Balancing Color & Contrast
November 26, 2018 Inspirational Art
We are going to be dropping in on some big names this week and next to see what they are up to and what they have to inspire us with.
First up: Bonnie Bishoff. Her focus on jewelry these last couple years has been a journey through a variety of styles as she moves from working primarily in veneers on furniture with her partner J.M. Syron to smaller and more intimate work. But regardless of the style, her quietly strong and confident sense of color and pattern mark each piece like a signature. These lovely earrings are paired almost solely by color scheme although they do work within a limited set of variations in composition, visual texture and shapes. Each variation relays a slightly different mood, adjusted through the level of contrast in value and hue. The subtlety of this communication is what really brings home how masterful her color work is.
You can see what I mean by looking at the body of her work. You can do so by jumping onto her Instagram page and the website she shares with J.M. Syron.
Artist on Fire (September 2012 Archive)
November 12, 2018 Inspirational Art
Tenth Muse Central (AKA my house) is under mandatory evacuation orders so we are quite out of sorts and have been since the wee hours of Friday morning because of the Woolsey fire in California. I am staying with family an hour north and all people and furries are safe and sound but needless to say, it has been hard getting work done both because I am very distracted, hoping my home will be spared, and because my setup that allows me to dictate much of my work while my arms are still healing doesn’t work so well in a crowded house. So, this week, I am resurrecting a few older blog posts to lighten the workload and, with fire on my mind, we will make that the theme. Fire is frightening but also awesome and beautiful. I like the idea of celebrating its beauty while we wait to see if Mother Nature will be kind to us. So enjoy these fire-themed posts from past years. Our first is from September 2012.
Impact. It’s pieces like this, not overly complicated but with an intensity of color and dynamic patterning that add definite and strong movement to the work, that really define the word eye-catching. But that isn’t even the most impactful thing about this piece.
The artist Adriana Allen has suffered from debilitating arthritis since childhood. But it has never stopped her. “Every item I create is a victory over an unforgiving disease … when it hit, it hit hard. I never gave into it. Every piece I create reminds me of this fact … the disease cannot stop me from doing what I love.”
Such courage and from it, such beauty.
Natural Patterns
October 19, 2018 Inspirational Art
Today’s attention grabbing item is brought to you by Mother Nature. Yes, you read that right. This is not polymer. It is not resin. It is not some new crazy Zentangle-like method of doodling on rocks or something. This is a 176 carat Koroit Boulder Opal from Australia.
I know a lot of you already look to the natural world for inspiration but the more you look, the more amazing natural creations you’ll find. It’s still baffling what a huge array of shapes, textures and colors are put together without conscious thought but with pattern and purpose nonetheless. These opal patterns are formed in voids and cracks, like natural molds that are filled with a deposit of silicon dioxide which settles and forms spheres under specific conditions. These spheres are reflective and, if I am understanding the research I just did correctly, are the cause of the variation in reflected color. And I thought some of our processes were painstaking!
Now to figure out how to recreate this in polymer. Some fairly old methods like a Damascus ladder or other Lizard’s Tail technique might get close with a layer or two of black clay tucked in. Are you up for experimenting on that? If I had the time, I would but I don’t yet. So I leave it up to you, my fearless friends. If you create anything cool, inspired by this bit of nature, post it here. Let’s see what you all can make this weekend!
Jazzy Inspiration
October 5, 2018 Inspirational Art
There’s nothing like ending the week with a brilliant splash of vibrant color and pattern, don’t you think? Well, that was my thought when I came across these vessels by Carol Blackburn. The color palette and some of the patterning is familiar from other examples of her work as are the contained and immaculately finished surfaces. However, the denser patterns feel new, creating an undeniable, dancing energy. The solid color of the lids creates a kind of anchoring rest area for the eye, sitting very heavily on the top, making the vibrant energy feel held in place and contained.
Although she actually created forms like this a couple of years ago, I think it’s a combination of these forms with this intensely active pattern that made them jump off the page to me. She calls the pattern “Jazzy Missoni”, a reference to the Missoni fashion house and its heavily patterned and colorful knitwear. The patterning is reminiscent of the textiles from that design house but she has taken it another step, echoing even the movement of the lighter knitwear and the layers that are often associated with their designs. I found this to be a wonderful interpretation of what is obviously inspiration from a designer in another material.
