From Czech with Love
May 2, 2014
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
I have been taking a lot of shots of the art being worn by the attendees, or as we keep noting here, of people’s chests because between pins and necklaces; that is where most of the jewelry is so what choice do we have, right? It has made for some funny moments. I had a great time with a trio of gals from the Czech Republic during one of our breaks. We couldn’t stop laughing as I tried to photograph their jewelry. I was trying to compare the work and they were standing next to each other comparing, well, other things that were ending up in the shot. They were so fun.
Martina Malaskova
Pavla Čepelíková
Dana Phamova
My grandmother was from Czechoslovakia and I had learned a few words in the language when I was a child so I do have a soft spot for people from that part of the world which is probably part of the reason I chatted it up with these gals. Their fun and happy demeanor can be seen in the type of work they made and wore this week. Take a look at more of their work on these pages:
Pavla Čepelíková: www.saffron-addict.com
Dana Phamova: www.fler.cz/fruitensse
Martina Malaskova: www.lca-jewellery.com/home_en.php
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.
Folded Flower Rings
April 6, 2014
Inspirational Art
As we finish up our week of folded polymer inspirations, I thought this simple fold and repetition technique might inspire a few of you to jump into the studio to give folding a try. Izabela Nowak‘s uses her “folded up technique” to make rings, necklaces, and earrings. This technique was inspired by her love of Origami art, resulting in dynamic three-dimensional pieces. The three thin layers of polymer colors give it a bit of visual texture as well.
You can see more of her work on her Facebook page including unique beads that she made inspired by Origami Art – Kusudama – Fleurogami. If you check out her Flickr pages, you will see more examples of this Origami style along with her Techtonic and Spiral Up techniques.
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.
Bold and Deep (And our 10% off Everything Sale!)
January 30, 2014
Inspirational Art
So yes, we’re having our once a year sale off everything in The Polymer Arts magazine store! See the information at the end of the post here.
But first, let’s talk art …
The type of frames we put photos or artwork in tend to be shallow affairs made to sit out of the way on a shelf or wall. But that tradition shouldn’t determine the depth of frames you make for your adornment, decor, or even wall art for that matter. Your frame can be as deep as makes sense for your piece.
For instance, Tanja of Flickr’s Fantastisch-Plastischcan created a pendant with a deeply concave form to show off layers in a stack of polymer sheets. With this kind of form, leaving it frame-less would have been okay but instead of leaving it there she created a deep silver frame for it. This makes the depression feel more like the a reveal of an underground or celestial space rather than just being a concave form. It also brings in contrast–bright silver against muted greens–and allows her more real estate to expand on the red ball motif.
It seems that all our artists this week, the ones pushing the idea of what a frame might be, are all explorers and experimenters. Tanja has played with a wide variety of forms as well as textures, both visual and tactile. She just seems to be having too much fun to settle down with a particular style or set of techniques. You can see what I’m talking about when you go through her array of work in her Flickr pages.
Show Your Dedication to your Craft–Subscribe, Renew, or buy Single issues and right now … Get 10% Off!
Through February 3rd …. get 10% off your renewal, a new subscription or back issues purchases.
Use Discount code: TPA114 in your shopping cart.
Get your Subscriptions here– http://www.thepolymerarts.com/Subscription_ordering.html
If you need to Renew, go here– http://thepolymerarts.com/Subscription_ordering.html#renewals (And yes, we’ll get you caught up with the Winter issue if your subscription lapsed.
Single issues can be purchased here– http://www.thepolymerarts.com/Single_issues.html
Thank you for supporting The Polymer Arts projects! Your purchases support the magazine, this blog and our upcoming “Best of” and “Workshop” books. To get even more out of our projects, subscribe, get our newsletter (see form on the left side of our home page), and follow us on Facebook.
Wrap it Around
January 28, 2014
Inspirational Art
One of the primary reasons for using frames is to finish off the edge of a bead or element so it is functional but it doesn’t have to be purely functional. It is going to show, so why not make it a major part of the design?
Ivana Brozova has brought her frame into the design by creating a wave to the edge that comes up onto the bead’s surface. It gives the frame more surface so the analogous colors in the frame become a more substantial part of the bead and the wave in the frame plays off the aquatic theme of the necklace.
