by Cynthia Tinapple on May 25, 2007 · 1 comment
When Seattle’s Charlie Nagel and I met in class 10 years ago, he was a metal sculptor just beginning to explore polymer clay. He delights in creating pieces that feel monumental and architectural but are actually quite small in scale.
His background as a psychiatrist and a musician reveals itself in his provocative and contemplative approach. Take some time to view his new pieces and read his statements about them.
Charlie begins by explaining,"It was Emerson who said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are of small consequence compared to what lies within us.’ The process of exploring that inner space I think of as a voyage of discovery, and the function of art can be to provide a series of sign-posts to awaken our inner vision."
All this talk of visions and voyages reminds me of my own UFO’s (UnFinished Objects). What a perfect long weekend to complete them.
How often do you see polymer clay on a billboard? Thanks to Meredith Ditmar’s work, folks in Portland have that pleasure. Meredith’s characters also appear in books, on cell phones, in commercials and in other unusual venues.
Interest in contemporary character design has grown. It draws on pop culture, graffiti and visual art and its artists have moved beyond the boundaries of the gallery and introduced polymer clay work to a new audience of avid collectors.
Take a look at the works of Fergus Ray-Murray (Oolong) from Scotland and Bulgarian Dinko Tilov, for example.
It’s Wednesday and time for some tidbit tidying. The Philadelphia polymer clay guild has pictures of new works (like these by Ellen Marshall) and a tube bead extruder tool I hadn’t seen before. You might want to pop in on the new Maine guild site too.
Maggie Maggio interviewed me and her article has been posted on the NPCG web site. I’ll be speaking at Synergy (with the ACC show in Baltimore) about the future of polymer clay. Between now and then I’ll be crystal ball gazing, mulling and conjecturing. If you have thoughts on the subject, write me.
Two more events for your calendar. The next Clay Carnival will be held from November 30 – December 2, 2007, in Las Vegas. The details are on Donna Kato’s site. Or check out the ultimate polymer clay experience, Jeff Dever’s master class in France at Gwen Gibson’s La Cascade.
I won the Debby Brams earrings in the Shrine Mont silent auction and discovered her elegant earwire trick. The earwire is made of a headpin that runs through and over the clay in one easy piece. If you click on the image, you’ll get the larger version and see what I mean. Very simple, totally cool.
Virginia’s Susan Tilt kept a sewing machine in her room at Shrine Mont. A multi-talented artist who specializes in liturgical art, Susan spent her spare moments finishing a quilted wall hanging for an Episcopal Church Visual Arts exhibit. The stunning piece was based on a series of gesture drawings from a figure class that she had taken.
Angela Tompkins has been Susan’s Shrine Mont table mate for years. In a touching tribute to her friend’s art, Angela created a small polymer clay painting of Susan’s quilt. Spontaneous acts of kindness and friendship like these that we express in our art are often more powerful than our most studied and carefully considered efforts.
Clarification: There are many ways to transfer images to polymer clay – gin, water, special papers, special sauces. My hat is off to anyone who can spit, sip or slide their images onto the clay. Yesterday’s Laurie Prophater may have a new twist.
While you’re waiting for the details of Laurie’s system, you might take a look at Jeanne Rhea’s, Jill Erickson’s (here’s her how-to), or Donna Kato’s methods. And Donna has added a few new things to her site.