Carol has a variety of these patterns and the vessels posted on her Flickr photostream and website. Go ahead and take a stroll through them as way to jumpstart a colorful weekend.
The Sunny Side of Polymer
October 1, 2018 Inspirational Art
Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of new forms and approaches not just for an individual artist but within the community itself. This week I thought I’d pull out and share a few pieces that I found delightfully surprising and innovative.
Lisa Rapp has always been pushing the envelope of how to use and where to apply polymer clay. These colorfully armed sunglasses really showcase the surface design and patterns possible in polymer and in a rather unexpected place, although now that I see it, I wonder that we haven’t seen more before.
As a clever addition to her offering, Lisa makes these fun and handy cases to keep the polymer sunglasses in. It’s not really surprising that she has a fabric component to her offering as she is long been working with fabric as well as polymer.
You can see more of her sunglasses line as well as some of her polymer-embellished handbags and other creations on both her Flickr photostream and in her Etsy shop.
A Perfect Pairing
August 6, 2018 Inspirational Art
Even though polymer is generally considered a three-dimensional art form, this does not preclude it from being an exceptional two-dimensional art material. It allows for some very unique applications of imagery.
Would you have thought of this painting as being polymer clay when you first looked at it? The application of polymer doesn’t get much more two-dimensional than this but the energy of the colors and visual texture on what is obviously a very flat surface shows off some of the advantages of working with polymer as a “painting” medium.
This work is by the splendidly harmonious duo of Debo Groover and Tina Torrance, known as Debortina Studio. Their story is an interesting one. Pulled from their About page: “In 2008, after a long sabbatical from working as a professional artist, Debo created a new technique using polymer clay as a painting and collage material. This technique was formulated and fine-tuned for several years until it was perfected. The public response was so unexpected and overwhelmingly positive, that they joined forces and formed Debortina Studio.”
Their use of polymer with this curious combination of imagery is fascinating and enthralling. And so is the rest of their story. Why not hop on over to their website to read about it here and then take a look through their gallery at all the wonderfully patterned collage paintings.
We are going to be dropping in on some big names this week and next to see what they are up to and what they have to inspire us with.
First up: Bonnie Bishoff. Her focus on jewelry these last couple years has been a journey through a variety of styles as she moves from working primarily in veneers on furniture with her partner J.M. Syron to smaller and more intimate work. But regardless of the style, her quietly strong and confident sense of color and pattern mark each piece like a signature. These lovely earrings are paired almost solely by color scheme although they do work within a limited set of variations in composition, visual texture and shapes. Each variation relays a slightly different mood, adjusted through the level of contrast in value and hue. The subtlety of this communication is what really brings home how masterful her color work is.
You can see what I mean by looking at the body of her work. You can do so by jumping onto her Instagram page and the website she shares with J.M. Syron.
Read MoreTenth Muse Central (AKA my house) is under mandatory evacuation orders so we are quite out of sorts and have been since the wee hours of Friday morning because of the Woolsey fire in California. I am staying with family an hour north and all people and furries are safe and sound but needless to say, it has been hard getting work done both because I am very distracted, hoping my home will be spared, and because my setup that allows me to dictate much of my work while my arms are still healing doesn’t work so well in a crowded house. So, this week, I am resurrecting a few older blog posts to lighten the workload and, with fire on my mind, we will make that the theme. Fire is frightening but also awesome and beautiful. I like the idea of celebrating its beauty while we wait to see if Mother Nature will be kind to us. So enjoy these fire-themed posts from past years. Our first is from September 2012.
Impact. It’s pieces like this, not overly complicated but with an intensity of color and dynamic patterning that add definite and strong movement to the work, that really define the word eye-catching. But that isn’t even the most impactful thing about this piece.
The artist Adriana Allen has suffered from debilitating arthritis since childhood. But it has never stopped her. “Every item I create is a victory over an unforgiving disease … when it hit, it hit hard. I never gave into it. Every piece I create reminds me of this fact … the disease cannot stop me from doing what I love.”
