Personal Impact and Contrast
November 10, 2013
Ponderings
Instead of a quote this Sunday, I wanted to share a photographer’s artwork. Richard Renaldi works in contrast. A very unexpected and heartwarming kind of contrast. And he aims to make an impact, if not on the state of the world itself, then on the lives of 2 or 3 people at a time, which he then shares with us.
Before I explain further, look at this photo here. What do you see? You are certainly seeing a contrast in age and ethnicity, but in order for contrast to work well, some commonality needs to be present. In a photo of people, our first instinct is to find that commonality in the relationship between people. You would probably start to consider who these people are, how they know each other and what they mean to each other. There is certainly a story here. But it’s not one you’d expect.
Richard Renaldi‘s photographs are all about our perception of relationships. These two women actually have nothing at all in common. Minutes before this photo was taken they were complete strangers, plucked off the streets to pose as themselves with someone that, up until that moment, meant nothing to them. But by the time the little photo shoot is over, most of Richard’s subjects find they feel connected to that stranger, all because of one moment of allowing them into their personal space and being part of an artistic endeavor. What goes on is better explained in this short video about Richard’s process, including the words and reactions of some of his subjects.
All art has the capacity to impact another person’s life in some way. Often times a gifted piece of jewelry comes to symbolize the love of another person or the importance of a particular moment. A person who buys your sculpture may do so because of the joyful times it reminds them of, or just because the beauty of it warms them when they look at it. Our art can affect people in a myriad of ways, but it’s not important whether it will or not– it’s simply that it has the potential. That concept is a good thing to keep in mind as you create: value the work you put into your art as much as you hope the person who will end up with it will value it, too. You just never know what it could end up meaningful to someone.
Do it Well
September 15, 2013
Ponderings
A quote from Buddha to start a very particular thought I want to express:
Quite regularly I have people write and ask if I will post something for them on the blog. I am always happy to do so if it fits the criteria for what we do here, and that it is as least as useful to the readers as it might be to the person or group that would like me to get the word out or promote something. That means it has to be relevant to the polymer community, and I need something visual to post. The visual part, oddly enough, ends up being the hurdle.
It’s not that people don’t send imagery or art work, it’s the quality of what is sent. With dozens or even hundreds of emails flowing through any one individual’s inbox and as many or more posts lining up in an RSS feed or on Facebook, the images in these dispatches need to be eye-catching and clear. If they are not, they will be passed over for those that are.
The reason I bring this up is because I see far too much beautiful work that is presented poorly online. I can’t tell you how many pieces I have passed on blogging about because you just couldn’t see it well in the photos–too dark, blurry, or overexposed, with flat lighting, distracting backgrounds, or overly yellow light will diminish or even ruin the impression of your work. So I just wanted to take this opportunity to say this: If you are going to post photos of your work in any public forum, be it Flickr, Facebook, Pinterest, your blog or website, and especially places you hope to sell like Etsy or Artfire, post well-photographed work. Even if you don’t find yourself so serious about what you do now, if you have any aspiration to become a professional artist or craftsperson and sell or show your work, the impression you give now can stick with the viewing public for quite a while. Images posted on the internet live on the internet for years. What you do today may come up in someone’s search 5 years from now. You may not be doing your best work yet; but at least, when your older work is still popping up in years to come, the photos will show it well. And if you have an aspirations to someday be featured in any one of the wonderful blogs or periodicals that feature craft artists, you have a better chance if you have good photos of your work posted.
The thing is, this is your art; this is part of who you are, who you have been, and who you will be. If you put yourself, your heart, and your soul into your work, take it that step further and show it well also.
You can get tips on creating better photographs from the many articles in The Polymer Arts magazine or you can take a class locally or get a book like Steve Meltzer’s Photographing Arts, Crafts & Collectibles.
Outside Inspiration: Water, Courtesy of Mother Nature
September 13, 2013
Inspirational Art
Today’s post will be a little different, and short, mostly due to the uncertainty of my internet connection and the constant interruption and bit of bedlam we’re dealing with here. I live in Colorado, in a suburb east of Denver that got just bombarded by the monsoon rains yesterday. My home is on a high point in the neighborhood, so we are fine here, but getting in or out of my neighborhood is a serious and time-consuming challenge due to flooded streets closed off all around us. Of course the news makes it all seems quite dramatic, and people from all over are calling and texting. Us Coloradans, although not at all used to being flooded, are a hardy bunch, and deal with Mother Nature with patience. She tends to bring us mostly sunshine and mild weather, so we put up with a few eccentricities here and there.
