New Homes

June 4, 2018

At the end of this week, Creative Journey Studios, the ultimate polymer-related destination and a must-have on every polymer enthusiast’s bucket list, is having a grand reopening celebration at their new digs in Milton, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. The move from Buford was a monumental project for our dear Ellen Prophater and Sue Sutherland who are at the core of this fabulous concept and place. I’m sure they are thrilled as well as relieved to finally have a home set up again for the workshops and collection of polymer arts. Creative Journey Studios houses one of the largest collections of historically relevant polymer art in the world. The collection has recently expanded as well, taking up 18 cases just stuffed with amazing artwork.

One of the newest pieces in the collection is this mosaic by Ponsawan Sila, who recently relocated herself and her daughter to Thailand from Indiana, and had to shed many of their belongings in the process. But lucky us, this beautiful piece is permanently housed with our ladies in Milton.

For this coming weekend’s grand opening, held June 5th to the 8th, there will be demos all weekend along with a trunk show for Lindly Haunani on Friday night. The gallery will be showing off new work by quite a number of artists working in both polymer and mixed media. I’ll spend this week and maybe some of next week highlighting recent work by a number of these great artists that the studio supports.

If you’re interested in attending the grand reopening, go to the Creative Journey Studios’ website for further details. If you will have to visit on another day, you may want to look at the workshop schedule and plan to attend one of the amazing workshops they have coming up, conducted by the likes of Donna Greenberg, Jana Roberts Benzon, Julie Picarello and more. Go to this page for the workshop schedule.

The Past Comes to My Door

April 1, 2016

SSmolka blogSome days, I just can’t believe how insanely lucky I am to be doing what I do. A few days ago I was blessed with these gifts from Germany. These are not just any gifts. If you read the Muse’s Corner article by Anke Humpert in the Winter 2015 issue of The Polymer Arts, or read the blog post about Sigrid Smolka last November, then you know some of this story.

Anke brought to our attention what must be the very first book of polymer techniques, written in 1974, and I was ever so thrilled that we were able to share Sigrid’s story. But now, I get to actually hold the book in my hands. I am so thrilled and have been just bursting with the implications of what I have so I just had to share.

Sigrid contacted me a couple of months ago and said she wanted to send me her book and a few other things. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I thanked her profusely and patiently waited. Poor Sigrid has been having intermittent health issues so she was not able to get them off right away and eventually employed her friend Theresa to pack the intended items up for me.

Well, not only did she send the polymer book but also her book on air dry clay techniques and three of her polymer pieces from her years creating in the medium. And … she also sent prints and cards with her more recent computer paintings. Note the print on the left has a March 2016 date. Even with her ups and downs these days, she is still creating and sharing her art. I am amazed by this woman.

Since it seems too selfish to keep these to myself, I will be bringing the book and her polymer pieces with me to Eurosynergy in Bordeaux to share. I assume many people in the community are like me and would be thrilled to see pieces of our past in person. That is also why I sent Ellen Prophater and Sue Sutherland at Creative Journeys Sigrid’s contact information, so hopefully her work can be included in their amazing retrospective collection. It just wouldn’t seem complete without this earliest pioneer included.

 

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Can you recall a piece or an artist from when you started in your present medium that greatly influenced your work? Can you recall what it was about their work that inspired you so greatly? Take that inspiring element or your sense of the artist’s work and design or create a piece that pays homage or utilizes what you got from them without copying anything they did.

_________________________________________

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

_________________________________________

Outside Influence: Ideas from Lampwork

September 7, 2012 ,

I have meet numerous polymer artist who also work, or have worked, in glass.  There are similar approaches to designing beads in lampwork so it’s no surprise that there are ways that this bead below could inspire polymer bead makers.

This is a bead from Jennifer Cameron’s Nightmare Insomnia series. I suspect from the name that these are the result of those late night forays into the studio when new ideas grab you and don’t let you sleep. I think many of us have been there! But beside the commiserating, the inspiration of the components here are something to ponder.

First of all, the bead caps are wonderfully fun. Rather than just cover the end of the bead, Jennifer extends the bead caps into the body of the bead making it an integral part of the design. This would be a simple addition to a polymer bead design with all kinds of variations to explore. Then there is the wire mesh inclusion. It’s a large inclusion but who says inclusions need to be small and scattered? We have liquid polymer and translucents that could show off all kinds of larger non-polymer additions below the surface.

And a side note … I visited Creative Journey Studios in Buford, Georgia this week and had a wonderful lunch and visit with Ellen Prophater and Sue Sutherland. I wish I could have stayed long enough to take Christi Friesen’s workshops there this weekend. If you are close enough, do consider attending. The studio space you get to work in is an inspriation in and of itself with a huge retrospective gallery of polymer from nearly all the masters and innovators of our community. That is worth the drive down alone! Check it out here.