Ivana is another explorer in the ways of polymer with some wonderfully different, often edgy but always intriguing work. Take a swim through her artistic world on her Flickr photostream.
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.
A Collection of Toggles
January 25, 2014
Inspirational Art
Have you been having fun guessing the materials this week and thinking of ways to create these beautiful pieces in polymer? Well, here is a whole array of pieces to take a guess at. We are all on our own here as the Live Journal post doesn’t list what is what or how these pieces were created. This whole post is an interesting collection of inspiration for a polymer contest that revolved around art accessories embellished with the use of texture stamps.
According to the Russian translation describing these pieces, they are made from ceramics, polymer, and/or metals. To read more about the competition and artwork submitted, take a look at the translated website. Enjoy!
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.
Naturally Faux
January 24, 2014
Inspirational Art
We’ve done non-polymer all week so I thought this Friday we’d switch that up with polymer work by an artist that doesn’t always work in polymer and if one didn’t know better, one would think she truly didn’t! Bettina Mertz’s faux polymer stones are amazing. She has a whole series of jewelry designs including bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and earrings using similarly realistic faux stone. This fall set is one of the best designs adding kinetic movement and a randomness that just adds to the organic feel of the piece.
Betinna is also intrigued by intricate bead embroidery. If she can’t find a particular bead that she wants, she makes it out of polymer clay, using this stone and other faux techniques. You can see more of her polymer and bead work on her blogspot, Mertz Bettina Schmuck Design and her Flickr pages.
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.
Handworked Inros
January 22, 2014
Inspirational Art
When I saw this and several other pieces by jewelry artist Robin Ragsdale, I thought I’d found some quiet polymer artist, busy creating these handcrafted pieces in some cut off region of the world. It may be rather obvious what the alternative material is but it seems like people are having quite a bit of fun this week guessing so I won’t say quite yet. Take a guess what this is but challenge yourself and try to be specific. What do you think?
Robin is a metal artist but not of the sleek contemporary kind. The presence of a set of hands working the metal versus using machines or exacting tools makes the design and texture quite rich and timeless. This piece could be downright ancient. The metal used here is actually bronze and from conversations on Flickr it looks like it’s bronze metal clay. Don’t you love the multi-colored leather strands it hangs from as well? Just a little bit of added color takes it out of the realm of ancient and into the present without feeling out of place.
Robin’s Flickr pages are full of these thoughtfully crafted, could-be-polymer-faux metal pieces. Go enjoy exploring her work!
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.
Faux or No?
January 21, 2014
Inspirational Art
This one is actually a mix of polymer and non-polymer elements. Before I tell you what is what, can you guess?
This piece was brought to me by Irene Corman who originally chose this as one of her favorite recent finds when I had my freelance staff pick the posts last month. We decided there really wasn’t enough polymer in it to make it represent the medium but, the thing is, it could easily be made from polymer!
The piece was created by Robbin Smith and Warren Moeller of E-Bu Jewelry. They are truly mixed media artists using any medium that suits their needs. They do work heavily in natural materials and recycled forms. So here is what is in this pendant: A found bronze object, sterling silver, ebony, spiny oyster, polymer, and leather. So which part is polymer?
I have had to figure this out by deduction based on what I know of other materials but, truly, I’m guessing a bit myself. I know the top green piece in this pendant is aged bronze, the ‘stone’ in the oblong bezel is spiny oyster sitting on ebony and the bottom is a faux bone polymer piece. Would you all agree?
Check out more of Robbin and Warren’s gorgeous pieces on their Flickr photostream or on their 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.
The Pantone Spring Range
January 14, 2014
Inspirational Art
Carina of Austria designed these colorful beaded necklaces and bracelets made from polymer clay. Although produced lat year, they range this year’s Spring Pantone palette. The latest Pantone palatte and these pieces give a modern twist to the classic spring palette by pairing soft pastels with more saturated colors to create a colorful contrast. These pieces bring to mind a mixture of blooming wild flowers with colors that refresh and defy conventional ideas of Spring.
For artist inspiration, take a look at some of the polymer clay images on Carina’s Flickr pages. Try some of these less conventional springtime colors in your own work. Have fun!
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.
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next »
Monochrome pieces can be difficult to create energy in, simply because one of our easiest and most common elements of visual energy is color and contrast or change in color that creates truly, lively energy. The next most effective element is line. But, here is a piece by Jan Geisen that has a quiet but persistent energy without either of those elements.