But water is on our mind (and in our houses, and cars, and businesses…) so today, we’re just going to bow to mother nature’s beauty with a particularly pretty take on water and texture.
This would not be hard to duplicate in polymer. There’s a nice design break in the texture, too.
The site I was sent to with this image has a whole series of pretty amazing photos; most of them are water- and weather-focused, but primarily ones that are a bit mind-bending. Jump over to http://xaxor.com/photography/7168-beautiful-photos.html to see what I mean.
Keepsake Imagery
July 6, 2013
Inspirational Art
Since image transfer can be used with any kind of imagery, why not use it to memorialize important people, moments, places, and photos that are near and dear to you or your customers?
I just love what Cynthia Tinnapple did with transfers on some of her husband’s turned bowls a few years back. The image transfers were applied to polymer sunk into a channel around the bowl, and all the images were of the women in her family. I believe she quickly and simply turned a beautiful bowl into a priceless heirloom. How many people display their family photos in anything much more than picture frames?
This same approach can be use to add photos to anything you can adhere polymer clay to (which is just about anything). If you want ideas for objects you can start adorning with favorite family photos, take a look at the “Covered Objects” article in the present Summer 2013 issue of The Polymer Arts. Also check out the article on collaboration to read more about how Cynthia and her husband combine their crafts.
Also. be sure you have an up to date subscription, because the Fall issue that will be out next month is packed with tons of great stuff, including a review and peek into Cynthia’s new book Polymer Clay Global Concepts, due out July 30th. (But you can pre-order on Amazon if you just can’t wait to see the review. We wouldn’t blame you!)
Outside Inspiration: Photographing Hidden Nature
June 28, 2013
Inspirational Art
For most of us, there are patterns, colors, and textures enough throughout nature to keep us inspired for several lifetimes. But, within the forms we see in the natural world is a whole other realm of possible inspiration hidden within it.
Take flowers, for instance. They are beautiful and obviously quite inspirational as we find them presented out in nature. But there is more hidden within a flower. This image by microphotographer Ray Nelson is actually the base, or ovary, of a flower. Yes, its been enhanced using stain and special lighting, but the pattern and texture is all Mother Nature.
Mother Nature’s work can be stunning even when unenhanced. Here is the cross section of a bell flower ovary with beautiful soft colors and kaleidoscope patterning.
Isn’t it just fantastic that we can step outside our door and find hidden beauty in so many things? When you’re feeling uninspired, a walk outside is highly recommended for clearing the mind and recharging your batteries. And while you’re out there, you can look at cross sections of various plants, rocks or other natural work for new colors, patterns, and textures to help you fire up your creativity.
Outside Inspiration: Drunk on Color
May 10, 2013
Inspirational Art
Today’s outside inspiration is quite different, not just for this blog but as a type of art work. What you see below is bourbon. No, that is not some indecipherable typo … the colors and visual texture is the result of photographing liquor under a microscope. How crazy and cool is that? These images are from BevShot, a company that photographs and sells images of favorite alcoholic beverages.
The liquor is “crystallized on a slide and shot under a polarized light microscope. As the light refracts through the beverage crystals, the resulting photos have naturally magnificent colors and composition.”
Yes, they do!
So what can we take away from this? Well, color inspiration for one, of course. Here’s nature again, being more stunning than we might imagine. You could create a dozen color palettes from the combinations here. The yellow, orange and magenta in the lower right, the yellow, magenta, purple in blue in the striations towards the top, the green, yellow and watermelon red in the center left portion … what great palettes!
There are two other things you can take from this art. One, look at the very microscopic world for some of the most amazing colors, textures and forms. Search for microscopic images and see what grabs you.
The other thing … look at this website. They have taken their beautiful imagery and transferred it onto all kinds of objects, not just wall art. As craft artists, most of us are used to creating functional items for sale but we tend to make the same kind of products. Why not stop and consider whether what you do with your jewelry can be applied to vases, boxes, swtichplates or other objects? Or what do you do with covered objects that you might be able to use to create wall art or jewelry. If you need to inject some fresh items into your line, looking at different forms using the same or adapted techniques might be just the thing.
Speaking of covered objects and wall art … the latest issue which includes extensive articles on both these subjects plus much more is off to the printer and will be getting mailed out directly from there end of next week. If you haven’t already subscribed, renewed or pre-ordered the new issue so you can get it in the first mailed batch, you can do so here at www.thepolymerarts.com/Subscribe.html The cut off date to get your orders in for the first print mailing will be end of day this Monday. The release date of the digital form of the Spring 2013 issue and the first day you might be able to expect the print issue to arrive at your door is May 22nd. So, soon. Very soon!