New Homes

June 4, 2018
Posted in

At the end of this week, Creative Journey Studios, the ultimate polymer-related destination and a must-have on every polymer enthusiast’s bucket list, is having a grand reopening celebration at their new digs in Milton, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. The move from Buford was a monumental project for our dear Ellen Prophater and Sue Sutherland who are at the core of this fabulous concept and place. I’m sure they are thrilled as well as relieved to finally have a home set up again for the workshops and collection of polymer arts. Creative Journey Studios houses one of the largest collections of historically relevant polymer art in the world. The collection has recently expanded as well, taking up 18 cases just stuffed with amazing artwork.

One of the newest pieces in the collection is this mosaic by Ponsawan Sila, who recently relocated herself and her daughter to Thailand from Indiana, and had to shed many of their belongings in the process. But lucky us, this beautiful piece is permanently housed with our ladies in Milton.

For this coming weekend’s grand opening, held June 5th to the 8th, there will be demos all weekend along with a trunk show for Lindly Haunani on Friday night. The gallery will be showing off new work by quite a number of artists working in both polymer and mixed media. I’ll spend this week and maybe some of next week highlighting recent work by a number of these great artists that the studio supports.

If you’re interested in attending the grand reopening, go to the Creative Journey Studios’ website for further details. If you will have to visit on another day, you may want to look at the workshop schedule and plan to attend one of the amazing workshops they have coming up, conducted by the likes of Donna Greenberg, Jana Roberts Benzon, Julie Picarello and more. Go to this page for the workshop schedule.

Read More

The Past Comes to My Door

April 1, 2016
Posted in

SSmolka blogSome days, I just can’t believe how insanely lucky I am to be doing what I do. A few days ago I was blessed with these gifts from Germany. These are not just any gifts. If you read the Muse’s Corner article by Anke Humpert in the Winter 2015 issue of The Polymer Arts, or read the blog post about Sigrid Smolka last November, then you know some of this story.

Anke brought to our attention what must be the very first book of polymer techniques, written in 1974, and I was ever so thrilled that we were able to share Sigrid’s story. But now, I get to actually hold the book in my hands. I am so thrilled and have been just bursting with the implications of what I have so I just had to share.

Sigrid contacted me a couple of months ago and said she wanted to send me her book and a few other things. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I thanked her profusely and patiently waited. Poor Sigrid has been having intermittent health issues so she was not able to get them off right away and eventually employed her friend Theresa to pack the intended items up for me.

Well, not only did she send the polymer book but also her book on air dry clay techniques and three of her polymer pieces from her years creating in the medium. And … she also sent prints and cards with her more recent computer paintings. Note the print on the left has a March 2016 date. Even with her ups and downs these days, she is still creating and sharing her art. I am amazed by this woman.

Since it seems too selfish to keep these to myself, I will be bringing the book and her polymer pieces with me to Eurosynergy in Bordeaux to share. I assume many people in the community are like me and would be thrilled to see pieces of our past in person. That is also why I sent Ellen Prophater and Sue Sutherland at Creative Journeys Sigrid’s contact information, so hopefully her work can be included in their amazing retrospective collection. It just wouldn’t seem complete without this earliest pioneer included.

 

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Can you recall a piece or an artist from when you started in your present medium that greatly influenced your work? Can you recall what it was about their work that inspired you so greatly? Take that inspiring element or your sense of the artist’s work and design or create a piece that pays homage or utilizes what you got from them without copying anything they did.

_________________________________________

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

Outside Influence: Ideas from Lampwork

September 7, 2012
Posted in ,

I have meet numerous polymer artist who also work, or have worked, in glass.  There are similar approaches to designing beads in lampwork so it’s no surprise that there are ways that this bead below could inspire polymer bead makers.

This is a bead from Jennifer Cameron’s Nightmare Insomnia series. I suspect from the name that these are the result of those late night forays into the studio when new ideas grab you and don’t let you sleep. I think many of us have been there! But beside the commiserating, the inspiration of the components here are something to ponder.

First of all, the bead caps are wonderfully fun. Rather than just cover the end of the bead, Jennifer extends the bead caps into the body of the bead making it an integral part of the design. This would be a simple addition to a polymer bead design with all kinds of variations to explore. Then there is the wire mesh inclusion. It’s a large inclusion but who says inclusions need to be small and scattered? We have liquid polymer and translucents that could show off all kinds of larger non-polymer additions below the surface.

And a side note … I visited Creative Journey Studios in Buford, Georgia this week and had a wonderful lunch and visit with Ellen Prophater and Sue Sutherland. I wish I could have stayed long enough to take Christi Friesen’s workshops there this weekend. If you are close enough, do consider attending. The studio space you get to work in is an inspriation in and of itself with a huge retrospective gallery of polymer from nearly all the masters and innovators of our community. That is worth the drive down alone! Check it out here.

Read More
If you love these posts ...