And I have to agree. With the range of colors and the expressive forms in the lettering, it is suddenly obvious to me too.

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Well, after a day of exploring Valletta and seeing the kick-off of EuroSynergy, I need to get a little sustenance and get ready for the rest of the week. I will post photos from our little tour around Malta’s capital and will try to fit in some quick stories on both The Polymer Arts and Sage Bray Facebook pages so come join me over there a little later on to see what our polymer people are up to.

 

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.

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Polymer-Only Linking

May 29, 2013
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The one person who has probably spent more time than any other polymer artist exploring the possibilities of polymer-centric connections for jewelry is Maggie Maggio. Her architectural design background makes pondering the capabilities of a material almost inevitable.

One of her first experiments with polymer-only connections was the split ring. A roll of polymer is looped twice around and then baked to make split ring links.  This process of creating a ring of polymer that can be securely looped through other rings after baking creates beads that are not only beautiful and intriguing to work with, but are also really just a ton of fun to make. This Rose Chain is one of Maggie’s expanded versions of the polymer split ring, with an additional wrap of clay and added layers to create the fabric-like ruffles.

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Intrigued by the split ring idea but haven’t tried it yet? Take a couple minutes to view Maggie’s split ring video tutorial.

Maggie has also successfully created polymer hooks and jewelry that wraps around the neck or arm, so that no metal or other findings are needed. Check out her other finding-less creations on her website, and follow her adventures in polymer and color on her Smashing Color blog.

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