I found BevShot through Lindly Huanani’s website. Of course she’d have found this wonderful source of color.
Outside Inspiration: Diminutive in Nature
April 5, 2013
Inspirational Art
For many of us, nature is the ultimate inspiration. The forms, textures, and colors we see when outdoors provides endless ideas. But there is more inspiration in nature than meets the eye.
Meet Rob Kesseler. Rob has a serious fascination with nature but he doesn’t stop at just what is before him. He zooms in with his camera and on his computer to find the smallest of elements from which to draw inspiration for his varied art work. Here we have a commonly feared and dreaded inhabitant of the outdoors … pollen. But how gorgeous it is up close and no where near one’s respiratory system.
Rob actually works in a wide range of materials from photography to ceramics and a myriad of things in between. From his website: “… his most recent work reflects current desires to exploit the benefits for collaboration between artists and scientists. Over the past decade he has worked extensively with botanical scientists at Kew exploring the creative potential of microscopic plant material.” Now that’s getting close up and personal! It’s also very intriguing to see how he transforms what he sees into various types of art work. Peruse his site here.
With the changing of the seasons, we have a lot of opportunity to observe some very intricate and beautiful transformations. Head out with a camera fitted with a macro lens or go old-fashioned and just take a strong magnifying glass and a sketch book and spend an afternoon inspiration hunting in the great but tiny side of the outdoors.
Outside Influence: Art on Nature
December 30, 2012
Inspirational Art
When I first saw this array, I thought it was polymer and ingenuous work at that. But no … it turns out to be leaves. Beautifully painted details on dead leaves by Elena Nuez of Spain. But its not the painting of each leaf that is so enticing, rather it is the arrangement, the collective impact that gives this image it’s impact.
Even more wonderful is the variety of ways Elena photographs these. On her web post she has several different arrangements and angles from which she photographs them. The photos–the compostition and view–are the art.
In terms of how we can translate this into polymer, there are several things you can take from this. One, the shapes and colors are perfect for polymer and these patterns could be easily reproduced. It also might give you ideas for making a batches of forms and then playing with the arrangement of them until you either find an arrangement you like for a brooch or wall piece or as a collection you can continue to play with for your own enjoyment. Also, consider that the photography of your work can in itself be art with polymer the subject that helps create the images rather than the polymer being the end product alone. Just a lot to ponder. And enjoy.
Instead of a quote this Sunday, I wanted to share a photographer’s artwork. Richard Renaldi works in contrast. A very unexpected and heartwarming kind of contrast. And he aims to make an impact, if not on the state of the world itself, then on the lives of 2 or 3 people at a time, which he then shares with us.
Before I explain further, look at this photo here. What do you see? You are certainly seeing a contrast in age and ethnicity, but in order for contrast to work well, some commonality needs to be present. In a photo of people, our first instinct is to find that commonality in the relationship between people. You would probably start to consider who these people are, how they know each other and what they mean to each other. There is certainly a story here. But it’s not one you’d expect.
Richard Renaldi‘s photographs are all about our perception of relationships. These two women actually have nothing at all in common. Minutes before this photo was taken they were complete strangers, plucked off the streets to pose as themselves with someone that, up until that moment, meant nothing to them. But by the time the little photo shoot is over, most of Richard’s subjects find they feel connected to that stranger, all because of one moment of allowing them into their personal space and being part of an artistic endeavor. What goes on is better explained in this short video about Richard’s process, including the words and reactions of some of his subjects.
All art has the capacity to impact another person’s life in some way. Often times a gifted piece of jewelry comes to symbolize the love of another person or the importance of a particular moment. A person who buys your sculpture may do so because of the joyful times it reminds them of, or just because the beauty of it warms them when they look at it. Our art can affect people in a myriad of ways, but it’s not important whether it will or not– it’s simply that it has the potential. That concept is a good thing to keep in mind as you create: value the work you put into your art as much as you hope the person who will end up with it will value it, too. You just never know what it could end up meaningful to someone.
Read More
A quote from Buddha to start a very particular thought I want to express:
Quite regularly I have people write and ask if I will post something for them on the blog. I am always happy to do so if it fits the criteria for what we do here, and that it is as least as useful to the readers as it might be to the person or group that would like me to get the word out or promote something. That means it has to be relevant to the polymer community, and I need something visual to post. The visual part, oddly enough, ends up being the hurdle.