It primarily comes from the texture and the use of light in the shimmery clusters that pop out of the rough and crackle surface. And the brilliance of that blue doesn’t hurt at all. I think there is also something to the fact that nothing is well outlined; that you keep wanting to look to see it clearer. The clusters of sparkle suggest something like buried nuggets of precious metal rather than recreating something solid to look at. Normally that lack of definition could too readily detract from the beauty of a piece, but here, it adds a little mystery and piques our curiosity, does it not? Or maybe it’s just me.
If you like this kind of texture, you have to take a look at what Jan has been up to lately. You can find her most recent work on her Flickr photostream and even get yourself a piece from her available collection on Etsy.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
We might spend a day or two more on disks since it’s garnered such interest but also because I’ve been sent such beautiful pieces as this necklace by Karen Lewis (aka Klew). Ronna’s piece on the cover of the Fall 2015 issue of The Polymer Arts pushed Klew to reach out to share this. She has such beautiful work, and I just don’t think we see enough of it! So lucky us!
Klew said this about her work as well: “I am inspired by ancient jewelry, specifically semi- precious stone and shell. I love designing with heishi beads, and thought I’d make my own! I pinched them slightly so that they would have a ripple texture rather than simply flat and uninteresting. They are opened up with tiny copper heishi as well to provide movement. It feels wonderful around my neck. I just love it!”
Klew brings up a little pondered point … how jewelry feels when you wear it. A wearer’s experience and connection with your piece also has to do with how it physically feels. I’ve had some stunning pieces that were too uncomfortable to wear for long and other unassuming pieces that I never wanted to take off because they had such a comforting or even massaging texture. What characteristics make adornment feel fabulous on, as well as looked fabulous? It is something that I think bears more study!
In the meantime, you can jump over to Klew’s website and gallery for more gorgeous bits and bobs.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the Reader’s Wish List Survey. We had 389 people respond, so it’s been taking me some time to get through all your ideas and questions and then compile them, but we’re working on it! I will directly answer some questions and note some of the comments in our next newsletter, so if you don’t get it already, hop on over to the website and fill in the two line form to get that email of news, cool polymer tips and community information sent to you twice a month. www.thepolymerarts.com.
The winners were chosen by a random number generator (your number coming from where you landed on the spreadsheet that your survey responses go to.) The lucky ducks who will be receiving Goodie Boxes this time around are Lorna Slack and Beth Schwartz! Congratulations!
In the meantime, we have fielded so many complements on the Fall cover. Ronna’s necklace is stunning, and that whole organic disks and seed pod theme seems to always turn heads. I thought I’d look for more pieces like that, but something a bit different. I think I found it!
The organic forms are so often created in nature’s muted or darker tones, but I have to say, this shot in the arm of brilliant color works wonderfully with them too. The saturated color and stylized shapes create a fun and joyful version of this kind of necklace. Jenna Wright uses tools she bought from Celie Fago to carve the marks into cured clay. She calls this “Inked Necklace ii” from her Electric series. I am trying to figure out the inked thing—dyeing the carved out spots perhaps? Regardless, it’s a beautiful piece of warm brights and brilliant white that brings organic up to a very cheery level.
If you want more brilliant color and fun ways with organic shapes, jump on over to Jenna’s Flickr page, Boxes of Groxes (what a fun name!) for a bright and cheery break in your day.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
So, all this talk of lines and dots has you wanting to try out your own dot-line compositions, right? Well, being the cheerleader that I am, I’ve gone out and found a little something that might get you playing with some of those dots and lines regardless of how enthralled you are with the subject. Just try out this easy and rewarding application technique.
Svetlana Belova generously shares her process for creating these lovely pendants on LiveMaster. The types of patterns you can create this way are endless. It really lets you explore the possibilities without committing to a block of mokume or being limited by a stamp or texture sheet. This kind of work is very meditative and can be a fantastic way to relax or get yourself into a creative zone before working on something else.
Svetlana shares her techniques on her blog and sells her work through her LiveMaster shop where you can see other examples of this and other pretty compositions.
Read More
I am a fan of small details. I love work that has been built one tiny bit at a time, which is probably why I find myself drawn to the application of tiny bits of polymer something called polymer embroidery, applique or even filigree. I found a number of pieces on a search this weekend that I think really open up the vast possibilities of creating imagery and texture from working with small bits and thin strings of polymer.
