April 2009

Duburg and Dowse fold polymer

by Cynthia Tinapple on April 20, 2009 · 4 comments

Holland’s Annette Duburg folds polymer as if it were fabric, shaping it to resemble those double daffodils that have popped up in my yard. So springy.

Sophie Dowse treats polymer as fabric in her “Bloomies” series that she describes as bud-like pieces that “remind us there is still so much more that wants to blossom in and outside of us.”

Sophie’s shop is in Quebec City and she’s got an Etsy gallery up. Here’s an early post about her. Thanks to Betsy Baker for shouting out about Sophie’s Etsy site.

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Charming polymer charms

by Cynthia Tinapple on April 17, 2009 · 5 comments

The irregular shape of a Hamsa (the image of a hand often worn in the Middle East and Africa as a charm) makes it difficult to fill with design and pattern. Polymer clay artists have to work especially hard to make cuttouts interesting since our eyes read the shape first.

Israeli artist Angela.B21 takes an interesting approach, refusing to be hemmed in. She lets her polymer clay patterns spill over the hand shape creating a sense of spontenaity and freedom. Her added textures, lively color palette and careful craftsmanship make for lucky and lovely charms.

Angela’s approaches her pendants and bracelet designs with the same lack of constraint and you can see her collection here. You can see Hamsa examples from a variety of artists on WhiteFluffy’s site.

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Polymer eggs, snakes and more

by Cynthia Tinapple on April 15, 2009 · 4 comments

Carol Simmons has been hatching plans to extrude metallic polymer clays in new ways. (Here’s the link to the large picture of the eggs. The regular link is acting contrary.)

These clay-covered eggs were a recent product of her experiments and she’ll be revealing her discoveries in a class at her studio in Ft. Collins, Colorado this Saturday. Here are earlier posts about Carol’s kaleidoscope-cane works and award-winning pendants.

Egging you on…

May 1 is the deadline for entries in Interweave’s Bead Star Challenge. The prizes are pretty nice (just ask Valerie Aharoni, last year’s winner). I notice that Valerie has tested Creative Imaginations’ Super Seal Spray on polymer with good results.

And at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, they’re looking for clay artists who can help them create a 30 square foot garden. Thanks to Justine for the link.

Check out this faux snakeskin! This Python version from Christina (ArtByLilin) won third place in this month’s Etsy faux challenge. Thanks Ronna.

Lotta links today! You sent in a shower of April tips. Does that mean May will bring flowers?

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Gesing’s polymer curiosities

by Cynthia Tinapple on April 15, 2009 · 6 comments

Ohio’s Michele Gesing (GabrielStudios) creates polymer clay curiosities – flowers that open, birds in cages, slightly twisted mosaics, little niches, painted pendants, molded beads and more. She paints on polymer to achieve her highly personal, mysterious, soft, moody artworks.