It’s not that people don’t send imagery or art work, it’s the quality of what is sent. With dozens or even hundreds of emails flowing through any one individual’s inbox and as many or more posts lining up in an RSS feed or on Facebook, the images in these dispatches need to be eye-catching and clear. If they are not, they will be passed over for those that are.
The reason I bring this up is because I see far too much beautiful work that is presented poorly online. I can’t tell you how many pieces I have passed on blogging about because you just couldn’t see it well in the photos–too dark, blurry, or overexposed, with flat lighting, distracting backgrounds, or overly yellow light will diminish or even ruin the impression of your work. So I just wanted to take this opportunity to say this: If you are going to post photos of your work in any public forum, be it Flickr, Facebook, Pinterest, your blog or website, and especially places you hope to sell like Etsy or Artfire, post well-photographed work. Even if you don’t find yourself so serious about what you do now, if you have any aspiration to become a professional artist or craftsperson and sell or show your work, the impression you give now can stick with the viewing public for quite a while. Images posted on the internet live on the internet for years. What you do today may come up in someone’s search 5 years from now. You may not be doing your best work yet; but at least, when your older work is still popping up in years to come, the photos will show it well. And if you have an aspirations to someday be featured in any one of the wonderful blogs or periodicals that feature craft artists, you have a better chance if you have good photos of your work posted.
The thing is, this is your art; this is part of who you are, who you have been, and who you will be. If you put yourself, your heart, and your soul into your work, take it that step further and show it well also.
You can get tips on creating better photographs from the many articles in The Polymer Arts magazine or you can take a class locally or get a book like Steve Meltzer’s Photographing Arts, Crafts & Collectibles.
Today’s post will be a little different, and short, mostly due to the uncertainty of my internet connection and the constant interruption and bit of bedlam we’re dealing with here. I live in Colorado, in a suburb east of Denver that got just bombarded by the monsoon rains yesterday. My home is on a high point in the neighborhood, so we are fine here, but getting in or out of my neighborhood is a serious and time-consuming challenge due to flooded streets closed off all around us. Of course the news makes it all seems quite dramatic, and people from all over are calling and texting. Us Coloradans, although not at all used to being flooded, are a hardy bunch, and deal with Mother Nature with patience. She tends to bring us mostly sunshine and mild weather, so we put up with a few eccentricities here and there.
But water is on our mind (and in our houses, and cars, and businesses…) so today, we’re just going to bow to mother nature’s beauty with a particularly pretty take on water and texture.
This would not be hard to duplicate in polymer. There’s a nice design break in the texture, too.
The site I was sent to with this image has a whole series of pretty amazing photos; most of them are water- and weather-focused, but primarily ones that are a bit mind-bending. Jump over to http://xaxor.com/photography/7168-beautiful-photos.html to see what I mean.
Read More
Since image transfer can be used with any kind of imagery, why not use it to memorialize important people, moments, places, and photos that are near and dear to you or your customers?
I just love what Cynthia Tinnapple did with transfers on some of her husband’s turned bowls a few years back. The image transfers were applied to polymer sunk into a channel around the bowl, and all the images were of the women in her family. I believe she quickly and simply turned a beautiful bowl into a priceless heirloom. How many people display their family photos in anything much more than picture frames?
This same approach can be use to add photos to anything you can adhere polymer clay to (which is just about anything). If you want ideas for objects you can start adorning with favorite family photos, take a look at the “Covered Objects” article in the present Summer 2013 issue of The Polymer Arts. Also check out the article on collaboration to read more about how Cynthia and her husband combine their crafts.
Also. be sure you have an up to date subscription, because the Fall issue that will be out next month is packed with tons of great stuff, including a review and peek into Cynthia’s new book Polymer Clay Global Concepts, due out July 30th. (But you can pre-order on Amazon if you just can’t wait to see the review. We wouldn’t blame you!)
For most of us, there are patterns, colors, and textures enough throughout nature to keep us inspired for several lifetimes. But, within the forms we see in the natural world is a whole other realm of possible inspiration hidden within it.
Take flowers, for instance. They are beautiful and obviously quite inspirational as we find them presented out in nature. But there is more hidden within a flower. This image by microphotographer Ray Nelson is actually the base, or ovary, of a flower. Yes, its been enhanced using stain and special lighting, but the pattern and texture is all Mother Nature.
Mother Nature’s work can be stunning even when unenhanced. Here is the cross section of a bell flower ovary with beautiful soft colors and kaleidoscope patterning.