I want to start with this lovely little pendant because I just adore how the impressed polymer bits were extended into a dynamic rush of water and plumes of ocean foam. This was created by Estonia’s Katrina who has the shop, Filigrina, on Etsy. Every detail on this was hand-tooled in a way that makes me think more of painting than sculpting. And instead of simply pressing the bits of clay to create texture from the impressions, there also looks to be some dragging and cutting in with the hand-tools to make those little bits into the imagery we see here.
Katrina also sells printable scrapbook paper images and jewelry transfer images in her Etsy shop, so stop by and take a look at all the fun stuff she has to offer.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
As I was picking out work for this week and looking at inros, box pendants and purses, it crossed my mind that someone needs to make purse necklaces that are functional. I don’t like carrying around a purse (I’m too likely to put it down and forget it!), so wouldn’t it be great if we had something we could just hang around our necks to carry the essentials? Well, that’s probably not practical because we all we carry so much these days, but it did lead me to search for a crossover type piece, which then led me to Terry Kovalcik and these amazing metal clay box pendants. Most of his necklaces are containers of some sort with all different forms and approaches. His passion for this kind of work is evident in these couple lines from his artist statement:
“I’ve become passionate about making boxes that allow me to work on both the inside and outside designs—with the mystery of its interior and the secrets that can be hidden inside. These little surprises are special gifts to the wearer that they can choose to share with others.”
So true. That mystery, not knowing what is hidden within adds a whole other dimension to the impact these pieces will have on a viewer. And, the wearer gets to carry around a little something they can keep as a secret or share with others. With forms like this one, I see an easy transition to polymer clay for those inspired by his forms.
Drop in on Terry’s website to see the other boxes he’s made. If you’re really intrigued, there are few more that can be found if you search Google images. You will see photos of pieces both closed and open.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine, as well as by supporting our advertising partners.
Simplicity often works best when presented in an unexpected manner. A necklace of leaves is nothing unexpected. A necklace of three leaves floating, however, is.
This interesting neck-piece is the creation of Delphine Roche de Montgrand of Paris, France. There is grace in the simple triad composition, the slight variation of the leaf sizes and the way they are arranged. But, we are halted by the way they float around the neck, and then, I think, we linger because of the rich color and the naturally attractive fan shape that makes ginkgo leaves so popular. To add anything else here would ruin the quiet feel of an autumn morning so succinctly replicated here. Do you agree?
Delphine works primarily in replications of nature with a little splash of illusion thrown in here and there. You can read more on her blog through Google translate if you don’t speak French.
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.
Sometimes the surprise found in our work comes incidentally as we create with other intentions. Una-Odd Lynn was fascinated by a collection of moonglow beads and had planned some simple cut pendants in polymer for them but ended up with something just a little different.
“I cut out a hole, not reserving the removed clay, and planned to use a moonglow bead in the middle. Experimenting with a tube to punch out the hole I discovered [the extra clay] would make a nice side bead.” And these sweet little necklaces were born!
Mrs. Lynn’s pieces and ideas are kind of all over the place but that openness to working with whatever suits a mood is often exactly what is needed to allow for new discoveries. Una-Odd blogs about all the various things she does and ponders on her entertaining blog. Jump on over and explore a little yourself.
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.
Today, let’s dial it down to something more attainable for us mere mortals. We don’t all have quite the level of patience to accomplish what we saw the last couple days but perhaps we could approach that with techniques where intricate work can be accomplished on a smaller scale.
If you’ve been following this blog for long, then you have probably noticed my admiration for filigree style work. Even when monochromatic, the lines and textures of dense polymer filigree can be so mesmerizing. Luana Sgammeglia uses this coiled filigree technique to decorate necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and even handbags. Even though this technique looks intricate, it can be made relatively quickly once you get into the rhythm of it. You just need to be patient and steady. Doing this kind of work can be quite zen like actually!
Have you ever tried incorporating coils into the surface design of your clay? You can either roll the ropes by hand or use a handy-dandy extruder. If you have never worked with coil filigree, there are some good video tutorials on YouTube and a number of free image tutorials floating around the web as well. You can enjoy more of Luana’s work on her Flickr photostream or on her Pinterest site.
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.