Such courage and from it, such beauty.
Read MoreToday’s attention grabbing item is brought to you by Mother Nature. Yes, you read that right. This is not polymer. It is not resin. It is not some new crazy Zentangle-like method of doodling on rocks or something. This is a 176 carat Koroit Boulder Opal from Australia.
I know a lot of you already look to the natural world for inspiration but the more you look, the more amazing natural creations you’ll find. It’s still baffling what a huge array of shapes, textures and colors are put together without conscious thought but with pattern and purpose nonetheless. These opal patterns are formed in voids and cracks, like natural molds that are filled with a deposit of silicon dioxide which settles and forms spheres under specific conditions. These spheres are reflective and, if I am understanding the research I just did correctly, are the cause of the variation in reflected color. And I thought some of our processes were painstaking!
Now to figure out how to recreate this in polymer. Some fairly old methods like a Damascus ladder or other Lizard’s Tail technique might get close with a layer or two of black clay tucked in. Are you up for experimenting on that? If I had the time, I would but I don’t yet. So I leave it up to you, my fearless friends. If you create anything cool, inspired by this bit of nature, post it here. Let’s see what you all can make this weekend!
Read MoreThere’s nothing like ending the week with a brilliant splash of vibrant color and pattern, don’t you think? Well, that was my thought when I came across these vessels by Carol Blackburn. The color palette and some of the patterning is familiar from other examples of her work as are the contained and immaculately finished surfaces. However, the denser patterns feel new, creating an undeniable, dancing energy. The solid color of the lids creates a kind of anchoring rest area for the eye, sitting very heavily on the top, making the vibrant energy feel held in place and contained.
Although she actually created forms like this a couple of years ago, I think it’s a combination of these forms with this intensely active pattern that made them jump off the page to me. She calls the pattern “Jazzy Missoni”, a reference to the Missoni fashion house and its heavily patterned and colorful knitwear. The patterning is reminiscent of the textiles from that design house but she has taken it another step, echoing even the movement of the lighter knitwear and the layers that are often associated with their designs. I found this to be a wonderful interpretation of what is obviously inspiration from a designer in another material.
Carol has a variety of these patterns and the vessels posted on her Flickr photostream and website. Go ahead and take a stroll through them as way to jumpstart a colorful weekend.
Read MoreLately I’ve been noticing a lot of new forms and approaches not just for an individual artist but within the community itself. This week I thought I’d pull out and share a few pieces that I found delightfully surprising and innovative.
Lisa Rapp has always been pushing the envelope of how to use and where to apply polymer clay. These colorfully armed sunglasses really showcase the surface design and patterns possible in polymer and in a rather unexpected place, although now that I see it, I wonder that we haven’t seen more before.
As a clever addition to her offering, Lisa makes these fun and handy cases to keep the polymer sunglasses in. It’s not really surprising that she has a fabric component to her offering as she is long been working with fabric as well as polymer.
You can see more of her sunglasses line as well as some of her polymer-embellished handbags and other creations on both her Flickr photostream and in her Etsy shop.
Read MoreEven though polymer is generally considered a three-dimensional art form, this does not preclude it from being an exceptional two-dimensional art material. It allows for some very unique applications of imagery.
Would you have thought of this painting as being polymer clay when you first looked at it? The application of polymer doesn’t get much more two-dimensional than this but the energy of the colors and visual texture on what is obviously a very flat surface shows off some of the advantages of working with polymer as a “painting” medium.
This work is by the splendidly harmonious duo of Debo Groover and Tina Torrance, known as Debortina Studio. Their story is an interesting one. Pulled from their About page: “In 2008, after a long sabbatical from working as a professional artist, Debo created a new technique using polymer clay as a painting and collage material. This technique was formulated and fine-tuned for several years until it was perfected. The public response was so unexpected and overwhelmingly positive, that they joined forces and formed Debortina Studio.”
Their use of polymer with this curious combination of imagery is fascinating and enthralling. And so is the rest of their story. Why not hop on over to their website to read about it here and then take a look through their gallery at all the wonderfully patterned collage paintings.
Read More