Isn’t it just fantastic that we can step outside our door and find hidden beauty in so many things? When you’re feeling uninspired, a walk outside is highly recommended for clearing the mind and recharging your batteries. And while you’re out there, you can look at cross sections of various plants, rocks or other natural work for new colors, patterns, and textures to help you fire up your creativity.
Today’s outside inspiration is quite different, not just for this blog but as a type of art work. What you see below is bourbon. No, that is not some indecipherable typo … the colors and visual texture is the result of photographing liquor under a microscope. How crazy and cool is that? These images are from BevShot, a company that photographs and sells images of favorite alcoholic beverages.
The liquor is “crystallized on a slide and shot under a polarized light microscope. As the light refracts through the beverage crystals, the resulting photos have naturally magnificent colors and composition.”
Yes, they do!
So what can we take away from this? Well, color inspiration for one, of course. Here’s nature again, being more stunning than we might imagine. You could create a dozen color palettes from the combinations here. The yellow, orange and magenta in the lower right, the yellow, magenta, purple in blue in the striations towards the top, the green, yellow and watermelon red in the center left portion … what great palettes!
There are two other things you can take from this art. One, look at the very microscopic world for some of the most amazing colors, textures and forms. Search for microscopic images and see what grabs you.
The other thing … look at this website. They have taken their beautiful imagery and transferred it onto all kinds of objects, not just wall art. As craft artists, most of us are used to creating functional items for sale but we tend to make the same kind of products. Why not stop and consider whether what you do with your jewelry can be applied to vases, boxes, swtichplates or other objects? Or what do you do with covered objects that you might be able to use to create wall art or jewelry. If you need to inject some fresh items into your line, looking at different forms using the same or adapted techniques might be just the thing.
Speaking of covered objects and wall art … the latest issue which includes extensive articles on both these subjects plus much more is off to the printer and will be getting mailed out directly from there end of next week. If you haven’t already subscribed, renewed or pre-ordered the new issue so you can get it in the first mailed batch, you can do so here at www.thepolymerarts.com/Subscribe.html The cut off date to get your orders in for the first print mailing will be end of day this Monday. The release date of the digital form of the Spring 2013 issue and the first day you might be able to expect the print issue to arrive at your door is May 22nd. So, soon. Very soon!
I found BevShot through Lindly Huanani’s website. Of course she’d have found this wonderful source of color.
Read MoreFor many of us, nature is the ultimate inspiration. The forms, textures, and colors we see when outdoors provides endless ideas. But there is more inspiration in nature than meets the eye.
Meet Rob Kesseler. Rob has a serious fascination with nature but he doesn’t stop at just what is before him. He zooms in with his camera and on his computer to find the smallest of elements from which to draw inspiration for his varied art work. Here we have a commonly feared and dreaded inhabitant of the outdoors … pollen. But how gorgeous it is up close and no where near one’s respiratory system.
Rob actually works in a wide range of materials from photography to ceramics and a myriad of things in between. From his website: “… his most recent work reflects current desires to exploit the benefits for collaboration between artists and scientists. Over the past decade he has worked extensively with botanical scientists at Kew exploring the creative potential of microscopic plant material.” Now that’s getting close up and personal! It’s also very intriguing to see how he transforms what he sees into various types of art work. Peruse his site here.
With the changing of the seasons, we have a lot of opportunity to observe some very intricate and beautiful transformations. Head out with a camera fitted with a macro lens or go old-fashioned and just take a strong magnifying glass and a sketch book and spend an afternoon inspiration hunting in the great but tiny side of the outdoors.
Read MoreWhen I first saw this array, I thought it was polymer and ingenuous work at that. But no … it turns out to be leaves. Beautifully painted details on dead leaves by Elena Nuez of Spain. But its not the painting of each leaf that is so enticing, rather it is the arrangement, the collective impact that gives this image it’s impact.
Even more wonderful is the variety of ways Elena photographs these. On her web post she has several different arrangements and angles from which she photographs them. The photos–the compostition and view–are the art.
In terms of how we can translate this into polymer, there are several things you can take from this. One, the shapes and colors are perfect for polymer and these patterns could be easily reproduced. It also might give you ideas for making a batches of forms and then playing with the arrangement of them until you either find an arrangement you like for a brooch or wall piece or as a collection you can continue to play with for your own enjoyment. Also, consider that the photography of your work can in itself be art with polymer the subject that helps create the images rather than the polymer being the end product alone. Just a lot to ponder. And enjoy.
Read More